When real estate agent Charles Goforth was reviewing paperwork for a home under contract in Westbury, he noticed something that didn’t make sense to him. The title company said a $125 transfer fee — a mandatory fee sometimes charged by homeowners associations — was required for the sale to go through. Read the article……………………………………..
Spring Branch residents are flushing toilets with river, pool water after 9 days without water (TX)
Without any water for nine days, people who live in a Spring Branch gated subdivision say they’re getting desperate. Some are using water from their pools and the Guadalupe River, to flush their toilets. What’s even worse, according to residents, is the lack of communication and support from the water company— though the company denies […]
Paying it forward: How families in Katy, Lafayette continue to help each other through disasters (TX)
Pine Mill Ranch communicates through the homeowner association’s Facebook page. Neighbors began creating lists for LeBas who hit up major home improvements stores and small hardware stores. Read the article…………………………….
Does insurance cover broken pipes for homeowners? What about renters?
As we continue to thaw out after last week’s freeze, a lot of you are dealing with damage to your home from pipes that have burst. Below is what you need to know about insurance. Our sister station, KENS5 in San Antonio got the following answers from Bankrate on Texas insurance when it comes to […]
The standoff: Bills Mafia Girl, a Texas HOA and a yard with signs
Alyssa O’Reilly is a diehard Bills fans from a small town in Texas. Her homeowners association isn’t quite sure what to make of all those signs in her yard. She picks up the story from there: Read the article…………………………….
Muscovy Ducks Are Protected in Parts of Texas. A Houston Subdivision Is Debating Their Slaughter (TX)
The neighborhood is also home to about 150 Muscovy ducks like Pip. Most of the ducks live in a sprawling man-made pond at the heart of the subdivision that is maintained by Harris County’s Municipal Utility District (known as MUD). Thanks to a warm climate, an abundant supply of insects and fish, and an absence […]
Local family may have to remove memorial cross due to complaints to HOA (TX)
A local family is facing the reality of having to remove a memorial cross for their brother after the neighborhood’s HOA says it can not be there. Bryan resident Brandalynn Butler says her 29-year-old brother Jordon Braswell died after a motorcycle accident last year on Thornberry Road. In a wake of grief, the family put […]
Resident burned, condo complex damaged after four-alarm fire in northeast Dallas (TX)
A condo resident in far northeast Dallas accidentally set his home on fire and burned himself early Friday while using his oven for heat, firefighters say. One hundred city firefighters responded to extinguish the four-alarm blaze, which was reported a little before 1 a.m. at a condominium complex in the 9800 block of Walnut Street. […]
About 100 Houston-area neighborhoods using license plate readers (TX)
In northwest Harris County, Westlake and Westlake Forest are among the newest neighborhoods in the Houston-area to use technology once only available to police: license plate readers. Read the article…………………………………….
Details still emerging in argument leads to shooting death (TX)
A dispute between neighbors turned deadly on Monday afternoon, leaving a retired Houston police officer dead in a gated community in Kerrville. Kerr County Sheriff W.R. “Rusty” Hierholzer said his office continues to investigate the shootout between neighbors Mart Hanna and Kenneth Brown. Hanna, who retired from the Houston Police Department, was shot and killed. […]
Houston, county consider $14M buyout of unfinished Kingwood subdivision blamed for flooding (TX)
Houston city council on Wednesday will consider paying $4 million to acquire an unfinished housing development in southeast Montgomery County, part of a joint plan with Harris County officials to redevelop the parcel to better protect nearby flood-prone homes. Read the article……………………………………
Chicken lawsuit: Fort Bend County HOA sues elderly woman for up to $10,000 (TX)
The Lake Olympia Homeowner’s Association in Missouri City sued an elderly resident recently for up to $10,000 in damages after she refused to get rid of her pet chickens. Teddi Alvey, a mother of five, grandmother of ten and retired nurse, has kept chickens as pets for 45 years; first in Utah, then Arizona, and […]
Cedar Park family distressed after HOA fines turn into lawsuit, possible foreclosure (TX)
Some Central Texas homeowners are facing lawsuits and potential foreclosures brought on by their Home Owners Associations during the pandemic. Read the article……………………………..
