Every dollar the association spends should move through a defined approval path. Boards that rely on informal approval — a text message from the president, a verbal OK from the treasurer — eventually face a situation where money leaves the account without clear authorization, and no one can reconstruct who approved what.
A structured vendor payment workflow protects the board, the manager, and the homeowners who fund those payments through their assessments.
The four-step approval cycle
Most associations benefit from a simple four-step payment process:
Step 1: Invoice receipt and coding. The management company receives the vendor invoice, verifies it against the contract or purchase order, and codes it to the correct operating or reserve line item. Invoices that do not match an approved contract or board authorization should be flagged before coding.
Step 2: Manager review and recommendation. The community manager reviews the coded invoice for accuracy, confirms the work was performed or the goods were received, and recommends the payment for board approval. For recurring contract payments, the manager should confirm the invoice matches the contract terms.
Step 3: Board authorization. The board reviews the payment list — typically at the monthly meeting or through a board-approved electronic process. Payments above a board-defined threshold require individual approval. Payments below the threshold may be approved as a batch.
Step 4: Disbursement and record retention. Once approved, the payment is processed and the authorization record is archived with the invoice, coding documentation, and board approval evidence.
Setting approval thresholds
The board should adopt a written resolution establishing payment authority levels:
- Manager authority. Routine budgeted payments below a specified amount (commonly $2,500–$5,000) that the manager can approve without individual board review. These must still appear on the monthly payment report.
- Single-director authority. Payments between the manager threshold and a higher limit (commonly $5,000–$15,000) that require one board officer’s approval before processing.
- Full-board authority. Payments above the single-director threshold that require a board vote, typically documented in meeting minutes.
These thresholds should be reviewed annually and adjusted based on the association’s budget size and risk tolerance.
Emergency payment protocols
Emergencies do not wait for board meetings. The payment policy should define an emergency authorization path:
- which types of situations qualify as emergencies (water intrusion, fire damage, safety hazards),
- who can authorize emergency payments and up to what amount,
- how emergency payments are ratified at the next board meeting, and
- how the emergency authorization is documented at the time of approval.
Without this framework, managers either delay critical repairs waiting for board approval or make large disbursements without documented authority — both of which create liability.
Controls that prevent fraud and errors
Three controls reduce the most common payment risks:
- Dual signature requirements. Checks or electronic payments above a defined threshold should require two authorized signers. Single-signer authority should be limited to small, routine payments.
- Invoice-to-contract matching. Every invoice should trace back to an approved contract, purchase order, or board authorization. Invoices from unknown vendors or for unbudgeted work should be escalated to the board before payment.
- Monthly reconciliation review. The treasurer or a designated director should review bank reconciliations monthly to confirm that disbursements match approved payments.
Use the operating-vs-reserve fund accounting guide to ensure payments are charged to the correct fund, and the vendor transition timeline when onboarding a new vendor whose first invoices need special attention.