An Introduction to Association Living
Government
Provide guidance and
enforcement
Business
Provide sound fiscal
management
Community
Provide communication
and build community
Providing Community
The purchase of a home within a community association creates a new form of living for the owner: Association living. There are several unique components to this form of property ownership:
- Membership in the association is mandatory and automatic. This is unlike other organizations where membership is voluntary.
- Documents commonly known as the Declaration, Bylaws, and Rules bind all owners to be governed by the association. These documents require mutual obligations, including paying mandatory lien-based assessments for the operation and maintenance of the community.
The association provides community continuity, preserves architectural integrity, and maintains the common property. Properly run, it promotes the community concept and protects property values. Community associations are designed to:
- Provide business, financial, and governance services
- Manage the property interests of the owners
- Develop a sense of community through activities and/or amenity availability
All of those and more are elements of Association living. It works best when the Board collaborates with members to gain consensus on the vision and mission of the community, making for a great environment! With nearly one in three people living in some type of community association and over 38,000 in Washington alone, this form of ownership, lifestyle and community will flourish for many decades to come.