In a recent “Ask the Experts” webinar, we discussed best practices regarding handling water leaks in condominiums. Though this piece will discuss some North Carolina laws, there’s also plenty of information on governing documents and insurance policies that will be useful to condominium board members in all regions. Read the entire article……………………………….
Being Threatened With Legal Action? What Community Association Board Members Can Do To Protect Themselves (NC)
For homeowner association volunteers, a very real concern is the possibility of legal threats that may be levelled against the board. In a recent “Ask the Experts” webinar, Attorney Chris Gelwicks provided information on what community association board members should do when faced with threats of litigation from homeowners. Read the article……………………………………
Virtual homeowners association meetings lead to increased attendance nationwide (NC)
When the pandemic first hit, homeowners association boards had a dilemma – how to hold meetings when people can’t meet in person like the government requires? Hope Carmichael, an HOA attorney and past president of Communities Associations Institute of North Carolina, told ABC 11 that CAI members turned to the governor. Read the article………………………………….
Condemned Carolina Beach condos to reopen following millions of dollars worth of repairs (NC)
After being in danger of collapsing four years ago, a Carolina Beach condominium complex is making a return. Residents of the Carolina Surf Condos, located along the oceanfront at 201 Carolina Beach Ave. S., had to evacuate after the building was condemned amid corrosion in its structural columns in 2017, the StarNews reported. Read […]
Durham man asked to remove Black Lives Matter window sign, sidewalk chalk (NC)
A Durham man says his family is being unfairly targeted because of his sign supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. However, his HOA says he’s simply being cited for breaking rules. Read the article…………………………………
Coming Together And Finding Solutions In Times Of Adversity (NC)
As Covid-19 arrived in the United States in early 2020, people were forced to make adjustments to their usual activities seemingly overnight. For community associations, new meeting formats, safety concerns, and revamping community activities took center stage. We at CAMS are immeasurably impressed with the resilience our communities have shown and their willingness to embrace […]
Board Member Boot Camp Part 2: Compliance, ARC, And Pitfalls To Avoid (NC)
In a previous article, we discussed some of the topics board members must be familiar with in order to serve successful terms on their community’s board of directors. This second part of “boot camp” covers the enforcement of documents, rules, and covenants, ARC issues, and some things board members should always be sure to watch […]
Overnight Condo Fire Leaves Families Displaced (NC)
Dozens of people are without a home after a fire destroyed a south Charlotte condominium. The Charlotte Fire Department says it happened in the 2000 block of Stoney Point Drive, just off of Sharon Lakes Road. When crews arrived, there were large flames and smoke coming from the two-story building. The department tweeted about the […]
North Carolina mom frustrated after neighborhood HOA demands removal of 11-year-old’s basketball hoop
A North Carolina mom says her neighborhood Homeowner’s Association has ordered that she take down her son’s beloved basketball hoop. Lindsey Van Winkle says this is the last thing a parent wants to worry about during this time. She says it’s frustrating and that her son just wants to play safely at his own home. […]
Cary families say HOA unfairly targeting Trump flags with new rules (NC)
Two families say the homeowners association for their Cary neighborhood is playing politics by banning political flags. Laurie Cherico said her family started flying a flag in September supporting former President Donald Trump’s stances on law and order and the Second Amendment. They received some opposition from the Carolina Preserve HOA, but it faded away. […]
Couple says HOA won’t let them park charity’s truck in front of house (NC)
Emmanuel Threatt, a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer, and his wife, Adrienne Threatt, a teacher, started a nonprofit organization, Hope Vibes. They have a colorful truck to operate the charity the Hope Tank, which has bathrooms and a laundry area. Read the article……………………………………
Residents of Wellington Hills search for answers, worry about what could come next Pt.2 (NC)
The residents of building 200 love living in the Wellington Hills community and they’re ready to be back in their condos. But the terror of what could’ve happened during the flood, or what might happen during the next one, will make it a timid return. Read the article………………………………..
