This column concludes a two-part series on the myths associated with common household mold. “You cannot handle it yourself.” Many mold consultants treat mold as if it were asbestos, typically developing repair protocols that are virtually identical to asbestos protocols. Read the article……………………………….
Miami Beach man charged after pushing 80-year-old man off elevator to practice social distancing (FL)
Malcolm Gross, 72, has been charged after allegedly injuring a man in his 80’s at the Portofino Towers located at 300 S. Pointe Dr. in Miami Beach in June. In recently released video footage, Gross appears to have pushed the man off an elevator in an attempt to practice social distancing. Due to the coronavirus […]
Condo column: Can a limited liability company buy a condominium unit? (FL)
Q: One of our homeowners has weekly pool parties and the noise is very disturbing and sometimes the parties go late into the evening and keep us awake. The HOA is requiring that we file a complaint and they won’t accept anonymous complaints. I am fearful to sign my name to a complaint, but the […]
Broomfield family seeks to change HOA sign rules (CO)
Broomfield resident Bella Bates is questioning her HOA’s rules regarding yard signs after receiving a notice to take down her own. Bates was confused because she and other neighbors have seen graduation signs on the yards of several neighbors for weeks if not months. She did not expect to win an appeal hearing, held Monday […]
Starwood Capital affiliate sues 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach condo association for trademark infringement (FL)
An affiliate of Starwood Capital Group is suing the condo association at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach for trademark infringement. In a lawsuit filed in Miami federal court earlier this month, SH Group Global IP Holdings alleges the 2399 Collins Avenue Condominium Association and its president John Bostany “embarked on a calculated strategy” to […]
Homeowners rebuke transitional facility (MS)
Several neighborhood associations are complaining about a transitional facility that is about to open. The Mississippi Offenders Re-entry Experience, or the M.O.R.E facility is on Floral Drive off of West County Line Road and will be used to house formerly incarcerated men. The once-incarcerated men will live there as they transition to life after […]
St. Louis couple pulls firearms on protesters cutting through their private street (MO)
Protesters en route to demonstrate outside the St. Louis mayor’s residence were walking on a private street when two armed individuals came out of a home brandishing weapons. Read the article……………………………..
Midland condo residents have ‘long road’ ahead as they decide fate of flood-damaged units (MI)
After hearing a proposal to buy their condo units, residents of Village West in Midland took the first step toward deciding what will become of their flood-damaged homes. Read the article……………………………
Surprise Audits Not Authorized (FL)
Q: Does Florida do unannounced audits of condominium or homeowners’ associations to see if they are conforming to the relevant statutes? For example, some of our board members don’t want bids for a contract even though it is required by statute. As President, the argument I got from some board members was: “who’s going to […]
Glass condo owners in South Beach sue Terra, architect and contractors, alleging construction defects (FL)
Residents at the ultra-luxury condo development Glass in South Beach say that the building’s plans were not as translucent as they had hoped. The condo association filed suit, alleging the development group failed to build the 10-unit, 18-story condo development at 120 Ocean Drive in accordance with building codes, manufacturers recommendations and permitted plans. […]
Millions of Americans think they’re safe from flood waters. They aren’t
A new, nationwide flood modeling tool released Monday paints a picture of the U.S. as a country woefully underprepared for damaging floods, now and in the future. The federal government’s best efforts to predict where flooding will strike have underestimated the risk to nearly 6 million homes and commercial properties primarily in the nation’s interior, […]
Woman rushes to help when Northville condos struck by lightning, catch fire (MI)
“I can tell you, I heard a big bang around 12 something, like lightning or something that hit someplace,” said Katherine Lawrence. That’s the lightning strike Katherine Lawrence is talking about ‘Mother Nature’ put on a show late Friday night, in a Northville neighborhood and it was all caught on security camera nearby Read the […]
HOAs deal with teens looking for summer jobs (NV)
Q: Our management team was contacted on Friday morning regarding two teen-aged youths going door to door. They said they were looking for work. Big question: Were they really? Read the Q&A………………………………
Villages HOA shakeup: 5 directors to resign as management firm announces exit (AZ)
Five directors of the HOA board at The Villages at Rancho El Dorado are stepping down as the association’s management company said it was ending its 16-plus-year association with the community. The resignations of the five directors, including board president Antonio “Tony” Crisostomo, came during a more-than-four-hour Zoom meeting on Wednesday night, according to residents […]
Fire damages condo in northwest Reno (NV)
Reno Fire Fighters extinguished a fire that badly damaged a condo in northwest Reno. Read the article………………………………..
