Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: associate membership policies

[drmaryann49 (drmaryann49]

Here at Manzanita Village which is organized as an HOA with 36 individual lots 
we have three categories of members: lot owners, renters and associate members 
we call “Area Villagers.”

All members have the same rights and responsibilities for decision making, 
participation in the activities of the community, use of facilities, etc except 
for four specific decisions that are limited to home owners. These are revising 
the CC&R and Bylaws, electing the HOA board (a state-required group that 
“rubber stamps” the decisions of our community as a whole in plenary sessions), 
levying special assessments, and raising the monthly dues.

Lot owners are responsible for the dues on their properties thus covering any 
renters. Area Villagers are assessed dues at 1/2 the rate of home owners. Dues 
on rental properties are the responsibility of the landlord who can certainly 
price the rent accordingly.

Our Area Villagers are households who for some reason were unable to buy 
property in the community but wanted to be a part of this great experiment. 
Several years ago we closed that category of members so we are not accepting 
any new area villagers (at least until there’s a reason to re-consider the 
decision.) When we were accepting new Area Villagers they applied and were 
accepted in a Plenary session.

Former members, sometimes called informally known as “alumni,” often return for 
meals, work parties and other social events. 

We don’t require any additional insurance paperwork for non-residents, 
including friends, alumni, Area Villagers or other guests, visiting our 
property to attend social events, work parties, etc. as our insurance company 
has assured us that our policy is sufficient.

Mary Ann
Manzanita Village where we’re getting the first rain in over two months. 
There’s a reason they call this a high desert.

On Feb 27, 2014, at 3:42 PM, Martha Wagner <wordbizpdx [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Does your community have an associate membership policy that’s been in effect 
> for at least two or three years? In my community, we don't have such a policy 
> yet, but would like to know what other communities have done to formalize 
> welcoming relationships with neighbors as well as former owners and renters. 
> Here are some questions we have:
> 
> Do your associate members pay a one-time or annual fee per individual or 
> family?
> 
> If there is a fee, what does the fee entitle them to?
> 
> Is there a screening process used for people wanting to become associate 
> members?
> 
> Can associate members participate in work parties, cooking, etc., and if so, 
> do you have them sign a liability waiver?
> 
> Are they welcome to attend your meetings, and if so, do they participate in 
> discussion and decision-making? 
> 
> Have problems arisen with your policy or is it working well?
> 
> Martha Wagner
> Portland, OR
> http://columbiaecovillage.org
> 
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—

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only 
end of life. -- Robert Louis Stevenson

Mary Ann Clark                                                  drmaryann49 
[at] mac.com
Check out DrMaryAnn's Academy at http://drmaryann.wordpress.com/