From: RMWBH <info@rmwbh.com>

Sent: Monday, July 10, 2023 10:03 AM

To: Kyle Beam

Subject: RMWBH's July 2023 Community Association Newsletter

Noelle Hicks Appointed to State Bar of Texas Board of Directors

The list of honors continues to grow for one of RMWBH’s Shareholders. Last week, Noelle Hicks attended the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting where she was inducted as an At-Large Director onto the Board of Directors for the State Bar. As an At-Large Director, Noelle will collaborate with the other volunteer leaders to uphold the State Bar of Texas’ mission of assuring all citizens equal access to justice, educating the public about the rule of law, and promoting diversity in the administration of justice and the practice of law.

This latest accolade adds to Noelle’s growing list of recent honors that includes the Excellence in Chapter Leadership Award from CAI, two Best Manuscript Awards at CAI’s Law Conference and appointment to CAMICB’s Board of Directors.

Congratulations Noelle on all of your outstanding achievements!

RMWBH Attorneys Educating Peers at TexasBarCLE's 45th Annual Advanced Real Estate Law Course

Shareholders Marc Markel and Noelle Hicks will be sharing their knowledge with attorneys from across Texas at the upcoming 45th Annual Advanced Real Estate Law Course. Marc starts things off during Real Estate 101, on July 12th, with a presentation on "Reading and Understanding Land Surveys." Marc also presents "Importance of Reserve Studies and Engineering Studies of Condominiums" during the main session on July 13th. Noelle closes the course on July 15th with a presentation on the "Challenges Facing Property Owners Associations." Learn more about the course at this link.

Alex Thomas Joins RMWBH's Litigation Section

RMWBH is pleased to welcome Alexandra Thomas to our Litigation Section based out of the firm's Houston Office. Alex guides clients through all phases of the litigation process in the areas of general and commercial litigation and insurance defense. Alex strives to put her clients at ease by being upfront with answering questions, keeping them up to date on their matter and building trust so they know she can handle their claims. Alex brings her passion for the litigation process to each matter by gathering facts and evidence, researching to compare the current matter to the relevant law, then advocating by whatever means to reach the best resolution.

SB 1668 Vetoed by Governor Abbott

On Sunday, June 18, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott vetoed SB 1668. SB 1668 easily passed both sides of the legislature with clear majorities. This action was taken because of a political dispute with the Senate over property taxes. The Governor vetoed 77 total bills this session, with 54 of these bills having originated in the Senate. Unfortunately, this veto action has negatively impacted the hard-working volunteers and constituents who spent countless hours advocating on behalf property owners associations.

As a result of this action, the proposed changes for condominium management certificates, security measures updates and updated ACC requirements will not be going into effect. Supporters of this bill should write to Gov. Abbott to express their opinion on these actions and request the bill be placed back on the legislative calendar during a special session. Information on contacting Governor Abbott’s office can be found at this link.

Social Media in Your Community

By Eric Tonsul

Throughout history, communication has changed drastically. From petroglyphs in caves telling the stories of ancient hunts and battles, to the pony express taking letters across the frontier, to the notification of “you’ve got mail” signaling an email has arrived, the barriers to communication have steadily dropped over time. That evolution has continued over the last 15 years with the rise of social media. Now, the barriers are virtually gone. But what does that mean for our community associations? Should community associations have a social media page/pages? And if yes, what are ways the page can be implemented?

To Feed or Not to Feed Feral Cats

By Eric Tonsul

Amidst the recent drama involving Governor Abbott and the Texas Senate following the conclusion of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, a largely unknown bill was able to slip through the legislative process mostly unopposed that could have drastic implications on our communities. This bill involves Trap, Neuter & Release (“TNR”) programs and feral cats.

Social Media

Social media has taken over many aspects of our daily lives. It is where we interact with friends, get information about the world and post crazy videos with the hope of making millions. But it has also become a place of negativity that can have a great impact on the operations of POAs.

Join Shareholder Paul Gaines of our San Antonio Office as he offers tips on how POAs can address issues on social media. Paul will dive into social media policies, how communication on official association social media channels should be conducted, and what, if anything, can be done about unofficial social media pages.

*This course is approved by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) to fulfill 1 hour of continuing education requirements for the CMCA certification. www.camicb.org

July 18, 2023
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Dealing with Difficult

POAs are full of diverse groups of people with a diverse collection of ideas. It is inevitable that not everyone will get along and the possibility of conflict can arise, but how should board members and managers handle that conflict in their official capacity with the POA?

Join Shareholder Cliff Davis of our Houston Office as guides attendees through a variety of situations that can arise in our communities and offers strategies on how to best navigate the situation for all parties involved.

July 25, 2023

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

2800 Post Oak Blvd #5700, Houston, TX 77056

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