A washed out road in Amherst County is causing stress for neighbors on the other side. Waking up Thursday morning, neighbors say they were shocked to see half their road in the creek. Read the article……………………
‘This Should Have Been Fixed’: Over 170 Tenants Without Gas For Several Months At Canoga Park Condominiums (CA)
The Bates family is spending another night without gas in their Canoga Park condo. Since August, Sharese Bates and her family have been unable to use their gas stove, forcing them to cook meals on a small electric burner or spend money on takeout. It’s the same story for Desiree Brown and 170 other tenants […]
West Covina Community Starts Neighborhood Watch Following Harassment (CA)
Residents of a West Covina condo community say they are being harassed by a family inside their neighborhood, and have started a neighborhood watch to protect themselves. Sophia Chavira has lived in the Monterra Pointe community for twenty years. Months ago she was awakened to the sound of boulders and rocks being thrown at her […]
Condo questions: Is my 4-year-old approval for a metal roof valid without paperwork? (FL)
Q: I do hope that you can answer a question for me. I live in an HOA. Approximately four years ago, we made an application to the architect committee for a metal roof. Several months went by and we did not hear anything regarding our application/request. Eventually, we were told by a committee member that […]
Army veteran still displaced, seeks legal help after townhouse association ripped up home (NJ)
Today is Veterans Day, but for Brooks Conner, it feels like Groundhog Day. The 76-year-old Army veteran, whose Tuckerton home was ripped up by his townhouse association while he spent much of the summer hospitalized with a heart ailment, remains displaced five weeks after the Asbury Park Press first detailed his plight. Read the article…………………………………….
Hawaii Kai high-rise condo fire kills 2 dogs
Honolulu firefighters quickly extinguished a high-rise condo building fire in Hawaii Kai that killed two dogs Tuesday evening. Flames and smoke billowed from a sixth-floor unit of the Naniwa Gardens 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 […]
Neighborhoods use police-linked license plate readers to monitor drivers in Hillsborough County (FL)
Tampa Bay residents are turning to license plate readers to keep an eye on who’s coming and going. A homeowner’s association in Temple Terrace says it’s an effort to keep homeowners safe and plans to install a system linked with police, just in case they have to share the information when a crime happens. Read […]
Outdoor grilling activists in Florida take protesting to a searing new level (FL)
If the culmination of last week’s election has created a void in your life, an empty spot where righteous protest used to exist, let me suggest an area of grievance you may not have considered. Outdoor barbecue grills. In Florida, residents of a Clearwater adults-only condo community are leading the way on this, taking to […]
15 people displaced after Woodside Condominium fire (AL)
Birmingham Fire crews are working to extinguish a fire at Woodside Condominiums Sunday afternoon. Due to the fire, 15 people have been displaced, according to authorities on the scene. However, there was no report of any injuries. Read the article…………………………….
HOA president’s father should not have been on ballot (NV)
Q: In my community, the HOA president’s father was allowed to nominate himself for the board. He does own a separate unit from his daughter. No one ran against him, and he was elected to the board. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Illinois Q&A
Q: Are there any laws that describe what insurance the association and owners in a common interest community association are required to maintain on the units and common area? Read the Q&A………………………………….
HOA Homefront: Election inspectors, flyers and rules for candidates (CA)
Q: According to Senate Bill 323, management is not allowed to participate in elections. But our management found a loophole – a spouse of one of the owners of the management company opened a business as an Inspector of Election. Now, this is our inspector. Also, according to civil code, candidates and members are allowed […]
Engineer services are exempt from competitive bidding process (FL)
Q: We are trying to interview engineers to provide some specifications for lake banks and oversee the restoration work. We have received a number of referrals for a particular engineer, but he is the most expensive. Are we precluded from choosing this vendor if he is otherwise our first choice? Read the Q&A…………………………………..
White Horse Park Residents Want County Out Of Lawsuit (MD)
A trial is currently scheduled for Dec. 15 and 16 after last month’s settlement talks resulted in no agreement between the parties. Cropper’s clients filed their lawsuit against Worcester County last fall after the county announced plans to begin enforcing White Horse Park’s seasonal occupancy restrictions. Residents, many of whom have lived at White Horse […]
Park Avenue Co-op Board Prevails in Battle of the Books (NY)
The seesaw battle for access to co-ops’ and condos’ books rages on. In the latest skirmish – a major victory for co-op boards – Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Nancy M. Bannon has ruled that a disgruntled shareholder’s request for access to corporate books and records was “overly broad” and was supported “only by speculation” of […]
Monroe firefighters battle condo fire, escape partial floor collapse (CT)
Officials said the condo unit that caught fire was unoccupied and under renovation. However, police and firefighters helped alert and evacuate several senior citizens from adjacent units. Firefighters were also able to escape injury when they found a partial collapse of the main floor into the basement. Read the article……………………………..
