The Our Kids mission is to provide expert medical evaluations and crisis counseling services in response to concerns of child sexual abuse and to increase community awareness, conduct research and offer education and training about child maltreatment. Ghertner & Company is proud to support Our Kids and their important mission by participating as a sponsor of their annual Soup Sunday fundraising event. For additional information about Our Kids®, visit their website at https://ourkidscenter.com.


Here We Grow Again!

We are very excited to welcome new Associates to our Team!

Austin Ervin
Community Association Manager
Schycheeree Gilbert
Legal Assistant
Jeff Glover
Community Association Manager
Kimberly Kermicle
Accounting Assistant
Kent Knapp
Director of Ghertner Maintenance
Cyndi McCormick
Claysville Landing
Kevin Merritt
Maintenance Technician
Sally Mills
Administrative Assistant
Christopher Reeves
Maintenance Technician
Bob Welborn
Community Association Manager

Golden Girls

WELL BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM
 MAKE HISTORY…
(L-R) Joy Buttrey, Robbie Hemmerly, Mary Massey & Zee Terry

Few companies, especially property management companies, get to brag that they have people who have been working at their firm as a property manager for thirty years. One of Ghertner & Company’s strongest assets has been the hard work of four famous property managers, Zee Terry, Mary Massey, Robbie Hemmerly and Joy Buttrey, each of whom is a member of our “30 year club.”

Joy Buttrey began as an Administrative Assistant early in 1984 and became a property manager in 1988. Properties in Joy's portfolio include Cherry Hill/Maples, New Hope Meadows and Rolling Meadows. Joy is now the only remaining “Golden Girl” at the firm, charged with the directive to turn the lights out for the others whenever she decides to leave. Fortunately for Ghertner & Company and her customers, that isn’t going to happen for a long time. 

Robbie Hemmerly retired in 2008, after her thirty year anniversary with the firm. Robbie started as an On-Site Property Manager at the Fawnwood Apartments in 1978. When that property was sold, Robbie became a Property Manager. Properties in Robbie's portfolio included Jefferson Square, Georgetown and Fieldstone Farms. 

Mary Massey started at Ghertner & Company in 1983 as an Administrative Assistant, and became a Property Manager in August 1994. Properties in Mary's portfolio included Westfield and Riverwalk in Bellevue as well as Franklin Green and Ivy Glen in the Franklin area. Mary retired in May of 2013. She is enjoying being able to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Zee Terry started with Ghertner & Company in 1982, as the Office Manager; after eight years away from the company she returned in 1996 as an Administrative Assistant, and became a Property Manager in 1998. Properties in Zee’s portfolio included Colony Downs, Oakwood and Mansker Farms.Zee retired in March of 2013. She and her husband Micky “hit the road” and are traveling the country in their RV. 

April Volunteer Leadership Series



L-R - Ann Claud, On-Site Manager at LaurelBrooke &
Kathleen Sutherland, Lunch & Learn Facilitator

Kathy Sutherland led the Ghertner & Company Volunteer Leader Workshop Series on April 2, 2014 with the subject matter being “The Role of the Board of Directors”. The presentation focused on the role of the Board of Directors regarding planning, budgeting, community building, fiduciary duties, and the elements of effective meetings. Additional topics included a review of some of the legal concepts facing Boards such as the business judgment rule and state laws regarding conflicts of interests for Board members. In attendance were Board members from over a dozen communities managed by Ghertner & Company, who in addition to hearing the lecture enjoyed a delightful lunch brought in from Bread & Company.  These workshops are one of the benefits of management by Ghertner & Company, if you are a Board member who is interested learning more about our management services, please contact Kathleen at kathleen.sutherland@ghertner.com or 615-277-0314.


Providence Board members
& On-Site Manager, Christina Campano
Center - Joy Buttrey, Community Association Manager
& Board of Directors at Hermitage Meadows


February Volunteer Leadership Series




Kathleen Sutherland led the monthly Ghertner & Company Volunteer Leadership Series to a packed crowd of 30 board members and associates at the February 5th program titled Code of Conduct for Board Members, held in the Ghertner & Company Training Center. Lunch was provided to all attendees compliments of Ghertner & Company. Kathleen reviewed the benefits of having each prospective board member sign a formal code of conduct for directors, and provided a sample code for participants. She also summarized the legal concept of fiduciary duty and the implications for Board members in the governance of community associations. The lecture went on to discuss “conflict of interest” with examples where these situations have directly affected Boards.  These workshops are one of the benefits of management by Ghertner & Company. If you are a Board member who is interested learning more about our management services, please contact Kathleen at kathleen.sutherland@ghertner.com or 615-277-0314.


2nd Annual Trade Show



Ghertner & Company’s Second Annual Trade Show was held at the Frank F. Ghertner Learning Center at Metro Center in Nashville, TN on Thursday, October 31st, 2013.

The Halloween themed event was a huge success, with more than 130 attendees!  Many Ghertner & Company associates, Board members and vendors were dressed in their favorite Halloween costume.

