Year in Numbers

Happy New Year!

2023 is now behind us and it was another busy year at C.I.A. Services. Great management flows from a foundation of doing all the small things well. Our dedicated staff members kept up with the thousands of daily details associated with managing communities. Here are a few statistics from the past year.

• Our home improvement request coordinators processed 7,978 home improvement and new construction requests for our communities. That is an average of 31 per workday. That number includes 4,926 online submissions (62%) through our online HIR application system, the percentage of which continues to increase every year!
• Our maintenance coordinators issued and tracked 5,012 work orders and projects for our communities. That is an average of 19 per workday. A work order can be anything from having a sign fabricated & installed to developing specifications & soliciting bids for a contract to having a new roof installed on a clubhouse. Each work order includes a large amount of communication with contractors in advance as well as follow-up. That is an impressive amount of work.
• Our accounting department processed, verified, and paid 54,987 invoices for vendors in our communities. That is an average of 211 per workday. It takes great organizational skills to coordinate that many bills, obtain reviews and approvals, meet the due dates, and keep the vendors happy. All that while keeping impeccable records that CPA auditors love to see.
• Our customer service staff helped 1,615 owners set up payment plans for their delinquent assessments.
• Our community managers, administrative assistants, and inspectors tracked and resolved 71,891 deed restriction violations by issuing 96,642 letters. Our deed restriction management efforts continued to be successful with 84.4% of all violations getting resolved before a certified letter was needed.
• In December alone, we received and deposited $13,266,825 in assessments in 18,331 individual payments.
• We received 124,645 incoming phone calls in 2023! This averages out to about 500 per workday!

All of these tasks and little details equal up to great management. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service at every level. Thank you to all of our committed employees for pushing through and maintaining our success during 2023!

Doug Lally of Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch
by Stacey Hitchcock

Doug Lally is a volunteer member of the Resident Advisory Committee in Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch. He and his wife have been residents of Bonterra for almost three years. Having prior experience as an HOA President, Doug is a knowledgeable and beneficial member of the Committee! In his previous position, Doug was key in improving his community and narrowing the focus of his community members.

Doug’s working life was spent as a small business owner in the promotional products and brand development business. Doug sold his company to the largest company in the space and has just recently retired at the end of 2023.

Doug is currently a competitive pickleball player and acts as the President of the Pickleball Club in Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch. Doug and his wife are avid dancers and teach a social dance class for BCCRCA residents.

We are happy to recognize Doug for the great work he does in Bonterra!

Spreading Joy and Collaboration: The Silver Sage’s Holiday Spirit
by Brandi Brack

This festive season, the spirit of giving back to the community resonates as C.I.A. Services in Bandera joyfully collaborated with The Silver Sage Hill Country Resources Center for our annual Food and Pet Drive. Together, we’re weaving a tapestry of care and support that extends far beyond the holiday season.

Since 1984, The Silver Sage, operating as Meals on Wheels, a Senior Center, Community Center, and Resource Center, has been a beacon of hope in the Texas Hill Country. This year’s collaboration underscores the power of community partnerships, reflecting the heartwarming commitment of C.I.A. Services and The Silver Sage to make a positive impact in our communities.

As we embark on this season of giving, it’s heartening to see the community rally together. The Silver Sage, a nonprofit with a Platinum designation from GuideStar and Candid, not only serves a six-county region but also actively addresses systemic barriers and biases that perpetuate food insecurity and economic instability. This collaborative effort exemplifies the true meaning of the holidays—a time to come together, support one another, and spread warmth in the form of essential services and care.

We are proud of every one of our communities, so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. However, our managers are always eager to share the great things they see their communities doing!

Here are the most recent selections:

• January Riverpark on the Brazos Property Owners Association Houston
• November Churchill Homeowners Association San Antonio
• September Colony Grant Homeowners Association Houston
• August Willow Park Office Condominiums Homeowners Association Houston
• July Homeowners Association of Timber Forest Houston

To see the full story on these communities and all past winners, visit the Community Spotlight page on our site.

Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are the clients that started with us in January.

• Hunterwood Village II Association — 38 years    
• Homeowners Association of Timber Forest — 27 years
• Eastpoint Section 4 Homeowners Association — 13 years
• Reserve at Clear Lake Community Association — 9 years
• Hidden Arbor Community Association — 8 years
• Harper Oaks Homeowners Association — 8 years
• BGR Property Owners Association — 7 years
• Katy Pointe Community Association — 6 years
• Southwinds Residential Association — 5 years
• Lake House Community Association — 5 years
• The Agora Palms Property Owners Association — 4 years
• Cloverdale Residential Association — 1 year 

Thank you to all these amazing communities!

Employee Anniversaries

Congratulations to Charlotte Bulcken on her 28-year anniversary with C.I.A. Services! Charlotte provides staff and corporate support at our North Houston Office and is always there to help us with special projects. Outside of work, Charlotte loves to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also enjoys going to the theater and traveling.

Kimberly Terry is celebrating 11 years this January! Kim is an Administrative Assistant serving our San Antonio communities.  Outside of work, she enjoys time in nature and with her family.

Congratulations to Kelsey Ballard of our North Houston Office on her 7-year anniversary.  Kelsey is an Administrative Assistant for several Houston-area communities.  Kelsey and her fiance Adam enjoy spending time with their nieces and nephews.

Tra’Neshia Williams is a Community Manager in our West Houston Office celebrating her 7-year anniversary this month. She is always willing to assist anyone and is very much a team player. Outside of work, Tra’Neshia enjoys family time with her husband Randy and their two boys, Jy’Keise, 13 and Ray’Len, 5.   

LeAnn Bruton, a valued team member of our Accounting Office, will celebrate her 6th anniversary with us! LeAnn is on the Financial Team and our go-to for many of the nitty-gritty, “what-the-heck” moments. She enjoys sewing, quilting, knitting, and crocheting as well as her doggie roommates at home. 

Stay Plugged in With Webcasts

We offer each of our seminars in the form of a recorded webcast on demand for you to watch at any time! If you are interested in one of our seminars, they are available on our YouTube channel. The following seminars are now available:

• Board Member Orientation
• Practical Deed Restriction Management
• Understanding Collections and Financial Reports
• Meetings and Records - The Legal Requirements
• The Essentials of Architectural Control
• The Super-Budgeting Process
• Advanced Topics for Board Members

To watch any of the webcasts, simply click on the links above.

Associations in Practice

Our Associations in Practice Series is an offering of short videos with specific topics.  

The 2023 session of the Texas legislature had some impact on property owners’ associations.  The short 17-minute video, Texas 88th Legislative Session, provides a concise review of what passed and what didn’t, and what’s next for POAs based on the Session.

Although the 88th Legislative Session came to a close on May 29th, an extraordinary event unfolded when Governor Abbott opted to veto several bills, including one that has a direct impact on POAs. In light of this development, our Texas Legislative Session Update video, a follow-up to the above, provides crucial insights and an in-depth update regarding this situation.

Also available is Texas 87th Legislative Session.  The 2021 session of the Texas legislature produced significant changes to the Texas Property Code affecting property owners’ associations. This video explores those changes and provides specific follow-up recommendations. 

Super-Budget Concepts is a great introduction (or refresher) to our Super-Budget and a nice refresher or opening to the full webinar offered in our Seminar Series. 

C.I.A. Services, Inc. has a long and proud history of providing up-to-date news on our company happenings, industry news, and association governance.  Each month, we are pleased to share with you our eNews Monthly.  Each issue is loaded with great information! 

We also provide updates through LinkedIn and Facebook. With these additional layers of communication, you can always find the latest information about our company, employees, association management, and other related news.  

If you are not already following us, please ”Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all things C.I.A. Services and beyond.

Every month, we issue an electronic newsletter, eNews Monthly, to keep clients informed about Association items, spotlight clients, answer frequently asked questions, and let you know what is happening with the company. Old issues of eNews Monthly are available on our Library page.