The records must be available within 45 miles of the community or within the county where the association is located. You can also meet the requirement by providing the records electronically online or by letting the owner view them on a computer screen and print on request.

The most important concept to grasp is your fiduciary responsibility. It sounds intimidating, but the idea is simple: you must act in the best interest of the association as a whole, not your personal interests or the interests of a single neighbor.

Pro tip: Publish quarterly enforcement statistics (no names)—number of notices, common categories, and resolutions. Transparency shows you’re fair and consistent.