Homeowner Questions & Answers
A management company is contracted by the Board of Directors to provide such services as: Collection of assessments, supervision of subcontractors, obtaining bids for subcontracted services, providing financial statements and collection reports, as well as a general clearing house for problem solving, communications with homeowners and the Board of Directors and to serve in an advisor capacity.
The management company reports directly to the Board and all decisions are made by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
GRG Management, Inc. may be reached via email or phone on our Contact Us page.
It is a non-profit corporation registered with the State and managed by a duly elected Board of Directors. Its purpose is to maintain all common areas and to govern the community in accordance with the provision of the legal documents: CC&Rs, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation. The corporation is financially supported by all members of the Homeowner's Association. Membership is both automatic and mandatory.
The Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) are the governing legal documents that set up the guidelines for the operation of the planned community as a non-profit corporation. The CC&Rs were recorded by the County recorder's office of the County in which the property is located and are included in the title to your property. Failure to abide by the CC&Rs may result in a fine to a homeowner by the Association.
The Bylaws are the guidelines for the operation of the non-profit corporation. The Bylaws define the duties of the various offices of the Board of Directors, the terms of the Directors, the membership's voting rights, required meetings and notices of meetings, and the principal office of the Association, as well as other specific items that are necessary to run the Association as a business.
Contact our office and request a copy. There will be a charge for each copy and payment is required in advance. You may request the document(s) be mailed or held for pickup. You may also contact a Title Company and they will provide you copies at no charge.
If you are requesting your Association's legal documents for escrow, then you need to contact HomeWise at 866.925.5004 or go to their website at https://HomeWiseDocs.com.
GRG Management's escrow services for homeowners – including demand requests and HOA document retrieval – are provided by HomeWiseDocs.com. They can be reached by phone at 866.925.5004, and their Customer Support is available Monday - Friday 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST.
Please contact HomeWise for your escrow needs. Should you require additional assistance, HomeWise will direct you to contact our Escrow Department to further assist you.
GRG Management's Escrow Department can assist Associations and their Board of Directors with escrow services such as:
- Setting up individual owners' accounts
- Recording changes of title to property for Association records
- Preparing "ratio letters" for lenders (owners vs. renters)
- Maintaining a record of historical title changes
- Sending out legal documents (CC&R's, By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation)
- Sending out Rules and Regulations
- Sending out introductory "Welcome" letters with an information packet
For more information about escrow services for Associations, please email our Escrow Department at escrows@grgmgmt.com.
The Homeowner's Association is a corporation and therefore a governing body is required to oversee its business, which is the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is elected by the homeowners, or as otherwise specified in the bylaws. The limitations and restrictions of the powers of the Board of Directors is outlined in the Association governing documents.
Most associations have developed Rules and Regulations as provided for in the CC&Rs and adopted by the Board of Directors. Rules are established to provide direction to the homeowners for common courtesies with regard to parking, vehicles, pets and pool use hours, etc.
In addition, your Association may adopt Architectural Guidelines with procedures for submitting requests to make exterior changes to your home. Such changes may include patio covers, decks, landscaping, exterior color changes or extensive interior changes and additions. These rules and guidelines are set up to maintain the aesthetic value and integrity of the community on behalf of all owners, and hopefully protect the market value of your investment as well.
Violations of these rules may result in action by the Board of Directors and a fine. In addition, if you proceed with an exterior improvement or change, without written approval of the Board of Directors, or Architectural Committee, as applicable, you will be required to remove or correct the alteration and/or be fined for the violation.
If residents cannot resolve a situation between themselves, then turn to your Association. Should you have a situation that does not appear to be resolved through neighborly means, and you are willing to actively participate in the enforcement provided by the Policies and Guidelines, you may complete a Violation Reporting Form.
If the situation is deemed in violation of the Policies and Guidelines, the Board of Directors will institute the enforcement policy. Your continued assistance may be required.
Yes. Notice of the time and place of any regular board meeting may be noted in the community newsletter, posted on the Community Bulletin Board at least 4 days prior, or mailed directly.
The assessment is the periodic amount due from each homeowner to cover the operating expenses of the common area and provide for reserve funds for replacement of common facilities in future years.
