Time is running out for co-op and condo boards to compile and disseminate their first annual report under the state’s new conflict-of-interest law. The reports must list all contracts or transactions that were voted on by the board with an entity in which a director has a financial interest. The reports must be signed by […]
Suspected embezzlement at Orange homeowners association rises to $400K (VA)
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says nearly a half-million dollars may have been embezzled from the Lake of the Woods Association. Sheriff Mark Amos said the total funds suspected to have been embezzled now appears to be more than $400,000, up from the $94,000 estimated in August. Read the article………………….
Theft of suburban family’s gay pride flag leads to heartening outcome — a neighborhood of rainbows (IL)
Casey Handal was hosting a gingerbread decorating party at her Barrington home earlier this month when she glanced out her window and noticed something unnerving: The rainbow pride flag she and her fiancee flew from their backyard flagpole was gone, replaced by the Stars and Stripes. Though Handal considers herself a proud American, she saw […]
HOA RULES ARE REAL: Boca Landings Sues Homeowner (FL)
If you think it’s okay to ignore the rules of your HOA, think again. The Boca Landings Homeowners Association is suing Karen and Murray Wendman who allegedly refuse to remove the commercial vehicle seen here: Read the article………………..
Battle over public beach access has no end in sight (FL)
A court fight over ownership of the white sand beach along the Gulf of Mexico could have a long-term impact on the public’s right to use that beach. Court briefs filed by the city and the Silver Sands condominium over the past month indicate there is little chance of resolving the issue anytime soon. […]
Subdivision deals with those buggery Live Oaks (FL)
Deep-rooted trees like live oaks are best near sidewalks. Or so the conventional landscaper thinking goes. But as Willow Chase subdivision residents, and others like the Venetian Golf and River Club, have learned, there are caveats. One: there needs to be adequate soil volume. Two: placing them between the curb and sidewalks or next to […]
Residents upset with Denver Water over prairie dog management (CO)
A neighborhood was convinced Denver Water was working with them to protect a colony of prairie dogs, but the utility company decided to hire an exterminator instead. The small rodents are living on a lot owned by Denver Water near Quebec Way and Florida Avenue. Some residents complained that the animals were digging holes and […]
Board deals blow to Airbnb-type rentals (NH)
Scott Palmer says that before he bought a condominium near Paugus Bay early this year, he checked with the city and the homeowners association and determined he could offer it for short-term, Airbnb-type rentals. But on Monday night, the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment told the Windham man that he is not allowed to use […]
Water supply for Clyde subdivision threatened (NC)
Several dozen homeowners got a minor reprieve at the Clyde Board of Aldermen meeting last week after the deadline suspending water service was relaxed. The town board had previously notified the homeowners on Maple Knolls Circle that the road had deteriorated to the point that portions of the town’s water line buried beneath the road […]
Resident Says HOA Restricted Family from Having FEMA Trailer (FL)
Hurricane Michael damaged hundreds of homes in the Panhandle. Now, some residents are receiving FEMA trailers while they repair their property. “I’m hoping to have somewhere to live, I’m hoping to have somewhere to stay,” said Brylecia Micalin, Bay County resident. A FEMA trailer has been set up on Micalin’s property so that her family […]
HOA files legal action against PBC over rezoning for proposed foster care center (FL)
The Wellington View homeowners association is taking legal action against Palm Beach County over their approval of a nearby group foster home for kids. “The nonprofit has all of Palm Beach County in which to relocate. The residents only have one parcel and the government has taken it from them,” the document states. Read the […]
Roseland Council Votes to Provide Services to Private Streets (NJ)
In an effort to ensure that all residents of privately owned homes in the Borough of Roseland receive fair and equal treatment compared to other homeowners, the borough council has amended its “private roads” ordinance to authorize the borough to maintain, plow, salt, resurface and reconstruct private streets. Read the article………………
Fence, wall come down along private access point at Aptos beach (CA)
The County of Santa Cruz took significant action Tuesday to reinstate public access at Rio Del Mar Beach in Aptos. County crews tore down a gated fence and a 6-foot wall along Beach Drive despite a lawsuit filed in November by the Rio Del Mar Beach Island Home Owners Association who have houses along Beach […]
‘Alternative Facts’ from LA: City Claims Trailhead Gate to Hollywood Sign It Permanently Closed is Really ‘Open’ (CA)
….Nearby resident associations – Los Feliz Improvement Association, The Oaks Homeowners Association, Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, and Lake Hollywood Homeowners Association – representing thousands of households in adjacent communities — have all expressed their desire for the gate to be re-opened to pedestrian access and their support for the Alternate Access Plan. Read the […]
Cambridge to consider ways to let renters, condo owners run power cords to charge their electric vehicles at the curb (MA)
Cambridge city councilors say renters and condo owners who buy electric cars are increasingly running extension cords out their windows and across sidewalks to power up their vehicles. Read the article………………….
