Keeping records of the financial affairs of a business. Recording of financial transactions, operations and other events of a Body Corporate or Homeowners’ association.

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Full monthly accounting services, which include:-

• Weekly bank reconciliations
• Capturing and allocating all transactions from your bank statement
• Provisioning of future or prepaid expenses
• Allocation of payments to Vendors (Contractors)
• Allocation of payments from Customers (Owner accounts)
• A computerized cashbook and ledger, kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Liaison with your auditors, including the preparation and handing over of documentation for preparation of annual audited financial statements ^{This is done within 2 weeks after year end.}

1. Rendering of one levy statement to owners monthly
2. Preparing of the annual resolutions that are required for charging levies.
3. Free request for providing ad hoc levy statements, current or historical.
4. Providing of split statements on request, for example splitting charges for a unit between an owner and a tenant.

Issuing monthly financial statements is a crucial aspect of maintaining accurate accounting records and keeping shareholders informed about the scheme's financial health. These are issued between the 1st to the 10th of each month to all Directors and Trustees:

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Accounting Close Process:

At the end of each month, the accounting department closes the books for that period. This involves finalizing entries, reconciling accounts, and ensuring all financial transactions are accurately recorded.

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Preparation of Financial Statements:

The core financial statements typically include the Income Statement (Profit & Loss), Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. These statements summarize the financial performance, position, and cash flows of the scheme during the month.

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Review and Analysis:

Financial statements are reviewed by accountants or finance professionals to check for accuracy, consistency, and compliance with accounting standards. Any anomalies or discrepancies should be investigated and resolved before dissemination.

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Board or Management Review:

Depending on the schemes structure, the financials might be reviewed by the management team. This review ensures that the financials align with the scheme's overall strategy and objectives.

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Issuance and Distribution:

Once finalized, the financial statements are issued. They are distributed to all Trustees and Directors for their review and record keeping.

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Communication and Analysis:

After distributing the financials, it's important to communicate key highlights or areas of concern to the Trustees and Directors. This could involve hosting meetings, preparing presentations, or providing detailed analysis to explain the financial performance and any significant changes from the previous month or year.

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Continuous Improvement:

We evaluate the financial reporting process regularly and seek ways to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness in preparing and issuing monthly financial statements.

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Data Collection

Initially we send an information form. This form is completed by us and by the trustees. This provides us with guidance on preparing the budget. Trustees are required to provide GMA with some detail of their Maintenance and project requirements for the upcoming year.

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Preparation

We provide an initial budget to the trustees after the end of each financial year. The budget is prepared on the following basis: -

1. We consider expenses of the past year and use them to prepare the future budget.
2. Some expenses remain constant with a single annual increase (usually Contracts), we contact these contractors and request an indication of the increase.
3. Other expenses are not so easy to determine, they include municipal increases, or maintenance. For these we consider past experience and collected data.

Consideration

After being prepared, the budget will be provided to the trustees.

The Trustees are tasked to prepare, amend and provide the budget for AGM consideration. The budget we provide is thus a starting point. We can arrange a budget meeting, to amend the budget according to Trustee requirements.

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Finalizations

After the budget is approved by the trustees, we will have it signed and added to the AGM pack which we distribute.

We load all maintenance work on our system, it allows us to log and track every step of the process. Starting with the instruction, it includes the description of the work, the request for quotes, who quoted including their response time. The decision of which quote was accepted is also captured and finally the approval on whether the work was done to satisfaction and then payment.

Our system keeps all of these records, no more folders and uncertainty.

Gauteng Management Agents is embracing technology. Why we do this.

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Our staff have a million things to remember, it is so easy to lose track of something. To juggle all the request and to give serious attention to important matters becomes near impossible.

The first thing that blows out the door is remembering to follow up.

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Automated follow ups

Various of our tasks get logged on our system. Once this is done, the system does the follow ups with the various individuals. for example.

1. Payment Approvals - Trustees are automatically reminded twice a week to decide on payments
2. Maintenance Approvals - Trustees are automatically reminded twice a week to provide feedback on the maintenance work that was done.

Automated reports

A weekly report is sent to all trustees indicating active complex matters, providing them with a weekly snapshot.

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Policy based action

We have set up a policy-based system that allows your complex to be flexible. Each time our system takes action, it considers the policies for your building, takes them into account and acts accordingly e.g.

