Life in Leilani Estates may never be the same again after residents fled fissures that erupted underneath their homes and streets starting last May. But with the volcanic vents quiet for more than three months, and a checkpoint that controlled access now removed, what remains of the lower Puna subdivision appears to slowly be getting […]
Snap! The local HOA just captured your license plate number (CA)
They’ve tried building fences. Hiring private security guards. Installing closed-circuit cameras around their homes to spot every passing car or suspicious-looking person. And now, homeowners throughout the Bay Area and in other U.S. cities are turning to license plate readers as a next line of defense against property crime. The trend has helped generate a […]
Can condo owner see ledgers of those delinquent in assessment payments? (FL)
Q: I am an owner in a condominium. I have made a request to see the individual unit owner assessment ledgers for owners who are delinquent in the payment of assessments. The board has denied my request and they claim I am not allowed to see this information. Is this true? Read the Q&A……………….
Some luxury condo developers add landing pads for flying cars (FL)
As the development of personal transportation drones advances, landing pads are emerging as the latest must-have amenity at condominiums for the wealthiest buyers. For example, three luxury condos will feature flying-car landing pads in Miami, where the 1 percent would be able to travel by air while the other 99 percent are stuck in the […]
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 Q&A………………..
Election date can be required in bylaws, not statute (FL)
Q: Our condominium election is in December, which makes no sense to me because most of our community goes back north for the holiday season, and the election is scheduled right before Christmas. Is there a law requiring the association to conduct an election when everyone is here? Read the Q&A…………………
Maricopa County orders Phoenix condo complex to clean up sewage (AZ)
Maricopa County is ordering a Phoenix condominium complex to clean up raw sewage after residents complained the waste has been pooling outside their homes for weeks. On Friday an inspector notified management at Autumn Park Condominiums near Bell and Cave Creek roads they had 24 hours to fix the issue, according to Maricopa County Environmental […]
Inexperienced HOA board can cause damage (NV)
Q: We purchased a home in a community roughly seven years ago and were satisfied up until earlier this year. The association attorney is a friend or distant relative of a board member. In a recent decision he advised a few of them that in an emergency situation, a homeowner vote was not needed. Our […]
Double Horn residents vote to incorporate; now the real business begins (TX)
After a 75-65 vote Dec. 6, the Double Horn subdivision near Spicewood will now incorporate as a new Type B city in Burnet County. The votes will be canvassed Dec. 11 during the regular Burnet County Commissioners Court meeting before Double Horn officially becomes a city……….In the meantime, the homeowners association will continue providing for […]
HOA Homefront: Questions on removal of presidents, and the PUD myth (CA)
Q: The president of our HOA was recently removed as president (with no explanation and at an unposted meeting), but she is still on the board, referred to as director at large, with no duties. Someone said she is not eligible to vote in that capacity. Is that true? Read the Q&A…………….
Vet struggles to climb stairs as Heather Gardens takes elevator out of service for code upgrade (CO)
Imagine walking up four flights of stairs and getting so winded that you have to stop at each landing to catch your breath. That’s the reality for Vietnam War vet Allen Sanchez. The 69-year-old Aurora resident said he’d normally use his motorized wheel chair to zip in and out of the elevator. Once downstairs, he […]
Residents turn port-a-potty into festive spectacle (MD)
When a construction crew placed a port-a-potty in a Frederick County neighborhood, residents transformed the eyesore into a spectacular holiday light display – complete with a disco ball. The portable toilet appeared in the Urbana neighborhood for the construction crew retrofitting a nearby storm water management pond. Read the article…………….
As Miami Battles Sea-Level Rise, This Artist Makes Waves with His “Underwater Homeowners Association” (FL)
“It is with incredible pain that I say I know my city is doomed by climate change,” says Cortada, who is the artist in residence at Pinecrest Gardens, a recreation center a few blocks from his home in South Miami. “But as a Miamian, my job is to do everything I can to help us […]
Ice Lake HOA signs water deal (AR)
A contract between the Ice Lake homeowner’s association and the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District last year may keep the historic lake full. The contract sets into motion the legal process of transferring a water right on Cottonwood Creek which had been acquired by the homeowner’s association, UAWCD manager Terry Scanga said. Read the […]
Denver goes after landlord for tenant’s marijuana grow (CO)
Albert Monson is a firefighter for the U.S. Department of Defense. He lives in Bahrain, a tiny Arab country next to Saudia Arabia, where he puts out oil well fires. But he owns a condo in Denver and the city attorney’s office wants him to pay up for the crimes of a tenant he never […]
Cell tower rejected: Grand Lakes HOA board votes against project (TX)
The Grand Lakes Community Association board of directors has rejected a request to build a cell tower near the master-planned community of 2,800 homeowners. Read the article…………………The proposal to build a 140-foot-tall tower came from Vertical Bridge Holdings, based in Boca Raton, Fla., about four months ago. The company could not be reached for comment […]
Sherman Woods holiday lights help Salvation Army (MI)
“Two years ago we looked at this as an opportunity to leverage the interest in our neighborhood’s Christmas displays to raise a few extra dollars for the Red Kettle campaign,” said Fred Kemp, Sherman Woods Homeowners Association president, in an email. “Our homeowners are proud of their displays and have been generous with their time […]
How to have influence on your condo board
Q: I own a small condominium in a midsize building in Chicago. I pay around $500 per month in assessments, and the building has more than $600,000 in reserves. The association hired a consultant to deliver a reserve study to the board, but it has not been posted to the condo building website. Read the […]
Judge rules against Brittany Chase owners over condo board election (NJ)
Appointed voters at the Brittany Chase condo complex in Wayne do not have the right to conduct any business before the condo board, other than to vote in this week’s election, a state Superior Court judge ruled on Tuesday Read the article……………….
