Q. Our association has a staffed gatehouse. The procedure in our association requires the gatehouse staff to phone a resident before permitting any guest or other person to go to the resident’s home. A process server wanted to enter the property to serve a resident, and strongly objected when the gate staff advised him of […]
Property dispute has homeowners association on edge (TX)
A property dispute on the Northwest Side has a neighborhood association getting the city involved. But the city said there’s nothing they can do. The homeowners group in Colonies North said this building is in violation of a neighborhood restrictive covenant. While it looks like a building, it is a home. Neighbors said it’s an […]
Nevada HOA Q&A
Q: We have as our president on the board who is a retired high-ranking military officer. She is turning our beautiful community into a barracks with no personal touches whatsoever. Even the wreaths are on hangers over our doors, not touching the outside of the building, which, of course, is not allowed. Read the […]
HOA Disputes Could Be Decreased Through Owner Education (NC)
Horror stories abound of homeowners’ associations nitpicking over paint colors, dinging people for landscaping choices they never submitted for approval – even fining property owners to the point of bankruptcy. Read the article………………
HOA Homefront: Many members struggle with boards elections (Part 1) (CA)
Q: What recourse does a member have if the board refuses to abide by the governing documents or state law? Our president refuses to hold the annual election in an apparent attempt to stay in power. Read the Q&A……………
HOA sues NY Attorney General Underwood over condo conversion (NY)
Homeowners at the Landing at Dobbs Ferry found a way to minimize the impact of a new federal tax law last year by converting their homes to condos. But when they tried to make the conversion to save about $1 million a year on property taxes, local government officials and the New York State attorney […]
Fake HOA letter starting conversation on neighborhood upkeep (TX)
A fake letter from a homeowner’s association in College Station is striking up a conversation on lawn care. A letter falsely signed by the Cat Hollow HOA was left at someone’s house in the neighborhood near Highway 6 and University Drive. Read the article………………
Resolving Condominium Construction Claims in Maryland
Newly constructed and newly converted condominiums in Maryland often contain concealed or “latent” construction defects. Left undetected and unrepaired, latent defects stemming from the original construction of a condominium can cause extensive damage over time, requiring associations to assess their members for unanticipated repair costs that could have been avoided by making timely developer warranty […]
Violence Begets Violations: Shooting Fallout Leaves Stockton Homeowners With Hefty Bill (CA)
Hundreds of residents may lose their homes if they don’t come up with thousands of dollars and quick, and it all started with a shooting. The homeowners association says the issues came to light after a shooting down the street. Code enforcement was called out and five days ago, residents at the more than 200 […]
Wheeling won’t use tax dollars to help condo owners make repairs (IL)
Wheeling officials have rejected a request by condominium owners for about $200,000 in taxpayer dollars to complete major repairs at their complex. Cameo North Annex Association members asked for tax increment financing assistance — money that’s earmarked for economic development projects and improvements — to repair balconies at the 51-unit complex at 200 Deborah Lane. […]
Making Sense: Legal And Practical Considerations Of A Community Association Committee In Florida
Most condominium and homeowners’ associations have committees in place to assist the board of directors with association operation and business, but few utilize committees properly or effectively. The creation, purpose and authority of committees can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. This blog post will provide an overview of the legal and practical […]
Condo Says No Paddleboarding (FL)
A South Florida woman loves the water, but her paddleboard is churning up controversy with her condo association. So she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser. Corina Biton loves to be on the water, but when she was in the sun, she saw a problem… Read the article………………
Montmorency board rejects Twin Lakes canal dredging (MI)
The Montmorency Board of Commissioners on Wednesday shot down a proposal to distribute funds for the Westwind Homeowners Association that would have helped pay for sand dredging in the Twin Lakes canal. Read the article………………
Seven Bridges Teen Golf Cart Crash Highlights Problem for Florida HOA’s
The critical crash in G.L. Homes’ Seven Bridges involving four children on a golf cart highlights challenges for Florida law enforcement and homeowner associations when it comes to regulating kids driving golf carts, and convincing their parents that it’s a recipe for disaster. A police report obtained by BocaNewsNow.com but not yet generally public details […]
Lake residents request dam maintenance (NY)
Several lake residents came out to the Syracuse Town Council meeting Tuesday to call for council members to move forward with maintaining the dam at Crosson Mill. During the public comment portion of the meeting, John Earnest said while not a resident, he does own a lake house on North Shore Drive and serves as […]
Former RomeRock treasurer cleared of assaults (OH)
The former treasurer of the RomeRock Association was acquitted Tuesday of two counts of assault against a peace officer, according to Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court records……..The seven-member RomeRock property owners’ association, or RRA, is one of the villages governing entities — along with the village’s municipal administration — that oversees boat and other recreational […]
Buses will run as usual despite confusion about routes on private roads (SC)
Officials say Horry County Schools buses will run as usual on Wednesday despite confusion about routes on private roads. Earlier this summer, the South Carolina Department of Education issued a letter to school districts saying that school buses would not be allowed to travel down private roads without permission from the owners of the roads. […]
Tips for a Smooth HOA Board Member Transfer (CA)
The volunteers who occupy seats on an HOA board are in a unique position. Although they’re skilled in their professional fields and possess a deep love for their community, few have experience serving on the board of a multi-million-dollar corporation like a homeowners association. As a volunteer with a fiduciary duty to the corporation, this […]
Mountain Law: Colorado winding down regulation of Community Association Managers
