Hurricane Preparation Part 4 : Are you ready?

A hurricane is on the way. Is your management office ready?
You have custody of Official Records for multiple associations, and they are depending on you to have those records available after a catastrophic event.

Be sure all records for your customers are downloaded from the computer to a CD or a flash drive. That includes governing documents, minutes of meetings, all financial and accounting records, insurance policies, contracts, photos of the properties.
Make sure all your company records are also downloaded on a disk or flash drive, including bank account numbers, insurance policies, confidential personnel information, and photos of equipment and property.

Secure copies of those Records off site, and preferably outside of the affected areas. After all, your office is generally in the same area as the potentially damaged properties.
Plan ahead for how you will get access to the various associations’ funds in case of a hurricane, if there is no electricity. The associations will need cash to pay for clean-up and recovery services.

Establish a website through which you can communicate with your association boards in case of an emergency. And, procure emergency contact information from the boards, or a designated liaison person for each of the associations with which you work.

by Attorney Ellen Hirsch de Haan, Esq.