RVR golf course sale still concern for community (CO)
Rands sought for months to convince the town of Carbondale to rezone the driving range for high-density, multi-family housing. The golf course announced in July that it might have to close for good unless the neighborhood allowed rezoning for development or agreed to fees to keep the links open. The golf course was simply not […]
’Fair housing’ creates challenge to remove aggressive neighborhood dog (NC)
In the Chapman house, four-legged friends are part of the family. Like their dog Bailee. “He loved his walks,” Jennifer Chapman says. But on a recent walk, they say Bailey was attacked by the Rottweiler across the street. He didn’t survive. “I immediately tried to pull him, and started screaming,” Chapman says. “[The dog] went […]
Residents poke fun at Somersett Owners Association for demanding Christmas decor come down (NV)
Dan Rowan’s suspects Elf on the Shelf may be to blame for the holiday decorations that violate his homeowner’s association. Rowan, a local optometrist who lives on Deerbrook Court in Somersett, received a letter informing him that his holiday decorations had to come down. Rowan and neighbor Tierra Bonaldi, added the 6 foot by 10 […]
Co-op Board 1, Madonna 0 (NY)
Score one for the immense power of co-op boards. Especially the power to change the house rules, provided all shareholders are treated equally. This came home last week when Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits ruled against the pop star Madonna and in favor of the Harperley Hall co-op board in a lawsuit that had […]
Sun City worries that Airbnb renters are too young (AZ)
When people move to Sun City, they expect wide-open streets buzzing with golf carts, recreation centers for the retired and tranquil lake views. They don’t picture a bunch of children running around on a pontoon boat out on the water, said Jim Hunter, president of the Sun City Homeowners Association. “That’s not why people move […]
Defunct HOA offers to gift Breckenridge, Summit County 20 acres of land in Illinois Gulch (CO)
A homeowners association that disbanded 20 years ago but still owns eight parcels of open-space land has offered them to Breckenridge and Summit County free of charge. All the town and county would need to do is cover title insurance and closing costs, said Scott Reid, the town’s director of recreation. Last week he described […]
Alabama Condo Complex Earns IBHS’ First-Ever Hurricane Gold Designation
Local developers in coastal Alabama that utilized Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) FORTIFIED Commercial construction standards in the design of a coastal condominium complex and earned the first-ever FORTIFIED Commercial–Hurricane Gold. Read the article………………….
Orlando attorney indefinitely suspended following allegations of misappropriating about $37,000 (FL)
Orlando attorney Elizabeth Jayne Anderson has been indefinitely suspended following an Oct. 8 Florida Supreme Court order over misappropriation allegations, according to a recent announcement by the Florida Bar. “Anderson appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating client trust funds and neglecting client matters,” the state bar said in its Nov. 30 announcement […]
Changes to Leasing Restrictions May Not Apply to All Owners
Q: Recently there was a discussion in my condominium association about amending our declaration to increase the minimum lease term from 30 days to 6 months. Many of our owners are in favor of this change, but we have been told it would not apply to current unit owners and would only apply to future […]
Vellano hits commission with 440-page appeal letter (CA)
The attorney for the Vellano Golf Course was scolded by residents and the Chino Hills Planning Commission for submitting a 440-page letter the night before an appeal hearing Tuesday, Nov. 20. WGP-Vellano LLC requested the hearing to appeal the city’s denial of its request to retain a chain-link fence it installed around the golf course […]
Can owners keep email addresses private? (IL)
Q. I know the Illinois Condominium Property Act was changed for 2018 to require associations to provide owner email addresses and telephone numbers to other owners. I thought I heard some “buzz” that the Condominium Property Act was changed again to now eliminate this requirement. What can you tell me? Read the Q&A………………
Do directors and officers have to worry about getting sued personally? (FL)
Around this time of year there usually is a call for candidates to submit their names to be directors of their condominium or homeowners’ association for vacant seats coming up at next year’s annual meeting. Most associations have five to seven director seats usually with either one-year terms or two-year staggered terms. Read the […]
River Valley Ranch Golf Club headed into the rough (CO)
The River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale may have to close at the end of the current golf season unless a resolution comes forward in the meantime, according to reports from a recent meeting of the RVR Homeowners Association Read the article………………..
