FAQs

What is a Homeowners Association (HOA)?

A Homeowners Association, also known as a Property Owners Associations or Community Association, is a private, non-profit corporation formed during the development stage of a subdivision. The purpose of Homeowners Association is to maintain the subdivision and preserve property values. Any property purchased within a Homeowners Association is subject to mandatory membership in the Association. HOAs provide services that may not be available otherwise, such as streetlights, trash collection, and recreational amenities.

If I buy a home within an HOA, do I have to belong to the HOA?

Yes, HOAs are mandatory membership associations meaning all current and future property owners are required to be members.

What is a lifestyle community?

Lifestyle communities promote certain services, amenities, and social events for its residents. Communities built on golf courses may offer special tournaments or lessons to residents or host social events at the club house. Other lifestyle communities may be centered around family and include swimming pools, fitness centers, and parks, and host family friendly events.

Who is Crest Management? What role does the management company play for my community?

Crest Management has been hired by the Board of Directors to assist in the daily management of the community. Crest prepares the financial statements, mails out invoices, and collects payments. Crest performs deed restriction inspections, mails out letters, and reports back to the Board of Directors. Crest coordinates meetings documentation, writes meeting minutes, and maintains the books and records of the Association. Crest conducts common area property inspections and works with the Associations contractors to ensure the property is maintained. To learn more about Crest Management you can visit our About and Services page.

Where is the Crest office located and what are the hours?

Our office address is 17171 Park Row, Suite 310, Houston 77084. Our office hours are Monday – Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Who is the Crest Management contact for my community?

Your management team can be found on your community’s page and your homeowner dashboard. To locate the Community Page you can use the “Community Search”.

Who do I report an after-hours emergency to?

After hours emergencies can be reported by calling 281-579-0761. Our after-hours answering service will collect information regarding the nature of the emergency and pass the information along to the management team.

How long does it take for my Crest team to respond to me?

Our goal is to respond to all phone calls and emails within one business day.

Can I contact my Board Members directly?

Board Members are volunteers and are not available to be contacted directly on a daily basis. However, all Board of Directors meetings are open to members and most meetings have a time for homeowners to speak directly to the Board. If the matter is time sensitive, we encourage you to contact your management team who can contact the Board Members immediately, if needed.

What role do the Board Members play for my community?

The powers and duties of the Board of Directors are defined in each Association’s governing documents. Generally speaking, the Board Members are responsible for making decisions on behalf of the Association. Board Members set the annual assessment rate, see to it that the deed restrictions are enforced, and enter into contracts for community services under the Association’s jurisdiction, i.e. landscape maintenance, trash collection, pool management, etc..

How do I become a Board Member for my community?

Each Association is required to have an annual meeting of members. In Associations that have transitioned from developer control to homeowner run boards, an election is held at each annual meeting. Prior to the annual meeting, a Solicitation of Candidates will be sent to members advising the number of positions to be elected and instructions of how to register as a candidate. Some Associations mail this notice while others email the notice. To ensure you receive the solicitation, make sure you are registered to receive email notifications of meetings. In Associations that are still under developer control, review the governing documents or contact your management team to determine what percentage of home sales is required before the Board of Directors transitions to homeowner control.

Who are my board members?

During development, the board is made up of developer representatives. Once development reaches a certain stage, the board is transitioned to homeowner volunteers that are elected by the Association members. Volunteer board members are not available to contacted directly on a daily basis, but you may contact our office with your questions or concerns, use the Contact Us feature on the website, or attend an upcoming board meeting to meet the board members in person.

What is my account number?

Your account number can be found on your dashboard. Just login to your account and all information you need is there for you.

What is my management code and association ID?

The management code and association ID can be found on your statement. You can print/view a copy of your statement on your homeowner dashboard. For your homeowner dashboard, simply login to your account and you can find direct contact information under “View Statement”.

How do I pay my assessments?

Assessments can be paid online, by mail, or in person. We do not accept payment over the phone. We do not accept cash.

Credit cards are only accepted online (not in person or by mail) and there is a processing fee of 2.95% of the charged amount. You may also pay online with an eCheck with a $2.25 processing fee per payment.

Check or money order can be mailed or paid in person at our office. Checks and money orders should be made payable to your Association (not payable to Crest Management). Please write your account number on the check or money order and include the statement stub.

Payments can be mailed to:
<Association Name>
c/o Crest Management
PO Box 219320
Houston, TX 77218-9320
Be sure to include your property address in the Memo line.
 
Payments can be made in person at:
Crest Management
17171 Park Row, Suite 310
Houston, TX 77084
Be sure to include your property address in the Memo line.
 
Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Fridays).

When is my assessment due? 

Please check your statement for the due date as this may vary by Association. Most Associations bill annually with a due date of January 1^st and a late fee on February 1^st.

How do I find out my balance?

Login to the Homeowner Portal and your balance will be on your dashboard. You can also view or print a statement to see the detailed balance.

Can I set up a payment arrangement?

For annually billed assessments, you may split your payment into three installments paid in advance of the due date (November, December, January) with no need for paperwork and no additional charges.
If you wish to set up a payment agreement after the due date, you must submit your request in writing (email is sufficient). All payment agreements made after the due date are subject to administrative fees and interest.

What is the assessment rate for my community this year?

The assessment rate can be found on your community page.  To locate the Community Page you can use the “Community Search”.

How is the assessment rate decided for my community?

The initial assessment rate was determined by the developer. Each year after, it is reviewed by the Board of Directors during budget time to determine whether any changes need to be made to cover the expenses, planned improvements, and reserve contributions. 

What do my assessments cover?

Specific expenses vary by Association and can be better identified by reviewing your Association’s budget. In general, assessments pay for things like common area landscaping, amenity maintenance and operation, administrative costs associated with collecting assessments and enforcing the deed restrictions, insurance for the Association, and legal expenses related to corporate and enforcement matters.

Does my mortgage company escrow my Homeowners Association assessment?

Please contact your mortgage company to confirm the terms of your escrow with them.