Community Association Managers are professional managers of homeowners associations. Once upon a time, CAMs were unregulated in Colorado. Then, in 2012, the state commissioned a study of how to address perceived issues involving HOAs. The study concluded that regulating CAMs would be a good step toward improving accountability in this area. The Legislature then passed […]
Loss Runs Are a Big Driver of Insurance Costs
A loss run shows the insurance losses that a building has sustained, and the figure greatly affects what a building pays for insurance. Every year, underwriters look at how the building is performing, its total number of losses, and whether they can be stopped, changed, or mitigated. Read the article………………
Crunching The HOA Budget
Fall is the time when most homeowner associations count last year’s costs and crunch next year’s numbers hoping to squeeze blood out of the HOA’s turnip. Often it’s so dry, there isn’t even any turnip juice left much less any O positive. But crunch you must. Here are some of the ways to make the […]
7 Ways to Make the Most of Annual Meetings
Annual meetings are important events in the life of an association, and making the most of them takes careful planning. Required by the association’s governing documents, annual homeowners’ meetings have legal and functional purposes: to elect new board members, vote on assessment issues, and more. But less obvious is the opportunity for image building and […]
Should Condo Owners be Allowed to Inspect Proxy Forms? (ON)
The Condominium Authority Tribunal was recently asked to rule on whether condo owners should be allowed to inspect unredacted copies of the proxy form used at an AGM. This was yet another case where the Tribunal attempted to balance privacy and transparency. Read the article………………
Homeowners (HOA) offer $1,000 reward for information in deaths of groups’ swans (TX)
A Borger homeowners association is offering a $1,000 reward for information on those involved in last week’s mutilation of two swans. The swans, owned by the group, were found early Wednesday, Aug. 15. Read the article………………
Why HOA Boards Must Hold Regular Scheduled Meetings (CA)
One of the first things you learn as you enter the world of homeowner’s association management is all items must be discussed at a board meeting and all decisions must be made in a meeting. In my eight years as an HOA Portfolio Manager, I’ve never had a Board who hasn’t met on a regular […]
Rules and Regulations: Staying in Your Lane and Avoiding Potential Hazards.
As part of our community association practice I am often asked by clients to review their rules and regulations. While this may seem like a rather simple task, it many times is made more complicated by Board confusion over what they have authority to control through the rules and regulations. Put simply HOA and condominium […]
Appeals court upholds ruling favoring Florida master condo association (FL)
The U.S. Third District Court of Appeal affirmed Aug. 8 that a lower court ruling asserting that a master condo association does not have the same responsibilities as a sub-association. Appellant Benedetto Dimitri owns six condominium units in a development controlled by the defendant, the Commercial Center of Miami Master Association. Although the master association […]
How to Avoid Construction Liens in Michigan Condominium Projects
Condominium associations hire contractors for capital improvements, repairs and for restoration work to the general and limited common elements, if appropriate. When a condominium association hires a contractor to provide labor, services or materials to the condominium and then fails to make payment for any reason, the contractor may record a construction lien against the […]
Ducks, geese waddle on dry ground after HOA pond springs leak (TX)
A homeowners association on the city’s North Side has been forced to drain a man-made pond, causing problems for ducks and geese that call the watering hole home. The Eden Homeowners Association would fill the pond with a water pump, only to see the water level dramatically fall from one day to the next. After […]
A woman was walking her dog by a lagoon. Then an alligator pulled her underwater, police say.
A South Carolina woman was killed by an alligator while walking her dog on Hilton Head Island in what authorities said was an “extremely uncommon” attack. Officials with the Beaufort, S.C., County Sheriff’s Office said the woman, identified by authorities as 45-year-old Cassandra Cline, was pulled into a lagoon Monday morning by the eight-foot-long reptile. […]
Concord HOA admits residents’ cars shouldn’t have been towed (NC)
Residents at Moss Creek Townhomes in Concord couldn’t believe it when they walked outside Friday and saw their vehicles had been removed. At least eight cars were towed after the homeowners association began enforcing parking rules put in place earlier this year. No one was given any warning about vehicles being towed in front of […]
After discovering letter of intent from late 1980s, Mission approves moving Lincolnshire subdivision into public road system (KS)
Mission has accepted the Lincolnshire subdivision, which was previously responsible for the maintenance of its own streets, into the city’s public street system. The city had been treating the streets as private, which puts the responsibility of maintenance in the hands of the homeowners association. But last year, Mission staff discovered old documentation indicating the […]
No Proxies Required- Electronic Voting for Condominium Corporations (ON)
Responsible boards of condominium corporations should encourage unit owners to vote for themselves, rather than allowing proxies to consolidate power in the hands of a few. For condo managers, the number one frustration is the proxy form and the process for collecting, explaining and reviewing those forms. So why bother sending proxies or instructing owners […]
Common Issues HOA Board Members Face
Serving on the HOA board is a unique experience that brings together volunteers of varying backgrounds and philosophies. Volunteering in such capacity is extremely rewarding, but can also be hard at times especially considering that most board members are simply just volunteers without formal training in HOA affairs. HOA board members must collectively come together […]
Can Members Be Excluded From Board Meetings? (NY)
An air conditioner can keep you cool. It can also cause the temperature to rise among neighbors, which is what happened in a seven-unit Tribeca co-op when a board member installed an air conditioner without permission – then learned that the board had met to discuss the situation without the board member present. The board […]
New Term Limit Law Not Retroactive (FL)
Q: In one of your recent columns, you wrote about a new law that imposes term limits of eight years on condominium directors. Is this retroactive? Read the Q&A……………
What’s the best way to get association members’ names for bulk cable contract? (FL)
Q: Read the Q&A……………What’s the best way to get association members’ names for bulk cable contract?
