Q. I live in a condominium association and just learned that the use of recreational marijuana will be legal in Illinois starting Jan. 1. Aside from public policy concerns, I cannot stand the smell of marijuana smoke and am very concerned about the smell of pot throughout my building. Can a condominium board do anything […]
Residents ask Casselberry to ‘build a wall’ in their neighborhood (FL)
The Sausalito Shores Homeowners Association has little funds and no legal authority to force homeowners to pay an assessment for a new wall. So the city surveyed residents about forming a special taxing district. They approved it by a more than 2-to-1 margin, city officials said. Read the article………………………..
Condo column: Cell tower controversy should probably be put to vote (FL)
Q: Our Board is looking into having a telecommunications company put their towers on one of our condominium buildings. Do we need a community vote to do this? We just put all new roofs on our buildings due to the hurricane. Also, the safety of the towers is in question. Read the Q&A……………………
Before buying golf course, Oakmont Village residents must agree to raise their own dues (CA)
Of the many voices heard at a surprisingly civil neighborhood meeting involving the pending sale of the Oakmont Golf Club, the loudest belonged to a man who was out of the country. Larry Galloway is president of Advance Golf Partners, which has joined forces with the Oakmont Village Association to help keep the golf club […]
What if an HOA has questionable finances? (OR)
I’m looking at investment property in a subdivision with a homeowners association (HOA). A friend recently bought a home in the same subdivision and (the) lender required a review of HOA documents. These documents turned out to be in a significant state of disarray, which delayed the closing process. Should this concern me? How big […]
Parker HOA asks neighborhood to give up 4th of July fireworks out of respect to STEM students (CO)
Residents with pets and those who care for the well-being of veterans with PTSD bring up the trauma that fireworks can have on their loved ones, but a recent letter from an HOA to residents in one Parker neighborhood have some divided over what should be done. Read the article……………………
Fishhawk Lake neighbors miffed by more dam fees (OR)
The dam holding back Fishhawk Lake, a 100-acre man-made reservoir on Fishhawk Creek surrounded by private homes, needs an improved spillway. But some residents in the community north of Birkenfeld are up in arms about the price tag, estimated at $1.3 million to nearly $2 million, and the way improvements have been pushed through their […]
Pa. prothonotary clerk put on unpaid leave after charges of stealing from homeowners association (PA)
A clerk in the Lycoming County prothonotary’s office has been put on unpaid administrative leave after being charged with stealing $41,000 from a homeowners association. The county took the action Tuesday against Ryan A. Workman, 28, a day after state police charged him with theft, forgery, receiving stolen property and tampering with records. He was […]
Family sues for $1 million after son drowns at community pool near Katy (TX)
Ga Ram Kang died on Cinco De Mayo this year. He was 6. “Ga Ram was our everything,” his mother, Jocelyn Kang, said. Kang is also a Harris County Precinct 7 deputy constable. Her son drowned at a pool in the King Crossing subdivision in Katy. Read the article……………………
Monticello woman fears possible sinkhole forming below her home (MN)
A homeowner in Monticello, Minnesota is concerned her growing water bill is an indicator of a much bigger problem. Seeing the holes where her driveway meets her garage, Sue Bell is a nervous wreck. “It’s basically a sinkhole,” Bell said. “I don’t stand that close to it because I’m so nervous, especially when they say […]
Leilani Estates Community Association exploring ways to curb tourist access to subdivision (HI)
Almost a year after the end of liquid lava in lower Puna, Leilani Estates continues to wrestle with packs of tourists attracted to the vestiges of last year’s Kilauea eruption. Leilani Estates Community Association President Andy Andrews said the subdivision frequently sees vans of tourists traveling the streets to catch a glimpse of the cooled […]
Tallahassee woman raises concerns over ‘racist language’ in homeowners association contract (FL)
