This episode in HOA-Nerd-Land is quite different, as Tiago and Dan sync up with Jen Darwin and Shannon Cook from Sequoia Management to talk about - how we got into this business?!

Working with community associations is a unique and special experience - very few people likely grow up thinking they want to be a community association manager or attorney. So how did Jen, Shannon, Dan, and Tiago end up in this mess? Listen and find out!

Let's talk strategic planning for community associations - what could be a better way to end the year, kick the holidays into gear, and get ready for the new year?

Happy Thanksgiving! The Nerds are grateful for their faithful listeners and also those who listen just to be nice to us.

In this episode, the Nerds get nerdy again with some discussion and analysis of a line of cases coming out of the Virginia Supreme Court involving the authority of homeowners' associations to assign or reserve parking spaces. Sometimes it's not about what's "fair" - given that "fair" is in the eye of the beholder - but rather the law of easements and the rights of dominant estate holders over servient estate holders. We hope you don't fall asleep before our discussion ends...

Our summer hiatus is over! Let's get NERDY!

Dan and Tiago dive into the complicated and incomplete case law that has generated a sea of uncertainty in the authority of Virginia community associations to impose various sanctions against homeowners for violations of governing documents. Whether an association wishes to assess violation charges or suspend privileges, as examples, the Virginia courts have weighed in over the years on where the authority must come from. Listen closely and enjoy!

Let's get nerdy with solar panels!

Dan and Tiago take a few minutes to appreciate and explain how statutes in the Commonwealth of Virginia limit the authority of community associations to restrict where and how homeowners can install solar panels on their property. What do clotheslines have to do with this? Listen and find out!

It's time for another Insightful episode with the Nerds, Dan and Tiago! In this episode, the Nerds sync up with the wonderful Victoria Garner and Candace Lewis of Cardinal Management Group, a RealManage Company to talk all things rule adoption and enforcement.

Covenant and rule enforcement is probably one of the more difficult things common interest communities take on, as it ultimately pits neighbors against each other. The public relation issues are abundant here, but Victoria and Candace help the Nerds identify some pretty important and useful tips and tricks to make this trying aspect of community association governance more effective and position for all involved.

For more information about Cardinal Management Group and their management offerings near you, please reach out to Victoria ([email protected]) and Candace ([email protected])

Another Nerdy Insight! This time with our good friends, Mark Bailey and Shayla Love, of FirstService Residential.

Mark, Shayla, Dan, and I spend a half hour talking communication and how critical it is for community associations, emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the Board and management. Don't mind our soap boxing about virtual meetings...

For more information about FirstService Residential (FSR) and their management offerings near you, please reach out to Mark ([email protected]) and Shayla ([email protected]).

Howdy Nerds! We've taken a little hiatus but we're back and man do we have content ready for you! We're going to jump start things with a short little feature on the current status of the Corporate Transparency Act and the Beneficial Owner Information reporting requirements. We truly hope we won't have to do another episode on this for a while...

The Nerds' first guests!!! We welcome Christa Brady, AMS, PCAM, CIRMS and Jessica Knutsen, CIC, EBP, CIRMS from USI Insurance on the pod to talk the CIRMS designation and burgeoning insurance issues involving micromobility devices (e.g., e-bikes) and electric vehicle charging stations.

We are so thankful for Christa and Jessica and their willingness to be our guest guinea pigs. For more information about USI Insurance and their community association insurance offerings, please reach out to them at [email protected] and [email protected].

It's our first episode of 2025! We appreciate your joining us on the ride as it runs towards Year 2.

In this episode, the Nerds provide a primer and some insight on the Common Interest Community Ombudsman - an administrative arm of the state government that provides limited oversight of community associations and their management agents. This is very state specific, so be sure to check with counsel if you work or reside outside the Great Commonwealth.

If you're looking for more information about the Ombudsman, please be sure to check out the official website, linked here!