# Ever heard a HOA bidding like this?



## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

Just got contacted for a quote from a local HOA..... The said they want a bid for the new year. I'm like 'OK'...... Then the guy starts talking and they do their contracts from Jan 1 - Dec 31. So literally company 'A' could be plowing on Dec 31 and a new company (B) takes over on Jan 1.

Everything I've ever done or written up usually goes seasonally from like Nov 1 - April 1... This just seems screwy to me.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

gcbailey said:


> Just got contacted for a quote from a local HOA..... The said they want a bid for the new year. I'm like 'OK'...... Then the guy starts talking and they do their contracts from Jan 1 - Dec 31. So literally company 'A' could be plowing on Dec 31 and a new company (B) takes over on Jan 1.
> 
> Everything I've ever done or written up usually goes seasonally from like Nov 1 - April 1... This just seems screwy to me.


 Run fast.


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## Luther (Oct 31, 2007)

I've seen that before. If you can't educate them, leave it. Let it be someone else's problem.


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

Ya, I can see a lot of possible problems if there happens to be a big event at the end of the year and the outgoing contractor says "screw it"....


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## GMC Driver (Sep 9, 2005)

LOL - one of largest accounts negotiated a Jan. 1st renwal date 5 years ago. I tried to educate them, but they insisted.

New board, new tender & renewal process this past July/ August, and the first question was "Why do we renew on Jan 1st - that makes no sense!" Now it's back to Nov. 1st.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Had a condo complex request a bid, but the association was taking over from the builder January 1. They were going to try to talk the contractor into maintaining it for the entire season.


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Had a condo complex request a bid, but the association was taking over from the builder January 1. They were going to try to talk the contractor into maintaining it for the entire season.


I assume (you know what you get when you assume) they are calling a season from Jan 1 till Dec 31.... Which we have had some of our biggest snows on record in April. Last week was the first snow fall we've had before Christmas in the past 5 years so....

It's a smaller HOA but "higher end" homes.... Less than 1 mile of maintained roads.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

We told them we would bid it for a season, but not starting Jan 1. I know they were taking multiple bids so I didn't spend much time on it.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

We have 2 hoas that do the same thing..but its a seasonal price per month that is the same for the entire year.. mowing cleanups snow all included.


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

We have commercial sites that are bid Jan-Dec for mowing/plowing/etc... This particular HOA doesn't have any type of mowing whatsoever, just plowing only.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

It’s not about season but fiscal year. I know plenty of condos that do it that way. It’s always a crap show with lot damage.


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

gcbailey said:


> Just got contacted for a quote from a local HOA..... The said they want a bid for the new year. I'm like 'OK'...... Then the guy starts talking and they do their contracts from Jan 1 - Dec 31. So literally company 'A' could be plowing on Dec 31 and a new company (B) takes over on Jan 1.
> 
> Everything I've ever done or written up usually goes seasonally from like Nov 1 - April 1... This just seems screwy to me.


There's two contracts we have like that 
I dunno something about how they do their budget


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

tpendagast said:


> There's two contracts we have like that
> I dunno something about how they do their budget


Probably when their fiscal year begins. 
I've helped HOAs budget maintenance, etc, but never had a contract start and end like that.


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

I'm actually working on a snow and ice budget for a nonprofit now for next season and the building won't be completed until June.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

When you lose it you have the people and equip in place to service it. This would make my bid 50% higher than normal and I would put the bug in their ear that I suspect others bid it this way too. You'd be surprised how you can affect their decisions. For the most part they are bean counters.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Fiscal year... that is all


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

Mr.Markus said:


> When you lose it you have the people and equip in place to service it. This would make my bid 50% higher than normal and I would put the bug in their ear that I suspect others bid it this way too. You'd be surprised how you can affect their decisions. For the most part they are bean counters.


This would be my thinking too.... This is the first year since hurricane Sandy, what was that 5, 6 years ago, that we've had any type of snow even before the first of the year. So for my area it's not that big of a deal to an extent about someone having a contract until Dec 31, I just found it odd not to be seasonal as I said before.

My biggest thought going into it is if by chance there would be a large event at the end of the year and the current contractor just says "screw it". The current contractor is coming from about 30 minutes away and my shop is 5 minutes away. We've already got 5 homes in the sub division that we maintain for lawn care. I guess it boils down to one of those things if I want to actually bid or not. I did ask what their specs were for triggers and such and waiting to hear back from that. The only thing I know for sure they are really interested in liquid since the development was entirely repaved this past summer.


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## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

I had a church like that before. 3yr contract. January 1-December 3. We had a New year's Eve storm the year I picked it up so I plowed it. We had a new years eve storm 10 years later after my third contract with them was up and not renewed. I certainly didn't touch it that storm.


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## Precision Mowing (Dec 6, 2018)

gcbailey said:


> Just got contacted for a quote from a local HOA..... The said they want a bid for the new year. I'm like 'OK'...... Then the guy starts talking and they do their contracts from Jan 1 - Dec 31. So literally company 'A' could be plowing on Dec 31 and a new company (B) takes over on Jan 1.
> 
> Everything I've ever done or written up usually goes seasonally from like Nov 1 - April 1... This just seems screwy to me.


 This sounds like a mowing and snow removal contract. HoA are a pain in the a__. The ones in my area want all maintenance from one company.


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

No, it's plowing only.... The HOA has no lawn maintenance, that's up to the homeowners. There is no common areas either. I addressed that with the head board member.


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## Precision Mowing (Dec 6, 2018)

That's strange but on the other hand it's most likely easier to keep up with the co tact and paper work when it end sc at the end of the year. That way everything for that year is the same. I'm in Kentucky and we usually get the weather before you guys but here we don't do a lot of snow/ice services before January.our big stuff is normally in Jan. Feb. And March. But I do know how unpredictable the weather is these days.


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

Like I said earlier in the thread, we haven't had any snow before Jan 1st for the past several years until this one.... They are calling for 8"-18" for us on Sunday. Heck, we've had snow on the ground here for a week now. We've been doing leaf cleanups with plows on the trucks. Crazy for around here. I plan on asking the HOA what the deal is if we do have an event on Dec 31st and the current guys are a no show. IF I do bid this I just don't want to go into something getting the stink eye from the get go.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

How would snow on new years eve into new years be handled? Stop mid push and say "Alright boys, it's midnight, and our contract is up. Lets go home!" How would liability be handled? I'm sure this could be worked out in the contract, but it seems odd to me. Sounds like it's not the first though


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## gcbailey (Jan 26, 2014)

JMHConstruction said:


> How would snow on new years eve into new years be handled? Stop mid push and say "Alright boys, it's midnight, and our contract is up. Lets go home!"


The way some outfits are around here, you are dead on!


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## JimMarshall (Jan 25, 2013)

I have a set of apartments like this, their contract runs Jan-Dec to match their fiscal year. We’re the only company that has done it since it opened and they don’t shop around so.... what difference does it make what dates are on the paper


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