Specialized property management company comes to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Sara McConkie says she knows what it's like to be the "bad guy" when helping homeowners and condominium associations deal with daily operations.

Which may be all the more reason to call her if you're serving on one of the groups' boards and need help carrying out unpopular decisions.

"We get to be the bill man and the bad guy," she said.

McConkie added that her name is often the one printed on collections letters sent out to members.

McConkie is the community manager of Association Services, a new Moses Lake business opened recently on Broadway Avenue and specializes in homeowners and condominium association management.

The main branch of the business opened about 18 years ago in Puyallup and just expanded to include the Moses Lake branch.

When Association Services owners heard Sara was moving to Moses Lake because of her husband David's job relocation, they asked her if she would like to open an office there. She agreed.

McConkie is currently the only employee in the Moses Lake office, but said she hopes to hire more people as the business grows to include a staff of about four or five employees. The main branch employs 11 workers and she said she hopes her office will be as big, or bigger.

She wants to further expand the Moses Lake branch to include Eastern Washington, where she believes there is a growing need for the specialized services the company offers.

Their services include holding annual board elections and annual meetings, collecting dues, paying bills on a bimonthly basis, covenant enforcement and working as a contact point for members.

"A lot of people try to go it on their own, but don't know the changes in the laws," she said.

There's about 12 condo associations and 12 homeowners associations in Moses Lake, she said. There are also homeowners associations in Warden and Mattawa, she said.

"It's becoming more common than the exception," she said.

Homeowners associations are made up of people who live in the same neighborhood and pay a fee, or assessment, to share common services like a swimming pool and a golf course. Assessments go toward insurance and maintenance for the common services, she said.

Homeowners association owners must care for the inside and outside of their homes, but not common areas like parks and pools, she said.

Condo association owners are typically responsible for only the insides of their homes, but pay fees for common expenses ranging from insurance to exterior maintenance, and anything else the association is responsible for, she said.

The associations are governed by articles of incorporation, bylaws, covenants, conditions and restrictions. A group of volunteers make up the board of directors who in many cases hold down a full-time job and have busy lives, she said.

"We work with the board to help with day to day operations," she said. "We free up their time so they have time to do other things."

The business charges an hourly rate, so the associations have control over their spending, she explained.

McConkie holds a national certification in community management. The business is a member of the Community Association Institute and employs a certified public accountant.

For more information, call 509-350-5229.