Charlotte HOA and Condo Management Company Promotes Hannah to Community Manager

 

Lauren Hannah was recently promoted to Community Manager of Association Management Group - Charlotte (AMG), one of the Carolinas’ largest professional homeowner association managers with five offices in North and South Carolina.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                        November 1, 2016

Charlotte HOA and Condo Management Company Promotes Hannah to Community Manager

Association Management Group - Charlotte (AMG), one of the Carolinas’ largest professional homeowner association managers with five offices in North and South Carolina, recently promoted Lauren Hannah to Community Manager. Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of customer HOAs, she works with volunteer boards, responds to  homeowner phone calls and emails, implements board decisions, performs contract negotiation and budgeting, processes accounts payable and receivable, manages maintenance issues and facilitates superior community communications. “I like that our office is a small group of talented individuals–our team works really well together,” Hannah said. “This job is a good match for me because it’s new and fresh. I love the fact that I learn something new every day, so it feels more educational than just doing a job. Continuous learning and growth are important to me.” Hannah plans on pursuing CAI (Community Association Institute) association management credentials in the near future.

Prior to joining AMG, Hannah was an office manager at a computer learning center. She served client students, assisted instructors with materials for the various courses and was in charge of the program’s extensive inventory. 

According to Dacy Cavicchia, General Manager of the AMG Charlotte office, Hannah was ready to take on a larger role at the company. “Lauren started with AMG five months ago as an administrative assistant. She asked to move up in the company and proved her value with hard work, dedication, an ability to learn quickly and teamwork. Her fresh ideas and enthusiasm will make her a great asset to our customer communities.” To learn more about how AMG can provide professional support in HOA and community management, contact Lauren Hannah, AMG-Charlotte Community Manager, lhannah@amgworld.com.

About AMG:  AMG is a professional community association management company dedicated to building effective community associations. AMG guides and assists executive boards to help protect the association's interests, enhance the lives of community members and improve the property values in the community. With offices throughout the Carolinas in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, and Greenville and Aiken, SC, AMG is a knowledgeable partner in enforcing community governing documents with a proven set of processes and techniques, and supporting communities with a broad range of services which can be tailored to individual community needs. Association Management Group, Inc. is a locally Accredited Business by the BBB and is a nationally Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC) by the Community Associations Institute. For more about AMG, visit www.amgworld.com.

Understanding Special Assessments

There’s no way to sugar-coat it: everyone hates special assessments. Getting a notice that you owe more money to the association can not only put a damper on your day but also a dent in your wallet, both of which the board is sympathetic to. In a perfect world, there would never be a need for special assessments—or any other type of assessments for that matter—but sadly, they’re sometimes a necessary evil.

Often times, special assessments are levied when the association needs to make essential repairs, improvements or additions to the common elements, but lacks extra reserve funds to cover the costs. While the board puts in its best effort to keep a healthy reserve fund and to budget in advance for these types of projects, occasionally unforeseen expenses occur. When this happens, we have to call upon our residents to pitch in financially so that our association can remain solvent. Unfortunately special assessments aren’t optional fees, and residents are responsible for paying special assessments in the same way they’re responsible for general association assessments. Just remember, though, that these fees are funding projects that will benefit all residents, and your special assessment fees are your contribution toward that.

Of course, the board doesn’t take levying special assessments lightly. Not only do we understand that special assessments can be a hardship for you, but—since we would also be responsible for paying our share of any new special assessment—they’re an extra financial burden on resident board members as well. Because of this, we try and make levying special assessments a last resort, and, if passed, offer payment plans when possible. There are also regulations set forth in our bylaws that we must follow before levying a special assessment, and in some instances we require residents to vote on the proposed project before we can adopt the special assessment for it. Make sure your opinions on these matters are heard by attending open board meetings and voting on these critical projects.      

While none of this changes the fact that having to pay special assessments fees is about as fun as a root canal, just remember that it’s all part of the greater good for the association. They’re investments to your home and your community, and can help keep our association a wonderful place to live for years to come.

Keep the Home Fires (Safely) Burning

One of winter’s great pleasures is relaxing in front of a warm, cozy fire. For most months of the year, however, the fireplace stands idle, and these long periods of disuse can lead to hazardous conditions when you light your first fire of the season.

Your fireplace needs regular care and cleaning to assure a safe and roaring fire. Creosote, a flammable, tar-like substance that accumulates in the firebox, chimney and flue, should be removed by a professional once a year, eliminating the worry of a potential fire hazard. Your chimney should also be inspected annually to ensure there are no structural problems.