A woman looking to buy a home in a Tallahassee neighborhood is expressing concern after seeing what she calls “restrictive racial language” in a homeowner’s association document. The covenant, written in the 1930’s, still exists in HOA documents that must be signed when buying a home in the Betton Hills neighborhood. https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Tallahassee-woman-raises-concerns-over-racist-language-in-homeowners-association-contract-512071922.html
Woman says she was harassed, assaulted, and then put on trial, sparking 15-year court battle (NC)
Nearly twenty years ago, Virginia Radcliffe moved into Avenel, a neighborhood just north of Wilmington with tree-shaded houses, a pier onto a floating dock onto the intracoastal, and a homeowners association………A year later, that HOA informed Radcliffe her property was in “non-conformance” with the association’s guidelines, a violation that came with the potential of daily […]
Sierra La Verne Country Club ownership to close its latest golf course, this time in La Verne (CA)
It started with a real estate listing last summer, billing Sierra La Verne Country Club as potential residential property. Then a couple of weeks ago, the owners of the course began installing a bright orange mesh fence around its property without proper permits, according to the city. Read the article……………………
Application fees should be authorized by governing documents (FL)
In a recent column, I advised a reader that they were entitled to know the names of the people serving on their board of directors, as well as those directors’ lot addresses. My answer assumed, as is nearly always the case, that the board members would themselves be lot owners; and as a roster of […]
Ask SAM: How can I complain about HOA board activities? (NC)
Q: Could you provide the appropriate North Carolina entity to make a complaint about a Home Owners Association not properly carrying out their duties as defined in declaration of restrictive covenants or bylaws? Read the Q&A……………………
Does board need membership approval to remove a dead tree? (FL)
Q: Our community has many large, mature and beautiful trees, one of which is on my property, but has now died. The association denied my request to remove the tree, even though I received a report from a professional that the tree was dead. With it being hurricane season, I am worried that a strong […]
HOA Homefront: Transparency – Great for windows (HOA boards too)
Nothing should be more important to volunteer boards than the trust of their neighbors. However, trust is not automatic and can be easily destroyed. Making good decisions for the association’s best interests is not enough. Decisions must be made in a manner which is above reproach and displays integrity and openness. Read the article………………………..
Concord homeowners association tells swim team they can no longer use pool (CA)
For more than four decades, the Walnut Country Swim Team has held practices and swim meets at the Cowell Homeowners Association pool in Concord. “It’s a community. It’s a family. It’s what I do all summer. Like it’s all I do is a swim,” says swim team member Sarah Kindorf However, last month the team […]
The nuclear option: Clearwater condo owners push back against bond debt (FL)
A community development district has gone to federal bankruptcy court over the $1,100-per-year assessments that condo owners pay to retire bonds that critics contend didn’t bring anything of value. Read the article……………………………
Bella Vista property owners sue insurer over dump fire (AR)
The Bella Vista Property Owner’s Association and its insurance carrier have filed lawsuits against each other related to the recently extinguished stump dump fire on Trafalgar Road. Read the article………………………
Will a Condo Owner Be Liable for a Delinquent Neighbor Not Paying Property Taxes? (NY)
Q. I own a condo unit in Queens, New York, with more than 500 units. I noticed an increase in my quarterly tax bill, which had a note at the end that stated, “Please contact your managing agent so that the delinquent charges are paid to avoid the possibility of being included in the next […]
Castle Pines residents irked after 7M gallons of aquifer water pumped, shipped to Elbert County (CO)
……So, it made little sense to Schofield and other neighbors here that for months, huge water tankers were pumping out that precious resource from a village hydrant on Happy Canyon Road six days a week – with each truck making up to 10 trips a day for four months. Read the article……………………
Access to Conejos River denied by homeowners and association (CO)
In yet another saga of members of a homeowner’s association has emerged. This time in Horca, 17 miles west of Antonito in Conejos County. Read the article…………………..
