B.C. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Is a Reserve Fund to be used for only the intent that describes the Reserve Fund or can the money be taken and used elsewhere for replacement of an item normally taken care of by maintenance. This item is an accessory item and has no bearing of the intention of the Reserve Fund. It is just that this particular fund has an excess in it therefore has become the resource for the project.
Mister Condo replies:
B.C., thank you for the question. By it’s nature a Reserve Fund should never have “an excess in it”. Reserve Funds are for wear and tear that is occurring on the common elements each and every day. There should always be money in the Fund as the wear and tear occurs daily and the common element replacement is a known future expense of the association. Having money in the Reserve Fund to pay for those expenses is critical and vital to the financial well-being of the association. However, it is tempting for Board members to “borrow” from the fund to pay for other items the association needs now. Such would seem to be the case for your association.
As you can imagine this is a really bad idea. For the most part there are no laws protecting the Reserve Fund. They are an asset of the association and, as such, under the Board’s control. While the Board has a duty to protect the association, which includes protecting the Reserve Fund, they also have to be practical when it comes to the association’s expenses. It is unfortunately quite common for Boards to tap into their Reserve Fund to pay for non-Reserve Fund items. It’s just too easy and too tempting to do so. If the Board has an immediate plan to return the money, there may be no harm and no foul. However, these good intentions are often overlooked when it comes to increasing common fees or asking for a Special Assessment to cover the money borrowed so it doest get replaced and the association’s once healthy and adequate Reserve Fund becomes underfunded, creating a swath of problems for future association members.
The best policy for the reserve Fund is one of custodial guardianship. The Reserve Fund should be used only for the items it was designed to protect and maintain. Any extemporaneous projects that arise should be paid for with other funds, i.e. special assessment or increased common fees. If your Board has no plan to return the money to the Reserve Fund, you would be wise to raise the issue at an upcoming meeting. If your Board members are not willing to perform their fiduciary duties of protecting the association’s assets, such as the Reserve Fund, it is time for some new Board members. All the best!
In Washington State, withdrawals from the Reserve Fund are allowed when required*. Notice must be given to all owners that the withdrawal is to take place, and a repayment plan** is required, so that the funds can be replenished.
____
*The statute reads: “.[to pay for]…unforeseen or unbudgeted costs that are unrelated to maintenance, repair, or replacement of the reserve components.”
**The statute reads: “…[notify owners, and] adopt a repayment schedule not to exceed twenty-four months unless it determines that repayment within twenty-four months would impose an unreasonable burden on the unit owners.”
_____
There are exceptions to these guidelines, but in order to leave a wide trail of documentation required by any audit, a board is well-advised to document all withdrawals from its Reserve Fund in board meeting minutes.
For any board in any state, these guidelines make complete sense, because they can help protect owners’ finances.