By Jack Thomas, Elk Horn Painting

On June 24, 2021, a condo tower in Surfside, Florida partially collapsed in the middle of the night. Ninety-eight people lost their lives. In the aftermath, investigators uncovered years of delayed repairs, deferred structural maintenance, and warning signs that had been seen—but not acted on. For many in the HOA world, Surfside became a wake-up call. It exposed what can happen when financial pressures, human psychology, and group dynamics combine to postpone critical upkeep.

While most communities will never face a tragedy of that scale, the forces that led to Surfside’s collapse are at play in many associations. Cracks in the stucco, roof leaks, failing drainage—these are rarely sudden. They build over time, and so do the psychological patterns that allow boards to put off addressing them. The problem isn’t carelessness. It’s often a set of invisible mental traps, social dynamics, and structural habits that push tough decisions down the road. The good news is that many experts have studied these obstacles, and we know what the solutions are. 

Present Bias

Take present bias, for instance—the tendency to prioritize short-term comfort over long-term benefit. In board meetings, that might sound like: “Let’s wait until next year’s budget cycle,” or “We don’t want to raise dues right now.” The issue is, next year often looks exactly like this year, and the repair gets more expensive in the meantime. According to national facilities data, deferring maintenance can raise future costs by 15 to 30 times.

Tool: Implement an automatic minimal-planned-increase dues policy (e.g., 3% annually, or higher as needed). This reduces emotional decision-making and builds financial readiness gradually.

Optimism Bias

Then there’s optimism bias—believing, sometimes unconsciously, that nothing will go wrong. When reserve studies or inspection reports identify major upcoming repairs, it’s tempting to downplay the timeline: “That’s years away.” But buildings, like people, age regardless of how much we’d rather not deal with it. 

“If I have a goal to lose weight, it does not help if I only weigh myself every six months. Rather, I will weigh myself each day and week to see if my current diet is working... The same rule applies to a Reserve Study.” 

- Bryan Farley, President, Association Reserves

Tool: Require a reserve study presentation at your annual meeting with simple visuals showing risk timelines and funding gaps.

Pessimism Bias

At the other end of the spectrum, pessimism bias can also freeze action. When a big repair feels insurmountable, boards sometimes do… nothing. Not because they don’t care, but because they assume any action will spark backlash, cost too much, or fail to pass. 

Tool: Break major repairs into phased mini-projects, starting with the lowest-cost/highest-impact step. This builds early momentum and reduces overwhelm.

Conflict Avoidance

Add to that the social nature of HOA boards. These aren’t strangers in a boardroom—they’re neighbors, often volunteers, trying to keep the peace. That makes conflict avoidance common: directors hesitate to propose fee hikes or special assessments, fearing the fallout. It's easier to delay and hope for a future board to handle it. But that often creates a domino effect: year after year, critical repairs are tabled until something breaks.

Tool: Have your CAM or contractor present cost multiplier comparisons: “Fix today: $8,000. Fail later: $60,000.”

Solutions

So what can boards do differently? First: make maintenance visible. Updated reserve studies and condition assessments aren’t just compliance tools—they’re psychological counterweights to optimism bias. When you see the roof lifespan chart or read that the boilers have two years left, it grounds the conversation in reality. 

Tool: Assign a rotating “devil’s advocate” role at board meetings to challenge status-quo assumptions about deferrals. It institutionalizes thoughtful dissent.

Second: normalize action. Annual dues increases tied to inflation and aging components are much easier for owners to accept than a sudden 200% spike. Transparent communication—especially when framed around preserving home values and avoiding future hardship—builds trust. Boards that share reserve funding levels, show cost trajectories, and hold town halls tend to get more buy-in. 

Tool: Use a deferred decisions memo for board transitions. Each outgoing board leaves a one-page summary for the next, creating continuity and accountability.

Third: build a culture of stewardship. This starts with leadership. When even one board member reframes the question—“How do we protect this community for the next 20 years?”—it opens the door to longer-term thinking. And when board members feel supported by owners, managers, and experts alike, they’re far more likely to face the hard decisions head-on.

About the Author & Acknowledgements

Jack Thomas leads business development for Elk Horn Painting, where he helps HOA boards and property managers across Colorado protect and elevate their communities through thoughtful, high-quality exterior painting projects.

This article was developed with writing and research support from ChatGPT (OpenAI) using a curated body of expert sources.