In many areas, like Woodbury, for example, in-home child care is in high demand. One provider who asked to be unnamed due to current conversations with their HOA, and who lives in a different Woodbury HOA community, is facing a similar issue to Leonzal. She runs an in-home daycare and was recently informed that her […]
HOA, condo fees rising for some Minnesotans
If you live in a condo or townhome in Minnesota, you may notice your fees are going up. One insurance expert says this is a trend he’s been seeing for the last several months. Helen Mitchell recently found out it will be more expensive to live in the Coon Rapids townhome she’s called home for […]
HOA, condo daycare prohibition bans considered by Minnesota lawmakers
Those who live in a homeowner’s association (HOA) or condo looking to create an in-home licensed daycare center could no longer be denied its operation as long as they have a license in Minnesota under a new proposal being considered by lawmakers. Read the article…………………………….
Judiciary panel spotlights ‘shadow’ non-compete clauses, approves bill to close loophole (MN)
An example of a shadow noncompete contract that is hidden from an employee was provided in written testimony by SEIU Local 26. When a homeowner’s association under one of these contracts switches to a different property management company, these contracts prevent that association from retaining their experienced staff without the risk of litigation for continuing […]
Strict rules, high fees: What to know about Twin Cities HOAs (MN)
With roughly 7,950 housing communities in Minnesota, many home shoppers need to factor in homeowners association fees as part of their purchase price. Read the article…………………………….
Green infrastructure a mystery for many homeowners associations (MN)
“We have a lot of wet backyards,” said Jean, a Woodbury resident who lives in a homeowners association built in 1998. “It is all either water, weeds, or grass. Nothing else.” “Part of the problem was that we didn’t know what we had when we moved in,” added husband Steve. Their HOA paid $15,000 to […]
Irrigation rates point of contention for homeowner associations (MN)
Members of half a dozen homeowner associations (HOAs) came prepared to argue their water bills at the Nov. 20 town board meeting. The problem isn’t the cost of domestic water, but the cost to irrigate common green space, which residents living in townhomes feel is unfair. Read the article…………………………..
Homeowners association group to meet in Eagan (MN)
The HOA Leadership Network is hosting a free educational meeting for townhome and condominium homeowners Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, 9-11 a.m. at the Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan. Topics will be an introduction to homeowner associations and exterior building maintenance. Coffee and donuts provided. More information at hoaleadershipnetwork.org.
Homeowners Association asks for city help with sewer system (MN)
Could the City of Scandia be taking on management of another wastewater system? Approached last week by the Wyldewood Acres Homeowners Association, the Scandia City Council directed city staff last week to study several options for assisting the association with bringing its private sewer into compliance with the Minnesota Pollution Control Act. Read the article………………………………
Brooklyn Park staff look to be involved in HOA conflicts (MN)
The City of Brooklyn Park knows the significant impact homeowners associations can have on residents in Brooklyn Park neighborhoods, and is looking to be involved with how they’re conducted. Read the article………………………………
Lawmakers look to ban shadow noncompete agreements in property management contracts (MN)
Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, said she and Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, will write a bill prohibiting property management companies from forbidding homeowners associations from hiring their workers. Read the article………………………..
Changes to Minnesota HOA law lets more switch to solar
After a busy legislative session, there is good news for Minnesota homeowners that want to choose solar energy. One of the highly anticipated laws that passed now mandates that HOAs in Minnesota cannot block a property from installing solar panels on the roof. This change took effect on July 1, 2023. Read the article………………………..
Workers see big raise after condo board hires unionized management firm (MN)
Condo workers at River Towers in Minneapolis recently won two things for which they’ve been fighting for over a year: a union and a big pay raise. Read the article………………………..
Westbrook Estates may be annexed into city of Alexandria (MN)
Westbrook is a 9.2-acre townhome subdivision on Voyager Drive in LaGrande Township that has been served by a private well ever since it was platted in 1997 Read the article………………………..
California Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Employer
California woman was sentenced to 66 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,791,334.81 in restitution for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Read the article………………………..
HOA parking dispute may force Minnesota family from home
For one Forest Lake family, a dispute over a parking spot with their homeowners’ association (HOA) has thrown their future into uncertainty. The disagreement, which only arose last month, comes despite the family having lived there for over a decade. They maintain that they had verbal permission to use the spot, but this agreement was […]
Some condo workers released from shadow noncompetes by FirstService Residential (MN)
Residents of the River Towers condominiums in Minneapolis like their building’s staff. The building’s staff like the residents — many have worked in the building for years. But a provision in the contract between the condo association and the building’s property management company, FirstService Residential Minnesota, means neither the residents nor the workers have a […]
Former CFO Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $3 Million from Employer (MN)
According to court documents, David Efrem Katz, 56, was the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Durand and Associates (“D&A”), a property management company that specialized in servicing homeowner associations (“HOAs”). Between 2012 and 2017, Katz embezzled over $3 million from D&A and its client HOAs. Read the article………………………..