Board members from all associations that we manage were invited to meet vendors and service providers who work with community associations.
Lunch was provided by Ghertner Maintenance & Remodeling, and many vendors gave away some amazing door prizes! 

Congratulations to  Brian Benda from Governor’s Club for winning the Kindle Fire HD, provided by Straight Line Exterminating, and to gift card winners: Phil Lund from Harris Farms, Mona Wilbanks from Mansker Farms, and Frank Horton at CPS Land.

A special thank you to Chuck Negas of Northwest Exterminating for taking the pictures included in this article. 

The Vendor Line-up included:
Absolute Pest
Ace Exterminating
Alvin Harris, Attorney
BB&T Bank
Color Burst
Community Tree Preservation
Criterium Engineers
Fredrick Pinson & Rothberg Insurance Agency
Gardens of Babylon
Ghertner Maintenance & Remodeling
INS Bank
Jon Curtis, Attorney
Landscaping Services, Inc. (LSI)
Langley & Taylor Pool Corp.
Lewis Letterworks
Miller-Dodson Associates
Northwest Exterminating
Quality Landscaping – South Branch Nurseries
Russell Landscape Group
Straight Line Construction
Sunset Pool
Union Bank
Co-President Scott Ghertner, (center) with his Protection Team. Pictured on the  left,  Special Agents Courtney Waters and Lisa Rhodes and on the right, Anita Ragland and Theresa Savich

Sylvia Byron, Director of Best Practices, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West.  









Top Work Places in Middle Tennessee

Ghertner & Company is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of the Top 45 Workplaces in Middle Tennessee in a survey sponsored by the Tennessean.


Left to right: Scott F. Ghertner, Frank F. Ghertner, Steve A. Ghertner

The Top Workplaces are determined solely on surveys about the workplace completed by company associates. The survey was conducted by Workplace Dynamics, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement. The survey measures qualities such as company leadership, compensation and training, workplace flexibility, and diversity. Ghertner & Company was one of 750 local businesses nominated to participate in the selection process.  The Tennessean hosted an awards luncheon on June 26, 2013 to present the winners with their award and celebrate this honor.


We are honored to be recognized as one of Middle Tennessee’s Top Workplaces and feel fortunate knowing this ranking is a direct result of the feedback of our associates. It is a privilege to have motivated, talented associates who truly care about our company, our clients and each other. We believe it is our continued focus on creating an environment where people feel valued for their individual and team contributions while being motivated to work hard, learn and have fun that allows us to retain smart, energetic associates that deliver superior service to our clients.

Workers Compensation Insurance Advisory






August 8, 2013

Mr. Scott Ghertner
Ghertner & Company

Our agency often provides a minimum premium worker's compensation
insurance policy to an association with no specific estimated payroll exposure. This should be considered an excess or fail safe policy in case any small tradesman or temporary labor were hired without the appropriate insurance.

The Tennessee Department of Labor governs worker's compensation, and the intent is to have all workers in the contracting classes protected.
In the property management field, two payroll classes generally apply for any employees. First, code 9012 is assigned primarily to clerical and outside sales staff and others engaged in property management activities.

 Code 9015 applies to care, custody, and maintenance of premises. Thus, minor contracting work can often be included in this class, which will generally carry lower rates than general contractor classes, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing, etc.
We strongly recommend anyone hired by the Association or Ghertner and Company provide their own worker's compensation policy and provide a certificate of insurance before commencement of work.

Worker's compensation policies are subject to audit at expiration, and all 1099's must be provided along with certificates of insurance. Otherwise, a premium charge will be incurred for all labor not covered. The rate charged will be determined by the work performed, but Code 9015 is often the lower rate that can be used.
We are glad to discuss this important coverage at any time.
Sincerely,
Robins Insurance Agency, Inc.
Bruce C. Robins, CPCU, ARM, CIC
President






July 11, 2013



Mr. Scott Ghertner
Ghertner and Company
50 Vantage Way, Ste 100
Nashville, TN  37228

Dear Scott,

With the implementation of the Tennessee worker’s compensation law for contractors, many small contractors are opting to exclude themselves from worker’s compensation coverage in order to save money.  It is very important to collect a copy of the state exemption from the contractor and be sure the contractor doesn’t have any employees.  A family owned business can exempt up to three family members under the law and and proof of exemption should be obtained for all three.  If the contractor has even one employee then he must purchase worker’s compensation insurance unless he is doing work directly for a homeowner.  If you do not obtain an exemption form then you must collect a certificate of insurance showing proof of worker’s compensation or their 1099 payroll will be included the Homeowner’s Association’s workers compensation audit and the Homeowner’s Association may experience negative losses as a result.  It is also important when issuing a 1099 that labor cost be separated from  materials cost for each job or the total cost will be picked up at audit.

