Are
you living in a Home Owners Association (HOA)?
Are
you familiar with your Associations responsibility to provide IDR - Internal
Dispute Resolution?
California
Civil Code ยง1363.830 requires an Association provide a
fair, reasonable and expeditious procedure for resolving disputes between the
association and its members without charging a fee to the member participating
in the process.
This
means that any member of an HOA, who has a dispute with the Board, has the
right to a conflict resolution process; and the cost must be borne by the
Association.
Keep
your Association costs down and consensus high by following these 4 Tips to Preventing Conflict:
1.
Listen - Part of listening is
working toward understanding. As a board
member you may be tired of hearing complaints or the same old argument from a
homeowner. Rather than tuning the person
out, if you keep hearing the same information, ask him/her "What about that is
important to you?" or "What am I not understanding about your concern?" You may not always learn something of
critical importance, but by making the other person feel heard, you will give them peace of mind that you understand their
concern.
2.
Restate - Closely tied with
listening, restating proves to the other person that clarity and understanding have
been achieved. In the absence of this
effort, others may view disagreement as misunderstanding - and continue to try
to explain their position or concern. Restating
does not imply agreement, but comprehension, and works both ways to ensure that
communication is clearly articulated and understood. Restating may sound like this, "You're saying
that... did I get that right?" Use
restating whenever disagreements spark to be sure that the problem isn't simply
miscommunication.
3.
Make Requests not Demands - The moment you tell
someone they 'have to do', or 'aren't allowed to do' something, they
resist. It harkens back to our childhood
and our desire for independence. We
fight back and make emotional, not rational decisions. However, when you request that they do, or not do something, it's a different
story. When you make a request, explain
your reasons clearly, and ask them to join you.
Handling it in this way creates a partnership of sorts, and while it may
lead to further discussion, it won't lead to an emotional revolt.
4. Let
Them Save Face -Consensus
on any issue is hard to achieve, and often decisions will be based on "majority
rules". Whether it is one difficult
person or a group of homeowners that are unhappy with a decision, be gracious
of your "win". Verbally acknowledge that
while everyone's wishes were not met, that the decisions made were in the best
interests of the Association. Flaunting
a win when others are not happy only antagonizes and creates an atmosphere for additional
conflict.