Your assessments are due on the first of the month. Statements may be sent for assessments as a reminder of the amount due.
Some Associations have arranged for their homeowners to receive yearly coupon books. Additionally, some homeowners have chosen to make their payments by way of direct debit through their bank account each month (ACH). Homeowners on coupons or direct debit payments will only receive courtesy statements when their Association has an additional mailout.
The Department of Real Estate typically requires an initial budget from the developer for each community that a developer proposes to build. This budget is set upon specific guidelines for utilities, landscaping, administration, etc. Reserve funds are monies set aside for future expenses due to the life expectancy of certain items: lighting, street resurfacing, pool equipment, etc. These amounts are then divided by the number of units built. Budgets are approved by the Board of Directors and published 30 days prior to the year end.
There is no concrete answer to this. Typically, the Civil Code provides for annual increases, but not to exceed 20 percent per year without the vote of the membership. The Board of Directors may approve an increased budget, increasing your assessment up to this percentage in order to cover increased costs of operating and maintaining the common area and sufficient reserve funds.
The maintenance and management services incurred by the Association are dependent upon timely receipt of the assessments due from each homeowner. Late payments will result in a late charge as assessments are due on the first of the month.
In addition, the CC&Rs allows the Association to assess late charges, proceed with a lien on your property, charge Attorney fees, and begin foreclosure proceedings for nonpayment of assessments. Some also allow interest charges.
To avoid late payments consider making an online payment or setting up automatic payments via ACH.
As a courtesy only, invoices or statements for regular assessments may be regularly sent to the homeowner by first-class mail, addressed to the homeowner at his or her address as shown on the books and records of the Association.
However you must still pay your assessment on time, whether or not an invoice or statement has been received, as it is the homeowner's responsibility to be aware of the assessment payment due dates and to pay any and all assessments when due.
Similarly, it is the homeowner's responsibility to allow ample time to drop off, electronically transfer or mail in all monies so that they arrive BEFORE the delinquency date.
To avoid late payments consider making an online payment or setting up automatic payments via ACH.
You can check your account balance at any time simply by logging in to TOPS. If you have not yet requested a registration link for the TOPS ComWeb Portal, click here.
Alternately, you may contact the GRG Management Accounting Department via phone at (760) 720-2350 x 112, or via email at payments@grgmgmt.com.
TOPS is a comprehensive software system from topssoft.com that helps companies like GRG better manage the communities under their care. TOPS is equipped with a portal from ComWeb which allows homeowners to login to the system and:
- Make payments
- View payment history
- Submit service requests
- View correspondence
- Receive E-Notices
- Send messages to your manager
- Submit questions regarding your account
To request a registration link to setup access to the TOPS ComWeb Portal, click here.
Yes, you can make both one-time and recurring online payments through TOPS.
If you have not yet requested a registration link for the TOPS ComWeb Portal, click here.
Once logged into your TOPS account, to make a one-time payment click the "Pay Now" button.
To setup recurring payments, click the "Recurring Payments" option in main menu.
TOPS AutoPay is a recurring ACH Direct Debit from your bank account, and is completely free.
TOPS one-time payments draw from either your bank account or credit card, and are charged a convenience fee. The exact amount of the convenience fee is displayed before you're asked to complete the transaction.
TOPS accepts Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, and Discover®.
Yes. For both bank account and credit card payments, TOPS currently charges a $2.95 fee to cover its overhead for the one-off transaction. However, for payment by credit card, TOPS also charges an additional 3% fee.
Why the extra fee? Because every time we buy anything with a credit card, there is a fee to process that transaction, whether we realize it or not.
Many businesses hide this fee by including this cost in their prices. However, for an HOA, spreading the fees across all homeowners by increasing the HOA assessment means credit card payers would be forcing their neighbors to pay for their fees!
Instead, TOPS has the homeowner paying by credit card pay the associated processing fee directly as a part of the convenience fee.
Should you wish to avoid these fees in the future, please consider completely free payment methods such as TOPS AutoPay or ACH.
Yes, and unlike paying with your credit card, there are no fees for ACH (Automated Clearing House) transactions.