Months after flood, residents of Wellington Hills still dealing with fallout (NC)
In the three years that Joy has lived in the Wellington Hills neighborhood, which lies just within the Salisbury city limits, she’s grown used to moving her Kia to higher ground when it rains. Joy lives in unit 205, which is one of five connected condos that sit at the bottom of a hill in […]
HOA tells Raleigh homeowner to remove cross from Christmas display (NC)
A reason for the season or an HOA violation? One north Raleigh family would’ve never thought a cross being used as a Christmas decoration as a point of contention for their neighborhood. Read the article………………………………..
From condo owners to the town, how Carolina Beach claims ownership of Freeman Park’s entrance (NC)
Property records show the land the town claims as its own was owned by individual condo owners at Spinnaker Pointe. The property in question is 48-acres of beachfront property as well as land in the marsh-like area to the west of Freeman Park in between the neighborhood and the park. The land, according to property […]
New NC Executive Order Extends Virtual Membership Meetings Through December 29
Since September 1, North Carolina’s Phase 2.5 (now 3.0) restrictions have limited indoor meeting attendance to 25 and outdoor attendance to 50 “at the same time in a single confined indoor or outdoor space, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, or meeting hall.” Such requirements should be taken into account when planning any association in-person […]
Ask SAM: Can HOAs cancel trick or treating? (NC)
Q: Can a HOA cancel trick or treat in a neighborhood? Answer: Lawson Newton, an attorney specializing in real estate law had this explanation, “The answer to the reader’s inquiry is a resounding ‘Yes, but…’ Read the Q&A……………………………
Four people dead after condo fire on Hatteras Island (NC)
Four people died in a large fire that broke out at a condo early Friday morning in Buxton. The fire caused severe damage to neighboring homes on Cape Hatteras Lane which is on Hatteras Island. Read the article…………………………………..
Day 11 of sewer problems in Eagle Creek neighborhood in Moyock (NC)
Eleven days without a sewer system is 11 days too long for the residents of the Eagle Creek neighborhood in Moyock. About 440 homes have been affected. We began covering this story on Monday, when residents were on day nine without a sewer system. Since then, people who live there say no progress has been […]
Sewage backs up into hundreds of Moyock, NC homes; Why Currituck County says they can’t do anything (NC)
Nine days without the ability to use the toilet, wash dishes or shower is nine too many for Moyock homeowner Stephanie Harlow. “I’m at my wits’ end,” Harlow said Monday morning at her home in the Eagle Creek community, that sits off route 158 in Moyock. Harlow, and what neighbors describe as the vast majority […]
Neighborhood starts Operation Goat Chomp to control kudzu (NC)
Lisa Kenerait has lived in the Windsong Village development in Hickory for 17 years and has seen the kudzu creeping ever closer to the roads and homes. “It has gotten worse year after year,” she says. Kudzu can grow 18 inches a day and cover trees and anything that gets in its way. The HOA […]
Ask SAM: HOA wants to change annual meeting (NC)
Q: Due to restrictions imposed on gatherings because of COVID-19, and health concerns for residents, our HOA is considering not holding an annual meeting this year as required by law. Instead, they plan on mailing ballots to each homeowner so residents can vote on the proposed budget for 2021 and candidates for election to the […]
Apex woman who worked near 9/11 attacks says homeowner’s association told her to take down flag (NC)
With the anniversary of of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks just days away, people are reflecting on it in their own way, but an Apex woman’s attempts to remember that day have run afoul of her homeowner’s association. Read the text………………………….
After 2 years, homeowner told to take down US flag adorned with thin-blue line, which honors police (NC)
A retired sheriff’s deputy didn’t see any problem with hanging a U.S. flag with a thin blue line outside his Lancaster County home to show his support for local police. Property management at Tree Tops retirement community told John Nakaji last week to take it down after two years. Read the article…………………………….
