Our association has some unique requirements. Can you customize your service for us?

Yes. In nearly all cases we can provide the service you require. We are highly flexible and attempt to provide all necessary management services for our clients.

 

If our association hires, Coast Management of California, can we continue to use our own vendors and contractors?

Yes. Our interest is in making certain that all contractors are properly licensed and insured and treat our clients fairly. Otherwise, we have no interest in changing your contractors or vendors. However, if you are unhappy with your contractors or vendors, we are in a position to provide recommendations to your board of directors and will always offer suggestions on how to reduce costs.

 

I like your website and what you offer, but our property is in Northern California. Can you still provide us with management services?

Absolutely. Our Online Management Option allows us to manage community associations anywhere in California while saving your HOA money.

 

If we hire Coast Management of California, will we be locked into a long term contract?

No. You can cancel at any time upon providing a 60 to 90 day written notice.

 

What happens if our property manager is unavailable when we need him or her?

Coast always assigns a backup manager for every property. In addition, every property manager has an assistant who is knowledgeable about every property. We also provide your board with our manager’s cell phone number.

 

If we hire Coast Management of California, will the transition from our existing management company be difficult?

No. We will handle every detail.

 

How can Coast Management of California save our association money?

By doing the following:

• Avoiding costly mistakes that result from inexperience and lack of knowledge;
• Utilizing the bidding process where appropriate;
• Taking advantage of volume discounts available to Coast;
• Reducing collection problems; and
• Minimizing the need to pay legal fees.

 

Does Coast Management of California offer an emergency service?

Yes. We offer an emergency service 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. We also provide board members with the manager’s cell phone number for emergency use.

 

Will you assist us in preparing an annual budget for the association?

Yes. We will prepare a draft for the board’s review and approval.

 

Does Coast obtain bids for significant construction and maintenance projects?

Absolutely. Obtaining bids is standard operating procedure for major projects at Coast Management of California.

 

Does Coast produce newsletters for its management clients?

Yes. Coast will provide newsletters at no additional cost to its management clients, subject to certain conditions.

 

Will you maintain a computer log for maintenance calls and repairs?

Yes.

 

Will you maintain a computer log for violations of the CC&Rs and Operating Rules?

Yes.

 

Will Coast Management of California make regular inspections of our property?

Absolutely.

 

Do your managers take minutes at board meetings they attend?

Generally no. We don’t think it’s a good practice to divert our manager’s attention away from business during a board meeting. Normally, the manager will complete an action list for his or her own use which should parallel the minutes taken by the Secretary of the Board.

 

How many associations should a manager be able to handle effectively?

There is no simple answer. It depends on the following factors:

• The number of units/lots in each association;
• The number of meetings the manager attends each month;
• The number of inspections the manager makes each month;
• The knowledge and experience of the manager;
• Whether the homes are stacked condominiums, townhomes or detached homes;
• The geographical locations of the properties;
• Whether the manager has a property management assistant;
• Whether the manager has access to modern technology; and
• Whether the manager has clerical assistance available to help with routine phone calls, mailings, etc.

Given the variables, a manager might be assigned as few as 6 associations, or as many as 20. Please see: Management Services Available.

 What is most important, is that a management company should never take on more accounts than its staff can reasonably handle.

 

Do you meet contractors and vendors at the buildings you manage when they are working on a property?

 Sometimes, but generally, no. We make every effort to utilize contractors and vendors that are trustworthy and reliable so that we are not required to pass additional labor costs on to our clients.

 

How many bids do you obtain for work to be done?

We generally obtain bids only for jobs exceeding $1,500. Contractors that do high quality work at a reasonable price are in high demand and do not make money generating bids. Management companies that waste the time of contractors find that the best contractors will make themselves unavailable to those management companies and their clients. Consequently, we obtain bids for larger jobs only. We expect contractors to treat our clients fairly, and we are rarely disappointed because they all want a continuing stream of work.

 

Do board members ever perform minor jobs at the properties you manage?

No. If they were to do so, the board member would become an employee under California law. We would be required to provide the board member with workers’ compensation and liability insurance which is expensive.

 

Will you review our insurance coverage?

Yes. We have an insurance administrator who will review your insurance policies annually and will make recommendations.

 

If we hire Coast Management of California can you place our building employees on your payroll?

Yes. Any employee that works at least 10 hours per week can be placed on our payroll at an additional cost.

 

What property management software do you use?

We use Appfolio which is a first-class software designed specifically for property management companies.

 

How often do you generate financial reports?

 You will receive a comprehensive financial report on approximately the tenth day of each calendar month, and a year-end report that you can provide directly to your tax preparer.

 

Can you track building operating expenses for each individual unit?

Yes.

 

Do you earn money on your trust accounts?

All trust accounts are non-interest bearing accounts. However, accounts do earn analysis credits that offset bank charges.

 

What happens if our assigned property manager is unavailable when we need him or her?

We always have a backup manager for every property and every manager has an assistant who is knowledgeable about every property.

 

Do you use licensed contractors for all work?

We use licensed contractors for jobs of $500 or more as required by law, but often use handymen to do smaller jobs in order to save our clients money. Many handymen are equally skilled as licensed contractors, and sometimes even more skilled, while charging less. All workers are required to have a business license, workers’ compensation insurance for their employees, and liability insurance.

 

How often do you pay contractors and vendors?

We write and mail checks weekly. Paying contractors each week results in better service.

 

Does your management company have anyone on staff with construction experience?

Yes. Our President and CEO was licensed as a general contractor for more than 50 years and has extensive knowledge and experience with construction and maintenance.

 

Does your company have anyone on staff who has knowledge and experience with HOA insurance?

Yes. We have an insurance administrator who has more than 20 years of direct experience with homeowner association insurance in California. He can advise your board on nearly any issue dealing with HOA insurance.

 

Do you handle assessment collections in-house or do you use an outside HOA assessment collection company?

Most of our collection work is handled in-house by our collections manager. Some functions may be handled by Pacific-AssociationCollections.com which is owned by our collections manager. Pacific-AssociationCollections.com provides collection services to management companies and community associations located throughout California.

 

Are contractors and vendors required to pay a fee to Coast Management of California before they are permitted to provide services to your management clients?

Absolutely not. While several of our competitors require the payment of a fee to become a “Certified Vendor”, we have no such requirement. While every contractor and vendor that works on properties managed by our company must be investigated, we consider that to be our responsibility, and require no payment from them.

 

Does your company belong to any professional organizations?

Yes. We are members of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI), the Channel Islands (Ventura) Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI), and the California Association of Community Managers (CACM).

 

What hours are you open for business?

Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to Noon and 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Board members are provided the cell phone numbers of our Property Supervisors so they can be reached directly in the event of an emergency.

 

Does Coast Management of California contribute to any charitable organizations?

Yes. We contribute to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children. See Charitable Contributions.