One firefighter injured, about 20 displaced in condo complex blaze in East Haven (CT)
Fire crews in East Haven are battling a blaze at The Village condo complex on Main Street Wednesday night. Footage sent in by a News 8 reporter on the scene shows clear fire damage to second floor windows. Read the article…………………………
Condo questions: Does sharing membership’s personal info violate Florida law?
Q: Recently, at one of our board meetings, it was revealed that our property manager and board president allowed a member to access all of our membership’s personal information, including medical records, bank records, SSNs, driver’s licenses, sales and lease information, etc. That person reported that they were seeing medical records. Is this a violation […]
Ask The HOA Expert: Shared Expenses, HOA Newsletters, Swayed Managers
Question: Our By-laws indicate that expenses are shared equally. We have one and two bedroom units that vary significantly in size. Dividing expenses equally seems unfair. Can we simply vote to change it? If so, how many need to vote in favor of it? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Judge slaps Club West board, stops any vote (AZ)
Citing “serious questions” surrounding the Club West HOA board’s secret assumption of the golf course’s land-use rights, a Superior Court judge on Monday stopped it from asking homeowners to vote this year on an investor group’s plan to turn the site into a park with houses. Read the article………………………………….
Homearama homeowners face $10,000-a-year special assessment (OH)
….But now that the show’s over and she’s preparing to move in, Sliverthorne said she and her husband are reeling from the prospect of having to pay a $10,000-a-year special assessment over the next 15 years to cover part of the development costs. Read the article………………………………….
Jacksonville man says HOA told him to remove Black Lives Matter flag (FL)
An Arlington man says he’s receiving unfair treatment from his homeowner’s association. Antoine Mickel has lived in the Arlington community for 21 years. He said everyone living in his neighborhood are free to express themselves, flying American flags, seasonal flags and political flags. But he says the moment that he put up his Black Lives […]
Woman admits to spending thousands of HOA funds to pay her own bills, police say (FL)
A woman in Orange County is charged with grand theft after police said she took money from a Lake County homeowners’ association to pay her own bills. Police said Joan-Marie Baskett was elected secretary of the Ranch Club Homeowner’s Association, which is based at Eagle Run in Groveland. Read the article………………………………..
‘Outrageous’ letter urges Chesterfield families who support Black Lives Matter to move (VA)
Several Chesterfield families who support Black Lives Matter and Democratic candidates received anonymous letters urging them to move out……In 2017, Hallsley at Midlothian was nationally awarded the Best Community in America, according to the community’s website. CBS 6 reached out to the homeowner’s association for a comment, but they haven’t responded as of Friday afternoon. […]
Declaration outweighs condo bylaws (IL)
Q: The condominium declaration for our association provides for a five person board of directors. However, bylaws attached as an exhibit to the declaration provide for a three-person board. Which number of board members is correct? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Voting on amending governing documents (FL)
Well, Tuesday will be the day folks will go vote in person for President of the United States. That is for those who did not already vote by absentee ballot. When the votes are counted anybody who did not vote is not counted at all in determining who will win and be our next President. […]
HOA Homefront: Examining old CC&Rs and expirations (CA)
Q: I wanted to know if you have any information in regard to the expiration of California CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions). I’ve heard 20 years from the time of the recorded filing of the CC&Rs. I ask because I live in a subdivision development of homes that has no common areas but does have […]
HOA in Tierrasanta is requiring residents to remove holiday decorations (CA)
Residents in Tierrasanta are sounding off as the home owner’s association for the first time is requiring them to take down all holiday decorations in “common areas” Read the article…………………………….
Glendale HOA orders removal of Black Lives Matter sign (IL)
Melanie Boyle hung a hand-painted Black Lives Matter sign on her home in July to show her support for the movement and its demands for justice. “I wanted to do this little act of putting up a sign and open more conversation about it in my area,” she said. Conversations with her neighbors went well, […]
Firefighters extinguish fire at 8-story Perdido Key complex (FL)
Firefighters rushed to an eight-story Perdido Key condominium complex Thursday after black smoke began billowing from its upper floors. Read the article…………………………………
Yes, HOA’s in Georgia can regulate political signs
With only days until Election Day, the pressure is on for candidates and their supporters to sway voters. Shows of support often come in the form of campaign signs in yards of neighborhoods. But can homeowners’ associations in Georgia regulate or restrict signs, including political ones? Read the article……………………………….
