Renovating a home is a major project for homeowners and there is a lot to handle even when contractors do the work. The burden becomes worse when contractors do a poor job. Homeowners have some recourse when dealing with a contractor that does not live up to expectations. All Arizona residents can access the Registrar […]
Fire displaces 3 from waterfront condo on Oceanside harbor (CA)
A fire of unknown origin scorched a waterfront condominium on the Oceanside Harbor on Monday night, displacing three residents, authorities said. The non-injury blaze was reported a little after 9 p.m. in a third-floor unit at the Marina Del Mar condos on North Pacific Street along the South Harbor, Oceanside fire Battalion Chief Tim Scott […]
An old well springs to life and Santa Clara homeowners’ nightmare begins (CA)
Doug Ridley and Sherry Shen figured their condominium in Santa Clara would serve as a retirement nest egg, drawing enough rental income so they could comfortably travel to the United Kingdom and Asia visiting relatives. Instead, the last two years have turned into a homeowner’s nightmare, thanks to an old artesian well — one of […]
7,000 gallons of raw sewage flood a DC condo building and DC Water blames wipes
Cellphone video and pictures showing four inches of raw sewage and feces floating on the floor of basement units inside Penn Circle Condominiums on 27th Street, SE told the first part of the story. Property Manager Paul Gallagher and residents Rasheema Brawner and Handi Wakatama told the second part of the story.Read the article………………………….
Emerging HOA trends in Arizona: Big topics to look for in 2020
The Valley of the Sun is a fine way to describe this expansive desert, but the Valley of the HOA isn’t far off either. And like so many things in constant flux, homeowners associations need to keep up with the ever evolving world their residents live in, with changes always swirling, ranging from technology to […]
Restaurant Minimums Not Unusual (FL)
Q: I live in a community that includes a mandatory golf club membership. The restaurant/lounge has been underperforming. The board recently imposed a minimum food and beverage purchase requirement for all members. Is this legal? Read the Q&A………………………..
Condominium amendments limiting leasing may not apply to owners who do not consent (FL)
Q: Read the Q&A…………………………..Our condominium association is proposing to change rental rules that will alter our entire reason for moving here. We’re snowbirds, and we bought here understanding we could rent the unit while we weren’t using it during the offseason. The current rule basically allows for a minimum six-month lease after one year of […]
Misleading Destin logo on beach property sign painted over (FL)
Last Friday, a Destin Code Compliance Department officer posted a notice of violation on the condo property for having the misleading logo on a sign. Read the article………………………….
ICYMI: Subdivision doesn’t get break to fix its streets (MO)
The Jefferson County Council narrowly decided against setting a precedent in its two-year-old program that allows the Public Works Department to take over maintenance of private subdivision streets in unincorporated areas. The council voted 3-3 with an abstention not to amend an ordinance that would have accepted the Harmony Hills subdivision just south of Arnold […]
Project contracts need to protect the association (IL)
Q: Our association enters into many contracts each year with different contractors. The contractors typically give the board its one or two page proposal that the board agrees to and signs. The proposals are also reviewed by our property manager before the board signs them. Read the Q&A………………………….
Without government action, people in North Port are banning plastics on their own (FL)
…..Sleet got the homeowner’s association on-board, and they installed bottle refilling stations, and he said they quickly saw another benefit in addition to protecting the environment. Read the article………………………….
Dump-fire liability back in question (AR)
A state environmental review board Friday set aside a consent order between state regulators and a company connected to the Bella Vista stump dump fire that would potentially release the company from having to pay for the fire’s extinguishment. The Bella Vista Property Owners Association, which challenged the agreement, presented new evidence that merits a […]
Lake Conroe to Kingwood: Look elsewhere for help with flooding (TX)
This past week, the two sides marched into battle at a packed public hearing in a Conroe convention center, where each speaker was given three minutes to state his or her case. The crowd included three busloads of residents that David Hartman tailed down Texas 105 from Walden on Lake Conroe. Along the way, they […]
When does protection trump privacy in condo communities? (VA)
I remember the very first time I walked up to a home with a video doorbell camera a couple of years ago. While intercoms of some sort go way back in time, it was a rather strange feeling talking to someone I knew could see me, but I couldn’t see them. Welcome to 2020! I […]
Castro Valley homeowners billed $300 for cleanup of nearby homeless encampment (CA)
A community and city in the East Bay are at odds over a homeless encampment and a property line. The former homeless encampment was located in the San Lorenzo Creek ravine, off the beaten path, well below Castro Valley’s Lakewood. The homeowners association management firm sent homeowners a bill for $300 each for the cost associated […]
Homeowers are allowed to display political signs (NV)
Q: What does the law say about posting a political candidate’s signs? Can a homeowners association keep owners from posting a sign in their windows or planting a sign in their lawn? Read the Q&A…………………………
Jupiter’s Jones Creek is a filthy quagmire and neighbors desperately want it cleaned up – but that’s not so simple (FL)
