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Our board has been considering establishing a reserve fund. How many months' monthly charges would be usual/reasonable in your experience?
We have two "reserve" funds/
Suggest you obtain the AICPA document as it defines or poses “ground rules”.
See: Common Interest Realty Associations — AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide
The Audit and Accounting Guide summarizes applicable practices and delivers "how-to" advice for handling almost every type of financial statement. It describes relevant matters, conditions, and procedures unique to realty associations, and illustrates treatments of financial statements and reports to caution auditors and accountants about unusual problems.
https://www.cpa2biz.com/CS2000/Products/CPA2BIZ/Publications/Sub+3/Common+Interest+Realty+Associations+%97+AICPA+Audit+and+Accounting+Guide+%5BSubscription%5D.htm
In our case (500 unit co-op) in NJ, we have two reserves, e.g.; short term liquid cash and long term capital improvements.
In addition, we have a line of credit. We have a “standard” capital improvement assessment each year. We collect it during the middle six months.
Until the reserve fund is replenished, we sometimes find it necessary to obtain funds to pay contractors and vendors. To this end, we use our line of credit.
But do note that we repay the line of credit before year end and that we never use the line of credit as working capital.
Thank you both for your informative answers!! I really appreciate it.
Our on hand liquid ready cash is 20% of our monthly outflow.
Our arrears from shareholders averages .2% of our yearly expected inflow of funds for all payments (maintenance, assessment, bulk cable, parking, etc.)
Our capital reserves at year end are typically $500,000.
So with 500 units, we have $1,000 per unit in our capital reserves at year end.
Our inflow for capital reserves is almost $2,000 per unit per year. Note that we collect nearly $1,000,000 per year in assessments for ongoing capital improvements per the AICPA required supplementary schedule. Our outflow is thus $2,000+/- per unit per year.
By the way we have no underlying mortgage, having paid off the original mortgage without ever refinancing or taking a new mortgage.
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I like to see a minimum of 3 months maitenance.
depending the size of the building and the condition, etc. your reserve should be established.
A good manager or an engineering consultant can access how much your building will need based on the condition, useful life of building components, future plans (ammenities, etc.), etc.
Just for safety, and in the mean time, have your managing agent secure a line of credit in case something happens that requires emergency funds.
~AR
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