If you serve on the board of directors of a property owners’ association or a condominium association, or are a property manager, you need to ensure that you are looking at the correct law – the Property Owners’ Association Act, or the Condominium Act, respectively. Although both acts contain many similar provisions that bear on issues common to both types of associations, on some key issues the provisions of the acts differ, and pose a potential stumbling block to the unwary.

The potential for confusion is especially pronounced among directors in a certain type of association who frequently discuss community association issues with friends who serve as directors of a different type of association (e.g., a director of a property owners’ association discussing issues with a director of a condominium association), as well as property managers who may manage several associations, a few of which may be property owners’ associations, and a few of which may be condominium associations.

For example, § 55.510(F) of the Property Owners’ Association Act provides that a property owners’ association’s “bylaws shall specify an officer or his agent who shall, at least 14 days in advance of any annual or regularly scheduled meeting [of the members]… send to each member notice of the time, place, and purposes of such meeting.”

§ 55.79-75(A) of the Condominium Act, on the other hand, provides that a condominium association’s “bylaws shall specify an officer or his agent who shall, at least 21 days in advance of any annual or regularly scheduled meeting [of the members]… send to each unit owner notice of the time, place, and purposes of such meeting.”

The two acts differ in their provisions relating to a variety of other issues as well, such as proxies (§ 55-79.77 of the Condominium Act contains detailed provisions concerning proxies that are not found in the Property Owners’ Association Act).

The lesson is that board members and property managers need to pay close attention to the provisions of the specific applicable act, and can not just assume that the provisions of one act apply to the other form of association. When in doubt, always make the safe choice of spending a few minutes to review the provisions of the applicable act. And if you’re ever confused by or unsure of the applicability of a certain provision, don’t hesitate to contact your legal counsel for clarification.