ACH works in cooperation with your bank. Once your ACH Form is processed, your normal monthly HOA dues will be automatically withdrawn from the account of your choice. No more hassle with writing checks. Your bank will receive the Association's request for funds and the funds will be transferred directly to your Association's bank electronically.
To apply for ACH, simply complete and return our ACH Form, remembering to include the voided check for your bank account.
Note that to be eligible, your account must be in current status (owing only the current period). If your account is more than 15 days delinquent, your application will not be accepted until your account is brought current.
Please allow 45 to 60 days for processing your request, and continue to mail your monthly payment until you have received written confirmation that your application has been received and processed.
Finally, some Associations elect to use annual coupon books. If you have received a coupon book, please retain it in the event you cancel your automatic deduction in the future.
Upon signing up for ACH, your first payment will occur at the start of the upcoming month. For example, whether you sign up on December 1st or December 31st, ACH will start on January 1st.
Payments will be deducted from your account once per month with an effective date of the 6th.
ACH processing begins on the first day of each month. When charges are posted, you will receive an email notifying you that your payment is processing, allowing you to make any changes or cancel your payment.
Your monthly deduction will only include your regular assessment amount. ALL other charges - including special assessments, balance forwards, late charges and fines - cannot be paid through ACH and must be paid for separately using one of our other payment options.
Yes. It is the homeowner's obligation to report any of the following changes:
- Your account is closed/frozen for ANY reason
- You wish to change banks or accounts
- You have opened escrow and/or are considering selling your home
Note that requests to change banks or accounts must be made in writing and received by the 15th of the month to take effect the following month.
No. GRG Management will automatically update your monthly assessment amount for both annual changes and special assessments per your Association's fiscal year budget.
A dishonored ACH payment (e.g., non-sufficient funds or NSF) will automatically cancel ACH on your account. Requests to re-start ACH after a cancellation will be subject to a $5.00 reinstatement fee.
It's easy! Just contact our accounting department in writing if you want to discontinue service. Please allow 30 days to return to normal billing, keeping in mind that requests to discontinue your ACH payments must be received by the 15th of the month to take effect the following month.
Yes, you may use your bank's Bill Pay Service to make one-time or recurring payments. Simply set up your Association as a Payee through your bank and schedule the payment(s) as you would for any other bill.
However, when using your bank's Bill Pay Service please keep the following in mind:
- Most banks still issue a physical check on behalf of their customers enrolled in a Bill Pay Service, so please allow sufficient mailing time to ensure receipt of your payment BEFORE the due date
- Make all payments payable to your Association, not GRG Management
- You are responsible for ensuring your bank has the correct Payee information for sending payments on your behalf. GRG Management and/or your Association will not be responsible for any late fees resulting from delayed or rejected payments caused by inaccurate payment information
Once you've set it up properly, your bank's Bill Pay can be a very convenient way to make your payment.
Yes. To mail in your payment, simply send in your coupon or statement stub along with your check to our Payment Address.
However, when mailing in your payment please keep the following in mind:
- Make all payments payable to your Association, not GRG Management
- Allow adequate time (7 to 10 days) for the payment to be received and processed. Payments must be “received” by the due date designated by your Association
- All checks MUST include the Owner Name, Association Name, and Account Number found on your coupon or statement
As long as you mail your payment early enough and include the proper information on your check, this is a very reliable, tried-and-true way to make your payment.
Yes, but ONLY during business hours. Please place your payment into our front door drop slot as we are partially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NOTE: If we are closed, please DO NOT place your payment into our front door drop slot or slip it under the front door to the building or the door to our office suite. GRG cannot be held liable for payments that have been left when we are closed.
Yes! For the environment and for your convenience, GRG Management offers paperless, Electronic Statements that are emailed monthly to homeowners.
To sign up for e-Statements, please click here. Note that you'll need your HOA Account Number and Street Address to register.
Here's everything you need to know about e-Statements:
- You'll need your HOA Account Number and Street Address to sign up;
- Your monthly HOA statements will be emailed to you on or about the 20th of each month;
- Assessments are still due on the 1st of the month;
- Signing up only affects your mailing preference for monthly HOA statements, not for other HOA documents;
- Changes to your mailing preferences can take up to a full billing cycle to take effect;
- Signing up for e-Statements does not affect your TOPS ComWeb Portal access;
- Homeowners enrolled in ACH for monthly auto-debit will receive a different, notice of processing email, not an e-Statement, even if they sign up for e-Statements;
- All changes to e-Statement settings or accounts must be made by the homeowners themselves, not by GRG.