Tips for condominium boards handling insurance claims (FL)
Q: I am a newly elected board member of our community’s condominium association. As a result of Hurricane Irma, we experienced substantial damages. We are still in the midst of dealing with the insurance claims process, almost two years later. Do you have any tips to make sure we, as board members, are properly doing […]
HOA attempts to solve vulture problem in east Orange County neighborhood (FL)
Homeowners who live in the Tudor Grove at Timber Springs subdivision in east Orange County have been at war with hundreds of black vultures that perch atop roofs making life difficult for residents like Andrew and Leslie Wright. “These birds carry 35 different diseases, one of the biggest ones being salmonella,” Leslie Wright said. […]
Neighbors leery as work on temporary fix at Harrison condo sinkhole underway (OH)
Work has started on a temporary fix to shore up a sinkhole plaguing the Legacy Condos in Harrison Township. Last week, people talked with WLWT about the issue as some were forced out of their homes. Read the article…………………….
Debate Over HOA’s License Plate Reading Camera Divides Neighborhood (CA)
A Carmel Valley neighborhood is using a high-tech tool to keep the community safe, but a civil liberties nonprofit and even some residents say the tool infringes on privacy. The new tool is a solar-powered, wifi connected camera that reads the license plate of every vehicle that leaves the Torrey View neighborhood. There’s a sign […]
Condo association sued over radon (FL)
Parties who threatened to sue over radon found in a condo unit have carried through on that threat. Tony Turlenko warned the South Preserve II at Waterside Village Association if they didn’t allow to him to reasonably mitigate his unit for high levels radon, he’d be forced to litigate. Well, he has. So has a […]
Durham community blends farming with suburban lifestyle (NC)
Home construction and pre-sales begin in two weeks at a new agricultural neighborhood which blends suburbs and rural farmland. Wetrock Farm’s developers plan to have 141 houses at a 230-acre site about 20 minutes north of downtown Durham. Pegasus Land Co. will build the first dozen homes in the subdivision’s initial phase. “It hasn’t taken […]
Pine Grove residents frustrated over issues in neighborhood (GA)
A group of residents of the Pine Grove subdivision in Stockbridge recently filled the Stockbridge City Council meeting to capacity to express their frustrations with an ongoing situation in their neighborhood. The residents spoke at the June 10 Stockbridge City Council meeting to air complaints about the failure of their neighborhood developers to maintain common […]
3-alarm condo fire breaks out in Little River complex (SC)
Fire and rescue crews responded to a 3-alarm fire in Little River on Monday morning. According to officials, the fire happened at the Cyprus Bay Condos at 4254 Pinehurst Circle shortly before 8 a.m. One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Read the article……………………….
Master association that contains condominiums may be able to collect capital contribution (FL)
Q: I am the treasurer of an HOA that also has a condominium association sharing our HOA documents. You recently discussed that a condominium’s authority to charge a fee to new purchasers is limited to $100, and then only if the association is required to approve transfers, and a fee for such approval is provided […]
Mount Pleasant Waterworks faces class-action lawsuit for allegedly overcharging businesses (SC)
In a legal blow to the East Cooper area’s water and sewer utility, a lawsuit claiming Mount Pleasant Waterworks overcharged commercial customers including homeowner associations has been approved as a class-action case. That means MPW is expected to face claims from more than 400 large ratepayers in a single lawsuit. Read the article…………………..
Community Law Column (FL)
Q: Our treasurer continues to represent that our reserves are fully funded, but the balances seem low. When I reviewed a copy of the budget, there are varying annual contributions and a balloon for the roof in 15 years. Is this fully funded? Read the Q&A……………………….
Woman outraged after being told to take down ‘improper’ pride flag: ‘It’s a right of freedom of expression’ (FL)
Just a day before the kickoff of largest LGBTQ Pride celebration in Florida, held in St. Petersburg, a resident of the city was told to remove the Gay Pride flag she’d hung on her porch, after fellow condo owners complained, calling it “improper.” “We have a Home Owner’s Association (HOA) community here that is very […]
Deerfield woman must repay money (MA)
A fiduciary embezzlement charge against a South Deerfield woman will be dismissed if she pays back nearly $11,000 to the Stillwater Condominium Association within one year. Read the article…………………..
