The man who’s accused of intentionally setting a fire at a condo complex over the weekend said “he was cleaning it [the building]” and the “fire got a little out of control,” according to an affidavit for his arrest from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO). Read the article……………………………
Malta seeks to take over snowy roads in development (NY)
Shoddy snow removal at the top of Travers Meadows development over the past two winters is prompting the town to try to take over the roads so residents don’t have to face a third snowy season of difficult driving and walking. Read the article……………………….
In The Woodlands, a senior community fights back against feral hogs (TX)
The Woodlands, about 30 miles north of Houston, is a master-planned suburb designed to be in sync with nature. Deer and armadillos wander through Windsor Hills in the development’s northeast corner. Hogs nosed around before, too, said Rob Miller, president of the homeowners association. Read the article…………………………..
Septic vs. geese debate over elevated E. coli in East Grand Traverse Bay (MI)
Tom Reed, president of the Inwood Harbor homeowners’ association, said it’s true there are a “massive amount of geese” there in the spring each year. He also said it’s true every home is on a septic system, many of which are multiple decades old and could be failing. But the association isn’t going to force […]
Court holds off on deciding case of Loveland woman foreclosed on by HOA (CO)
A district court judge said Thursday that she will wait to rule in the case of Loveland resident Martha Hummel, 70, who was foreclosed on by her homeowners association after severe depression rendered her homebound and her automatic dues payment system stopped working. Her “status quo” decision means Hummel will be allowed to keep her […]
She occupied a Valrico house with a false deed. Now’s she trying to get this Tampa house, neighbors say (FL)
This week, the Gregorys went to a meeting of their homeowners association and suggested that its attorney send a letter to Citibank. Board member Ashley Gray said she is uncertain whether the association legally can do anything since the dues are being paid, although it is unclear by whom. “Anytime a situation is brought up […]
Condominium budget varies greatly depending on type of property and amenities (FL)
Q: Is there a “rule of thumb” for the total dollars in the operating budget based on the number of units? E.g., for a condo building with 100 units, is it a reasonable expectation that budget will not exceed $800,000? Read the Q&A…………………………
Middleburg Hts. officials troubleshoot Wexford Glen detention pond problem (OH)
A frequently clogged detention pond outlet in the Wexford Glen neighborhood in Middleburg Heights has become a concern for residents living in the 50-home community. Councilman Bill Meany assembled city officials and met with Pat Greco, Wexford Glen homeowners’ association president, at a special Dec. 9 meeting to troubleshoot the problematic pond. Read the article…………………
Law now requires contractors to be paid more promptly (IL)
Q: Our association tries to standardize contractor agreements through the use of a contract rider. One of the issues we address in a rider is the retainage from each contractor payment. One of our contractors says the language of our rider violates Illinois law on retainage, and says there is some new law about this. […]
Records must be made available upon written request (FL)
Q: I have a question about financial records from my condo complex. I have been requesting financial records from the homeowners association (HOA) president since February and still have not seen or received any of the paperwork. Because of my requests, I believe I’m experiencing some sort of retaliation and am beginning to feel uncomfortable […]
Rare Condo Ground Lease Sells in Brentwood (CA)
Ground leases on condo complexes are rare in Los Angeles, and that’s why it was so unusual when Century City-based George Smith Partners was approached to help finance the purchase of one. The condo complex, at 239 S. Barrington Ave. in Brentwood, was built in the 1950s. The developer of the property “ran into a bit […]
Madeira, RR Restoration ordered to pay nearly $16K for destroying dunes in Marco Island (FL)
Madeira on Marco Island Condominium Association and contractor RR Restoration must pay $15,500 for damaging dunes and removing native vegetation, according to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection consent order filed Wednesday. Read the article……………………….
HOA should have given 48-hour notice before towing tuck (NV)
Q: Thanks for taking the time to read my email and, hopefully, I can get a clear understanding of my rights. We already implemented a solution to prevent something like this from happening again. So, my husband works for auto dealership and brought a truck home for the weekend to test drive per his job. […]
Can condo associations create ‘separate but equal’ policies? (MI)
Q: I heard about a recent case where a condo association with many members of the same religion didn’t want men and women seeing each other in swimming suits, so the condo association adopted rules that provided for segregated swimming times for men and women in the community pool. What are your thoughts? Read the […]
HOA Homefront: The holiday wish list
During the holiday season, we often struggle to find the perfect gift for those who are important to us. Sometimes we need a little help, and we ask for a “wish list” of gifts to guide us. What would wish lists from the key players in the HOA world look like? Read the article…………………………….
Hovey trespass case on hold until lawsuit settled (NC)
While the beach is considered public, access in Duck has been limited to private property and paths controlled and owned by homeowners’ associations. But Hovey has taken issue with that notion. In a complaint filed in Dare County Superior Court in August, Hovey and his wife Tanya contend that the recorded subdivision plat confirms that […]
South Deerfield woman satisfies settlement with condo association (MA)
A Superior Court judge has vacated the restitution order against a South Deerfield woman accused of embezzling money from a condominium association after she satisfied the settlement agreement. Read the article……………………….
