The hidden cost of chasing dues

Ask a volunteer treasurer how long it takes to collect dues, and they'll usually say 'not that long.' Then ask them to walk you through the steps. By minute three, they're describing a part-time job.

The actual workflow

• Open the mailbox. Sort the checks from the junk.
• Drive to the bank. Deposit the checks. Save the receipts.
• Open Zelle. Cross-reference seven payments against the resident list. Two of them have no memo.
• Text the two residents. Wait two days. Get one reply.
• Update the spreadsheet. Realize a formula broke. Fix the formula.
• Email the three residents who haven't paid yet. Word it gently.
• Repeat next quarter.

What it actually costs

If you value a treasurer's time at $30/hour (which is generous, given they're volunteering), our 46-home neighborhood burned about $1,800/year on dues administration alone. That's before we counted the cost of the one or two payments that always go missing.

Blocbear costs $348/year — one ledger for the whole neighborhood, digital payments and manual ones together. For us, the difference was clear.