WMBF INVESTIGATES: Protections, solutions for local homeowners facing HOA issues (SC)
Homeowner association complaints have become one of the top issues that come through the WMBF Investigates email inbox. This kind of dispute has become a chronic problem along the Grand Strand. Oftentimes, it is neighbor versus neighbor, and the HOA is asked to step in to fix the problem, only to be told it’s out […]
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 […]
Funding for crumbling foundations study already paying dividends for condo owners (CT)
Fresh funding for the study of crumbling foundations in the state, appears to be paying dividends, lowering the cost of testing for pyrrhotite to nothing for some homeowners, including residents at Ryefield Condominiums in Vernon. Read the article……………………………..
Condo questions: Is a director entitled to team members’ wage information? (FL)
Q: I am on the board of directors of a large homeowners association. We directly employ our management and maintenance teams. It is budget season, and the president will only provide the board members with a summary of total wages and salaries. She is refusing to provide us with a breakdown of the various staff […]
The giant hole in Pasco County has stopped growing (FL)
The hole, which is now 46-feet wide and 130-feet deep, was 38-feet wide and 70-feet deep as of Oct. 8. The hole is located on the private property of Varsity Club Sports Bar and the Spring Haven Homeowners Association. The private property owners will be working with engineers to fix the depression. Read the […]
‘It’s upsetting — a brand new home’: Clover couple sues over flooding issues (SC)
A Clover couple is suing their homeowner’s association and the company that sold them their house, over flooding issues. Rodney Robinson and his wife bought the brand new home in 2016. “About six weeks after that was the first real bad storm,” Robinson told Action 9?s Jason Stoogenke. “We had stormwater basically up to the […]
Titans pay fans’ HOA fees so that he can keep his ‘Tennessee Tough’ sign in his yard TN)
A Tennessee Titans fan in Murfreesboro was told to remove his Titans yard sign or he’d be fined by his homeowner’s association. So what did the Titans do? They brought him a bigger sign of course. Read the article…………………………….
Condo residents sue Virginia Beach over proposed high rise that would block their view of the Chesapeake Bay (VA)
Two condo associations have sued the city and a senior living community over a proposed high-rise building that will threaten neighbors’ view of the Chesapeake Bay. The residents of Ocean Shore Condominium Association and Ships Watch Condominium Owners’ Association filed the lawsuit last week, one month after the the Virginia Beach City Council approved the […]
Officials: 18 residents displaced after car crashes into condo building (MD)
Eighteen people are without a home after officials say a car crashed into a condominium building, according to the Prince George’s County Fire Department. Read the article………………………………..
Thousands of renters (in HOA) won’t have their water shut off, thanks to new plan (FL)
A water company has pledged not to turn off the water for thousands of residents despite a mounting debt and a previous threat to shut the spigot. Residents of the Ramblewood East complex in Coral Springs fell behind in paying their bills since March, and their homeowners association couldn’t keep up with almost $300,000 in […]
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……………………………………
1 dead after fire Inver Grove Heights condominium fire (MN)
One person is dead after a fire in an Inver Grove Heights condominium Sunday night, officials said. Crews said they were called to the condominium complex in the 3800 block of Conroy Trail, just before 9 p.m. on reports that a person might be trapped inside one of the units during the fire. Read […]
Crews respond to condo fire at Indian Harbour Beach (FL)
Crews responded to a condo fire in Indian Harbour Beach on Friday night. Firefighters with the Indian Harbour Beach Volunteer Fire Department said they were at the scene of the fire at Jamestown Condos on Palm Springs Boulevard. Read the article………………………………..
HOA board does not like the house paint color (NV)
Q: I’m a disabled American Veteran. I need help against what I believe to be an unfair request from my homeowners association, which is placing me in a physical and financial hardship. I called the HOA last spring and asked about the color I planned on painting my house and they agreed on that color: […]
Injunction allows Black Lives Matter sign to stay in Belchertown condo complex (MA)
A Hampshire Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday allowing a Belchertown condominium owner to display a Black Lives Matter sign near her unit after she was ordered to remove the sign by condominium trustees. Read the article…………………………………
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…………………………………..
Political signs a violation in some developments (PA)
During this contentious presidential campaign, there seems to be a political sign everywhere you look. But there’s at least one planned community in Carbon County where displaying a sign can lead to fines. And not all the residents agree with that. Read the article…………………………………
Former HOA board members in Gilbert’s Val Vista Lakes sue fellow residents, claiming defamation (AZ)
Three former board members of a Gilbert homeowners association are suing residents for defamation, escalating ongoing tensions over the HOA board, free speech and harassment in the upscale neighborhood. The lawsuit names 20 Val Vista Lakes residents for “defamatory, harassing, and otherwise violative conduct” against three former board leaders, according to the complaint filed in […]