Alpharetta police get access to Flock tag reader data (GA)
Alpharetta is the latest metro Atlanta community to join the Flock. The City Council has approved a five-year agreement with Flock Group Inc. so police can access data collected by the firm’s automated license plate readers. Read the article…………………………..
Realtor selected as city’s new HOA liaison (KS)
The city now has a liaison with Derby’s two dozen-plus homeowners’ associations, or HOAs. Longtime resident and realtor Judy Morris was selected to serve in the newly created, professional part-time position. She started last month and said she’s busy laying the groundwork for making the connection for both parties. Read the article………………………..
Family of girl left paralyzed after falling from condo files suit (HI)
The family of a 13-year-old girl paralyzed by a fall from a Maui condo is suing the apartment’s owners, managers and a vacation rental company. The girl’s family was staying on the sixth floor in the Kauhale Makai condo in Kihei two years ago when she stepped on a bed near a window. It rolled […]
Celebration, Florida: How Disney’s ‘Community of Tomorrow’ Became a Total Nightmare (FL)
In 2004, Disney sold the downtown of utopian Celebration, Florida, to a private equity firm. Residents say it took their money and let the city rot around them. Read the article…………………………
West Chester condo owners claim scheme led to $380K-plus loss (OH)
A group of West Chester Twp. condominium owners claim some condo association board members and a contractor have bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, both in a criminal complaint and civil lawsuit. Read the article…………………………
‘We’re Going To Flood Again’: This Houston Neighborhood Got Hit Twice In 2019 (TX)
As it always does, Christmas is coming to Kingwood. But this year, for some residents who’ve been flooded, it won’t be the same. When Nancy Vera’s home in Kingwood’s Elm Grove subdivision flooded for the first time in May, the family carefully saved all their holiday decorations. But those boxes didn’t survive when Tropical Storm […]
Short-changed workers at Downtown luxury condo receive $400k in back pay from legal settlement (NY)
City and state officials returned more than $400,000 in unpaid wages to building service workers of a luxury Downtown Brooklyn condo building as part of a multimillion-dollar legal settlement Tuesday. Read the article…………………………
Woodlawn Springs homeowners won’t appeal development (KY)
The Woodlawn Springs Homeowners Association won’t try to reverse a judge’s denial of their appeal of a Fiscal Court decision that opens the way for the golf course’s owners to build more homes on the abandoned greens and fairways. Read the article…………………….
6 Years Late, $13 Million in Debt, County Concedes Incompetence Running Utility as It Seeks Plantation Bay Bailout (FL)
Six years ago, the Flagler County Commission, behind then-Administrator Craig Coffey’s deal-making, agreed to buy the Plantation Bay utility from developer Mori Hosseini for $5.5 million in a late-night vote despite public qualms that the county was acquiring a clunker, an official government consortium’s analysts that placed the utility’s value at no more than $1 […]
Flood prevention costs for condos and businesses could soar in Fort Lauderdale (FL)
Fort Lauderdale residents and businesses will have to pay more to protect against flooding, but how those extra costs are split could pit condo owners and businesses against homeowners. Read the article…………………………….
Elderly Woman In Critical Condition After Dallas Condo Fire (TX)
An elderly woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition after a fire at a Dallas condominium early Tuesday morning. Watch the news report……………………..
Silver Spring Resident Quarantined by a Sinkhole (MD)
Silver Spring resident Brian Kildee hasn’t been able to access one-third of his home the past two months, thanks to a geological phenomenon. He can’t have guests sleep over, work in his home office or access his family’s Christmas decorations. All because of a sinkhole. Kildee lives in a condominium in the National Park Seminary […]
Center Point mayor says demolition could be next for Woodside Condominiums (AL)
The mayor of Center Point is telling property owners to clean it up or the city will tear it down. Lately there has been a spike in crime in the Shadowood Circle area and notices have been handed out. Those notices are 60-day notices sent out to each of the Woodside Condominiums owners. Owners must […]
Division of condominiums has jurisdiction to investigate record inspection complaints (FL)
Q: What are my options if the board of directors still refuses to provide information in response to a formal “Request for Information” form? Do I need to hire a lawyer? Read the Q&A………………………………..
Should extra ballots be counted? (FL)
Q: My condominium association recently held its annual meeting and the election was quite close. Only one vote separated the candidates for the last open director position. The candidate that lost the election by one vote requested to review all the election materials, including the ballots. He determined that three election ballots, all with votes […]
Diamondhead residents sue Colorado developer (AR)
A class-action lawsuit filed by a group of Diamondhead property owners and residents claimed a Colorado developer is hurting property values in the gated subdivision and damaging the environment. The complaint filed last week in Garland County Circuit Court said Omni Home Builders at Diamondhead Resort Community LLC’s clearing of lots it acquired last year […]
Large Fire Department Response To Blaze In Skokie Condo (IL)
Several firefighers responded to a blaze in an condominium building in Skokie and rescued two dogs who were trapped inside. The fire broke out at 10118 Old Orchard Court. One person escaped the blaze and was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. A police officer was treated for smoke at the scene. Read the […]
Treasurer to look at office’s relationship with special tax districts (SC)
Cathy Miller is looking to make changes at the Greenwood County Treasurer’s Office. The former Beyond Abuse director was named treasurer in October and wants to change how her office handles special tax districts, which Greenwood County Council approved creating in December 2014. Read the article…………………………….
