From the EVP's desk: Who does what? The differences between MVF and your local association

by Mike Conroy, MVF Executive Vice President

One of the most common topics I hear staff explaining, or often find myself in conversation with residents, is whether Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) or their homes corporation or condominium association has the authority to perform “X” function. Or more simply, “who does what?”

Montgomery Village is a unique community, and the duties of all the associations are both separate and intertwined. This concept makes it hard to distinguish who to call for what service, and can be frustrating when you need a solution quickly. Unfortunately, there’s no simple explanation either.

All property owners in Montgomery Village are members of two associations—Montgomery Village Foundation, and your local homes corporation or condominium association. Each entity has its own board of directors, duties, and assessment fees. In the simplest breakdown, homeowners pay fees to each entity for separate services. This model has some caveats, though.

For condominium owners, the fee paid to MVF is incorporated into your condominium fees. The condominium board of directors is responsible for paying the MVF assessment from the fees they collect from unit owners.

Owners in homes corporations are responsible for paying fees directly to both MVF and their local association. For the majority of homeowners, one total fee is paid directly to MVF, and the funds are allocated to the portions that are owed to MVF and the homes corporation. This is true for the homes corporations that contract with MVF Community Management for management services. For the homes corporations that MVF does not manage (Middle Village and Northgate), homeowners pay one assessment to MVF, and their HOA assessments directly to the management company.

All this is to say, that while it may appear that your assessments are paid to MVF, and you may call MVF for the majority of your questions, issues, and resolutions, MVF may not necessarily be who actually handles or pays for the service you’re requesting. Confused yet? Here’s a breakdown of what entity handles what type of request or service:

Montgomery Village Foundation

• Owns and maintains MVF common property and facilities, including lakes, parks, walking paths, ball fields, sports courts, pools, and community centers; contracts for landscaping, trash collection, leaf pickup and snow removal of those properties.
• Charges assessments for the operation and maintenance of MVF and its common properties.
• Administers Architectural Standards, both residential and commercial. Approval of all exterior additions or changes to the original design on an individual’s property must be received prior to being done. All properties are subject to routine inspection and must adhere to standards set by the Architectural Review Board, supported by MVF staff, in order to avoid penalties.
• Approves policies and procedures relating to MVF property and activities.
• Administers elections to the MVF Board of Directors; appoints advisory committees to the Board.
• Administers budget and manages finances for MVF assets.
• Monitors legislation at federal, state and county levels and provides Board positions on issues with potential Village impact; works with government agencies on transportation/roadway issues and with developers and other groups on projects that affect the Village.
• Provides Village-wide events such as the annual July 4th celebration, summer Lawn Theater performances, flea markets, holiday programs, etc. All types of year-round fee programs are also offered under the direction of the Recreation and Parks Department.
• Provides MVF Activity Cards, enabling all members of MVF to enjoy many recreational amenities including access to pools*, gymnasium drop-in programs and more (*subject to the Designated User Fee).

Homes Corporation/Condominium Association

• Owns and maintains community property, including interior streets, street lights, green space, walking paths, parking lots and some tot lots, gazebos and the North Dock; contracts for landscaping trash collection leaf pickup, snow removal and security/parking enforcement, if applicable.
• Charges assessments for the operation and maintenance of the association and community properties.
• Administers covenants (parking, trash, property maintenance, etc.). All exterior property condition is subject to routine inspection and must be kept to standards set by the association in order to avoid penalties.
• Approves policies and procedures relating to association property and activities.
• Administers elections to homes corporation/condominium board of directors; appoints advisory committees.
• Administers budget and manages finances for association assets.

Now you may say, but if an MVF employee is my community manager, then isn’t MVF responsible for “XYZ” in my community? And the answer is, “no.” The association board of directors is the ultimate authority in your neighborhood. The community manager—no matter what management company the board contracts with—is your go-to person to manage the daily and monthly operations, as determined by the association board of directors. So, while the convenience lies in MVF employing community managers, MVF (or the MVF Board) isn’t actually making decisions on items like parking or trash in individual communities; your community manager will handle those items on behalf of the association board. But, MVF staff will always direct your inquiry to the appropriate person, whether they are on our staff or not.

Often times, most calls or emails that staff receive involve more than one question, may be handled by more than one person, or affect more than one department or association. So, the next time you call or email, you may have the opportunity to interact with more than one MVF employee—and we’re happy to help you get the best answers we can provide!