It's Time To Pay The Fiddler

I am trying to get the stray-ends of my non-work life in order before I leave. As a volunteer, I spend my time between 3 committees at church and our home owners' association. In the past few months, the first week of the month gets crazy. Somehow, all 4 groups meet within 7 days of each other. Since I am the Chair or Secretary on 3 of them, that means copious notes, transcription to the computer and distribution of the minutes. I feel like a copy-editor by the end of the week.

Our HOA is currently self-managed. That means the Board is responsible for the collection of fees, securing of contractors for maintenance, lawn care, snow removal, etc. and all the other duties that come from managing a property. Our biggest challenge are the home owners that do not pay their fees. We spend countless hours every month printing statements, talking to lawyers and being hard-nosed jerks. Then, to top it off, we get treated like it is our fault they missed the last 18 months of payments.

This week was classic for that. I spent around 8 hours preparing statements for 3 accounts that own the majority of our uncollected fees plus 3 hours on the phone and email with the lawyer. Tuesday, one of their kids is running around the neighborhood calling my wife a c@@p-head. Nothing like neighborly love, I always say!