Soon after the Aziz family moved to the Heatherstone community in Harrisburg in 2017, they discovered the backyard had drainage issues. Adil Aziz applied for HOA approval and was approved to build a retaining wall and a fence. Read the article………………………..
U.S. Flag Rule for New Housing Development Explained by Founder (NC)
A new housing development in Gastonia, North Carolina, has drawn attention for reportedly requiring residents who move in to fly the American flag on their front porch in a show of patriotism. Read the article………………………..
South Charlotte HOA chops down tree, now protected by UDO (NC)
There are questions about Charlotte’s new zoning rules after neighbors in south Charlotte came to WCNC Charlotte about their HOA planning to remove some trees. All of this happened after the UDO and Charlotte’s Tree Ordinance went into effect last month. Read the article………………………..
Are HOAs allowed to ban street parking in NC neighborhoods? Here’s what legal experts say
There are thousands of homeowners’ associations across North Carolina who implement and regulate certain rules within communities. One common rule has recently caused controversy among some Charlotte residents: street parking. Read the article………………………..
‘It’s unacceptable’: Homeowner says HOA used funds on private party for retiring manager (NC)
The Old North State Club neighborhood is a gated community in New London steeped in tranquility, except for one resident, Maria Ray. Ray says she recently found out that the homeowners association board held a retirement party for a long-time manager in December and only certain people were invited. Read the article………………………..
HOA bills garner bipartisan support. Critics say they could lead to higher costs, lower property values (NC)
Several bills targeting HOAs — particularly their power to take people’s homes through foreclosure — have been filed this year. They have bipartisan support in the state House and Senate. Advocates for HOAs say the proposals could result in higher costs for homeowners. Read the article………………………..
NC bill would make it harder for HOA to take your home
North Carolina Rep. Ya Liu of Wake County is one of the sponsors of a bill to make it harder for HOAs to start foreclosure proceedings. If it becomes law, HOAs could only start foreclosure proceedings against your property if you owed more than $2,500 or racked up 12 months of fees, whichever were to […]
Legislative Update June 27, 2023 – House Bill 542 Adopted by Senate Judiciary Committee (NC)
Legislative proposals are always in flux. However, since I previously reported on HB 542 and other bills impacting community associations, I wanted to share that HB 542 was passed by the Senate Judiciary committee yesterday and will likely be voted upon by the entire Senate before long. Various stakeholders and legislators are working on the […]
Homeowners in Palisades worry about crashes, risks on “orphan road” (NC)
The battle continues in one Charlotte neighborhood between homeowners and the company that built their development. It all has to do with roads in The Palisades and who will be stuck paying to improve them. Read the article………………………..
Brunswick court favors HOA in lawsuit filed by property owner (NC)
…..after years of paying HOA dues on a lot he can’t build a home on, Gaglione sought to recoup some of those fees and sued the Ocean Ridge Master Association, the development’s HOA, for $9,538, which is the total dues paid since 2017. Read the article………………………..
Empowering NC citizens: The urgent need for HOA reform and oversight
North Carolina is renowned for its vibrant communities and strong civic engagement. Homeowners’ associations (HOAs) have played a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining these neighborhoods, ensuring harmony, and preserving property values. Read the article………………………..
‘Preventing the next tragedy’: Parents of child that drowned in east Charlotte pond push for change (NC)
The Coletranes believe their son’s death was completely preventable and think that if a fence was built around the pond, their son might still be with them today. Now, the family is taking action to cause change and prevent another tragedy like this from happening; they filed a lawsuit against the property’s developer, the engineering […]
Fire, smoke and water damages condominiums in Fayetteville; Tenants and pets safe (NC)
Some people in Fayetteville are looking for a new place to call home after a fire damaged several apartments Friday at Stewarts Creek Condominiums. Battalion Chief Kevin Dove, with the Fayetteville Fire Department, confirms everyone got out safely. He said twelve condo units were affected by the fire and three others received water and smoke […]
Winston-Salem fire, police departments investigate deadly townhouse fire (NC)
Winston-Salem police said a man was found dead after a fire Monday. Everyone else in the building made it out before the fire department arrived, fire officials said Read the article………………………..
NC Community Association Legislative Update – May 9, 2023
With the crossover deadline behind us, now is a good time to revisit my last legislative update (NC Community Association Legislative Update – April 18, 2023) to see which bills are still active that could impact North Carolina’s homeowner or condominium associations. Read the article………………………..
Waxhaw HOA’s flag rule upsets local police officers (NC)
Rules over flying flags in a Waxhaw community has some in the neighborhood at odds. A police officer says he’s never had issues hanging his American flag with a thin blue line until now. Read the article………………………..
