Documents and the association’s structure
Association: the organization responsible for assigned community obligations. Member: an owner with membership under the applicable structure. Declaration: the recorded document establishing key property restrictions and obligations. Covenants: recorded promises or restrictions affecting property. Articles: the organization’s formation document. Bylaws: rules for internal governance. Rules: adopted operating requirements within authorized limits. Amendment: a formally adopted change to a governing document. Governing documents: the relevant collection of these instruments, interpreted with applicable law rather than in isolation.
People and meeting decisions
Board: the directors responsible for governing the association. Officer: a person holding an assigned role such as president or treasurer. Committee: a group with a defined advisory or decision-making assignment. Manager: a provider performing delegated services under an agreement. Quorum: the required participation for a particular meeting or action. Motion: a proposal placed before the decision-making body. Proxy: authorization for another person to act in a specified voting context. Minutes: the official written meeting record. Agenda: the planned subjects for a meeting.
Money and financial reports
Assessment: an amount charged under the association’s authority. Special assessment: an assessment outside the ordinary recurring schedule. Operating budget: the plan for regular income and expenses. Reserve: funds designated for specified future needs, subject to applicable requirements. Receivable: money recorded as owed to the association. Payable: an amount the association owes. Reconciliation: comparison of records to resolve differences, such as between bank and ledger balances. Variance: the difference between a plan and an actual result. Delinquency: an unpaid obligation that is past its applicable due point.
Property, work, and oversight
Common area: property maintained or owned collectively under the governing arrangement. Common element: a condominium term whose precise scope comes from governing law and documents. Limited common element: a common element allocated to particular units as provided by the applicable framework. Architectural review: evaluation of a proposed change under authorized standards. Work order: a record assigning and tracking a maintenance task. Reserve study: an evaluation used to inform future replacement planning. Insurance deductible: the portion of a covered loss assigned under the policy’s terms. Estoppel certificate: an association statement used in certain property transactions; its required content and effect depend on applicable law.
Use the glossary as a starting point
These thirty-five descriptions provide orientation, not controlling legal definitions. A word can have a more precise meaning in your declaration, a statute, a policy, or a contract. When reading a Pensacola HOA document, a Florida condominium report, or an Alabama association notice, identify the jurisdiction and legal form before relying on terminology. Ask for the original provision when a disputed term affects money, voting, maintenance, or access. Shared vocabulary should make questions clearer, not substitute for property-specific advice.
Your next-step checklist
- Identify the document where an unfamiliar term appears.
- Read its definition and surrounding provisions in that document.
- Check which association type and state framework apply.
- Ask for qualified interpretation when the meaning affects a significant decision.