In any Association there will probably be certain behavior that brings with it complaints from neighbors. Resolving these conflicts quickly and effectively is key to keeping the peace in your community. The questions are what can be done to reach a resolution and does the Association, Board of Directors, or community manager have an obligation to step in and take action? Each situation will be different and should be resolved differently based on severity. In part 2, we discuss taking pre-emptive action, in an attempt to avoid conflict before it even begins.
Introductions and Building Community.
Board members should take the first step. Get out in the community and learn the names of your neighbors; introduce yourself and start a chain reaction that invites others to visit with the neighbors around them. Hint: you must be proactive and encourage others to be proactive as well. With everyone’s busy schedules, meeting neighbors doesn’t always happen by accident.
Keeping the peace starts with being courteous and having respect for others. And who are the people you are more courteous towards and have more respect for, people you know well or people you don’t know at all? Boards and community managers should encourage their Associations to attend community-wide social functions and continually come up with new ways to encourage interaction within the neighborhood.
