Tag: HOA
A Question of HOA Legitimacy
Dr. HOA, I am trying to find out what the law requires for an HOA to be legitimate. I live in a very small community where the HOA does practically nothing, but demands $85 per month. We are having a lot of vandalism issues, and they do nothing to help fix the problem. I don’t even think this HOA is
HOAs can avoid special assessments
Dr. HOA, I was recently elected to the board of directors for my condominium association. I ran for the board after our association had its second special assessment in two years. The first special assessment was for new roofs and this year’s assessment was for painting the buildings. What can our new board do to avoid these types of special
Rapid rise in homeowner fees hits communal nerve
Dr. HOA, I have lived in my HOA for nearly 10 years, and the monthly dues have never gone up. Recently, a new board of directors was elected and we received notice that dues were going up almost 18 percent. To make matters worse, the landscaping looks terrible, and the clubhouse is run down. The nerve of this new board
Can an HOA stop me from making ‘improvements’?
Dr. HOA, I live in a homeowners association that was created in the late 1980s. For years, the association landscape areas were meticulously maintained. But for the past five years, the slope behind my home has not been maintained properly. Fed up with dying trees, dead bushes and overgrown groundcover, I hired a landscaper to remove the dead trees, trim
Board of directors must be professional, appropriate
Dr. HOA, I recently began attending my association’s board meetings after learning of a proposed special assessment and rumors that the current board of directors never agrees on anything. After attending the first meeting, I realized that it was worse than I thought. Not only do the board members constantly disagree, they argue and name-call. Our most recent board meeting
When it’s time to start wondering about your home
Dr. HOA, I recently moved into a new condominium community. A few days ago, I received a letter in the mail from a law firm stating that they are investigating my community, and my building in particular, for a possible construction-defect lawsuit. They provided a list of items to look for, including yard-drainage deficiencies, stucco cracks, wood deterioration and poor
Incompetent managers and due hikes without a vote
Dr. HOA, I began attending my association’s board meetings earlier this year after learning that our dues were going up 20 percent. I am shocked and outraged by the incompetency of our manager, as well as the president of the board, neither of whom bothered to attend the last board meeting following the dues increase. When I asked the reason
No pools or parks, so why do I really need an HOA?
Dr. HOA, I live in a homeowners association, but we don’t have a clubhouse, pool or park like other homeowners associations. Why would we be in an HOA, and is it even legal, if we don’t have any amenities? Who decides whether a community is part of a homeowners association, and what are the benefits if we don’t have any
The importance of knowing your HOA
Dr. HOA, I recently moved into a new townhome community, which has a homeowners association. When I closed escrow, I received a stack of rules for my community. How important is it that I read all of this paperwork? I want to be a good neighbor, but in reviewing the first few pages, there is so much legal jargon that
How far can a homeowners association go
Dr. HOA, We lease our property and have tenants that moved in a few years ago with a husband, wife and kids. At some point, the wife and kids moved out and another man moved in. When the lease was up, we renewed the lease to the two men. A few months ago, we received a letter from the HOA
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