Charlotte homeowners concerned over who’s paying to fix subdivision roads (NC)
Lawmakers in Raleigh are seeking solutions to the problems highlighted in months of WBTV investigations into HOAs, developers, and orphan roads. More than half a dozen bills were filed by state legislators and several of them are still moving forward or seeking state funding to fix the issues addressed in WBTV’s reporting. Read the article………………………..
Residents complain about towing company HOA, apartment complex hired (NC)
Natascha Krause lives in the Buckleigh neighborhood in northeast Charlotte. It has all private roads. The homeowner association hired Justt Towing to enforce the parking rules. “We don’t have a problem with the towing, but we have a problem with the company itself,” Krause said. Read the article………………………..
Road conditions in a private Mill Spring community threaten home mail delivery (NC)
According to letters from the Columbus Post Office, residents in the Silver Creek Community will no longer receive mail delivery to their homes due to poor road conditions, unless repairs are made. Read the article………………………..
Update: CMPD investigates deadly 2-alarm condominium fire in Uptown (NC)
Police are investigating after someone died in a massive condominium fire that left much of Uptown Charlotte surrounded in a cloud of smoke Tuesday afternoon Read the article………………………..
Proposed NC Law Changing Declaration Amendments Would Harm Associations and Owners
As described in my recent NC Community Association Legislative Update, an HOA/condo bill moving through the NC General Assembly is Senate Bill 553/House Bill 551 “Landlord/Tenant and HOA Changes.” Read the article………………………..
Bill to Restrict HOA/Condo Collections Would Harm Associations & Homeowners (NC)
As described in my recent NC Community Association Legislative Update, one bill moving through the NC General Assembly is HB 542 “Protect Homeowners’ Rights.” In addition to placing further requirements on associations as to the collection of past due assessments, the proposal would prohibit the filing of a lien against an owner who fails to […]
‘There is no oversight’ Proposed bills call for changes to HOAs in North Carolina
Several new pieces of legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly call for changes and oversight for homeowners associations in North Carolina. The state currently has an estimated 14,000 HOAs. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners could be responsible for millions of dollars in road repairs (NC)
The road is currently owned by Lennar Corporation, the developer behind many of the homes along the parkway. But Comstock says Lennar plans to deed the road to the homeowners’ association. That means the approximate 1,500 people in the HOA would be responsible for its upkeep. Read the article………………………..
“Grand Canyon” of potholes shows size of HOA vs Developer problem (NC)
In the Bethel Glen subdivision, there’s a pothole so massive that it acquired a nickname from a national park. “You come in Midland Road, turn right, and the Grand Canyon is there to greet you,” Chris Edmonds said. Read the article………………………..
State lawmakers propose more rules, oversight for HOAs (NC)
State lawmakers in both chambers and both parties this session are proposing more oversight and restrictions on community and homeowners’ associations. Under current law, an association can claim a lien on someone’s property for any amount of money that is 30 days past due. After 90 days, it can start foreclosure proceedings and auction it […]
PKS to use general fund money to pay homeowners’ association for use of its parks for town events (NC)
Pine Knoll Shores commissioners agreed Wednesday night to pay a homeowners’ association $300 per day, per event, for use of two of its parks and parking lots during special town events. Read the article………………………..
Palm Cove HOA seeks to combat shoreline erosion (NC)
The Town of Sunset Beach and Palm Cove Homeowners Association are in discussions to partner on a project, fully funded by the HOA, that would restore a quickly eroding shoreline along the eastern channel of Jinks Creek near Tubbs Inlet. (Rest of the story behind subscription paywall)
Residents fed up with stolen packages at South End condos (NC)
Residents in a South End apartment complex have reached their limit with package thieves. To get into the Village of South End Condos, you need a code. Two people were given the code for a pizza delivery from Benny’s Pizza, then left with a package taken from another resident. Read the article………………………..
Most of Holiday Island sewer plant’s fines unpaid since 1992 (NC)
A nonprofit sewer district in Perquimans County has been assessed civil penalties for ongoing problems at its wastewater treatment plant for more than three decades Read the article………………………..
Condo tenants in Carolina Forest area voice concerns over upcoming repair projects (NC)
Tenants from an Horry County condo association are expressing their concerns after being informed by the association’s board of directors that they will need to find and fund temporary housing for the next four to six weeks. Tenants will need to find that housing while the condo buildings undergo repairs. Read the article………………………..
It’s time HOAs had some oversight (NC)
Dissatisfaction with HOAs can cover a wide range of topics: from micromanaging the appearance of a member’s property, to increasing fees, to foreclosing homes, to failure to enforce rules, to disagreement on how to manage common areas. Read the article………………………..
HOA slow to repair roof 6 months after tree falls on townhome (NC)
Nearly six months after a tree fell on Chanthy Horn’s east Charlotte townhome, her homeowners association has yet to fix a hole in her roof, resulting in thousands of dollars in preventable damage. “It shouldn’t take this long,” Horn told WCNC Charlotte. “All I get is the runaround.” Read the article………………………..