Can you smoke inside your own condo or apartment? (FL)
Do you have the right to smoke in your own condo or apartment? And do you have any rights if your neighbor is a smoker and you can smell the smoke in your home? It’s a question one woman has brought to Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser. Sharon Karle is a smoker. Sharon Karle, […]
Communities working to gain fire safety designation in Converse (TX)
Converse Fire Department leaders are looking to help nearly 20 communities gain a Firewise designation, in an effort between communities and city and state leaders to promote fire safety in the areas where wild land and urban neighborhoods meet. Read the article………………….
Mueller resident starts petition to lift pit bull breed restriction (TX)
….Gu wanted to adopt a pit bull mix dog. “We found one dog that was very tolerant of our cats,” she said. “And got along really well with my mom and dad.” Gu said she couldn’t adopt the dog even though she explained to the Mueller Property Owners Association that the dog didn’t have behavioral […]
Buckeye HOA won’t allow man to park work truck in housing community (CA)
Timothy Anderson says the Verrado HOA claims his work truck violates the rules and told him he can’t park it anywhere within the Buckeye housing community. Watch the news report……………………..
County takes steps toward managing CSAs (CA)
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors announced Dec. 11 the hiring of a county service area (CSA) coordinator and approved street sweeping contracts in several neighborhoods as the county faces pressure to provide services it has failed to deliver in recent years. Read the article…………………..
Term Limits Continue to Cause Confusion (FL)
Q: The president of our condominium association has been a board member for over 10 years. He just put his name in to run again. Many people are content to let this person run things. I think changes need to be made. Is he allowed to run? Read the Q&A……………..
Marina City condo board tries to rein in colorful balcony lights (IL)
With 16 of them along the circumference of 44 floors of two towers, the balconies of Marina City may arguably be what attracts the most attention to the architectural icon, particularly over the holidays when many of the balconies are decorated with string lights. But less than two weeks before Christmas, the condo board at […]
Some answers to complicated association election questions (FL)
Q: Hi, I’m a property manager of a condominium association. I received a notice of intent to run and biography from one of the owners in our building, and the owner’s biography has lies about some of the current board members that he’s running against. Can I include something in the second notice that we […]
Beyond an HOA: How, and why, some Homeowners Associations became towns (NC)
When homeowners associations can’t do it all, sometimes, homeowners help their developments become actual towns. Homeowners associations can manage most of the same services local governments do. Through fees and fines, they maintain streets, provide amenities, and contract out services outside their purview. But what happens when homeowners associations give rise to actual governments? It’s […]
Crestfield residents meet with P&G officials over floodwater (WV)
Representatives of the Crestfield Homeowners Association met with Procter & Gamble and Berkeley County officials on this week to discuss how floodwater allegedly coming from P&G could be diverted away from the housing development. Crestfield residents in August complained to Berkeley County officials that floodwater from P&G runs into the development during heavy rain storms. […]
Can a director resign for any reason? (FL)
Q: My condominium association has one owner who is a malcontent. He is always objecting to everything the Board tries to do and his constant vocal complaining has caused the Board much stress. Two of the directors resigned as a result of this disgruntled owner. Is this a proper basis for directors to resign? Do […]
HOA Homefront: How do we give our board a (financial) break?
Q: We just received a set of amended bylaws and CC&Rs presented to us for a vote. One section concerns us, saying the board can vote itself a waiver of monthly assessments if the HOA is self-managed. The board states the documents have been approved by an attorney they hired to help them with updating […]
Sun Valley moves to fix Elkhorn Road drainage issues (ID)
After flooding hit portions of the Lane Ranch subdivision last winter, the city of Sun Valley is taking action to deal with a drainage problem along Elkhorn Road. Read the article……………………..
Should an owner who has not paid assessments be elected to the board? (IL)
Q. It’s time for the annual meeting for our condominium association, and a controversy has erupted over one of our rules. The association has a rule that states an owner who is delinquent in the payment of their assessments is not eligible to serve on the board. Is this a valid rule? Read the […]
Sonoma Condo residents happy 5-foot hole finally filled, patched (FL)
People living in a Southside Jacksonville community say a massive five-foot hole has finally been filled in by construction workers after it was left a hazard to residents for months. Greg Price lives in the Sonoma Condo community and said he’s glad it’s been taken care of. “I didn’t know how dangerous it was until […]
Wildfires may soon be uninsurable risks for homeowners
Homeowners in wildfire-prone areas of California and other Western states now have yet another worry: Insurers have issued an ominous warning that they could be facing a “wildfire deductible” in coming years or, even worse, the prospect of having their home insurance canceled altogether. Read the article………………..
Woodlake community wants brakes put on speeding problem (SC)
Following numerous pedestrian accidents here in the Midlands, one neighborhood is saying “no more!” Woodlake residents reached out to WACH FOX about an ongoing speed problem around their community and want the brakes put on it now. Read the article………………..
Harlem Homeowners Face Increasing Repairs As Lawsuit Drags On (NY)
It has been one-and-a-half years since owners of apartments at the PS 90 Condominium in Harlem filed a lawsuit claiming that building developers cut corners — leaving many first-time homeowners on the hook for costly repairs — but residents likely won’t see financial relief any time soon, lawyers said. Read the article………………..