Feral hogs becoming nuisance in several Round Rock neighborhoods, homeowners say (TX)
Some homeowners in Round Rock are getting fed up with feral hogs destroying their property, but they worry there’s nothing they can do. “It’s difficult. It’s a challenge,” homeowner Jon Devries said Monday. His lawn has become the focus of his days lately. Feral hogs keep targeting his home and others in the Hidden Glen […]
Issues with some homeowners leasing out their homes, condos for overnight rental on Padre Island (TX)
The renting of neighborhood homes for a short-term, overnight stay is causing problems on Padre Island. More than 60 homes in residential neighborhoods are currently being offered for visits of one or two days. It’s causing friction between neighbors and is getting attention at city hall…..The city and homeowner’s association are working on new zoning […]
Woman told to take down Halloween decorations of pole-dancing skeletons (TX)
woman is going head to head with her homeowner’s association after complaints were filed over her “inappropriate” Halloween decorations that show skeletons dancing on poles. Read the article……………………………………
Fu reports bomb threats, calls for HOA to take action (TX)
Midland pastor Bob Fu reported in a letter to the Polo Park Homeowners’ Association that he and his family have experienced bomb threats. He also called for the association to consider “any and all legal or other measures” to remove protesters from their north Midland neighborhood. Read the article…………………………………
Frisco police respond to child drowning in HOA Pond (TX)
The Frisco Police Department responded to and investigated the circumstances that led to a 3-year-old child being found in an HOA Pond. The child later died after being hospitalized overnight. Read the article………………………………….
Can your HOA restrict political, social issue signs on your property? (TX)
Dozens of homeowners in the Bauerle Ranch community in southwest Austin have signed a petition against the homeowners’ association policy that restricts the types of signs that can be placed on a homeowner’s property. Read the article……………………………..
Trump or Biden: Dallas-area neighbors face off over political signs (TX)
Here among the manicured lawns and scenes of suburban serenity, two Farmers Branch neighbors wage a war of words. They have barely spoken to each other. They’re letting their signs do the talking. Read the article…………………………………
Austin-area neighborhood could be violating federal law by not allowing census workers to visit homes, legal expert says (TX)
A gated community in the Austin area informed residents it would not allow census workers to visit uncounted homes, a potential violation of federal law according to legal experts. An email sent to residents by the management of the Spanish Oaks neighborhood in Bee Cave said: “Per the Association’s solicitation policy in the Governing Documents, […]
1 found dead after South Austin condo fire, officials say (TX)
A woman was found dead inside of a South Austin condominium Monday morning after a fire, Austin fire officials said. Firefighters responded around 8:12 a.m. to 1304 Mariposa Drive, just west of Interstate 35, after receiving calls from neighbors who reported smoke coming from a two-story condo building, said Austin Fire Battalion Chief David Brietzke. […]
Harris County homeowner at odds with HOA over yard signs (TX)
There’s a battle brewing over yard signs in the Hearthstone neighborhood in northwest Harris County. About two months ago, Gloria Bernardino and her husband put up banners to make their message clear – Black lives matter, so do LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, science, and humanity as a whole. Read the article…………………………….
Bee Cave will not gate Ladera subdivision roads (TX)
Bee Cave will not gate the entrances to the Ladera subdivision, but city officials will look into how to improve the safety of the roads with stop signs and bike lanes. Read the article………………………………..