HOA rules still in effect; board can be recalled (NV)
Q: Could you help my community? It is falling apart. I am collecting signatures from the owners who live in the property, but I have questions regarding the bylaws and the covenants, conditions and restrictions. Please see attached papers and let me know what we can do to remove the board that has been there […]
Las Vegas man paid HOA dues for decade, wasn’t member of association (NV)
Jonathan Friedrich lives in the well-manicured Rancho Bel Air neighborhood west of downtown Las Vegas. His house is the Americana archetype with pink flamingos and a decorative water fountain in the front yard. Two patriotic buntings flank a hanging American flag obscuring the view of the front door. But there is something far more conspicuous […]
HOA Homefront: Who is minding the board? (CA)
Q: Is there an oversight/audit department on a state level that oversees the management of an association? I am finding contradicting and wrong information in the minutes. Q: Is there a governing body that oversees all HOA groups? Ours is not enforcing its CC&Rs. What can we do besides sue them? Read the Q&A………………………….
HFD estimates Makiki condo fire damage totaling more than $540K (HI)
Damage estimates for a Wednesday night Makiki high-rise fire was $541,250 total, the Honolulu Fire Department said in a news release. Read the article…………………………..
KHOU 11 Investigates: Homeowners confront manager of non-existent HOA (TX)
Property owners in Acres Homes came face-to-face with the man who they claim has been ripping them off for more than a decade. In April, KHOU 11 Investigates uncovered hundreds of people were paying an elusive man who collected dues for an HOA that did not exist. Read the article……………………….
Families claim new homes funded by the city to ‘promote quality living’ are falling apart (FL)
Many families who live at the Payne Avenue Walk are calling the new housing community a “scam.” They say the work is still not complete years later. Read the article……………………….
Bastrop County leaders discuss private road signage policy (TX)
Bastrop County leaders had a discussion Monday that focused on a policy regarding street name signage on private roads. A “private road” is defined as a road not maintained by the county. According to Bastrop County Engineer Carolyn Dill, this could include roads maintained by a road district, homeowner’s association or a property owner’s association. […]
The parking authority wants their private spots, but these residents say to hold on (PA)
The residents of the Market Street Villas in Bethlehem say their private parking spots were their condos’ major selling point. Without them, many wouldn’t have bought a home steps from the city’s bustling Main Street, where parking is at a premium, they said Wednesday at a Bethlehem Parking Authority meeting. Read the article………………………….
Condominium column: Who is responsible for termite damage? (FL)
Q: Our A/C and water heater are outside of the unit, located in the hallway. The door to the A/C and heater has termites. Who is responsible for the damaged door and how about the termites? Read the Q&A…………………………….
Why prospective buyers are asking Saddlebrook condo owners to pitch in on resort’s revitalization (ME)
A Boston investor that plans to buy the idled Saddleback Mountain ski area in Rangeley has asked the owners of the resort’s 121 condominiums to donate $5,500 each to help revive it Read the article……………………..
No Thanks: The Lot of a Co-op Board President (NY)
Paranoia seems to be an inevitable part of daily life in this big city. And paranoia is in evidence among some co-op shareholders and condo unit-owners who, whenever a decision is made that they don’t like, immediately suspect the board of malfeasance. To these people, the board members have grown drunk on their power to […]
Waxhaw HOA says ‘Christmas Vacation’ decorations need to go (NC)
A Waxhaw Christmas display has one homeowner’s association upset. They’re asking the homeowner to take down part of their Christmas display because it is considered “abnormal”. When you drive through the Millbridge Community in Waxhaw you’ll find typical Christmas decorations, then there is one home depicting two classic scenes from the movie National Lampoons Christmas […]
UPDATE: 11th HOA lawsuit against Ridgway Lane pushes alleged missing funds to over $2.1M (MS)
The number of homeowner associations in the metro Jackson area that are suing Ridgway Lane and its president and vice president now stands at 11……..On Monday, the Timbers Homeowners Association filed suit in Rankin court alleging more than $90,000 in missing funds. Read the article………………………..
Bill Would Make Co-ops and Condos Eligible for Full Disaster Relief
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler – a New York Democrat who, as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is overseeing the presidential impeachment hearings – has somehow found the time to co-sponsor a piece of legislation that has nothing to do with Donald Trump but has huge implications for co-ops, condominiums, and homeowners’ associations (HOAs). Read […]
Condo applicants dogged by pet interview requests (NY)
As competition heats up among home buyers in an increasingly tight market, some condominium and co-op boards are demanding that pet owners subject their furry friends to an ‘interview’ to make sure they’re a good fit. Read the article……………………