Woman says unsecured umbrella at community pool inflicted head injury (TX)
A Katy woman alleges in a state district lawsuit that an unsecured object struck her at the grand opening for a community pool more than a year ago. Harris County District Court records show that Sandra Carrillo filed the suit against Planned Community Management, Inc. and Cane Island Community Association on Dec. 10. Read […]
StoneWood condo residents missing home for the holidays year after fire (CT)
For tenants of the StoneWood Condominiums in Norwalk, the passage of a year hasn’t brought them back to their homes in time for the holidays. A massive fire broke out inside the condos on Richard’s Avenue on Dec. 11, 2017. More than 50 condos were left vacant for months as the building underwent demolition and […]
Frustration grows along with sinkhole in Denver neighborhood (NC)
The sinkhole on Hickory Creek Dr. in Denver continues to get bigger, and as a result, the county removed a makeshift bridge that was out here before the snowstorm began. According to what the county told FOX 46 on Tuesday, it’s going to be left that way for a while. Read the article…………………
‘I pretty much knew they were killing the ducks.’ (FL)
Neighbors in a Palm Springs development recorded cellphone video of a man carrying what appears to be a long-barreled gun in a residential neighborhood in broad daylight. It’s a scene that would startle anyone. This happened in the Lakewood development. The man with the firearm works for a trapping company that’s been contracted to rid the […]
Amid annexation battle, Fulton County neighborhood split over identity (GA)
Jewel Johnson used to feel close to her south Fulton County neighbors. Over the three decades she’s lived in Loch Lomond Estates, she invited neighbors over for birthday lunches, tried to always say hello on the street and celebrated each year at the subdivision Christmas party. But those strong relationships frayed after she and a […]
More change at Wayne’s Brittany Chase, as three condo board members resign (NJ)
Faced with an ultimatum to resign or be forced from office, three members of the condominium board at Brittany Chase opted for the path of least resistance and stepped aside on Monday. Resignations of Marianne Baker, Max Krasnopolsky and Paul Walmers were demanded by an insurgent group of homeowners, who call themselves “Wake Up, Brittany […]
Does Your HOA Have To Plow Your Snow? (NC)
Some agreements include snow maintenance, road maintenance and landscaping, but the problem is, most HOA agreements aren’t very specific. Read the article………………….
Melbourne Beach condo damages spur lawsuit, code enforcement case since Hurricane Irma (FL)
A $10 million insurance dispute remains unresolved at the Versailles Sur La Mer condominium complex, which has sat vacant since shortly after Hurricane Irma’s rain bands struck in September 2017. Brevard County officials declared the 24-unit complex on State Road A1A unsafe for human habitation, citing “extreme structural support issues” that pose “an imminent danger” […]
‘Worst living conditions ever’: Local condominiums under investigation for code violations (NV)
Joshua Stark, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sergeant, says that in October he responded to Desert Garden Condominiums on Bonanza Road twice in a 24-hour period for a shooting and a murder. Stark says that’s when he discovered what he describes as the worst living conditions he’s ever seen. Read the article……………….
Heat, hot water shutting off at Ronkonkoma condo complex (NY)
Residents of the Nob Hill Condominium complex in Ronkonkoma will be going days without heat or hot water. Management says starting Tuesday morning, utilities in building No. 1 will be shut down for five days to replace a broken boiler. “Our boiler needs to be replaced, if we don’t replace it, we will have an […]
Outdoor Christmas decorations banned by North Phoenix HOA (AZ)
It’s not just package thefts that can kill the holiday spirit. Residents of a condo complex in North Phoenix said their HOA has banned outdoor Christmas decorations. The decision was announced in a notice, telling homeowners they are not allowed to put out any decorations on the outside of their homes. Read the article……………..
Eight Naples Homeowners Associations unite to protect city’s small-town feel (FL)
Eight Naples homeowners associations have banded together to preserve the small-town feel of Naples, which they fear is quickly disappearing due to the city’s penchant for granting deviations and variances from its own codes. “Deviations and variances should be the rare exception, not the rule,” the HOA conglomerate wrote in a letter to the city’s […]
Homeowner Association didn’t have quake insurance, residents of condemned Eagle River condos say (AK)
An Eagle River homeowner association was not carrying earthquake insurance when the 7.0 magnitude temblor struck on Nov 30., despite that insurance being a requirement of the homeowners’ agreement, residents say. The damage caused by the earthquake will potentially cost tens of thousands of dollars for each of the 42 condominium owners.River’s Edge Condos sits […]
Head of Delaware’s prison guard union tangled in homeowners association lawsuits
During the day, Geoffrey Klopp is the face of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware, fighting for better work conditions in light of last year’s fatal uprising at a Delaware prison. But at Klopp’s Lewes-area home, he has waged a different battle with his neighbors. Read the article………………..
Board Can’t Prohibit Hurricane Shutters (FL)
Q: Our condominium did a major renovation project several years ago, included impact glass for all the windows and sliders. Recently, our board received a request from an owner to install hurricane shutters. The board thinks this is unnecessary since we are already protected, and that shutters will detract from the look of our buildings. […]