THE FLORIDA HOA & CONDO BLOG

Now you see it, now you don’t

By Darlys Walker

Published June 5, 2013

Arghhhhh! Towing! The thought alone makes me cringe. Mention “booting” and I nearly pass out. Over the years many of our Boards have come up with ingenious ways of collecting delinquent Association fees. The most recent is towing and booting. The plans have been well thought out, legal advice has been obtained and Homeowners have been repeatedly notified. So NO one should be surprised when the plan is put in motion.

But, imagine the surprise of all of those individuals who are “renting” their condominium and have no clue that the Homeowner is delinquent or has failed to have them register their vehicle. When a Board decides to implement a mass towing or booting, LOOK OUT! The media hounds will be all over the LCAM and the Board for “Not Informing the Homeowners” or “Taking such action against a Homeowner who is not delinquent”.

Recently, such an event triggered a plethora of media activity at our corporate office. CBS, ABC, WSB and Fox were awaiting my arrival so that I could explain how “our firm” could be so callous as to boot 40 vehicles, causing all of these individuals to be late for work and do so without warning!

Calmly I explained, to my frenzied audience, that signs were posted for 4 months and notices mailed monthly to every owner, warning them that towing and booting would be commencing on this date. I further explained that the Association had a massive delinquency issue and had made every attempt to collect these funds so that operating expenses could be paid for the community. After all, if the water was turned off for non-payment, the media would be claiming it was due to poor management and an ineffective Board.

Lastly, I informed them that as the LCAM, we work at the direction of the Board and are merely facilitators of their decisions. The Board is charged with a fiduciary responsibility to the Homeowners and makes the decisions they deem to be in the best interest of all. Well, it worked. The Association collected $28,000, enough to pay the water bill.

Darlys Walker

Darlys Walker, Founder and CEO of Condominium Concepts Management, Inc. (CCM), is recognized for her straight talk, subject matter expertise, and valued insights regarding real

state management, leasing, and HOAs. Her company serves a diverse portfolio of properties, from 16-units up to 600 as well as large mixed-use developments.

From its beginnings in 2000, CCM has become a well-respected asset manager and now works with over 100 associations with 16,000 units served by over 300 employees. Darlys and her team deliver resources and responsiveness through six regional offices - in Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston, Nashville and Atlanta.

Darlys Walker is best known for her passion and precision, understanding that the only difference that matters in today's demanding marketplace is service delivery ... doing what is promised and what is right. She knows that every community serves two masters ... the property owner/developer and the resident/homeowner. "If we are not equally responsive to both, we are not doing our job," she states.

Her clients say it best: "Darlys really knows her stuff" ... "at the top of her profession and it shows in the caliber of her clients" ... "delivers quality resources that match up well with needs and expectations that are really rigorous."

She is a licensed Real Estate Broker in four states, holds an Associate's Degree in Marketing and has earned the Accredited Real Estate Manager designation from the Georgia Institute of Real Estate Management. Also she is one of few certified as a Lead-Based Paint Abatement & Removal Trainer in Georgia.

Darlys Walker and her team have been selected to manage the condominium conversion process and day-to-day operations for many of the Southeast's most high-profile condominium communities including luxury high-rises, mid-rises and garden-style homes. Most recently she has been recognized as an expert in 're-versions' of communities from condominiums to leased homes, as well as repositioning projects. A visionary and a tireless perfectionist, Darlys demonstrates hands-on leadership, working individually with each client and staff associate to achieve defined business outcomes and satisfaction.



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For more information about Darlys Walker and Condominium Concepts Management, Inc. please visit www.condominiumconcepts.com.