Aspen’s North 40 neighborhood will close their common area pathways for Halloween 2020, the homeowners’ association announced Monday. Homeowners will not be offering candy to trick-or-treaters, according to the release. Halloween at the North 40 typically attracts thousands of community members and families in the Roaring Fork Valley. Read the article……………………………..
No plans for eroded section of Bluff Road (MI)
The half-mile section of the Peninsula Township road was closed nearly a year ago when erosion from high water threatened to collapse it. The Monday tour, done during a special meeting hosted at the site, was meant to open a dialogue between the commission and members of the Mission Hills Homeowners Association, who say closing […]
Missouri statute stops homeowner associations from banning political signs (MO)
Homeowners associations have rules stopping people from putting any political signs on their lawns but a Missouri statute says that’s not allowed. The statue makes those homeowners association rules unenforceable. “In some respects, we have conflicting guidelines here and we just have to go with the one that’s enforceable and the fact is that our […]
Brooklyn Waterfront Condos Sue Over Raucous Block Parties (NY)
The boards of three luxury condominium developments along the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, waterfront are suing the city for more than $2 million, claiming Parks Department officials have failed to maintain the publicly managed green spaces and piers fronting their buildings, while also allowing raucous revelers to party late into the night, Brownstoner reports. Read the article…………………………….
Condominium budget preparation issues (FL)
It is that time of year when Condominium Associations start working on preparing their budgets for 2021. Usually a small committee or the board will have a “workshop” to come up with a preliminary budget and later in the year the board will vote on the final budget. Read the article…………………………………
Condominium election must follow statutorily mandated procedure (FL)
Q: The board president of our condominium didn’t send out any notices for the upcoming condo board elections. He did the same thing last year as well. Is it a violation of the condominium rules? Read the Q&A…………………………………….
Club West fining new owner over golf course (AZ)
The Foothills Club West Association board is leveling fines on the new owners of the golf course for not conforming to its land use regulations. Association board President Mike Hinz made the disclosure to the HOA’s approximate 2,700 homeowners as he repudiated a report in the Ahwatukee Foothills News last Wednesday that said the owners […]
Ormond Lakes HOA seeks stormwater remedies as Planning Board OKs Ormond Grande project (FL)
The Planning Board unanimously recommended approval for a development order, rezoning and preliminary plat request for the construction of 60-townhome units off U.S. 1, hoping that the project engineer and the Ormond Lakes homeowners association can come to an agreement to solve the existing drainage issues affecting nearby residents. Read the article………………………………..
Removing the HOA board won’t solve the insurance problem (NV)
Q: In a homeowners association meeting late last year we were told that because of a high number of claims, they could no longer afford water damage insurance. Then a notice came out early January that as of Jan. 15 we have no water damage insurance on the property. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Order of protection issue stymies board (IL)
Q: A resident in our condominium association obtained an order of protection against another resident of the condominium; the two residents live in the units next door to one another. The order of protection requires the one resident to stay a certain distance from the other resident. The resident who obtained the order of protection […]
HOA orders Trump supporters to pull the plug on shocking signs (KY)
Were they protecting freedom of speech or creating a neighborhood hazard? The answer depends on who you ask. A Louisville neighborhood is buzzing after two residents electrified their political signs, they say, to keep them from being stolen. Both residents are fans of President Donald Trump. “It’s a fence charger that I had up in […]
HOA Homefront: Surprised by assessments – are they legal? (CA)
Q: There is going to be an assessment at my condo and we are being told that we all must pay equally even though a number of us will have no benefit from the work being done. Is there anything we can do? Read the Q&A…………………………………
Q&A: Who Can See the Names of Delinquent Condo Owners? (FL)
Question: I am an owner in a condominium. I have made a request to see the individual unit owner assessment ledgers for owners who are delinquent in the payment of assessments. The board has denied my request and they claim I am not allowed to see this information. Is this true? Read the Q&A………………………………
The HOA Rule Game
The issue of rules in homeowner associations is one that can trigger a wide range of responses. While most HOAs require little rule enforcement, there are some that seem rule-driven or inhabited by I-eat-rules-for-lunch residents. This combination is a formula for trouble. That said, there are some recommended approaches to effective rules compliance that every […]
Fisher Island homeowners sue developer and community association tied to ferry landings (FL)
Plans for a new luxury condominium tower and a new single-family home development on Fisher Island would eliminate a third ferry landing used for emergencies, according to a recently filed lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Read the article…………………………….