Briar Chapel Sewer Company Struggles Continue (NC)
……In the meantime, the NCUC allowed three additional groups to participate in the process as intervenors — the Briar Chapel Community Association, StopChathamNorth and the Fearrington Homeowners Association — and more than 600 residents signed a petition against the project. The petition later become part of the public record for the NCUC investigation. Read the […]
Settlement: Idaho company blocked from gouging $100k in Florence repairs from Hampstead residents (NC)
Two years after Hurricane Florence caused widespread flooding across the Cape Fear region, the state’s attorney general has blocked an attempt by an out-of-state water remediation company to collect nearly $100,000 from a group of Hampstead condominium owners for flood damage repairs. Read the article…………………………….
Tips on road maintenance in a property owner association (NC)
I have heard from a number of people who live in homeowner and property owner associations and the concerns they have regarding roads, as well as water runoff and the issues which can be related with them. Having recently been involved in the review and selection process of evaluating solutions for road work, it pays […]
Surf City condo fire displaces approximately 30 people overnight (NC)
Roughly 30 people have been displaced after a structure fire at the Surf Condos in Surf City ignited late Monday night as Hurricane Isaias ripped through the region, Pender County did not open any emergency shelters ahead of the storm. Read the article…………………………….
HOA’s: Some advice after 12 years at the helm (NC)
When my wife Gloria and I moved from Long Island to the Townhomes at Harborside in 2004, two unanticipated things happened rather quickly: First, we made great friends. Whether they hailed from the Carolinas or other states, it’s been a blessing. Before you know it I became president of our homeowners association. I retired in […]
Some Residents Want ‘Plantation’ Removed From Charlotte’s Neighborhoods (NC)
Neighborhoods and other developments with the word “plantation” in their names are drawing enhanced scrutiny as the country reckons with racial injustice. A debate is brewing around one development in south Charlotte that includes a sprawling neighborhood and an adjacent strip mall. Read the article……………………………….
Can homeowners’ associations restrict access to common spaces during pandemic? (NC)
“Do homeowners’ associations have a legal right to lock out residents from club houses and pools?” a viewer asked News 13’s I-Team Coronavirus Help Desk. Read the article…………………………
Durham neighbors receive letters over pro-BLM signs in yards (NC)
Durham residents in one neighborhood are saddened after receiving anonymous warning letters over signs in their yard. One neighbor received a warning letter for having a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in her yard. Another family received two letters a sign that has multiple statements such as ‘No human is illegal’ and ‘love is love.’ Read […]
Community caravan protests hateful letter sent to Wakefield Estates family (NC)
A community caravan traveled from Forest Ridge Park and drove through Wakefield Estates and Wakefield Plantation in protest of a hateful letter that was sent to an interracial couple. About a dozen cars filled with residents of the Wakefield Estates and Wakefield Planation neighborhoods drove through the two neighborhoods and ended their drive at Wakefield […]
People upset with HOA for keeping pool closed this summer (NC)
People living in a Charlotte condo community are upset with their Homeowners Association for keeping the pool closed this summer. Claudine Johnson and Susan Nelson live in Chalcombe Court in SouthPark. They said the HOA sent them this email:
Charlotte woman fighting HOA after being told to take down Black Lives Matter sign (NC)
A Charlotte woman is going head-to-head with her homeowner’s association after she says she was ordered to take down her ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign. The HOA says it’s against the rules, but she says she’s fighting for her freedom of speech. Read the article…………………………..
Breaking News for NC Community Pools: New Law Limiting Liability Signed Today
Part VI, of North Carolina House Bill 902, signed into law by Governor Cooper today, provides protection for community associations and their agents against lawsuits from people seeking damages for injury or death resulting from transmission of COVID-19 as a result of reopening their community association pools. Read the article……………………………..
New NC Executive Order Again Allows Electronic Nonprofit Membership Meetings
NC Executive Order #141 issued on May 20 (and still in effect as of July 3) currently limits indoor meeting attendance to 10 and outdoor attendance to 25, which makes it rather hard to hold an in-person association member meeting. By statute, NC nonprofit association boards have long been allowed to meet by telephone conference […]
‘Hate has no home here’: Woman petitions to remove ‘Plantation’ from neighborhood name (NC)
A resident of Porters Neck Plantation has started a petition to remove “Plantation” from the neighborhood’s name. Kathryn Polk says it’s about creating a more inclusive environment and to stop normalizing what she believes is a derogatory word. Read the article…………………………….