Rochester Towers association wants residents to return for ‘limited occupancy’ (MN)
The Rochester Towers Condominium’s owners association is asking the city to allow for some residents to return for “limited occupancy” of their building as it is undergoing structural repairs. Read the article………………………..
CAI chapter adds CIC Midwest (MN)
The Minnesota Chapter of Community Associations Institute has acquired CIC Midwest, a division of Minnesota Multi Housing Association. The move will position CAI as the “leading authority in community association governance, education and management throughout Minnesota,” according to a press release. Read the article………………………..
Who will pay for the possible millions in repairs at Rochester Towers? (MN)
The question of who is going to pay for potentially $4 million to repair two or three columns in the troubled Rochester Towers haunts David Barnett, whose family owns five of the 94 condominium units in the downtown building. Read the article………………………..
In person meeting this week for Rochester Towers Condominium residents; What’s next? (MN)
New updates in the ongoing investigation into the Rochester Towers Condominium after city officials deemed its structure unsafe. The property management company, FirstService Residential, has started to send daily updates to residents to provide current information on construction and engineering developments. Read the article………………………..
Permanent fix needed for Rochester Towers Condominiums; issue found by contractor working on unrelated project (MN)
Residents of the Rochester Tower Condominiums will not be able to return to their homes for at least another month, and new information shows the structural issue was discovered by a contractor working on an unrelated project. Read the article………………………..
Minnesota banned noncompetes. A major property manager has a workaround.
When the property management company FirstService Residential Minnesota announced it was dropping noncompete clauses in employment contracts, it said the change aligned with the company’s values. But a provision persists in its management contracts with condominium associations that says FirstService workers (including desk attendants and caretakers) may not be employed — either directly or indirectly […]
When can residents move back into unsound Rochester condos? Officials aren’t sure (MN)
It’s unclear when condominium owners can move back into a 15-story building that was evacuated last week after an engineer found structural problems with the building during an inspection. Read the article………………………..
Rochester, Minn. condo building site stabilized following structural concerns
A 15-story condo building in downtown Rochester remains evacuated after an inspection raised concerns about the tower’s structural integrity. Late Saturday, the city of Rochester announced an engineering firm had completed shoring operations on the site and the situation has stabilized. Read the article………………………..
Unsafe conditions prompt evacuation, emergency repairs for 15-story condo in Rochester (MN)
A 15-story condominium in downtown Rochester was evacuated Friday because of concerns over the building’s structural integrity. The Rochester Towers condo has about 180 people living in 94 units, and the move was made after a routine inspection found unsafe conditions in the building. Read the article………………………..
Supreme Court rules in favor of 94-year-old woman who got nothing when county took her condo
A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday gave a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman a new chance to recoup some money after the county kept the entire $40,000 when it sold her condominium over a small unpaid tax bill. Read the article………………………..
Supreme Court Can Uphold States’ Tax Rights With Condo Sale Case (MN)
The Supreme Court should uphold a Minnesota county’s decision to keep a homeowner’s equity from a foreclosed condominium sale, in part because the 10th Amendment allows states to set up their own tax regimes, Taft’s Scott Knudson argues as part of a series of insights previewing oral arguments in the case. Read the article………………………..
Proposed deal in Legislature could resolve conflicts over White Bear Lake water levels (MN)
White Bear Lake has long struggled with maintaining its water levels, but there’s a plan in the works to keep the lake from drying up. Under a proposal introduced in the Minnesota Legislature, the Metropolitan Council would get $3 million to lead a study evaluating a switch to public drinking water from the Mississippi River, […]
Workers threaten second strike at Twin Cities’ largest condo management company (MN)
Desk attendants and caretakers at FirstService Residential, the largest property management company in North America, announced on Thursday they will launch a second unfair labor practices strike at condo buildings across the Twin Cities unless the company’s leaders come to the negotiating table. Read the article………………………..
Condo owners report worsening damage along ‘pinch point’ for light rail construction (MN)
As scrutiny of the Southwest Light Rail project intensifies, homeowners who live just steps away from a pinch point on the line in Minneapolis say problems at their condominium buildings are only getting worse. Read the article………………………..
California Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Her Employer (MN)
A California woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and filing a false tax return after embezzling more than $1 million from her employer. According to the guilty plea and court documents, Mai Houa Xiong, 47, of Fresno, California, was employed as a financial manager for a Minneapolis-based property management company that […]
Monticello condo a total loss after overnight fire, no injuries reported (MN)
Deputies then arrived at a multi-unit complex of condo-style homes in the 100 block of Riverview Drive and determined the residents of unit where the fire started were all outside. Read the article………………………..