Clean your fireplace and its accessories regularly to prevent the accumulation of soot, ashes and creosote tars. The following guidelines will help you keep your fireplace in good working order throughout the wood-burning season:

·         Vacuum or sweep the hearth weekly to prevent dust and soot buildup. Do not sweep or vacuum until all embers have been extinguished for at least 12 hours. 

·         Burn only well-dried, seasoned wood to minimize dangerous creosote buildup and reduce the risk of toxic fumes and excessive smoke. 

·         Don’t use water to drown a fire except in case of an emergency. Water will make a paste of the ashes, which is difficult to remove. 

·         Don’t use an abrasive cleanser inside the fireplace; many such cleaners leave a flammable residue. Instead use a stiff-bristled brush to gently scrub the walls of the firebox. 

·         When cleaning your fireplace, sprinkle damp coffee grounds over the cooled ashes to keep down the dust.

For more tips on fireplace care and maintenance, as well as kerosene heaters, wood-burning stoves and furnaces, download the U.S. Fire Administration brochure, Winter Fires: Safety Tips for the Home, at www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-249-508.pdf

Association Crime Stoppers

Everyone wants a safe place to call home, and our association strives to make all residents feel secure. While we’re diligent in our efforts to reduce possible dangers in our community, we can’t do it alone. It’s up to everyone to pitch in to keep crime rates down. Thankfully, taking a few simple steps can go a long way in keeping theft, vandalism and other felonies and misdemeanors out of the association.

Know Your Neighbors. And not just the neighbors on your block, but also the neighbors from all parts of the association. At the very least, you’ll get a better idea of who actually lives (and in turn, who belongs) here. Talking with your neighbors will also give you the chance to find out if there have noticed any crimes or suspicious activity in the association recently so that you can be on the lookout as well. Consider creating and distributing a list with everyone’s contact information so that you and your neighbors can alert each other of any problems that arise. Of course, be sure to get your neighbors’ permission first to put their information on the list.

Leave The Light On. A good way to deter felons from breaking into your home is to make sure your front porch light stays on all night, even when you’re out of town. Not only does it signal that someone’s home, it also makes it harder for vandals to hide among the shadows. If you’re worried that you’ll either forget to turn the light on at night or off in the morning, you can purchase an inexpensive timer that will automatically do that for you every day. Also, if you see any street lights around the association that are burnt out, please let the board know as soon as possible so that we can replace them for everyone’s safety.

Lock Up. If you want to keep unwanted guests out, don’t make your home inviting. Even when you’re around, it’s best to keep all gates, doors and garages locked at all times. It’s also a good idea to keep your windows closed and locked when possible, especially if they’re on the ground floor.

Put On Your Walking Shoes. Taking as stroll around the association isn’t just good exercise. You can casually patrol the community for anything suspicious or usual, as well as swap notes about criminal activity in the area with other neighbors who are out and about. Also, when more residents regularly walk around the association, it can help scare off hooligans who are afraid of getting caught in the act.

Clean It Up. Picking up litter, removing graffiti and keeping trees, bushes and lawns trimmed not only makes the association look better, but also sends the message that our residents are diligent about keeping the neighborhood a respectable place to live. This can help discourage troublemakers from hanging around our community and encourage responsible and involved people to move to the association.

See Something, Say Something. If you notice a crime or a suspicious activity, regardless of how small the incident may seem, notify association security and the police immediately. Of course, only call 911 if it is an emergency; otherwise, contact the police on their non-emergency line. Editor’s note: It may be helpful for you to add your police department’s non-emergency phone number here.

We all have a responsibility to our community to help keep it safe, and incorporating even a few of these tips can go a long way. Do your part to make our association a place you’re happy to call home. 

How Are We Doing?

As board member volunteers, we work hard to make sure our residents feel at home and our community thrives. To be more effective, we feel it’s important to seek out other perspectives to learn about our perceived strengths and weaknesses. So to help us better serve you and our association, we want to know how we’re doing.

Do you feel that the board is successfully handling issues pertaining to the community, or are there some important matters we’re neglecting? Has the board been transparent with residents about the actions we take, and have residents been given a fair opportunity to weigh in on these decisions? Does the board listen to what you have to say when you disagree with the association or when you have suggestions to better the community? These are just some of the important questions we’re eager to have answered, and we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us on these and other issues.

Your opinions can help shape our community, so please don’t hesitate to give us honest feedback. Get in touch with us today to let us know what areas the board can improve on, as well as any other suggestions that would benefit our community. Thank you in advance for helping us make our association a place we’re all proud to call home.