1. If you want 4 trustees to receive an approval request, but only need 2 approvals to continue, we have you covered. If you want 7 trustees to receive an approval request, and need all 7 to approve, no problem. Its automated
2. If you need credit control to only be applied to owners that exceed R1000 in debt, our system will comply.
3. Interest must not be charged to an owner if he is in arrears, but he has an active payment arrangement, no problem.

We live in a time where each request seems simple, but someone needs to remember that request, sometimes for a year, even two. Things happen and humans forget. By using systems we remove that potential for human error.

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The future

Our systems are build in house. We are constantly improving and adding to the system. Our goal, to provide the Trustees with the tools they need to effortlessly manage their complex.

A weekly report is sent to all trustees indicating active complex matters, providing them with a weekly snapshot. This includes a list of

1. Payments done via the system in the past 7 days.
2. Current maintenance work and their progress
3. Active payment arrangements for debtors done through our system.
4. Debtors handed over to attorneys for collection.
5. Quotations, listing all quotes we are waiting for.

This will later be improved upon to provide graphs and online dashboards.

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In 2024 we will be adding a monthly report, that will be more extensive with much more than just financials.

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Maintenance

Each maintenance action is captured and tracked on our system. For example: -

• When a plumbing issue is raised, and 3 quotes are required. The Maintenance job is created, 3 contractors are chosen and an automated request for a quote is sent to the contractor. Our system logs when the contractors were requested to quote, follows up twice a week automatically and logs when the quote was received.
• When a maintenance job has been finalised, we send an approval request for the work via our system, to the appointed trustee/s. Once approval is received (Via a simple Approve / Decline button that is sent on an email) the approvals are logged and forwarded for payment

Payments

Payments are sent for approval via our payment approval system. Each payment has all the required data captured, then sent for approval via an automated email.  The payment can require multiple approvals, or a single approval. The list of who should be asked for approval can be amended by the trustees on request.

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Information

All these decisions are logged and can be retrieved to provide detailed information of what happened. Here is a list of some of the information that is logged.

1. The day the approval was first sent.
2. To whom it was sent
3. The day the individual responded.
4. What their response was. (Approved | Declined | Abstained)
5. If no response was provided, when was the last follow up.
6. What the approval was for
7. The file (link or attachment) that accompanied the request.

Collection of required documents

GMA will start the administration process of calling an Annual General Meeting (AGM). That requires that we collect various information required by the Act as set out in the Agenda of an AGM. Various of these items are required to be provided by the Trustees, we assist in preparing the AGM PACK.

The information required by the Trustees.

1. Trustees report
2. A date for the AGM
3. A location for the AGM
4. A signed Audit (After it has been provided back by your Auditor)
5. An Approved Budget (GMA provides the initial budget for trustee's amendments)

Document Preparation

We prepare or obtain the following on behalf of the Trustees

1. Insurance replacement values
2. Prepare the initial budget for trustee amendment.
3. AGM Pack including, Notice, Agenda, Contents etc.
4. Send in the Audit after year end.
5. Nomination forms
6. Proxy Forms

Notice of the AGM

We send out the notice of the AGM to all Body Corporate Members.

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Probably the most contended matter in a complex today. No one wants to pay levies, yet everyone has to. What about those individuals that do not.

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Cause and effect

The only way to keep 99% of your levy payers in line is to be consistent, take action consistently.

We have created a Credit Policy that is linked to our automated system. This policy can be moulded to suit your complex, within the bounds provided.  What is important is that the actions you stipulate, are followed to the letter, monthly and consistently.

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We do not budge, we carry out our instructions. We do this so that Trustees don't have to.

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Processes include: -

1. Sending the monthly levy statement, payable by the 1st of the month, 7 days grace.
2. Sending an automated Friendly Reminder on the 8th, if no payment is received.
3. Taking action on the 10th, interest, administration, service instructions, if your complex is legally allowed too.
4. Final letter of demand on the 25th of the month.
5. Hand over to attorney once a certain threshold is reached.

The second thing

Consistent action is the first thing, there is a second. Be tough. Your building needs to have serious recourse. If not paying levies, is cheaper than the interest on a credit card, or a bond then your levy will not be paid. That is simple math. Ensure that not paying a levy is worse then missing a car payment.

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We assist in obtaining quotes. All we require is a decent description of the work required. We load the maintenance job on to our system, you select the contractors. Or we select contractors in your area, on your request.

Our system will then send them the instruction, follow up on regular intervals and provide weekly automated reports to keep you updated.

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