Our agency recognizes that Ghertner manages many condominium and homeowner association communities that operate under their own legal entity name.  As has been our agency practice for many years, we recommend each association or entity purchase a separate worker’s compensation policy with payroll on an “if any” basis.   This policy will protect the Association in the event a property hires someone to do work rather than going through the property management company.  This will also serve to protect in the event a contractor allows his coverage to lapse and has an injury while working for the property. 

I hope this helps clarify the new law as respects your operations and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Sincerely,



 James A. Rothberg


Audits, Reviews, and Cash Accounting

Submitted by Roger D. Perry, P.C., Certified Public Accountant


Why have and Audit or Review? 

 What do the Governing Documents say?
What is the difference?

 Levels of Financial Reporting Services:

 Audit Services -Provides the highest level of financial statement assurance. Audits are engagements where a CPA provides an opinion about the fairness of a financial statement that has been prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The general structure and document requirements of an audit are governed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Auditing Standards Board and are subject to strict peer review standards.

 Review Services -Provides only limited assurance about the financial statements. Although a review is also governed by the AICPA and subject to peer review standards, it is substantially less in scope than an audit. It consists principally of inquiries of entity personnel and analytical procedures applied to the financial data. The limited assurance is in the form of negative assurance whereby the CPA will report that he is unaware of any material modifications needed in order for the financial statements to be in conformity with GAAP.

 Compilation Services -Provides no assurance about the financial statements. A compilation is an engagement where the CPA presents, in the form of financial statements, information that is supplied by the entity and performs few procedures outside file documentation. The accountant's report provides no assurance and clearly states that the financials are the entity's presentation.
Why Cash Basis of Accounting?

 Cash Basis vs. Accrual Basis of Accounting:

 Cash Basis -Revenue is recognized when received (when fees are deposited into the bank) and expenses are recorded when they are paid in cash. The most straightforward basis of accounting to practice and to understand.

 Accrual Basis -Revenue is recognized when it is realized/earned/due without regard to when payment is received and expenses are recognized when incurred, without regard as to when payment is made. This method provides a better matching of revenues to expenses but requires specialized accrual based accounting procedures (integrated accounts receivable and accounts payable details).

 Why Cash Basis for Interim Financial Statements:

 Financial statements should be easy to read. They should set forth the financial information in a clear, precise and informative manner. On an interim basis, cash basis financial statements can be more timely generated and can be understood by the majority of homeowners.


Lunch & Learn Workshops - Video Library


Ghertner & Company is pleased to announce that videos of our workshops for Board members are now available online!  Each video is about 60 minutes long, and can be viewed at one time, or during several visits to the video library.

As you probably know, we have been offering free workshops at our Nashville offices and other locations for several years.  Most have been Tuesday lunch and learns, and some have been in the evenings or on Saturday mornings – all are scheduled in an effort to make them as convenient as possible for the owners who serve on community Board of Directors.

Many Board members have told us that they are not able to attend the workshops in person, and would like to be able to view them on line.  For this reason, we have been video-taping our workshops, and we now have a very good selection of videos in our library.


We hope you find our video library helpful. If you have any comments, or suggestions for topics you like us to cover in our Volunteer Leadership Series, please let me know. 


To access the video library, click on the link below.



Kathleen Sutherland, AMS, PCAM

Vice President Training and Technical Services

Virginia Graeme Baker Safety Act - Swimming Pool Main Drain Recall


Submitted by Taylor White, Langley and Taylor Pool Corp.


As you all know, there has been a recall of main drains for swimming pools.  If the drain covers in your pool or in-ground spa were installed before December, 2008 and are not compliant with the VGB Pool & Spa Safety Act, your pool or spa is NOT affected by this recall. Most of the drain covers affected by this recall were manufactured or sold after December 19, 2008.  Please see below the criteria in how it applies to your swimming pools.  Please know this is a voluntary recall and not mandatory - for now.  Make sure your drains are VGB-compliant in the first place.

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) is the governing force behind the recall. Know that revisions have historically been made to the VGB Act and can be made at any time. 

The recall applies to the following:

  • If the spa/wading pool/kiddie pool is less than 24 inches in depth AND has a single main drain or even a system with multiple drains, the recall applies.
  • If the body of water (no matter of depth) has a single main drain, the recall applies.
The recall does NOT apply to the following:

  • Pools with gravity main drains/filters
  • Pools with dual/multiple main drains
  • Drains that were installed prior to December 19, 2008
  • Channel drains
  • 24-inch drains or larger
  • 9"X36" drains
Remember, this is a VOLUNTARY recall. An authorized installer must install the drain covers and the pool is to be registered with the manufacturer to make the installation.

For additional information about the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, Click here.



Ghertner & Company Named Nashville's Top Accredited Managment Orginazition

Ghertner & Company has been named the Accredited Management Organization (AMO) of the Year in 2012 by the Greater Nashville Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). As outlined by IREM, the top international industry organization for real estate management professionals, firms receiving this award have achieved the highest level of performance, experience and financial stability in their field.