All changes to e-Statement enrollment, including updating settings or canceling accounts, must be made by the homeowners themselves once they log in to their e-Statement account.
Mailbox locks and keys are the sole responsibility of the homeowner. Neither the Association or Management company can replace your mailbox key. Some Post Offices do maintain mailbox keys, so first contact your Postmaster to determine if your association's mailbox keys are maintained by your local Post Office. If not, then you'll need to contact a Locksmith.
Since most home improvement projects require the approval of your Association's Board of Directors and/or it's Architectural Committee, you'll want to make sure you obtain approval before beginning your project.
If approval is required, you'll need to complete your Association's Architectural Form and then submit it to GRG for review by your Association.
Note that as a part of completing the form you may be required to obtain your neighbors' approval and/or supply supporting documentation such as project plans.
Once your form has been reviewed at a Board Meeting, you will be notified regarding your Board's decision. Not all Boards meet monthly, so check your CC&Rs for your Association's Board Meeting schedule.
And again, since approval is not guaranteed, make sure you do not begin your project before you receive final approval for your project!
For the safety of your tenant and the Association's other residents, all homeowners are required to register their tenants in a timely manner using the Tenant Registration Form. This form collects basic emergency contact information about your tenant and their vehicle(s).
Because your tenant will be living within the community you must also provide them with a copy of your association's Rules & Regulations, which they must read.
Note that the Tenant Registration Form is a legal document that both the homeowner and tenant must sign. In addition, a $25.00 processing fee is due with the form.
For serious emergencies such as crime, fire or bodily damage, PLEASE CALL 911 FIRST.
GRG Management provides 24-hour, 365 days-a-year emergency service. For emergency HOA situations such as fire, flood or property damage, please call our main office at 760-720-0900. Follow the after-hours prompts which will require you to leave a message. Please include accurate contact information. Our on-call manager will respond as quickly as possible.
Note that calls to our after-hours emergency line with regard to billing will not receive a response, as there is no access to your billing account after office hours. For billing issues, please call 760-720-2350 x 112 and leave a detailed message regarding your billing account, and we will respond during normal business hours.
Board Member Questions & Answers
For serious emergencies such as crime, fire or bodily damage, PLEASE CALL 911 FIRST.
GRG Management provides 24-hour, 365 days-a-year emergency service. For emergency HOA situations such as fire, flood or property damage, please call our main office at 760-720-0900. Follow the after-hours prompts which will require you to leave a message. Please include accurate contact information. Our on-call manager will respond as quickly as possible.
Note that calls to our after-hours emergency line with regard to billing will not receive a response, as there is no access to your billing account after office hours. For billing issues, please call 760-720-2350 x 112 and leave a detailed message regarding your billing account, and we will respond during normal business hours.
GRG provides resources to help Board Members educate themselves and the homeowners they serve. Check out our Resources section on our Board Members page.
To help you learn what each Board Member is supposed to do to properly fulfill their duty, GRG University™ has published "A Board Member's Duty", a concise, easy-to-read 6-page PDF.
To help homeowners understand and acclimate to community life, GRG University™ has published "Community Association Basics", a 28-page PDF covering the basic concepts of association life and a glossary of common terms.
Requesting a proposal is easy and it's free. Simply complete our online Proposal Request Form and press Send.
Upon reviewing your information a representative will contact you. In the meantime please to not hesitate to Contact Us should you have any questions or wish to provide further information.
Vendor Questions & Answers
If you're not currently on our Approved Vendor list, please review the list of requirements on our Vendors page and then contact our offices to arrange a proposal presentation to our team.
Please note that all contractors, suppliers, and vendors are required to complete and return our Vendor Forms and attach the requested documentation before the approval process can commence or payment for goods or services can be made.
Any contractor, supplier, or vendor on our Approved Vendor list may Contact Us to apply to become a GRG Preferred Vendor and be featured on our Vendors page. However, please keep in mind that only a limited number of vendors are ever selected, and that selection is at the sole discretion of GRG Management.