Secure Online Payment Options Are A Must-Have For HOA Members (NC)
Though providing homeowners with the option to pay their HOA assessments online certainly isn’t a new concept, recent world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have driven home just how essential electronic payment options are. Allowing association members to pay their assessments securely through owner portals using Automatic Draft, Credit Cards, or E-Checks not only […]
Black Lives Matter yard signs spark debate within Chapel Hill neighborhood as HOA looks to enforce display policies (NC)
Some residents of the Briar Chapel community in Chapel Hill are questioning the timing of their HOA’s enforcement of a yard sign policy. They say the policy has not been enforced until now and believe it has to do with “Black Lives Matter” signs that have been popping up around the neighborhood. Read the article……………………………..
Albemarle County’s Briarwood neighborhood maintains little free food pantry (NC)
The free pantry is regularly restocked and accepts donations of nonperishable food items. You can donate by connecting with the Briarwood Homeowners’ Association on Facebook. Read the article…………………………..
Pools in Phase 2: Requirements for Reopening NC HOA/Condo Pools
NC Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 141 (“Easing Restrictions on Travel, Business Operations, and Mass Gatherings: Phase 2”) on May 20, 2020 which will allow homeowner and condominium association pools to re-open on Friday, May 22 at 5:00 p.m. However, certain requirements must be in place. The Order imposes mandated “Requirements” that must be […]
Ask SAM: How do HOAs enforce covenants? (NC)
Q: I live in a neighborhood that has a homeowners association that is supposed to comply with a declaration of covenants. However, some people in the association believe it is not necessary to comply with the covenants because they believe they are not legally enforceable. An issue that has come up pertains to satellite dishes, […]
HOA fees still due despite pool closures, unclear timetables for reopening (NC)
Now that it’s May, area pools would soon be packed under normal circumstances. But circumstances aren’t normal, and public swimming pools like those in neighborhoods could be shut down for weeks to come. Homeowners associations charge dues in part to maintain the pools, but if there is nobody in the water, should these fees be […]
Community Association Meetings: What You Need to Know (NC/SC)
For those who own property in homeowners’ associations, it is important to understand the different types of association meetings that take place throughout the year. It is especially important that board members not only understand the different types of meetings but the rules surrounding who can and should attend these meetings, how to properly and […]
News 13 Investigates: Property Pitfalls (NC)
A News 13 investigation exposes a developer that’s facing hundreds of foreclosures and buyers who are faced with losing their investments. It’s happening in one mountain community development. Read the article……………………………
Sand Dollar Shores appeals Duck beach access ruling (NC)
The Sand Dollar Shores Homeowners Association has announced, through its attorney Casey Varnell, that it has appealed a Feb. 14 ruling by a Camden County Superior Court Judge that sided with plaintiff Bob Hovey’s claim that a beach access there belongs to the public. Read the article………………………….
Repairs cost $17,000: Call for Action Team helps Kernersville woman find relief after condo floods (NC)
Mona Franklin woke up to water pouring from her ceiling. The neighbor upstairs had a leak in his AC unit. He didn’t have insurance and her insurance wasn’t helping. Read the article………………………….
Neighborhoods installing license plate reader cameras (NC)
More and more neighborhoods in and around Charlotte are now using the same kind of high-tech cameras police rely on to track down criminals. Flock Safety said more than a dozen neighborhoods, over half of them outside the Charlotte city limits, are investing in license plate reader cameras. Read the article………………………
TWO 2020 HOA/Condo Law Days Coming Up!
Community Association Law Day is always one of the most popular programs of the North Carolina Chapter of the Community Associations Institute. This year there are TWO: Charlotte on Friday, February 28 and Raleigh on Friday, March 13. Attendees include HOA/condo board members, community leaders, and community managers. Speakers include many of the best community […]