An excellent question for those who have never owned property in a private community and one often misunderstood by those who have.  A property owners association (POA) is very much like the town government of a small city, only this "city" is a community, privately owned by like-minded people seeking a quality living environment.  Such a community will develop its own unique rules called protective covenants.  Such rules are said to "run with the land."  Their purpose is to preserve the quality of life and the standards set forth by the community's developer.  The POA works to ensure adherence to the "covenants" - in addition to it's management duties

The Charleston Condominium is recognized as one of the top condominium developments on Lake of the Ozarks. To meet this expectation, quality administration, management, and maintenance of Charleston are essential.  A professional POA management firm, coupled with an adequate budget, can assure this positioning.  U.S. Resort Management, Inc., as agent for Charleston POA, will collect annual assessments which will then be used to provide each property owner with the following services:

q 24-hour access to POA management
q Road maintenance and snow removal for common areas and private roads and parking
q Maintenance and cleaning of all common POA facilities
q Landscaping and grounds care of all common areas
q Enforcement of Charleston's Restrictive Covenants and Rules and Regulations
q General Administration
      n  Owner services, publications, welcome packages, government
      n  Business affairs
      n  Accounting (budgeting, billing, collection, accounts payable, record keeping,
           insurance, financial statements and tax preparation)
q  Facilities management
      n  Clubhouse
      n  Swimming pool with patio/lounge area