County records indicate the Maple Isle Homeowners Association and Maplewood Property Owners Association each own portions of the creek. Records from the 1990s say the Maple Isle HOA holds responsibility for maintaining part of the waterway. A Maple Isle property manager didn’t respond to request for comment and a Maplewood property manager couldn’t be immediately […]
HOA Homefront: Are non-owners really banned from board meetings? (CA)
Q: Our HOA has a rule that only homeowners listed on the title can attend a board meeting as meetings are not open to the public. My husband and I recently married, and he is not listed as an owner since it is only in my name. He would like to attend the meetings. Can […]
Cranky Neighbors Drop Lawsuit Against Parents Who Built Play Set for Their Terminally Ill Boy (TX)
In an update to her original post, Kim wrote that “the lawsuit has officially been DISMISSED! (For now anyway!)” “Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!” she continued. “We are blown away with the amount of love our family has been shown! Now we can focus on what’s truly important — our […]
One person transported to hospital following fire at Murrells Inlet condominium (SC)
One person has been transported to the hospital following a fire at a Murrells Inlet condominium Thursday night. Georgetown Sheriff Carter Weaver said deputies and firefighters responded to the Ellington condominiums at Wachesaw East around 6 p.m. for a welfare check. Read the article…………………………
Firefighters respond to condo fire on Madison’s north side (WI)
Officials said everyone has evacuated the condo unit, but firefighters are still checking to see that the fire did not extend to nearby units. Read the article………………………
Redstone road closure leads into lawsuit, confrontation (CO)
A Redstone-area homeowner’s association illegally closed a road last summer that’s been open to the public continuously for at least the past 135 years, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by Pitkin County commissioners. Read the article…………………………
Bonita Bay community board won’t share video of burglar entering home (FL)
Surveillance video caught a burglar breaking into a Bonita Bay home last month, where he stole hundreds in cash. But, the victim says the homeowners association will not release the video to his neighbors. Right now, the burglar is still on the loose. Homeowner Roger Brookes calls a surveillance video unnerving. A man crawls through […]
Downtown St. Petersburg’s Bliss condo owners sue developers over shoddy construction (FL)
Residents in a downtown St. Petersburg high-rise are suing its developers over building defects they say are causing expensive damage to their property. The Bliss Condominium Association is the homeowner’s association for the 18-story building completed in downtown St. Pete in 2017. The group is suing developers Taub Entities and Voeller Construction for damages they […]
Daybreak HOA raises monthly payment 100% to cover building defects (UT)
Some residents in Daybreak have been given notice of a 100 percent increase in HOA fees, starting in February. The Eastlake Village Condominium Owners’ Association mailed out notices to residents about the increase and held a meeting Wednesday night. The increase stems from a lawsuit the HOA filed against the homes’ builders in 2015. The […]
Aggressive squirrels finally out of Tampa Bay family’s condo (FL)
8 On Your Side is getting results for a Tampa Bay area mother who has been terrorized by squirrels for the past several weeks. “Opening the door to my condo and knowing nothing is going to jump out at me is a miracle,” said Annie Peavey. “Thank you is all I can say.” Peavey says […]
Club West reaction mixed to golf course plan (AZ)
Initial reaction to the Edge Group’s Club West Golf Course plan suggests it’s too early to tell how it will fare with the community. Following attorney Edwin Bull’s closing presentation on Jan. 16 to the overflowing crowd of residents, the crowd broke into applause and some of those in attendance later told AFN they were […]
Parkside Reserve residents say HOA board is AWOL (OH)
Residents of the Parkside Reserve development are raising questions about the homeowners association that is supposed to govern their properties. “I live in an HOA that both exists and doesn’t exist,” said Jerry Vanderground, a resident of the development, during a phone interview Wednesday. Read the article…………………………..
Condo advice: What’s the best loan for condominium renovations? (FL)
Q: Our condominium board wants to renovate our lobby and amenities but the cost would require a loan. The owners are concerned about repayment options. Do you have any recommendations on how to borrow for this purpose? Read the Q&A………………………….
Firefighter, 2 others hurt in 2-alarm fire at Virginia Beach condo complex (VA)
The fire at Chesterfield Station Condominiums in Hilltop burned through one of the buildings. More than a dozen people were put out of their homes. Read the article………………………..
Water well underneath South Bay home leads to sink hole, legal dispute (CA)
The problem that’s sinking the Ridley’s is directly below their family room. A six-foot deep hole, which the couple’s attorney says is a water well that’s created a sink hole……Renters made the discovery in 2018, when they spotted water beneath the laundry room, and tracked it to the growing sink hole. But the Home Owners […]
Pro-Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic signs removed from Calabasas condo balcony (CA)
A handful of offensive and hate-filled signs plastered around the balcony of a condo in Calabasas have been removed after backlash from the community. The posters – which included Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic speech and racial slurs against blacks and other minorities – were visible from Park Sorrento, putting residents on edge. Read the article………………………..