FirstService caretaker says he and wife were fired for union activity, wage theft lawsuit (MN)
Kevin Borowske and his wife were fired recently by FirstService Residential after a history of organizing workers for fair pay and a union. He led a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Minnesota caretakers at FirstService — the largest property management company in North America —for wage theft and won a $225,000 settlement (before attorney fees) […]
U.S. Supreme Court to weigh legality of Hennepin County keeping revenue from seized properties (MN)
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of a Minneapolis woman in her 90s whose condo was seized by Hennepin County because she didn’t pay her property taxes. The 2015 seizure of Geraldine Tyler’s condo isn’t in question. Nor is the fact that she owed the county some $15,000 in back […]
2-day strike underway for First Service Residential apartment, condo workers (MN)
Workers at some Twin Cities apartments and condominiums are on the picket line Friday morning for a two-day strike. The employees are pushing to join the SEIU Local 26 union, as well as for better working conditions and pay from First Service Residential. Read the article………………………..
Twin Cities condo workers authorize strike as they seek union recognition (MN)
Desk attendants and caretakers at condo buildings across the Twin Cities could go on strike next month in an effort to force their employer, FirstService Residential, to negotiate with them. Read the article………………………..
Woman Charged with Embezzling from Minneapolis-Based Company (MN)
According to court documents, Xiong worked as a financial manager for a Minneapolis company that provided financial services to homeowner’s associations in the Twins Cities. Records show her job included bookkeeping and allowed her access to the financials, bank accounts, vendor and contractor payments, and other sensitive bookkeeping information of the homeowner’s associations working with […]
Whitefish Area Property Owners Association shares speaker highlights from annual meeting (MN)
The Whitefish Area Property Owners Association’s annual meeting Aug. 20 featured guest speakers and over 15 organizations providing information in booths in the narthex of Immaculate Heart Church in Crosslake about their water quality related programs and activities. Read the article………………………..
The Preserve, which aimed to be a ‘New Town,’ turns 50 (MN)
They hailed it in 1970 as a “New Town” planned community, a $200 million development that would eventually put 15,000 additional residents in Eden Prairie amid a unique blend of housing, shopping, and natural areas. The Preserve neighborhood didn’t turn out exactly as planned. And yet, as the homeowners association that has paralleled it turns […]
Workers seek union at Twin Cities’ largest property management company (MN)
Desk attendants and caretakers working for the Twin Cities’ largest residential property management company announced their intent to unionize on Wednesday, joining the groundswell of labor organizing that’s rippling through the service sector. Read the entire article……………………………….
As work resumes at ‘pinch point’ on Southwest light rail, condo owners say costly delays predictable and preventable (MN)
Cherie Hamilton says cracks started appearing in the walls and ceiling of her tenth-floor unit at the Cedar Isles condominiums in December last year. Construction on the new light rail line is directly below her balcony. “They said take pictures off the wall,” Hamilton said. “That said to me that something is going to be […]
Owners of damaged Minneapolis condos near SWLRT may see relief (MN)
State lawmakers are pushing to compensate homeowners after cracks were found in the walls and floors of the towers. Read the entire article……………………………….
Concrete barriers causing headaches for homeowners in Elko New Market neighborhood (MN)
Over the last two weeks, trips to and from home have gotten a little longer for Pat and pretty much everybody else in a specific Elko New Market neighborhood. The headache for homeowners can be blamed on an ongoing dispute between a homeowners association and a property owner. Read the entire article……………………………….
As work resumes at ‘pinch point’ on Southwest light rail, condo owners say costly delays predictable and preventable (MN)
In January, work suddenly stopped in that section after condo owners who live mere inches from the construction reported damage. A 5 INVESTIGATES review of emails, public statements, and other reports found new evidence of early warnings that accurately predicted some of the issues now jeopardizing the largest civil construction project in Minnesota history. Read […]
Southwest line construction wasn’t a major factor in condo damage, board told (MN)
Construction of the Southwest light-rail line in the Kenilworth corridor of Minneapolis had little to do with the cracking that surfaced this winter in floors and walls of the nearby Cedar Isles condominium towers, according to a forensic engineering firm. Read the entire article……………………………….
White Bear Lake water challenge (MN)
Water is life. No natural resource is more important. That’s why White Bear Lake’s water usage–and its east metro impact and beyond—continues to be addressed by residents, policymakers and the court. Recall various benchmark events triggering the current debate and challenge: Read the entire article……………………………….
Counterpoint: Don’t require homeowner groups to allow solar panels (MN)
Like the author of “A homeowner’s right to go solar” (Opinion Exchange, March 14), I am concerned about our climate, and I support solar panels. That said, however, it is not as simple as having a law that forces homeowner associations to allow solar panels. I have asked our legislators to not be too quick […]
Eagan resident pushes for HOA solar panel freedom for all Minnesotans
A homeowner in Eagan is pushing to give homeowners more freedom from HOA’s when it comes to solar panels. Nancy Simmet is the original owner of her home built in 1999 and decided a couple of years ago she wants to add solar panels to her rooftop. Read the entire article……………………………….