Why Our HOA Switched to "DocuSend: A Real-World Review of Streamlined Mailings

The following article is written by one of our valued clients, an HOA leader who has first-hand experience with the challenges of managing large-scale mailings. If you are an HOA board member tired of the headaches that come with managing mailings, this article offers some real value from someone who has been in your shoes.

Three years ago, we took leadership of our local HOA with 1,649 properties. After a singular experience of trying to manage the mailing process internally, we immediately realized several things.

• The time involvement was obscene.
• The perceived cost savings were illusory when the true costs of production were considered.
• There was no great bonding experience to be gained among an all-volunteer board in spending 30 combined hours of labor to save $50–$100.

Following that exercise in tedium, we opted for a marketing company instead. This result was even worse! The paper stock was so poor that a significant number of the postcards were damaged in transit. Our efforts were rightfully denigrated.

Our final attempt was to use DocuSend. We never looked back. HOAs, especially in the state of NJ, are under rigorous legal requirements for when mailings must take place, the format of ballots, etc. When you are blessed with some HOA members who threaten lawsuits at every turn, using DocuSend is a boon. They provide documentation as to when mailings took place, any failures due to bad addresses, and anything else you might need to demonstrate compliance with PREDFDA laws.

Beyond that, their staff have been extremely professional and pleasurable to work with. We have often received responses well beyond typical business hours. This is not an outfit where you wait days for a response from someone who doesn't understand your question and refers you to someone else. DocuSend has team members who are dedicated to fulfilling your needs.

They worked with us when aspects of our mailings were off (print margins, address list layout, etc.). They proactively highlighted areas where we could save money. Additionally, their pricing was exceedingly reasonable.

We have used them for somewhere between 15K and 20K individual pieces of mail, from invoices out of Quick Books to ballots to annual mailings and postcards. 

Based on my personal experiences with DocuSend, I believe that any significantly sized (or even small) HOA would do very well to consider their services. This is especially true if you are doing the same work in-house. There are many more enjoyable ways to spend a weekend than manually stuffing envelopes, running out of ink, envelopes, stamps, or paper – or finding that your order for copies at the local office supply store will not be fulfilled in time.

Note: My comments are reflective of my personal perspective and do not reflect an official endorsement on the part of Ramapo Mountain Lakes.

Best Regards,

Joseph J. Bove
2022–2024 President of Ramapo Mountain Lakes, Inc.