Fire leads to water damage at Lake Oswego luxury condominiums (OR)

As final work was being completed on units within the Frances Condominiums on D Street in Lake Oswego this week, a small fire ignited — leading the water sprinkler system to damage many units within the complex. The Lake Oswego Fire Department responded to the fire at 2:38 a.m. Wednesday, April 23. When firefighters arrived, […]

Wall Street condo tormented by ear-blasting noise, black smoke from neighboring building’s generators (NY)

These Wall Streeters would trade anything for a good night sleep.  Residents at a Financial District condo building have had their lives upended after a neighboring building installed emergency generators right beneath their windows — tormenting them with constant ear-shattering that sent some fleeing the state. For three long weeks, the three massive commercial generators […]

Three Years Later: Lengthy claims process continues to frustrate fire victims, elected leaders (NV)

Three years after the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire ravaged the site of a mountain community and resort, those charged with managing the land are still awaiting compensation from FEMA.  Debbie Simpson, accepted the position of executive director of the Pendaries Village Community Association in Rociada in June 2023.    Read the article…………………………….

Modesto condo owners push back against $25K HOA fee (CA)

Condo owners in Modesto’s Walnut Orchards community are protesting a proposed $25,000 special assessment per unit to replace balconies, some of which were deemed unsafe by the city of Modesto. Red tags and caution tape recently appeared on at least eight balconies in the gated condominium complex. The city of Modesto says they need to […]

Golf course owners want to negotiate for higher density (SC)

Tom Stickler and Stephen Goldfinch agreed that the wording of a new zoning district for the Founders Club and Litchfield Country Club golf courses needs more work, and were pleased that the Georgetown County Planning Commission last week urged County Council to defer action, but not for the same reason. Stickler, president of the Hagley […]

Man running for mayor in Iowa Colony arrested after run-in with would be constituent (TX)

A mayoral candidate in Iowa Colony faces an assault charge following a confrontation outside a clubhouse in the Sterling Lakes subdivision. It’s where tensions over his role as Property Owners Association (POA) board president boiled over.  Douglas Chumley, who serves as both the Sterling Lakes POA board president and Iowa Colony mayoral hopeful, was arrested […]

Condo Board Learns the High Cost of Deferred Maintenance (NY)

Over the years, the various condo boards at a small converted loft building commissioned several facade engineering studies. All of them discovered noticeable cracking and recommended remediation. Each board apparently believed that a long-standing brick building was safe, and they apparently were unwilling to pay for repairs that were not absolutely necessary, and so they […]

Floridians share the impacts of the state’s condo crisis

Legislation passed after a 2021 deadly building collapse aimed to improve the safety of condominiums in Florida. But the increased inspections, studies, and changes to funding reserves have left people grappling with higher fees.   Read the article…………………………….

Former Miami-Dade HOA president accused of stealing over $15K in association funds (FL)

A former homeowners association president has been arrested for allegedly misusing more than $15,000 in HOA funds, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.  Roberto Montalvo Jr., 63, was taken into custody on Wednesday following an investigation by the agency’s Organized Crime Bureau and Real Estate Fraud Squad.  Detectives say Montalvo used $3,150 in HOA funds […]

Florida’s California Moment: Skyrocketing Housing, HOA and Insurance Costs Take Center Stage in 2025

For decades, Florida has served as a haven from high-tax, high-cost states — attracting retirees, snowbirds, hourly workers, and increasingly, younger professionals priced out of other housing markets. From 2021 to 2023, nearly 2.76 million people relocated to the Sunshine State, propelling it to become the third most populous in the nation, according to real […]

What to do when your HOA refuses a reduced quorum meeting (CA)

Q: The board of my association does not like the new law allowing for adjournment to 20% for the adjourned annual meeting so they canceled the annual meeting and have failed to reschedule it so far. The HOA has no election rules    Read the Q&A………………………………..

Why Florida’s Condo Owners Are So Desperate to Sell

Florida is contending with a condo crisis, and the ballooning costs of ownership are a big reason why.  Retirees Rob and Karen Dickson moved from upstate New York to Punta Gorda, Fla., in 2021. They paid $319,000 for a condo with a terrace on the third floor, overlooking a golf course inside their gated community.  […]

Residents of ritzy NYC condo the Apthorp — where ‘Only Murders in the Building’ filmed — cope with months-long gas outage

They’re steaming mad about these hot plates. Residents of the ritzy historic Upper West Side condo, the Apthorp, have been without gas for months — and they’re furious at building management for giving them paltry electric cookers to cope, The Post has learned. Read the article…………………………….“I have this beautiful apartment. All I want to do […]

Can HOAs use drones to enforce regulations? (NV)

Q: An issue of a neighbor: She was surprised by our homeowners association revealing that her backyard was not in compliance. The previous owner had reported corrective action. She asked me about any recourse. She is from Florida and was unaware of our Office of the Ombudsman. I briefed her and advised that she should […]

Belmont Bay HOA facing scrutiny over transparency concerns (VA)

A Belmont Bay resident and former homeowners’ association president is attacking the current association leadership over transparency concerns. Leaders of the riverfront community in Woodbridge held a meeting with its developer, Miller & Smith, in executive session Dec. 5 – allegedly without notifying the wider community.   Read the article…………………………….