Firefighters put out a huge condominium fire on Lawndale Dr. in Greensboro, officials say (NC)
Several families were displaced after firefighters put out a huge fire at a condominium complex in Greensboro Friday evening, according to police. Read the article………………………..
Neighbors of abandoned Wake Forest golf course want to know what chemicals are in the soil (NC)
By 2007, the golf course was no longer economically viable. Young tried to get out from under the previous Special Use Permit and sell to a developer. But he was sued by several neighbors and a homeowners association, who alleged that the property had to remain in use as a golf course in perpetuity in […]
Bill would require newly built homes in North Carolina to be ‘electric-vehicle ready.’
Recently filed bills in the N.C. General Assembly aim to ensure electric-vehicle drivers have access to chargers when they’re ready to plug in — whether they’re at home or out and about. Read the article………………………..
Fire at Kernersville condo building displaces 7 residents, fire officials say (NC)
A chimney fire was determined to be the cause of a blaze at a condominium complex overnight that displaced seven residents, according to the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department. Read the article………………………..
Eviction possible for Greensboro man accused of stabbing neighbors with box cutter (NC)
Attorney Brian Edlin with Jordan Price Law Office is also not connected to the case. He said HOAs also cannot guarantee criminal incidents will not occur. “There are things sometimes that property management companies and associations can do, but those powers are limited, and they really can’t guarantee that incidents like this, outrageous incidents as […]
Homeowners call for HOA reforms in Carolinas; Colorado has a model to achieve it
A WBTV Investigation revealing how developers have maintained control of some HOAs indefinitely has motivated homeowners to call for reforms from North Carolina state legislators. North Carolina’s Planned Community Act was signed into law in 1998 and has only seen small changes in the two decades since. Read the article………………………..
Ducks ruffle feathers among Mooresville neighborhood’s HOA (NC)
The neighborhood HOA’s attorney says the controversy started two years ago, when a former board member wanted to add more ducks to the pond. He said without any approval, that member went ahead and spent $2,500 of HOA money on 10 ducks and food. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners vs Developers: The fight for HOA control in North Carolina
A drive down Grand Palisades Parkway supplies 20-years worth of the subdivision’s history in just three miles. There are new apartments, older homes, construction of single-family subdivisions and zoning changes planned for even more development. Read the article………………………..
Property owner sues Holiday Island POA (NC)
A Holiday Island property owner has filed a federal lawsuit against an officer of the subdivision’s property owners association, alleging discrimination and defamation. Read the article………………………..
State fines high-end community for polluting Lake Norman (NC)
An upscale waterfront community was cited for more than a half-dozen violations by state environmental officials Wednesday and now faces multiple fines for discharging unacceptable levels of bacteria and chemicals into Lake Norman. Read the article………………………..
1 person injured from fire at Raleigh apartment complex (NC)
One person was injured in the fire. The condition of this person is not known at this time. Fifteen people have been displaced. The fire was put out just before 2:45 a.m., and the damage to the building was extensive. Read the article………………………..
Valleyfield ethics? (NC)
We don’t know why there’s a particular problem with parking and neighborly civility in one subdivision in Graham. But the fact that two of five city council members reside in that particular subdivision looks suspiciously like one significant contributing factor to why the city has become obsessed with addressing the problem – if, indeed, there […]
Pinehurst Seeking Leeway in Short-Term Rental Allowance (NC)
A measure that would allow the Country Club of North Carolina to continue its existing rental cottage program despite Pinehurst’s prohibition against short-term rentals received a mixed reception from the village’s planning board this week. Read the article………………………..
NC a “lawless” land for HOAs and community associations
Homeowners at Waterfront at Langtree in Mooresville have been asking for financial statements and an accounting of their community association fees for months. In return, they’ve received scribbles of expenditures on a yellow legal pad and a post on their community Facebook page about what the money has supposedly been put toward. Read the article………………………..
This bustling North Carolina city is a prime example of when golf courses (and ranges) are gobbled up for development
As this seaside city continues to grow, some of the area’s golf courses, driving ranges and other open spaces are being tapped for new subdivisions and apartment complexes. Read the article………………………..
Homebuilder Action 9?s been investigating in danger of losing license (NC)
North Carolina’s Licensing Board for General Contractors says it has “several active complaint files opened against” Aaron Guess and his company, Story Homes. Read the article………………………..
North Carolina homeowner claims her house was foreclosed and sold by HOA without her knowing
When the caller on the other end of the phone asked Trenita Rogers when she was moving out of her house, she thought it was a joke. She’s owned her home in Pitt County, North Carolina, for 12 years and even paid it off. So she was shocked when a man told her that he’d […]