Build the handover before the term ends
Start while the outgoing officers can still open every account and explain every folder. A zip file handed over on election night is not a transition plan.
Use one checklist with an owner and a transfer status for every account, record set, key, and unfinished decision. The new board should be able to see what arrived and what is still missing.
Start with these handover items
- Association email accounts and shared file storage
- Bank, accounting, payment, insurance, and vendor portals
- Website, domain, mailing address, locks, keys, and access codes
- Current officer roster, vendor contacts, and emergency contacts
Move access out of personal accounts
A new treasurer should not need the former treasurer's personal email to reset the bank password. Move each service to an association-controlled address, then add the incoming officers with their own accounts.
Test the new access before removing the old officer. Record who can administer each service, who can only view it, and who can approve a payment or change.
Reconcile the money before access changes
Give the incoming treasurer records they can check. Compare the bank balance with the financial records, list unpaid invoices, and explain any differences that have not been resolved.
Financial handover
- Bank statements, current ledger, and the latest reconciliation
- Approved budget, reserve records, and current assessment schedule
- Open invoices, reimbursements, deposits, and delinquent balances
- Signed contracts with renewal, cancellation, and payment dates
Name every open decision
Do not make the next board reconstruct unfinished work from an inbox. List each open item, the last action taken, the next deadline, and the person waiting for an answer.
Your governing documents, state law, contracts, insurer, and tax advisers may set retention requirements. Confirm what applies before anyone deletes or destroys a record.
Open work to carry forward
- Owner requests and architectural applications awaiting a decision
- Rule or collection matters and the stage each one has reached
- Vendor work orders, insurance claims, and promised follow-ups
- Upcoming meetings, notice dates, elections, filings, and renewals
Close the handover at a board meeting
Put the handover on the agenda. Record what the board received, which access was tested, what is still missing, and who will close each gap.
Remove former officers only after the new access works. Keep the completed checklist with the meeting record so the next transition starts from a known point.