If your property has been damaged in a natural disaster—hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake or fire—there are some important steps you can take in the immediate aftermath to ensure your safety and minimize financial loss. Consider the following actions:

Enter with caution. Damaged homes or buildings could be structurally unsafe; use extreme caution when navigating those areas, and don’t enter unless absolutely necessary. Debris and other hazards are unsafe.

Secure the property. In cases of significant structural damage or security concerns, determine whether the damaged area needs to be secured with temporary fencing or another type of barrier to keep out unwanted guests.

Notify your insurer. Call your insurance company to inform them there’s been a disaster and to file an official claim. Take down the claim number and any relevant contact information for whomever will handle your claim. If your vehicle sustained damage, contact your automobile insurer.

Notify utility companies. If property damage includes disruption to water, gas or electric utilities, contact the companies right away to shut off service. Failing to do so could pose a safety risk to you or emergency responders in and around the disaster area.

Take photos of the damage. Beginning with the property’s exterior, take photographs of the damage. If it’s safe to enter the structure, take photographs of interior damage as well. These will come in handy for insurance purposes.

Take inventory of your damaged belongings. Make a list of your damaged personal items and ensure you have photographs. Include the price of large appliances or valuable items with your list and, if possible, surviving receipts.

What Does Our Management Company Do?
We receive non-compliance notices from the management company. We send our assessment checks to the management company. We report common area maintenance problems to the management company. So, the management company makes all of the important decisions regarding our community, right?
WRONG!
The management function of the association is administrative in nature. The board is the principal policy-making body which sets policies, standards, procedures, programs, and budgets. Management's function is to carry out these board decisions. The board has the authority and the power to set policies and standards to carry these policies out. It may delegate its authority to implement its decisions, but it cannot delegate its responsibility to see that they are implemented and implemented properly. Management implements decisions of the board and administers the programs, services, and activities of the association within the policies and guidelines set by the board. When communicating with the management company, please keep in mind that although the board has given them the authority to make many of the day-to-day operational decisions, some requests are going to need the approval of the board of directors.

Here are some tips to help facilitate your communication with the board:
* Place your request in writing to the association management.
* Attend the Open Forum portion of the Board of Directors meeting.
* If your request is "non-emergency" in nature, please be patient.
In most cases, management will research the issue for the board and seek what professional expertise may necessary so that the board can make the best educated, business decision possible.

If you have any questions whatsoever, do not hesitate to call your Madarinn Group Team (251) 968-5471