If Amazon uses drones, can it come to my condo? (MI)
Q: I heard that Amazon recently said that it is going to start deliveries to residences with drones in the near future. What does this mean for people who live in condos? Read the Q&A………………………..
5 Things To Know About the Oviedo HOA Free Library Fight (FL)
A “Little Free Library” in Oviedo that allows neighbors to take a book and lend a book again has the operator at odds with her homeowners association. Read the article……………………….
County, TCEQ trying to remedy water outage at Horseshoe Bend (TX)
“Everybody’s water goes out sometimes — city, county, private, wherever you’re at — however, Horseshoe Bend has had issues in the past and it’s a private development with a private operator and so the state has limited regulatory authority,” King said. “[HSB residents] have a Homeowners Association, they have a contract with the operator, but […]
Woman Says Dead Tree on Derelict Golf Course Almost Hit Her (FL)
A woman who says she was nearly hit by a falling tree from a golf course that hasn’t been maintained in more than a year says the new owners need to take action. The new owners of Legends Golf and Country Club in Clermont say they’re working through legal and financial difficulties to get the […]
In letter, Fischer Homes admits to knowledge of sinkhole issue in 2017 (OH)
A sinkhole is the reason dozens of people are still homeless at the Legacy Condominium complex. However a new twist in the saga reveals the company that built the condos may have known about a potential problem for years. Read the article……………………..
Remediation next for dump-fire site (AR)
Officials are preparing to move into the remediation phase now that an underground fire that had blazed since late last summer has been extinguished. Today marked the deadline for an underground fire to be extinguished, but contractors beat that deadline by more than a week. Read the article…………………….
Stoneybrook West Golf Club owner faces fines (FL)
A golf course in one Winter Garden community continues to sit overgrown and unused — but not without a price. Winter Garden’s Code Enforcement Board voted at its June 4 meeting to cite Miguel Vidal — the new owner of the Stoneybrook West Golf Club — a fine of $2,000 per day regarding several code […]
Condo complex pushes back on US flag display in Sagamore Hills (OH)
A man’s act of patriotism has become a big source of friction. Every year, Anthony Prusak places American flags in public areas of his condominium complex during holidays. “Such as Memorial Day,” he said, explaining the tradition goes back to his childhood. But not everyone at Greenwood Village in Sagamore Hills likes it. Last year, […]
How much should Birmingham regulate enclosed balconies, patios, terraces (MI)
Amidst a growing trend of Birmingham residents enclosing their balconies, patios and terraces, city officials may regulate the practice. The Birmingham City Commission and Planning Board decided in a joint workshop session June 17 that officials will examine a formal review process and/or regulations to potentially govern approval for such structures. Read the article…………………..
Condo column: Does your condominium have a construction defect? (FL)
Q: Can you please explain the process for making a construction defect claim for a condominium in Florida? Read the Q&A…………………………
HOA demands extra cash for solar-panel review (AZ)
No one wants to pay more than they have to. That’s especially true if you’re making a sizable outlay on something expensive and socially beneficial, like rooftop solar panels. But some homeowners associations say they have a right to charge residents a fee so they can review the plans for new solar panels. Read […]
Residents push for answers as sinkhole behind Harrison condos grows (OH)
The wet weather is making a giant sinkhole in Harrison even worse, threatening homes, and forcing some people out. Residents demanded answers Tuesday from their Homeowner’s Association about what’s being done, as the situation becomes even more urgent. Read the article……………………..
Suspect wanted for stealing expensive siding from Gahanna condo community (OH)
A two million dollar face-lift for a Gahanna neighborhood has become tarnished after a suspected thief walked off with thousands of dollars worth of exterior siding. “(It was) pretty blatant, ” said Barry Nease, Commercial One Property Manager for the Lakes of Harrison Pond, “It’s 9:45 (a.m.) on a Sunday in broad daylight.” Read the […]