Three-alarm fire breaks out in Denver condo complex (CO)
Firefighters in Denver on Wednesday afternoon responded to a three-alarm fire at an apartment complex where flames were rising out of the roof and smoke billowed into the sky. Read the article……………………………
Sinking Millennium Tower Pile Retrofit to Start Next Month in San Francisco (CA)
Work on the nearly $100-million perimeter pile upgrade of San Francisco’s sinking Millennium Tower, to prevent significant future settlement, is set to start next month, now that litigation over the problem has been fully resolved. The 645-ft-tall residential tower settled about 17.3 in. since its completion in 2008. Millennium Tower Association, the homeowners’ group for […]
A new Idaho law allows homeowners to put up political signs in their front yards without HOA approval (ID)
On Saturday afternoon, Waller and her husband, who own a home in Boise, put up a slew of political signs in her front yard, she said, knowing they would get an email from their HOA, which they did less than 24 hours after they went up. However, that rule is now outdated. In March, the […]
Prior Lake’s private street utility surcharge proposal is postponed until next year (MN)
The proposed $40 surcharge would have been included in residents’ bi-monthly utility bill and used to create a funding source to cover the cost of replacing private streets should the city need to replace the public utilities, such as sewer and water, which lie underneath them. While the city is responsible for the cost of […]
Williamsburg condo boards sue NYC for allowing area to fall into “complete disrepair” (NY)
Three Williamsburg condo boards have filed a $2 million lawsuit against the city, alleging it has failed to maintain the waterfront areas that the buildings developed and for which owners continue to pay fees. Read the article………………………………
Jones Creek golf course fails to sell (GA)
Tripp Nanney, the president of the Jones Creek Homeowners Association, has said that Saul is asking too high a price. Nanney said interested investors have told him that even after buying the land, it would cost a new owner several million dollars more to rebuild the course to peak playability after being closed and untended […]
Iowa City reaffirms homeowners association is responsible for stormwater management
Although the City of Iowa City has reaffirmed its position that the city is not responsible for maintenance of the stormwater management facility located in the Olde Towne Village subdivision, it continues to receive complaints from residents about the system that the appearance of the wetland is an “eyesore and nuisance.” Read the article……………………………………
St. Louis grand jury indicts McCloskeys on gun charges, tampering with evidence (MO)
City attorneys for St. Louis refused to charge nine protesters who were ticketed for trespassing after members of the Portland Place trustees said they did not want to press charges against them. Following Tuesday’s hearing, the McCloskeys’ attorney said his clients own the sidewalk in front of their home and that they, and other members […]
Woman takes swing at HOA (TN)
A Point Drive woman made her point recently when she took a baseball bat to her own mailbox in defiance of her homeowner’s association. The woman arrived at police headquarters to self-report the damage but noted it was interference by her homeowner’s association that pushed her over the edge. The woman explained that she was […]
Sewage backs up into hundreds of Moyock, NC homes; Why Currituck County says they can’t do anything (NC)
Nine days without the ability to use the toilet, wash dishes or shower is nine too many for Moyock homeowner Stephanie Harlow. “I’m at my wits’ end,” Harlow said Monday morning at her home in the Eagle Creek community, that sits off route 158 in Moyock. Harlow, and what neighbors describe as the vast majority […]
Law says homeowner can place political sign in yard (NV)
Q: First and foremost, thank you for the article in the Review-Journal answering questions regarding political signs. I have a follow-up question in regard to a situation with a homeowners association here in town. The HOA is trying to restrict the political sign’s location to inside the window of the property only, and not allowing […]
Savannah’s Windsor Forest Community Association hosts voter registration event. (GA)
Monday, Oct. 5 is the deadline for Georgians to register to vote in the November election, and Savannah’s Windsor Forest Community Association is making sure everyone who wants to vote, can. It hosted a voter registration event Sunday, at the corner of Largo Drive and Windsor Road. Read the article……………………………
Condominium election must follow statutorily mandated procedure (FL)
Q: The board president of our condominium didn’t send out any notices for the upcoming condo board elections. He did the same thing last year as well. Is it a violation of the condominium rules? Read the Q&A………………………………
South Tulsa Neighborhoods Install High Tech Security Cameras (OK)
Several Tulsa neighborhoods are adding unique cameras to help solve crime. Two neighborhoods that cover a square mile near 81st and Sheridan have installed tag reading cameras. They can even sort out cars based on a vague description and help police get a tag number that might identify the driver. There are signs all over […]
Gated communities so far cut out from debris removal in Escambia County (FL)
Local government contractors can’t pick up debris from gated communities like Innerarity Island, which was hard hit from Hurricane Sally last month — a complication that is slowing down the debris removal process in Escambia County. Read the article……………………………………
Santa Fe man fights HOA over Biden sign (NM)
A Santa Fe man is taking a stand against a homeowner’s association over what he contends is his First Amendment right to display a campaign sign in his front yard, reigniting a long-running debate that resurfaces every election when political expressions conflict with rules on private property. Read the article……………………………….
HOA Homefront: Can boards ban all tenants with criminal backgrounds? (CA)
Q: Apparently my HOA made a change in the CC&Rs. The HOA requires any prospective tenants must be approved by the board, and no applicant who has a criminal record will be approved. The amendment says nothing about buyers of any of the units. Can they make these demands for just rental units and not […]
Flag fight: Delaware homeowner at odds with HOA over American flag display (DE)
In one Middletown, Delaware community seemingly crafted in classic Americana displays of Old Glory fit in like pieces of a puzzle. And yet one three by five-foot flag standing at 13 feet in Richard Killingsworth’s backyard in the Parkside development is now under some scrutiny that some fear is dividing the community. Read the article………………………………….