Former Central Florida Deputy Told to Take Down ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Flag From Home (FL)
A man who spent a quarter century as a Central Florida deputy is now being told he is breaking the law in his housing community thanks to a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag hanging from his home. Sean Kennedy flies the flag from his New Port Richey home in Pasco County, where he spent 25 years […]
Wisconsin woman accused of money laundering, theft in Fox Lake (IL)
An eight-month investigation by the Fox Lake Police Department and other agencies has led to a Wisconsin woman’s arrest on two counts of theft and three counts of money laundering of funds in excess of $1 million. Fifty-year-old Michele L. Kirk, also known as Michele L. Fitte, was arrested Thursday and charged with five felonies […]
War of the Roses, Caddyshack? These condo tales are even better (NH)
It has been a bit of a bad time for many lately with the pandemic limiting activities for some and having much more extreme effects on other families in condos and elsewhere. So I thought a bit of lightness may help. What follows are a few silly things that have happened in condos around the […]
Tucson homeowners outraged over trash bill (AZ)
Neighbors in a southwest Tucson neighborhood say they got overcharged when their HOA made a change to their trash service. KGUN 9 received a ton of emails from homeowners in the Star Valley Master Community who say they were being taken advantage of by their trash company Waste Management. Read the article………………………..
HOA backs down, backyard wading pool can stay (IN)
A backyard battle involving a 23-inch wading pool is now over. Six weeks after Bob and Julia Taylor were threatened by their homeowner association with legal action if they did not remove the inflatable pool from their lawn, the Fishers couple learned the pool can stay. Read the article………………………….
Campaigning for board of directors elections and official records requests; what’s legal and what’s not? (FL)
Q: I am on the board of directors of my condominium building. We have a resident that over the years has developed animosity with many others in the building and especially with the board. He is now submitting requests for various association official records on a weekly basis. It is taking up a great deal […]
Residents want to save geese from euthanasia in Carmel neighborhood (IN)
On any given day many residents may see geese crossing the street when driving around Lexington Farms in Carmel. But soon the 70 geese who roam the neighborhood could disappear. “The board has decided with a 3 to 2 vote to euthanize the geese even though a survey was sent out to all Lexington Farms […]
HOA tells local police chaplain to remove ‘thin blue line’ flag (CO)
A local police chaplain says his homeowners association is demanding he take down his “thin blue line” American flag. It comes at a time when he says the officers he works with need support the most. He says the past three weeks have been very trying for his officers. He wants to show his appreciation […]
Ask The HOA Expert: Enforcing Old Rules, Landscaping, Neighborhood Watch
Question: Our current board is considering enforcing long-standing architectural restrictions that previous boards failed to enforce. Should we grandfather existing violations or enforce the restrictions retroactively? Read the Q&A………………………………
Residents upset ex-deputy Chauna Thompson hired to patrol Houston neighborhood (TX)
Residents in a Houston-area subdivision are up in arms after finding out the security guard patrolling their neighborhood is the former deputy who was once charged in the John Hernandez murder. Emails to the Balmoral Sub-Division Homeowner’s Association started pouring in about two weeks ago when residents found out their security officer was former Harris […]
After run-in with HOA manager, new Villages resident ‘appalled’ (AZ)
A former board member of a homeowners’ association in Washington State, he didn’t think much about living in another HOA community, not that he had much choice if he wanted to live in one of Maricopa’s 18 residential developments. Last week, however, two incidents changed his mind about the organization he sends $86 every month […]
Transition committee and construction defect claims (FL)
Q: My new condominium will soon be turning over from the developer. I am a unit owner and have been selected to serve on the transition committee, which has been primarily tasked with determining whether the developer has any obligation to make building repairs, etc. What are some things the transition committee should be thinking […]
Fire damages condo in Branson (MO)
Firefighters battled a condominium fire early Sunday morning in the Pointe Royale area. According to a statement from Branson Professional Firefighters Local 152, there were no injuries, and all occupants were out of the building when firefighters arrived on scene shortly after 3:30 a.m. Read the article………………………………..
Dispute with gate guard likely won’t be resolved by community association (FL)
Q: I live in a beautiful, small gated community. Over the Memorial Day weekend, the guard on duty at the gate did not follow protocol by calling my cell phone after I did not answer my home phone to admit a guest. Read the Q&A………………………………..
Attending virtual board meetings
Q: The board of our condominium association is conducting its meetings via video conference while the governor’s COVID-19 executive orders limit in-person gatherings. Owners can “attend” these video board meetings via a computer hyperlink provided by the board. However, not every owner in our association has a computer or is “tech savvy” enough to use […]
HOA Homefront: Help! The board isn’t enforcing the rules (CA)
Q: Residents in our HOA are encouraged to report rule violations. I and others have reported violations directly to the manager, primarily because the phone numbers and email addresses for any of the board members are not public for the residents. How do we follow up on reports of violations and/or obtain statuses? Some of […]
REAL ESTATE MATTERS: Where there’s smoke, there’s a conversation about association rules
We continue to receive questions and comments about our recent columns on smoking, as well as the rules that condominiums and other associations are putting into place about smoking cannabis. So, we thought we’d share a few of them. Our thoughts will follow. https://www.heraldtribune.com/business/20200620/real-estate-matters-where-theres-smoke-theres-conversation-about-association-rules
Homeowner wants HOA to have tougher rules on trash cans (NV)
Q: My name is Lisa, and I live in a homeowners association community. As I have Googled this topic, I am understanding that you are an authority on trash can storage. So, I am hoping you can give me your input on trash can regulations. Specifically, my HOA management company and board, has not been […]
Behind in association dues? Your neighbors may foreclose (TX)
The family that rented a condominium from Dana Peterson for nine years was among those who lost work to the novel coronavirus. When they began missing rent payments in March, Peterson said she understood. They had never missed a payment before, and she had heard that, during a period of historic unemployment, government policies protected […]
Davie Navy vet at odds with homeowners association over Marine vet roommate (FL)
After decades of peaceful living in a Davie neighborhood, a veteran says his civil rights are now being violated by his homeowners association. 7’s Kevin Ozebek has the story. Park City West is a quiet retirement community in Davie that John Curtis has called home for 21 years. The disabled Navy veteran owns a three-bedroom […]
‘Hate has no home here’: Woman petitions to remove ‘Plantation’ from neighborhood name (NC)
A resident of Porters Neck Plantation has started a petition to remove “Plantation” from the neighborhood’s name. Kathryn Polk says it’s about creating a more inclusive environment and to stop normalizing what she believes is a derogatory word. Read the article…………………………….