Five HOAs join fight for Cypress Creek flood remediation (TX)
Adamek knows flooding and he knows transportation and isn’t fooled by the pat answers and chicanery he hears at meetings. A retired engineer from General Electric, he works part-time in Washington, D. C. for the Department of Transportation. One of his first orders of business was to put some more strength behind efforts he and […]
The Colony to require HOA approval before changing residential speed limits (TX)
If someone wants the speed limit on a residential street in The Colony to change they better hope the most of their neighbors feel the same way. During last week’s meeting The Colony City Council directed the staff to amend its process for changing speed limits on residential streets. Going forward a request for a […]
Three years after Harvey, Kingwood continues to battle for flood mitigation (TX)
Three years ago, Hurricane Harvey inundated much of the Kingwood area after Lake Houston and the San Jacinto River overflowed and deposited flood waters into thousands of homes and businesses. Established in 1970, Friendswood Development billed Kingwood as The Liveable Forest — a neighborhood on the northeast side of Houston that was lush with trees […]
Subdivision change initiated to help homeowner (TX)
She continued, “Nothing seemed out of the norm. It wasn’t until we submitted a building permit application we were given the news that the city had no record of a subdivision application from 1946. So the city considers our lot and the next-door neighbor’s at 1303 S. Fifth as one large lot.” Under city regulations, […]
Lake Athens property owners present concerns (TX)
Representatives of the Lake Athens Property Owners Association brought information to the Athens Municipal Water Authority Board Friday concerning visiting fishing tournaments on the lake. Todd Garrett said the competitions have created some problems on the small 1,799 acre body of water. Read the article………………………….
West Houston condo owners sue their HOA claiming it won’t turn over insurance money for Harvey damage (TX)
“It hurts after this long to not be able to go home,” said condo owner Norman Hord. ” We just want to go home.” Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston in August of 2017. “It’s now January 2020 and I still do not have a completed home in spite of having flood insurance,” Hord said. […]
Woods of Westlake calls for closure of its greenbelt access, citing public safety hazards (TX)
When the Barton Creek Greenbelt’s “Trails End” access in the Wood of Westlake community was established by the city of Austin in the 1980s, it was never intended to serve as a permanent trailhead, according to Christie Schultz, the interim president for the Woods of Westlake neighborhood association. Read the article…………………………
Residents upset ex-deputy Chauna Thompson hired to patrol Houston neighborhood (TX)
Residents in a Houston-area subdivision are up in arms after finding out the security guard patrolling their neighborhood is the former deputy who was once charged in the John Hernandez murder. Emails to the Balmoral Sub-Division Homeowner’s Association started pouring in about two weeks ago when residents found out their security officer was former Harris […]
Behind in association dues? Your neighbors may foreclose (TX)
The family that rented a condominium from Dana Peterson for nine years was among those who lost work to the novel coronavirus. When they began missing rent payments in March, Peterson said she understood. They had never missed a payment before, and she had heard that, during a period of historic unemployment, government policies protected […]
Racist, unlawful restrictions remain in historic East Texas property deeds
Buried deep in the small print of property deeds across the country is a startling restriction meant to prevent black people from owning property. The restrictions are illegal and unenforceable today, but the racist wording remains and can be found in documents for property in East Texas. Read the article……………………………
Realtor: More Houston neighborhoods have old racist deed restrictions (TX)
Momentum is growing in one of Houston’s oldest neighborhoods to change racist deed restrictions that say only people of Caucasian race can live in or own a home. “There’s anger, there’s hurt, there’s outrage,” said Sally Walden, an Oak Forest resident and realtor. She’s been doing her own digging into Houston’s past. “I want to say […]
Woman Drowns in Northeast Dallas Condo Pool (TX)
A 35-year-old woman drowned Wednesday in a pool at a Northeast Dallas condominium complex, police say Read the article……………………………….
