Condo & HOA News Items
The all-clear has been given for the Venice condo building that underwent safety inspections after taking damage from Hurricane Milton. Read the article…………………………….
Determination to rebuild follows Florida’s hurricanes with acceptance that storms will come again
No sooner had residents of the Bahia Vista Gulf condominium complex dug out and from Hurricane Helene than they were faced with the same daunting
Fire guts condo but association balks at paying its share to repair damages. Now what? (FL)
Question: Our condominium unit caught fire earlier this year. It was electrical, with extensive smoke damage. We hired a contractor to do the restoration, and
Condo residents evacuate early Saturday (FL)
Venice residents who had already survived Hurricane Milton woke up to yet another evacuation order. Emergency crews working to repair damage from the hurricane found
HOA Homefront: How the Corporate Transparency Act affects board members (CA)
Congress in 2021 enacted the Corporate Transparency Act, a law designed to help law enforcement and intelligence agencies catch money launderers and international criminals. All
MFD crews respond to condo fire on Starr Grass Drive (WI)
Firefighters arrived on the scene are were able to put the fire out just after 4 p.m. The fire had spread to two places and
Lake Granbury Harbor residents rally against HOA’s de-brush mandate (TX)
According to a letter from the Lake Granbury Harbor HOA — sent to residents at the end of last month — the community was deemed
Old Walden Lake Golf Course Still Falling Apart (FL)
The Walden Lake development began with two privately-owned, thriving golf courses in the midst of 2200 houses. However, the golf courses’ 320 acres became run
Greenhouse gas mandate affects condo buildings (MD)
People who own units in large condominium complexes as well as anyone who owns or has a stake in any building of at least 35,000
Mission community threatened by dog attacks (TX)
“It’s not the dogs’ fault, the dogs are just animals, but at least the owner, even an apology would be fine as we are not
Crane collapses from top of St. Petersburg building during Hurricane Milton (FL)
A crane on top of a building (condo) in St. Petersburg collapsed during Hurricane Milton, the City of St. Petersburg said. Late Wednesday night, St.
Lay of the Land: Has Washington State Resolved the Condo Liability Problem?
Major residential condominium construction has seen a decade-plus lull, due in part to an onerous warranty statute applicable only to condos. The Washington State Legislature
Surveillance company skirted regulations as it expanded across north Fort Worth HOAs (TX)
A private surveillance company has skirted local regulations by installing dozens of cameras on public property without approval from the city of Fort Worth, an
Condo & HOA Informational Articles
Security Camera Videos as Official Records of a Condominium or Homeowners’ Association (FL)
Condominium and homeowners’ associations frequently install security cameras at various locations throughout the association property. In some instances, the cameras are monitored live, and images are recorded, and in other instances the images are simply recorded and available for retrieval in the event circumstances warrant their review. In most cases,
I’ve owned my North Carolina townhouse since 2023 — but now my HOA is charging me $13K for hailstorm damage that happened 2 years before
When you buy a home, you're responsible for the costs associated with it. This means that if issues are left undiscovered following an inspection, you might still have no choice but to foot the bill after you take ownership. And this holds true whether you’re buying a traditional home or
Hate your HOA rules? There may be a way around them (MA)
When a Cape Cod homeowners association hired attorney Richard D. Vetstein of Vetstein Law Group in Framingham to review their homeowner’s association covenants, he made a shocking find. A little-noticed 2017 Massachusetts Appeals Court ruling meant the restrictions in that association’s covenant, which dated to 1977, had expired unnoticed more
Budgeting for 2025 (AZ)
Associations should be working on their 2025 budgets! There are several things for Associations to consider when starting the budgeting process, especially if there have been significant changes in the community or if the community has undergone financial hardship. Read the article..................................
Condo Insurance Explained
Condo living is very unique and can make life a little more simple in the long run with great amenities and help with maintenance and upkeep. However, condo insurance is a little more complex than insurance for homeowners or apartment landlords. Condo insurance is broken into two main areas: individual
Investing in the future: Building community reserve funds
Reserve studies and funds have been receiving an increasing focus in community associations since the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South in 2021. These multiyear plans anticipate and responsibly provide for ongoing preventive maintenance, periodic structural inspections, and the timely repair and replacement of community components such as roofs, sidewalks,
When Should You Update Your HOA Governing Documents?
Many governing documents are established immediately after the community’s developer completes construction. Therefore, they follow a standard set of guidelines that are intended to protect the community even though the houses are still empty. As a result, governing documents can eventually become outdated when there’s no regular review. When a
Community Association Considerations
Why you should pay special attention to closing your books this year
I’ve been posting the condo and HOA news for over 20 years now. During the first 6 years, I might have run across 3 or 4 cases of people stealing
Flags, Signs and Displays
Flags, signs and displays have become major areas of contention in condo's and HOA's. Actually they have always been, but with the divisiveness the country is going through now, it's
Industry News
Masson Family Gives $2.5 Million to
Melinda Masson, who was a community college and vocational school instructor
FRONTSTEPS Launches Suite Manager: The Next
FRONTSTEPS, the leading provider of HOA and community association management software,
Eli Report Launches Free Condo Document
OctoAI Technologies Corp ("OctoAI"), a leading provider of condo document review
Legal & Legislative Articles
Lay of the Land: Has Washington State Resolved the Condo Liability Problem?