Relatives Can Serve on Board Together (FL)
Q: Where do I find in the statutes about relatives being on the board? I was told that if you are a relative, you cannot be on the board at the same time. Is that true? If so, what level of blood relation does it go to? Read the Q&A……………………….
Miami Condo Owners Wager on $40,000-a-Night Super Bowl Rentals (FL)
Jennifer Restrepo circled Super Bowl weekend on her calendar and decided to make a bet. Restrepo, who manages short-term rentals for Miami condo owners, kept her listings quiet as she gauged demand and watched competitors set prices. Now, she’s blasting out Facebook and Instagram ads that position her beachfront units as the perfect base to […]
Georgetown family faces lawsuit over playscape for terminally-ill son (TX)
A Georgetown family faces a lawsuit over a playscape they built on their property. Their next-door neighbors filed the suit claiming the structure was not built with the proper approval. Read the article…………………..
Raleigh residents claim neighbors, state officials ignoring deteriorating dam (NC)
This isn’t about just fixing an eyesore. Instead, residents living on the other side of the Winchester Lake Dam consider this a matter of life and death. “Too late is when that dam breaks and the tidal wave comes down the spillway,” said Tim Throndson, whose home in North Raleigh sits only a few hundred […]
‘It makes your heart bleed’: Protected mangroves slashed in Volusia County (FL)
Around 500 mangroves in Volusia County were cut well below the height mandated by state guidelines, forcing the state to get involved to figure out how and why it happened. State law says that trees can not be trimmed to under 6 feet, but some 500 trees in Wilbur-By-The-Sea were slashed far below that on […]
After Holidays, A Nutcracker Crackdown At Lake Of The Pines (CA)
It’s a crackdown on giant statues outside a home at a Nevada County lakefront community. The Lake of the Pines homeowners association is preparing to crack down on 10-feet-tall nutcracker statues on display outside Dave Campbell’s home. He says his giant nutcracker dolls are his pride and joy. Read the article……………………….
Woodlands OKs hiring feral hog consultant as problem continues (TX)
Efforts to control feral hogs in The Woodlands continued on Wednesday, Jan. 15, with another several dozen residents showing up at the township Board of Directors meetings to plead for help battling the invasive swine and directors approving the hiring of a special consultant to help develop a collaborative game plan to try to stem […]
Issues on installing electric vehicle gates (CA)
I live here in Santa Clarita in a fairly large Homeowner Association community with four entrances. We’d like to put electric vehicle gates to our community, but we are currently not in a position to do all four of the entrances at one time. With that said, we’d like to do two and close the […]
Prudent for condominium association to inspect units for damage when roof fails (FL)
If there is damage done to a condominium building roof due to a hurricane, and if the roof has been dried in pursuant to the condominium association’s responsibility, is it the unit owner’s responsibility to ensure that their unit is dried out and repaired, or is it the association’s responsibility, assuming that the owner is […]
Park & Rec Tampa (bar) is being sued by condo association (FL)
What happens when a quiet area begins to pop off? Well, according to past incidents involving Franklin Manor and the most recent issue with the Tampa Park & Rec location, lawsuits. Park & Rec—located at 290 S. Meridian Ave., in between Sparkman Wharf and Amalie Arena—has been served with a lawsuit by The Towers of […]
18 cars broken into at Erie condo complex (CO)
Police are investigating a series of smash-and-grab burglaries at an Erie condo complex early Friday morning. Police believe it happened at 2 a.m. Friday at the Blue Sky Complex at Vista Ridge. “I opened the door and noticed there was glass shattered just everywhere,” said Matt Skurdahl. “Here we are in the middle of January […]
Homeowner says HOA president is ‘off the rails (NV)
Q: Our HOA president has gone a little off the rails. This month, she installed landscaping lights on a stretch of common HOA property that happens to be in front of her yard and plugged them into HOA power without board or HOA approval. Read the Q&A……………………………..
How To Access HOA Records (CT)
ONE UNIT OWNER WRITES:I missed our last board meeting and requested a copy of the financial reports.I was advised by our management company I could go to their office [45 minutes drive] and would have to pay $75 for an administrative fee. Read the Q&A…………………………………….
Are no pet restrictions enforceable? (FL)
Q: I live in a condominium that does not allow pets of any kind, and never has allowed them. One of the reasons I purchased a unit in this condominium is because I don’t like pets and I don’t want to be around them. Last year my condo board allowed a new owner, who is […]
Fire destroys waste treatment facility at Pine Knoll Shores condo complex (NC)
Firefighters from three departments battled an early morning blaze at a condominium complex. Read the article………………………
King County files lawsuit to finish East Lake Sammamish Trail (WA)
About 150 homeowners living along the East Lake Sammamish Trail were served with letters this week telling them to remove their installations, landscaping and docks from the trail’s right of way……Representatives for the Sammamish Homeowners Association could not be reached for immediate comment. Read the article……………………….