Lawsuit filed in condo association theft case (HI)
A Hilo condominium owners’ association is suing a former vice chairman of the state Real Estate Commission and his wife for allegedly embezzling about $120,000 in funds. The civil lawsuit was filed Monday in Hilo Circuit Court by Hilo attorney Steven Strauss on behalf of Kawili Regency Association of Unit Owners. The defendants are Scott […]
I-Team: Mastermind behind Las Vegas HOA defraud scheme sentenced (NV)
The largest political corruption case in southern Nevada came to an end Friday with the re-sentencing of the ringleader. The scheme focused of seizing control of local homeowner associations and involved dozens of co-conspirators including lawyers, retired police officers, and others. Former construction company owner Leon Benzer will serve 12 more years in federal prison […]
Association must protect deceased owner’s property (IL)
Q. An owner of as unit in our association recently died. Various family members have now come to the association office and have demanded that the association give them the “emergency” key to the unit. Apparently, not trusting each other, the family members are “fighting” over who should get the key and as to who […]
FL Q&A: Must condo minutes be kept forever
Q: I heard that a new law for condominium associations mandates that all the minutes of all meetings of the association must be permanently maintained. Is this correct? Read the Q&A……………
What happens if association board is ‘dissolved’? (MI)
Q: Our condominium association board recently found out that its corporation has been “dissolved.” What does that mean and how can we fix it? Read the Q&A……………
HOA Homefront: 10 ways to keep the lawyers at bay (CA)
Serving as a volunteer director is often thankless, but it shouldn’t be risky. Here are 10 ways to reduce if not prevent personal risk from your service. Read the article………………
Woman ‘makes’ own handicapped parking space in Charlotte neighborhood (NC)
It’s not something you see every day. A neighbor contacted FOX 46 after someone took it upon themselves to spray paint this handicap symbol in a parking space by her home. “That’s a new one, but I have seen a lot of bizarre things,” said Julia Sain, the Executive Director of Disability Rights and Resources. […]
APCHA sending surveys to gauge HOA finances (CO)
The local affordable-housing authority that oversees ownership units in the program is sending out a survey to homeowner associations to get a handle on how many are underwater with their capital reserves and deferred maintenance. It is a massive issue at some complexes, such as Centennial, where there is not enough money in the coffer […]
Lakewood Eagle Ridge fraud lawsuit: Conspiracy must be spelled out, judge says (NJ)
Residents opposed to construction of homes on Lakewood’s Eagle Ridge Golf Club need to refile their consumer fraud lawsuit against the developer, a judge said Friday. More than 600 residents of The Fairways at Lake Ridge in May sued developer GDMS Holdings LLC and the company that built their age-restricted community decades ago, the Kokes […]
Recommendations to Prevent Cyber Theft at your Community
An article titled “Real Threats” in the July/August Community Manager Magazine [Best Practices for Community Association Managers] highlighted the 2018 Survey of Cyber-security in Community Associations by the Foundation for Community Association Research. To help your board we’ve summarized the main points from the 7 page report and the article in the following recommendations to […]
A Retirement Community Turned Away These Married Women (MO)
Mary Walsh and Beverly Nance did considerable research in 2016 before deciding to move into a continuing care retirement community outside St. Louis. They took a tour of Friendship Village Sunset Hills and were impressed by its pool and fitness center, a calendar crammed with activities, the newly built apartments for independent living. They had […]
St. Pete to condo residents: Move out (FL)
Condo owners in a St. Petersburg high rise have been told they have three days to move out. City inspectors condemned Bridgeton North Condos after they discovered some serious engineering issues. For quite some time, construction crews have been trying to fix the building’s leaky roof. Read the article………………
State regulator accused of hijacking condo association he was assigned to investigate (FL)
The state is investigating one of its own now-former regulators after accusations that he abused his power at a condominium he was assigned to investigate, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation confirms. Eduardo Iglesias duped residents into hiring not only his own association management company, but also his wife as the condo’s attorney after […]