Fire marshal determines massive condo fire started around gas grill on balcony (MO)
Firefighters determined a massive fire at the Emerald Bay Condominiums in Lake Ozark was caused by a fire on a gas barbeque grill. Read the article…………………………..
Improper mixing of pool chemicals requires intervention of hazmat team (IN)
A mistake in the handling of swimming pool chemicals required intervention by hazardous material teams at the Meadowbrook Manor Condominiums on Wednesday. Hazmat units from Anderson, Adams Township and the Chesterfield/Union Township fire departments were sent to 211 Buckingham Drive at approximately 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Read the article…………………………..
Condo column: Can I celebrate July 4th with lawfully purchased fireworks?
Q: We have a local Sheriff’s deputy that parks her car in her driveway overnight. Our rules prohibit the parking of “business vehicles” outside of garages. Some people in the community claim that the sheriff vehicle is a business vehicle and should not be allowed to park outside of the garage. What do you think? […]
Racist, unlawful restrictions remain in historic East Texas property deeds
Buried deep in the small print of property deeds across the country is a startling restriction meant to prevent black people from owning property. The restrictions are illegal and unenforceable today, but the racist wording remains and can be found in documents for property in East Texas. Read the article……………………………
Westchase Community Association tells residents to take down graduation signs or face fines (FL)
You could call it a sign of the times: Proud parents are doing their best to make up for canceled graduation ceremonies with congratulatory signs………..But King’s sign was up all of two weeks before she received a letter in the mail from her homeowners association. “It read, ‘you currently are in violation of the association’s […]
Westport condo destroyed during Tuesday morning inferno (WI)
The Waunakee Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 5323 Westport Road Tuesday morning, shortly before 8 a.m. No injuries to residents or emergency responders were reported. “We believe the cause of the fire was careless use of smoking materials,” said Waunakee Fire Chief Dave Kopp. “Now you’ve got probably 20 residents that will […]
People have been debating Stapleton’s name since 2001 (CO)
The Master Community Association (MCA) announced on Sunday it is taking steps to remove the “Stapleton” name from the community and its operations. Stapleton’s namesake is a former Denver mayor who was a member of the KKK. The neighborhood has put the decision to change the name to a vote in the past, but the […]
Fishers family faces threat of HOA legal action over 2-foot backyard wade pool (IN)
Bob and Julia Taylor bought an inflatable pool to help cool off during the pandemic. But that pool got them in hot water with their homeowners’ association. Read the article………………………
Fences in servitude removed by parish to cut ditch, residents must pay to put them back (LA)
Last year, the Livingston Parish Department of Public Works said it would be tearing down fences in Arbor Walk, if the neighbors didn’t move them out of the servitude. The neighborhood’s HOA, Community Management, LLC, sent out a final notice on June 10 saying homeowners not in compliance would have their fences removed. The parish […]
Tempers boil over as Democrats square off with Trump supporters at golf cart rally
Emotions ran raw, insults were hurled back and forth at least one fight almost broke out between Republicans and Democrats during a pro-Trump golf cart parade late Sunday afternoon. Read the article………………………..
Village West residents vote to not rebuild flooded condos (MI)
Pat Withrow and the rest of the residents of the 46 units at Village West Condominiums are trying to move forward after voting unanimously to not rebuild their residences. Read the article…………………………..
Woke Grandpa Defies Miami Beach Condo Board (FL)
That led Abramson to ask his granddaughter, Arley Hunt, to help him write “Black Lives Matter” in chalk paint on the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony of his Mid Beach condo. It wasn’t long before neighbors confronted him and complained to management. Staff at his Collins Avenue building told him to remove […]
REAL ESTATE MATTERS: Property owner requests improvement for something in excess of HOA covenants
Q: I am on the board of directors of my homeowners association (HOA). The dues to our HOA are voluntary. We can’t assess liens against any property in our community; we can only sue a property owner for violations of our covenants. Read the Q&A……………………….Our HOA document speaks to architectural control covenants, and homeowners can […]
Denver protest leader says Stapleton may be next target if neighborhood doesn’t change name (CO)
A Denver Public Schools board member who has helped direct some of the recent police protests said Saturday that Stapleton is a likely next target for demonstrations if the neighborhood doesn’t change its name. Read the article……………………………