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How to Structure the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) of Your HOA Effectively

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 29 January 2020 12:19
Cedar Management Group - Association Management Company Cedar Management Group - Association Management Company

One of the primary responsibilities of your HOA will be to ensure that your community preserves its property values as much as possible. One way to ensure that each property preserves its value within the community is regulations about the exterior of properties along with any additional construction projects that will occur within the community. In every HOA, there should be a committee that is dedicated to handle requests to make substantial changes to properties within the community. The Architectural Control Committee (ACC) should be viewed as an asset within each HOA. If your HOA is attempting to make this committee act in the most efficient way possible, it is recommended to review the information below:

Who Can Be a Member of the ACC in Your Community?

In order to be a member of the ACC within your community, there are no formal requirements to enter. Many residents assume that they have to be a member of the HOA board of directors; however, this is often not the case unless it is specified in the governing documents of the HOA. In addition, many HOAs have within their governing documents that members of the ACC are not permitted to be members of the HOA board of directors. This clause is exercised in many cases to prevent one group of individuals having too much authority within a community and eliminating the opportunity for other residents to be involved. Typically, ACC members tend to be volunteers. Even though the ACC does not require formal entrance requirements, it is extremely helpful if one or more of the members has prior experience in maintenance, construction, or architecture. By having ACC members that are familiar with the issues that can come up with modification requests, communities are able to have a better opportunity to maintain property values given that projects maintain a certain level of uniformity within the community that remains attractive to both current and future potential residents.

Why Is the ACC Important for Your HOA?

Many residents tend to view the ACC as an annoyance; however, it is an important part of any HOA. The HOA needs the ACC to be in charge of regulating the community’s appearance so that it appears to be well-maintained. For example, if one resident decides to paint their house bright green when the rest of the homes on the street are white, this can be a major disruption to the appearance of the community. Another example would be if one resident decides to redesign their front yard with a theme that is inconsistent with the community’s guidelines. In these circumstances, the ACC would have the ability to review the resident’s application and then decide to approve or deny the application based upon the potential impact that it would have upon the community.

What Are ACC Members in Charge of?

One of the primary responsibilities of the ACC is to review specifications and plans for proposed improvement or changes to a resident’s existing property. Upon careful review of the resident’s plans, the ACC will decide whether they are going to approve or deny the application based upon the governing documents of the community. Another potential function of the ACC is to ensure that all HOA board members are also in compliance with the community guidelines. This is an important role because if HOA board members are not leading by example, other residents will take the opportunity to undermine rules in the community that are designed to ensure property values remain at the highest rate possible. Typically, members of the ACC are volunteers who hold meetings as needed to review resident requests and debate any pressing maintenance or architectural issues that may be occurring in the community. The ACC is required to keep minutes of these meetings that can be viewed should any member of the HOA request to see them. The main goal of the ACC should be transparency so that residents do not get a negative impression of how requests are being handled within the community.

Can Residents Appeal the Decision of the ACC?

It is important for residents to understand clearly the application process that is set out by the ACC. The reason for this is that if residents do not understand what will be required of them, they may pay contractors or vendors to start projects that they have not received approval for from the ACC yet. Generally speaking, the ACC in communities tends to be easy unless a request is being made that will cause a major disruption within the community or severely violate one of its guidelines. Depending on the governing documents within your community, it may be possible for residents to appeal decisions made by the ACC. HOAs should also be careful if a group of residents want to make substantial changes because there may be a potential for litigation if enough residents get together to contest a decision made by the ACC or HOA. ACC members need to review applications carefully alongside the guidelines of the community to be able to explain to residents clearly why their application has either been approved or denied to shield the community from potential disputes in the short and long-term.

 

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Cedar Management Group

Cedar Management Group has worked to improve communities since 2005. We are a full-service accredited association management company that delivers personalized service through our caring and skilled set of professional community managers. Our team approach to HOA management allows each team member to act both independently as well as a whole to meet the day-to-day needs and goals of each association we work with. 

We serve communities such as Condominiums, Mixed-Use Developments, Townhome Communities, Adult Active Communities, Commercial Associations, Golf & Club Communities, Single Family Communities, and more. For the communities that we serve, we perform the following tasks:

  • Community Management
  • Accounting and Collections
  • Maintenance 
  • Violations Enforcement
  • Board Education
  • Reserve Planning
  • Legal Assistance

Our community management team is capable of handling each question or issue, ensuring timely communication. Our process allows the community manager to quickly respond to requests from board members and to meet both the long and short-term goals of each association. At Cedar Management Group, we understand that personal attention and a committed focus create long-term relationships and increased value to each community that trusts us.

cedarmanagementgroup.com
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