Vacant lot pits homeowners against their home owners association (TX)
A zoning issue in one local neighborhood put on hold due to the pandemic is back. “This is kind of a quiet neighborhood street,” said homeowner Kim Gibbs…..Kim Gibbs lives across the street and supports proposed rezoning that would allow developers to build about 20 townhomes. However, the land is currently zoned for multi-family use, […]
Houston neighborhood’s deed restrictions read as if they only allow white people to live there (TX)
There are renewed calls to change an outdated, racist rule in the deed restrictions of Houston’s Oak Forest neighborhood. KHOU reported on the issue three years ago. The old rule states only white people could own and live in homes in the northwest Houston subdivision. Read the article…………………………
Houston’s most outrageous HOA rules, according to KPRC 2 readers (TX)
We asked KPRC 2 readers to share their most outrageous dust-ups with local homeowners associations and what we got back were hundreds of grievances. Some of the tales are humorous up until the moment when you think on what it would be like to face a fine, receive a citation or get a warning for […]
Round Rock family battling HOA over pool slide height during pandemic (TX)
A family in Round Rock has started an online petition to fight an order by their Home Owners Association. Christina and Rick Greene say last year a donor paid to install an in-ground pool in their backyard for their immunocompromised son, Jonah. Read the article…………………………..
Gulfpoint prepares for rebuild after massive fire (TX)
Gulfpoint Condominiums will rebuild its “B” building after a massive fire engulfed the 27-unit property this past Saturday. The rebuild will take anywhere from 24 to 30 months, according to Carlos Chacon, owner of Chacon Realty, the entity who manages Gulfpoint Condominiums, said. Read the article…………………………….
‘This is absolutely horrific’: Large fire reported on South Padre Island (TX)
Flames are ripping through a condominium complex on South Padre Island Saturday morning. Firefighters are working to contain the fire that broke out at Gulf Point Condominiums, near the Sapphire building, the Brownsville Herald reports. Read the article………………………….
Canyon Creek HOA donates large sums of money, food to Network of Community Ministries (TX)
Canyon Creek is the largest HOA in Richardson with 2,850 homes. Of the homes in the neighborhood, 67% are members of the HOA, Caldwell said. The HOA recently wrote a check to Network for $7,500. The money was raised through the association’s flag program, an optional service in which Boy Scouts place flags in yards […]
HOA asks Conroe family to take down daughter’s ‘stay home’ art from window (TX)
A Conroe family is standing up to their homeowner’s association after they were sent a violation notice instructing them to remove their daughter’s quarantine art from their windows. The HOA described them as “unsightly articles.” Read the article……………………………
HOA admits timing error after homeowner Turns to Ted (TX)
Mary Peck walks to the shady side of her house and points up to the second floor siding. “That’s it,” she jokingly says. “This is our wretched green siding. This is what all the hubbub is about.” Peck and her family live in the Middlegate Village subdivision in northwest Harris County. The Pecks moved to […]
Neighbors In Summer Creek Stay Engaged With A Bear Hunt (TX)
Can you find the bears? Summer Creek HOA members had fun spotting them all. The Summer Creek neighborhood was recently overcome by bears of all shapes and sizes. They were found in homes, hanging from light fixtures and even sleeping in cars. Read the article……………………………
At one Houston highrise, coronavirus has set off a court battle over lives vs. livelihoods (TX)
After Harris County issued a stay-home order, the Park Square condo board made tough new temporary rules, similar to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for nursing homes. As of April 1, the management banned guests, housekeepers, construction workers and delivery people from the building’s residential floors. Essentially, those residential floors would be […]
Pilot on the front lines denied parking his RV outside his home as he quarantines (TX)
A local pilot is asking for his homeowners association to reconsider banning him from parking his RV outside his home. The man, whom we’ll call John to maintain anonymity, is a pilot on the front lines transporting vital supplies. Read the article………………………….
Southwest Austin neighbors decorate yards, create art walks for locals to enjoy on social distancing-friendly walks (TX)
While some residents have enjoyed searching for wildflowers along public trails, others have stuck to the familiar, walking along similar neighborhood sidewalks each day. In some Southwest Austin and Dripping Springs neighborhoods, residents have been decorating sidewalks, lawns and windowsills so neighbors have something different to look at each day as they walk. Read the […]