Major residential condominium construction has seen a decade-plus lull, due in part to an onerous warranty statute applicable only to condos. The Washington State Legislature significantly changed that statute in 2019, and the statute of limitations
Hurricane Damage and the FEMA 50% Rule: How to Approach Home Repairs in Flood Zones
In the wake of Hurricane Debbie, Hurricane Helene, and now Hurricane Milton, which have left widespread devastation in southwest Florida, there is no storage shortage of property owners dealing with the aftermath of flooding. As remediation
Here We Tow Again – Towing Regulations Governing Community Associations (CO)
In 2022, an updated towing law went into effect in Colorado as a result of the passage of House Bill 22-1314. Not to be outdone, laws related to towing were revised yet again in 2024 as
The Body of Water Doctrine (FL)
We too often here about a child drowning in a body of water. So many of our beautiful communities are built next to a natural lake or contain man-made lakes. It begs the question…..Can a developer
Making a list and checking it twice? No, It’s not Christmas, it’s new Records Request Requirements (FL)
If you’re one of those people who finds checking things off a list or making a chart oddly satisfying, then House Bill 1021 (“HB 1021”) is the new legislation for you. As you may have already
Judge appoints Harris as receiver in Knox cattle dam suit (OH)
Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel appointed Jack Harris as receiver in the Knox cattle dam case, formally known as the State of Ohio vs. The Landings Property Owners Association Inc. In 2020, the Ohio
Op/Ed
Insurance: Which Article is Correct? (FL)
Experts say Florida insurance market can handle another hurricane this year — and stay healthy Back-to-back Florida hurricanes signal trouble for home insurance prices nationwide
Finding sensible solutions to Florida’s condo safety challenges | Opinion
Florida’s condominium and homeowner associations have long been cherished for the sense of community, security and amenities they offer to millions of residents. But that is quickly changing. As a recent Tyson Group poll confirmed, the
Beware Of Possible Bias In Condominium Mediation (HI)
Earlier this year, a mediation center that provides condominium-owner-paid Condominium Education Trust Fund-subsidized mediation services provided an instructional session to mediators by Zoom. Superficially, there was nothing unusual. However, a few of those mediators reported —
Senate Bill 900 is a bonanza for insurance companies and a blow to housing affordability (CA)
Legislation now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk proposes a transfer of vast wealth from California homeowners to California utility companies. Senate Bill 900 would force homeowners to maintain and repair the pipelines delivering gas, water, and
Warning…..If You Still Think It Won’t Happen…. (FL)
While those of you who live in condominiums that were not well maintained and did not put away money in reserves may find it hard to believe, but the 98 victims of The Champlain Towers made
It’s Time for Banks or Our Great State to Come to the Rescue (FL)
Last week I made it clear that Floridians better understand that if they cannot afford the mandatory wave of special assessments that are coming for inspections, repairs and reserves they better put their condo up for
Canada Condo, Strata & HOA News
“Bitter conflict”: Meeting ban sparks resident’s legal fight against BC strata
A BC resident and co-homeowner embarked on a legal fight with her strata, forcing it to hold a new meeting after it allegedly barred and limited access to a previous meeting.The co-owner
London condo owner frustrated after condo fees climbed 36 per cent in less than a year (ON)
When Bruno Santos bought his three-bedroom condominium in northwest London last October, he wasn't expecting to see an increase in his condo fees or to have to pay a reserve fund top-up
Canadian National Grant Beautifies Joliet Neighborhood
“This project was inspired by local residents—a grassroots effort arising from homeowner association (HOA) meetings with Arborist Teiber and brought to fruition through the generosity of Canadian National and the guidance of
Canada Condo, Strata & HOA Articles
Hoarding Can Create Unsafe Conditions (ON)
Condominium owners have broad legal rights to enjoy their units. But condominium living generally involves “close living between the residents of the condominium”, and condominium owners and occupants accordingly have important obligations
New Rules for Strata Owners Requeststo Install Electric Vehicle Chargers (BC)
As noted in a previous article, Bill 22 made several amendments to the Strata Property Act, which are intended to increase electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in condominiums. The new sections 90.1
Policies vs. Rules: Time to Change your Rules (ON)
A recent CAT decision stresses the importance of incorporating policies into rules otherwise those policies will likely not be enforceable against a unit owner or resident. In Tartakovsky-Guilels v. York Region Condominium
International Condo, Strata & HOA News
Spain’s Supreme Court upholds residents’ right to ban rentals
Spain: In a landmark decision, Spain’s Supreme Court [Tribunal Supremo] has ruled that homeowner associations, or communities of property owners, have the authority to prohibit short-term rentals in residential buildings
Australia: Housing wars: Strata owners vs owners corporations
THERE ARE ROUGHLY 3 million strata townhouses and apartments in Australia. The focus on highrise developments to address the housing crisis has seen a 7 per cent increase in the
Australia: As high-rise developments boom, overhaul of strata committees of management long overdue
Owners corporations manage and administer communal property for apartments and other dwellings. Recently certain high-profile owners corporations have come under media scrutiny. Dubious and unethical business practices have been exposed.