Off-Boarding Playbook
If a property's board votes to move to a new manager, we hand off cleanly, professionally, and on time. The departing-client experience is the strongest predictor of whether they come back, refer us, or talk down our reputation. We treat it as seriously as onboarding.
2Off-boarded · 5 yrs
100%Records-turnover compliant
90 daysStandard notice window
$0Off-boarding charge to assoc
1 of 2Returned to CMG within 18 mo
Standard 90-day off-boarding
Phase 1 · Notice received (T-90 to T-75)
First 2 weeks · gracious response
1
Acknowledge notice in writing · within 48 hrs · no defensive language
Tizi · Founder
—
2
Internal team briefing · what we know · what we don't
Tizi
—
3
Founder optional courtesy call to BOD president
Founder
—
4
AGF brief on contract terms · termination triggers · final fees
AGF · Tizi
—
5
Successor manager identified · learn early so coordination is smooth
BOD · CMG
—
6
Internal exit interview · the manager who lost the account
Tizi · Founder
—
Phase 2 · Records inventory (T-75 to T-45)
Build the turnover bundle
7
Records inventory · §718.111(12) compliant
Mgr · ops
—
8
Bank statement archive · 7 years
AR clerk
—
9
Owner ledger archive · 7 years
AR clerk
—
10
Vendor contract list + COIs
Mgr
—
11
BOD minutes · 7 years
Mgr
—
12
Reserve study · current + last 2
Mgr
—
13
Insurance policies · current + history
Sterling
—
14
Open litigation / collections case files
AGF
—
15
Capital project documentation
Mgr
—
16
Drawing vault export · property-specific
Mgr
—
17
Audit log export · 7 years · hash-chain preserved
auto
—
Phase 3 · Owner-facing communications (T-60 to T-30)
No surprises · no drama
18
BOD-approved owner notice · joint letter · neutral tone
Mgr · BOD
—
19
Front-desk + concierge briefing · what they can/can't say
Mgr · Diana
—
20
Owner-portal "transition" banner · countdown + new contact info
auto
—
21
Vendor notification · effective date · new payee info
Mgr · AR
—
Phase 4 · Successor coordination (T-45 to T-7)
Be the kind of predecessor we'd want
22
Initial call · CMG manager + successor manager
Mgr · successor
—
23
Records turnover schedule · in-person handoff or secure transfer
Mgr · ops
—
24
BOD personality + history briefing · we share what they need
Mgr
—
25
Vendor introduction emails · 3-way warm handoff
Mgr
—
26
Open-question log · here's what's pending, here's what's stuck
Mgr
—
27
Wiki / SOP article exports for them · only the property-specific ones
Mgr
—
Phase 5 · Cutover (T-7 to T+0)
The week of
28
Final reconciliation · ledger + bank · clean stop
AR · CPA
—
29
Final manager report to BOD · gracious sign-off
Mgr · Tizi
—
30
Bank signature change executed
Bank
—
31
Owner-portal redirect · new mgmt URL or direct contact
auto
—
32
Records physically + digitally delivered
Mgr
—
33
Receipt confirmation from successor
Successor
—
34
Final invoice · zero outstanding
AR
—
Phase 6 · Post (T+0 onward)
Long view
35
Internal retro · what could we have done differently?
Tizi · Founder
—
36
Departing-board exit survey · 6 questions · honest
Tizi
—
37
Manager learning entry in Wiki · what we'd do differently
Mgr
—
38
3-month check-in (optional) · wishing them well, no sales pitch
Tizi
—
39
Audit-log retention · 7 years from last activity
auto
—
40
Records-request response capability maintained · §718.111(12) doesn't sunset
auto
—
Tone & conduct guardrails
Never disparage
Never disparage the successor, the BOD, or the decision. Property mgmt is a small market; reputation matters in 5 years even when it doesn't seem to today.
No last-minute charges
Don't add fees to make up margin. CMG's standard contract has no off-boarding fee. Send the final invoice clean. If anything, err generous.
Records first, opinions never
Successor doesn't need our take on the board. Just give them what we'd want: records, history, vendor relationships, and the property-specific operational quirks.
Owner notice is a joint letter
Co-signed by BOD president + CMG. Joint tone signals ordered transition. CMG-only or BOD-only letters create owner anxiety.
Manager carries some grief
Losing an account hurts the manager who built the relationship. Tizi + founder make sure that manager isn't blamed for it; learning happens in 1:1, not in a witch hunt.
The door stays open
If they ask to come back in 18 months because the new mgr didn't work out, we welcome them back. 1 of our 2 historical off-boards came back within 18 mo.
Historical off-boards · 5-yr review
| Property | Off-boarded | Reason | Outcome | Returned? |
|---|
| Northwood Court HOA (38 units) | Sep 2022 | Cost-driven · went w/ lower-fee competitor | Clean handoff · 5-star NPS exit | Yes · returned May 2024 |
| Riverpark Condo (28 units) | Jul 2023 | Self-management · BOD wanted to try DIY | Clean handoff · advisory periodic relationship | No · still self-managed |
Exit-survey questions (departing BOD)
1. What is the single thing CMG did best during our engagement?
2. What is the single thing we should have done differently?
3. Was the value commensurate with the fee?
4. What pushed you to make the change?
5. Is there anything CMG could have done that would have changed your decision?
6. May we contact you in a year to check in? (No sales pitch · just genuine.)
Why this exists
Most management companies treat losing a client as a moment to recoup costs, downgrade service, or grumble. We've decided to make off-boarding the most honorable part of the relationship. The data shows it works: 50% return rate within 2 years from our 5-year history.
References
§718.111(12) records turnover · §720.303(5) HOA records · standard CMG contract · Ops Manual §IX.6 Termination.
