A practical community association glossary

Use definitions to ask better questions

This glossary explains common vocabulary in everyday association work. It is an orientation tool, not a substitute for the association’s documents, a contract or legal advice. The same word may have a more specific meaning in a statute, declaration or professional engagement. Confirm the applicable definition before making a decision.

Keep the community’s context nearby

Identify the association type, state and relevant document when discussing a term. For example, the process for a condominium common element may differ from an HOA maintenance obligation, and a meeting rule cannot be inferred from another association’s practice. A useful question includes both the term and the decision it affects.

Connect terms to records and responsibilities

When a report or proposal uses unfamiliar language, ask what record supports it, who is responsible and what action is required. A ledger balance, proposed project and meeting motion are different things even when they concern the same property. Clear vocabulary helps keep those relationships understandable.

Search the definitions below or narrow them by finance, governance, property or operations. Use the management resource library for longer practical guides and the association-types overview when the organization’s structure is the first question.

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30 definitions

AssessmentFinance: A charge allocated to members under the association’s applicable authority. Amount, frequency and approval requirements depend on the community.
BudgetFinance: The association’s financial plan for an identified period, connecting expected income with operating needs and other planned funding.
Reserve planningFinance: The process of connecting future asset repair or replacement needs with a funding plan. Specific requirements depend on the association and law.
Special assessmentFinance: An additional assessment for an identified need. Do not assume that every association uses the same approval or notice process.
Operating expensesFinance: Costs associated with the association’s ongoing activities, such as routine services and administration, as classified in its accounting.
ReconciliationFinance: A comparison of records, such as a bank statement and accounting ledger, used to identify timing differences, errors or missing items.
Accounts receivableFinance: Amounts recorded as owed to the association. Review the supporting account detail before treating a balance as settled.
Accounts payableFinance: Amounts recorded as owed by the association. Invoice, approval and payment records help explain the status of each obligation.
Governing documentsGovernance: The documents that establish and regulate the association, which may include recorded declarations or covenants, amendments, articles and bylaws.
Declaration or covenantsGovernance: Recorded documents that establish important property obligations and restrictions. Their exact effect requires reading the applicable text.
BylawsGovernance: Documents addressing aspects of the association’s internal organization and procedures, subject to applicable higher-priority requirements.
Board of directorsGovernance: The association’s governing body, with authority and duties determined by applicable law and governing documents.
QuorumGovernance: The participation threshold required for a particular body or action. Identify the applicable rule rather than borrowing another association’s number.
ProxyGovernance: An authorization used in certain voting situations. Availability, form and limits depend on the applicable process.
AgendaGovernance: An organized list of matters scheduled for a meeting. Notice and agenda requirements should be checked for the specific meeting.
MinutesGovernance: The formal record of a meeting’s actions and proceedings under the association’s applicable practice and requirements.
Architectural reviewProperty: The process used to evaluate proposed changes under the community’s governing requirements. Association approval does not replace required permits.
Common propertyProperty: Property or areas associated with shared ownership or maintenance responsibilities. The governing arrangement determines the exact boundaries.
Limited common elementProperty: A condominium term whose meaning and responsibilities should be checked in the applicable declaration and law rather than inferred from exclusive use.
Maintenance responsibilityProperty: The assigned obligation to care for an asset or area. Ownership and maintenance responsibility do not always answer the same question.
Preventative maintenanceProperty: Planned care intended to address routine needs and reduce avoidable deterioration. A schedule should reflect the actual asset and professional guidance.
Capital projectProperty: A significant property improvement, repair or replacement project. Accounting treatment, approvals and funding require the appropriate review.
Scope of workOperations: A description of tasks, limits, deliverables and responsibilities used to compare or authorize services.
Work orderOperations: A record of a reported issue or assigned task. It should identify the location, responsible party, status and relevant completion information.
Request for proposalOperations: An invitation for providers to describe how they would perform specified work, including scope, assumptions, exclusions and pricing.
Management agreementOperations: The agreement defining the management relationship, services, authority, compensation and other terms. Review the actual document before relying on a label.
TransitionOperations: The coordinated transfer of records, accounts, responsibilities and communication when a management or operating arrangement changes.
TurnoverOperations: A change in control or responsibility associated with a community’s development or governance. The required process depends on the specific arrangement.
Official recordsGovernance: Records governed by the association’s applicable retention and access requirements. Requests should be reviewed for the correct association type and jurisdiction.
Estoppel or closing informationOperations: Information used in a property transaction to clarify association-related charges or requirements. The document and legal requirements depend on the transaction and jurisdiction.

Questions to consider

Are these legal definitions?

No. They are practical explanations. Check the applicable statute, governing document or contract for a binding definition.

Why can a familiar term mean something different elsewhere?

Different association structures, jurisdictions and documents use terms differently. Identify the relevant authority and context before relying on a definition.

What should I do with a term I do not understand in a proposal?

Ask the provider to explain the task, deliverable, responsibility and cost implication in plain language, then confirm how the agreement addresses it.