You may either submit your forms and supporting documentation by mail to our mailing address, or drop them off at our physical address during business hours.
However, do not drop them off at our physical address after hours as the forms contain important information such as your social security number, and GRG Management cannot guarantee their safety.
Yes. As noted in our Approval Requirements, when submitting your Vendor Forms for approval you must include a certified copy of your filed Fictitious Business Name statement.
You may obtain this certified copy from your San Diego, Riverside, or Orange County Recorder.
Yes. As noted in our Approval Requirements, when submitting your Vendor Forms for approval you must include a Liability Insurance Certificate indicating that you have liability coverage of at least $1,000,000.
You may obtain this certificate by contacting your insurance agent or company.
Yes, unless you are a Sole Proprietor. In that case you may instead complete and notarize the Sole Proprietors Agreement.
Answer each question on the Independent Contractor Form, remembering to sign and date it. This form does not need to be notarized.
Note that the references you list must have received services from you within the last twelve months.
When submitting this form include a certified copy of your Fictitious Business Name statement from your County Recorder and either your current Workers Compensation Certificate or the Sole Proprietors Agreement.
Fill in each box on page 1 of the W-9 Tax Identification Form, remembering to sign and date it. This form does not need to be notarized.
For questions about this form, refer to the instructions starting at the bottom of page 1, and/or contact the IRS.
Answer each question on the Vendor Liability Form, remembering to sign and date it. This form does not need to be notarized.
Fill in each blank on the Sole Proprietor Form except for the contractor signature on the last page. This form must be notarized, and you must sign the document in the presence of the notary public at that time.
For question 3.2, enter "Not Applicable" for both blanks if you will not be exclusively working for the Association.
For "By:" on the last page, enter the name of your business.
New Client Questions & Answers
A respected leader in its industry, GRG Management services over 50 homeowners associations and manages over $1.2 billion dollars in assets. And that number is growing.
The secret of GRG's success is genuine, personalized care - a rarity in an industry filled with large, national companies. We feel that anonymous, impersonal service is unacceptable, because nothing is more personal than someone’s home ...
GRG offers two service packages, our popular, all-inclusive GRG Community Care™ package and our more flexible and personalized GRG Custom Care™ package.
For a comprehensive list of the services GRG provides to help board members and homeowners, please check out our Services page.
Whether you're replacing your current firm for nonperformance or you'd just like to consider alternatives, you'll want to do the following:
- Review your existing contract, preferably with legal counsel, regarding proper termination procedures, e.g. any required notices, time-frames, penalties etc.
- Form a Search Committee to interview prospective applicants and solicit proposals
- Create clear requirements so that proposals are accurate and may be compared against each other
- Evaluate the proposals, credentials and references of applicants and then make a recommendation to the Board, which may wish to interview the finalists in a closed meeting
- In an open meeting vote to properly notify the existing firm of termination and hire the new firm contingent upon legal review of the contract
- Upon contract signing the new firm will work with the existing firm to transfer the Association's records and funds
Now that many Associations and management companies store their records electronically, transferring documents has been greatly simplified. In addition, since your funds should already be in accounts under your Association's name, transferring funds can be as simple as setting up new signature cards and a corporate resolution to transfer control to your new firm.
What should be a simple transfer of records and funds can unfortunately go awry, so here are some pitfalls to avoid:
- Make sure you understand and fulfill your contractual obligations for contract termination, including termination method of service, time-frames, notice, penalties, holdback requirements etc.
- Watch what date you notify so that you avoid paying for an extra month of service, e.g. sending a 60-day notice on the second of the month may mean you're on the hook for 90 days' worth of service
- If you fear service levels may drop due to termination - especially in the case of termination for nonperformance - consider negotiating a buyout so your new firm can start immediately
- As tempting as it may be to withhold payment when you're terminating for nonperformance, the value of an amicable and timely transfer and the avoidance of legal fees and entanglements may make it worthwhile to simply pay what is contractually owed
Requesting a proposal is easy and it's free. GRG Management has helped many Associations just like yours transition to our services. However, because each situation is unique, please provide as much detail as you can as you complete our online form.