Fort Myers couple looking for answers after HOA removes their chimney (FL)
A Fort Myers couple is looking for answers after they say their homeowners association removed part of their home without their approval. The couple is now desperately trying to figure out what they can do. Read the article……………………………..
Homeowners: HOAs selectively request removal of social justice signs, flags (GA)
Homeowners in Gwinnett and Cobb County are questioning the changing directives and enforcement surrounding homeowners associations’ stance on social justice signs and flags. The recent denials and requests to remove Black Lives Matter and Pride signs and flags have prompted two Gwinnett homeowners to consider legal action, while both associations point to their rules and […]
Former Shady Oak Pines Homeowner Association President Arrested for Stealing $21,000 Over 3-Year Period (FL)
According to Titusville police spokesperson Amy Matthews, Rowen is suspected of stealing more than $21,000 from the Shady Oak Pines Homeowners Association over the span of three years, during which he was the association’s president. 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……………………………..
Condo living: What to do about feuding neighbors and a surplus operating budget (FL)
Q: Our condominium has been running with an operating surplus for a few months. The surplus is because we have experienced fewer operating expenses for amenities that have been closed due to COVID-19. That being said, we also expect insurance increases in 2021. Can we apply the 2020 surplus to 2021? Read the Q&A……………………………..
Homeowners feel closer to victory over judge’s Westover decision (PA)
An eight-year battle between West Norriton homeowners and VRJ Associates, owners of Westover Country Club, has resulted in at least a temporary victory for the homeowners. On Sept. 18, Judge Garrett Page denied VRJ’s motion for summary judgment in their battle to develop a portion of the Westover golf course, which is surrounded by single-family […]
Western Shores homeowners say they won’t drop suit asking county to ensure roads are completed (KY)
It’s been two years since homeowners in the Western Shores subdivision filed a lawsuit against a developer and Calloway County elected officials regarding unfinished roads in their neighborhood, and they say they will not give up no matter how long it takes to resolve. Read the article……………………………..
Littleton man faces lawsuit from HOA over garden mulch (CO)
A Littleton man’s battle over mulch in his yard is headed to court. Isaac Puckett wanted to take a patch in front of his townhome and improve it. So, he said he put in an application to his homeowners’ association to do the work. But when he didn’t hear back, he started the work. Read […]
Neighborhood starts Operation Goat Chomp to control kudzu (NC)
Lisa Kenerait has lived in the Windsong Village development in Hickory for 17 years and has seen the kudzu creeping ever closer to the roads and homes. “It has gotten worse year after year,” she says. Kudzu can grow 18 inches a day and cover trees and anything that gets in its way. The HOA […]
Federal Judge Slaps Delray’s Seven Bridges, Litigants LaGrasso and Tannenholz (FL)
Sometimes you don’t have to make a federal case out of a federal case. That’s more or less the loud message sent today by U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks who denied a joint request by the Seven Bridges Homeowners Association, Deborah LaGrasso and Rachel Tannenholz to delay their three-way over claims of anti-semitism, harassment and […]
Condo Q&A: Amending Documents, Bylaws and Boards (FL)
Question: My cooperative dock association board of directors is exploring the ability to “self-insure” by cancelling the wind coverage on the docks and increasing the reserves. The present windstorm insurance is almost half of the annual budget and is effectively useless due to the deductible. The board thinks they can do this by amending the […]
Heroic firefight spares Santa Rosa’s Oakmont retirement community from devastation (CA)
It had all the elements of an impending disaster. Wind-whipped flames bearing down from the east were joined by blazes in Annadel-Trione State Park to the southwest and fires burning on Melita Road to the north. Together, the fire and the smoke and the chaos threatened to hem in the nearly 5,000 residents of the […]
Homeowners’ Association Documents Should Discuss Amendment (FL)
Q: My homeowners’ association is considering amendments to its governing documents. A question has come up concerning what membership vote is required to amend the documents. Can you please advise? Read the Q&A……………………………..
New lawsuit roils Val Vista HOA (AZ)
Brewing beneath the idyllic surface of a sought-after community in Gilbert with waterfront homes, an ongoing tug-of-war between free speech and defamation could end up in court. Nearly three dozen residents who have criticized the HOA board overseeing the 900-acre Val Vista Lakes Community are now facing a lawsuit from three former directors. Read the […]
750 farm boxes distributed to community (HI)
Plantation Estates Lot Owners Association in conjunction with Hua Momona Farms held a “Community Giveback” on Saturday, Aug. 15 the Kapalua Village Center distributing over 750 farm boxes to the Maui community. Read the article………………………………..
Disputed Cape St. Claire pier must go, lawsuit over erosion and property rights settled (MD)
A lawsuit between property owners and the Cape St. Claire Improvement Association was settled this month with the agreement that a pier built this spring would come down, but no easements would be granted for public access on the private land. Alan Hyatt, an attorney representing three property owners, said he doesn’t think developers anticipated some […]
Association may amend bylaws to provide that only owners may serve on board (FL)
Q: Our governing documents say that anyone can be on the board — we would like to amend that, but the management company says it would cost thousands of dollars. Are they right? Read the Q&A………………………………