HOA improves clubhouse with out vote (NV)
Q: The board of directors in our homeowners association recently took out the fireplace that was in a step-down area of the clubhouse without notifying the homeowners, obtaining bids for the work or obtaining a Clark County building permit. The main room was redesigned, and new oil paintings and flooring were installed. The floor was […]
SC island property owners want homes torn down after beach erosion
A private island community in Beaufort County is suing the state over beach regulations — but in a twist, a homeowners association isn’t trying to circumvent the rules, but rather get the state’s help in removing six homes. Read the article……………
Fairway Oaks residents protest condition, location of homes (FL)
People living in the Fairway Oaks community of northwest Jacksonville took their protest to the front of the Duval County Courthouse Friday afternoon. Over the past two years, the News4Jax I-Team has been digging into reports that show in 2000, HabiJax built 85 homes near an old landfill. People living there say they have potentially […]
St. Louis condo owner alleges black mold in common area caused illness (MO)
Three residents of a St. Louis condominium allege black mold in the common area caused illness. Patricia Nejmanowski, et al. filed a complaint on Nov. 15 in the St. Louis Circuit Court against McPherson Place Condominium Association, et al. alleging premises liability and negligence. According to the complaint, the plaintiffs purchased a condo on McPherson […]
Ask the HOA Expert: Basketball Hoops, Satellite Dishes and For Sale Signs
Question: Our rules include things like “garages are for cars and not to have multiple vehicles parked outside, no trampolines and basketball hoops”. Our management company has advised the board that the HOA is powerless to enforce these rules. We have several infractions and have advised the offending members, but they ignore our four step […]
Liman and Squibnocket Farm bury the hatchet (MA)
Hollywood director Doug Liman and Squibnocket Farm, a well-to-do subdivision, have agreed to an armistice in the legal battle over the Squibnocket Bridge (or causeway). The deadline for Liman to advance the appeals of two Ldrvand Court decisions arrived this week. They have been dropped. Read the article……………..
Margaritaville Resort construction contributed to Kissimmee condo cracks, lawyer says (FL)
News 6 is learning new details about cracked condos in Kissimmee that forced people to leave their homes. The complex’s lawyer claims a nearby construction project is partially to blame for why the Sun Lake Condos are unlivable. Almost two months ago, residents were forced to evacuate their homes after two buildings inside the complex […]
Royal Oaks Golf Course to close forever (TN)
Marnice Richmond knew what she was getting into when she took over ownership of Royal Oaks Golf Course, but she also knew she had the support of her father, Tinker, and that their combined energy could be enough to breathe life into the often-moribund business. After more than six years of effort, too many matches […]
Dangerous wall finally repaired after Delaware homeowner went public with complaints (OH)
A Delaware homeowner says he’s finally getting results after a years-long battle with the township, homeowner’s association, and even a golf club over a dangerous eyesore. Read the article……………..
Timberlake homeowners association working to create watershed improvement project (VA)
The Timberlake Homeowners Association is working to improve the conditions on Timber Lake. Neighbors say they’ve had constant issues with sediment on the lake bed since the August floods and it needs to be dredged. The homeowners say without the healthy return of the lake, each home is at risk of losing 2/3 of its […]
HUD accuses Denver condo of discrimination (CO)
The HUD complaint states the six-story building with 164 units, discriminates against handicapped people by violating wheelchair accessibility codes under the federal Fair Housing Act. Read the article………………..
Residents near 1 Arkansas lake warned of problems with dam; issue not uncommon in state
They live by Lake Sandy in eastern Saline County. If the dam breaks, the lake would empty. They worry that they’ll be liable for damages if the dam fails. It’s a structure and a responsibility that many of the homeowners didn’t know they were getting when they bought their homes. No one has paid dues […]
Emergency responders investigate source of oil spill behind Del Lago HOA (CA)
Government agencies including the Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Environmental Health, Lake County Water Resources, Lakeport Fire Department, Lakeport Public Works and Northshore Fire investigated the source of an oil spill coming through a storm drain spreading into Clear Lake on Tuesday morning behind the Del Lago Home Owners Association building in Lakeport. Read […]
Ask the HOA Expert: Registered Agents, Borrowing HOA Equipment, Board Vacancies
Question: Our homeowner association is properly incorporated with the state. Our attorney is our Registered Agent for the corporation. Can or should we change that? Read the Q&A…………………..
County Line Drive residents seeks flood water help (WV)
Residents of the Horner subdivision off County Line Drive in Berkeley County say a beaver dam is causing rain water to accumulate in their neighborhood making it impassable for vehicles to enter………The Horner subdivision residents’ problem is compounded by them never having set up a homeowners’ association. “It’s a private road in here,” Hamilton said. […]
Argument over tire change leads to standoff, suicide in Seminole (FL)
People who live in the Timberwoods condo complex in Seminole are back in their homes. A violent confrontation in the parking lot,turned into a five hour standoff with a tragic ending. “Gun and run. And my shoes are still laying in the middle of the driveway, ran right out of them.” That’s how Jason Suhadolnik […]
Repairs to be made to condo owned by woman missing part of brain (FL)
A condominium owner named Judy Young was ordered to pay thousands of dollars in repairs to her unit, even though the condo association acknowledged the damage wasn’t her fault. Investigative reporter Karla Ray learned Young is now getting some relief. Read the article……………….