‘It’s outrageous’: Colorado condo owners face $8,341 fee thanks damage from a hailstorm last year — here’s why HOAs can do that,

When a severe hailstorm hit the First Creek Farm condominium complex in Aurora, Colorado, residents of the building had no idea the bad weather could end up costing them thousands. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has happened, as the storm did $4 million in damage to the condo. While there was insurance on the building, the […]

Topsider Condos Damaged By Wild Sunday Storms (MO)

A series of storm systems that put the Lake of the Ozarks area under tornado and flood warnings ripped the roof covering off a building at Topsider Condos and drenched the units beneath it, on Sunday. Sunday evening, crews from local restoration company A-Z Home Services could be seen on-site at Topsider Condos, removing the […]

Three hospitalized after two-alarm fire at Briargate Condominiums (SC)

Three people were taken to the hospital after a large fire at a condo complex in Columbia. A spokesperson for the Columbia Fire Department (CFD) said crews responded to a 2-alarm fire at the Briargate Condos off of Broad River Road around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. 3rd shift crews, along with the Irmo Fire District, […]

Project vote divides sprawling Mesa home owners association (AZ)

Inside the 582-acre Fountain of the Sun, which sports a view of the Superstition Mountains and an 18-hole executive course, a schism has fractured the retirement community in northeast Mesa. At the center of the dispute between some residents and the association’s board is the Activity Center, which houses a ballroom/ auditorium, fitness center, multi-purpose […]

HOA Q&A: Can non unit owners serve on committees? (FL)

Q. Our covenants committee wants to change our bylaws to allow non unit owners to serve on committees. But what are your thoughts about homeowners association employees serving on committees?   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Bemus Point Declines Joining CLPOA Lawsuit (NY)

The Bemus Point Village Board has said no to joining a lawsuit that the Chautauqua Lake Property Owners Association is set to file against the state Department of Environmental Conservation later this month. Since announcing the CLPOA’s intent to sue the DEC during a public meeting in mid-March, Jim Wehfritz, CLPOA director, has attended town […]

Watauga County property owners in David vs Goliath battle over water rights (NC)

Property owners in a gated community in Watauga County are dealing with a case of David vs Goliath in what could set a precedent for other property owners in the state. An ongoing contested case between Twin Rivers Property Owners Association (POA) in Foscoe, outside of Boone, and the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) surrounds […]

“Ugly as hell.” Critique of Surfside collapse memorial complicates project (FL)

Last-minute objections to a planned memorial for the victims of the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse have upset family members who say the project must continue without delay.  The big picture: Commissioners and a family-led memorial committee have already approved design plans for a memorial park near the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse.   Read […]

Man caught on camera torching car in West El Paso (TX)

Managers of the Sierra Del Sol Homeowners’ Association in West El Paso are seeking help identifying the person shown of surveillance video torching the former HOA president’s car. The video, released by the HOA today, shows the unidentified person using a fire-starting device to set fire to President Arthur Gilbert Stoltz’s car, a HOA managers […]

Kensington Farms HOA Joins Forces with Lawrence’s Neighborhood Hub to Strengthen Community Ties (IN)

Lawrence’s community-driven initiative, the Neighborhood Hub, has a new member joining its ranks—a move signaling further steps towards a connected, inclusive community. Kensington Farms HOA has announced their partnership with the city initiative, as shared in a recent statement by the City of Lawrence.    Read the article…………………………….

Florida condo crisis: What is a milestone inspection report in Florida?

Florida condos are a popular real estate option for people living in the Sunshine State, especially if it has an ocean view.  However, a condo crisis is impacting condo owners throughout Florida because of rising financial costs caused by new special assessments and hiked-up HOA fees, caused by state laws passed requiring inspections and mandating […]

Houston HOAs outpace the national average (TX)

Greater Houston homebuyers are more likely than most Americans to face homeowners association fees, per a recent report from Realtor.com. Why it matters: For many homebuyers, HOA fees are another financial hurdle in an already tough market. How it works: HOA dues typically cover maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms, plus other costs that […]

Birch Bay Village opens up private golf links to nearby HOAs (WA)

Tucked away in Birch Bay Village (BBV), a gated community of roughly 1,100 homes on the north shore of Birch Bay, is a nine-hole golf course that has for years been reserved almost exclusively for residents since its construction in the 1960s. That changed recently when BBV’s HOA board voted to open the golf course […]