The Hamden Fire Marshal’s Office announced Wednesday the cause of the Hamden condominium fire, which displaced over 50 people earlier this month. The investigation revealed that the fire on Warner Street started in the pantry closet of one of the units. There was a mini freezer inside the pantry that was plugged into an extension […]
Only in Hawai‘i: You Own the Home But Not the Land
About 1 in 8 condos for sale on O‘ahu are leasehold. Many, including some prestigious properties, are declining in value as the end of their land leases near. Read the entire article……………………………….
Grandmother, child killed in Raleigh condo fire, 3 family members rescued (NC)
Crews said a mother and her infant daughter were on the back deck when firefighters arrived and had to be rescued. Firefighters also searched the home and rescued a boy who was trapped inside. Read the entire article……………………………….
Local HOA Refuses To Hold New Election, Defying State Of Florida Order (FL)
A Palm Beach County Property Owners Association, ordered to hold a new election due to problems with an election it conducted, is refusing to abide by the order issued by an arbitrator for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Read the entire article……………………………….
Rodeo arena spurs anger on Crooked River Ranch (OR)
At news of a new rodeo arena project on the Crooked River Ranch, a group of 34 property owners launched a letter to the CRR Board calling for the “immediate termination or resignation of Judy Lapora as Homeowners Association Manager/Executive Director and the suspension of Board President Bill Burt pending an “outside investigation by either […]
Collierville neighborhood concerned about TN license plate issues (TN)
Residents in the Estanaula Trails community of Collierville are worried cameras they bought to fight crime are now ineffective. Those cameras, like others used by Bartlett Police, Germantown Police and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, are having trouble reading the state’s new license plates, particularly at night. Read the entire article……………………………….
Deployed soldier battles HOA over roof tiles (FL)
A South Florida soldier about to be deployed says his homeowner’s association is delaying the sale of his home. Frustrated and furious, he reached out to 7 Investigates for help. Eric’s house is easy to spot. It’s the only one on his street without a finished roof. Read the entire article……………………………….
HOA fights senior over angel, still can’t display statue on wall (AZ)
HOAs usually get a bad rap. They can enforce rules that keep neighborhoods functioning and property values up, but too many times, homeowners complain their HOA oversteps. Read the entire article……………………………….
East Haven Condo Fire Displaces 20, Damages 6 Units: Report (CT)
Twenty residents of a condo complex on Birch Lane in East Haven have been displaced after several units caught fire Monday night, WTNH reported. Read the entire article……………………………….
Sandpiper Residents Stop $318K Sidewalk Plan in Its Tracks (FL)
More than $4.3 million in concrete will be laid down for sidewalks in Lakeland this year but not a penny more will be spent on one planned project after residents convinced city commissioners Monday there is overwhelming opposition to installing sidewalks along Sandpiper Drive. Read the entire article……………………………….
No charges after accidental BBQ fire destroys condos in north Reno, says fire chief (NV)
No charges will be filed against the owner of a condominium whose barbecue sparked a destructive fire in the North Valleys, Reno fire chief Dave Cochran said. Read the entire article……………………………….
10 Santa Ana Residents Displaced After Fire Rips Through Condo Complex (CA)
A ferocious blaze in Santa Ana displaced 10 residents Sunday as it ripped through the two-story building. No injuries were reported in the fire, and firefighters were able to quickly contain the flames. Read the entire article……………………………….
Findings delayed in Surfside condo collapse (FL)
Eight months after images of a coastal condominium crumbling to the ground shocked and horrified the nation, one of the experts investigating the tragedy said he will not be able to provide any conclusions by the year anniversary this June. Read the entire article……………………………….
Questions About Filing Your Association’s Federal Income Taxes? We’ve Got Answers
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again! No, winter is no picnic for those who aren’t fans of cold weather. But the beginning of the year comes with more than just frigid temperatures and a lack of daylight. It also heralds in the menace known as tax season. Read the entire article……………………………….
Firefighters battle 2-alarm fire at condo in west Las Vegas complex (NV)
Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at a condominium complex in the west side of town early Sunday morning. Read the entire article……………………………….
Declaration will determine whether a parking space is attached to a unit (FL)
Q: I bought a condominium unit, and the deed stated that it came with a parking space that is appurtenant to the unit and for the unit’s exclusive use. After using the very same parking spot for 12 years and without any notice or justification, a week ago my association decided to misappropriate the parking […]
Whose lawn is it, anyway? (CO)
Nestled behind Willits along the Roaring Fork River is a charming subdivision known as River Oaks. In 2020, one of the riverfront homes sold for $2.2 million, according to the Compass listing. Had the Eagle County Department of Community Development followed a 1987 recommendation from the Colorado Geological Survey, the subdivision wouldn’t even exist. Read […]
Sarasota neighborhoods ‘Unite Against Hate’ after anti-Semitic incident (FL)
Neighbors are rallying together after anti-Semitic fliers were littered in several Sarasota neighborhoods. They refused to stay silent. Instead, they passed out yard signs reading “United Against Hate.” An action intended to cause hurt is being met with solidarity. Read the entire article……………………………….
New law allows gardens on unit owner’s property (IL)
Q: I live in a townhouse in a common interest community. Each individually owned townhouse lot has a spacious backyard. Are owners permitted to have a vegetable garden on their lots? Read the Q&A……………………………………..
Marietta condos heavily damaged by flames (GA)
Marietta firefighters said six people are left with nowhere to go after blaze destroyed several condos on Saturday. One person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and the cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said. Read the entire article……………………………….
Racist leaflets unsettle Guadalupe County neighborhood (TX)
Residents voiced their concerns during a meeting of the neighborhood’s homeowners association Tuesday evening to discuss Southbank’s new Dog Walker Neighborhood Watch program. An officer from the New Braunfels Police Department gave a presentation during the session. Some of Southbank’s homeowners in attendance expressed frustration over the absence of solicitation ordinances in New Braunfels that […]
$100,000 in water damage at Berkman Plaza condo (FL)
It’s one of the premier residential buildings in downtown Jacksonville, but one condo owner at the Berkman Plaza has major issues with Berkman’s Condo Association. After fighting for more than a year, Nick Rosado reached out to First Coast News for help after he felt ignored by the organization he pays to maintain his building. […]
Condo term limits explained (FL)
Q: In the past you have written articles concerning the term limits provision added to the Condominium Act. I was wondering if there have been any updates on that issue and how the term limits now apply to current board members? Read the Q&A…………………………………
HOA Homefront: Director proxies, no minutes and election challenges (CA)
Q: One of our board members sometimes is not available to attend meetings either in person or telephonically and has asked if he could submit a written approve or disapprove sealed proxy for agenda items when the board votes on them in the meeting. Read the Q&A…………………………………
Homeowner gets HOA bill and can’t find out why (NV)
Q: Our homeowners association management company has sent us a pre-statutory notice asking for $290.62. We sent them back a response stating that we have no idea what these monies are for because they did not provide a breakdown. Read the entire article……………………………….
Surfside collapse exposes an overlooked threat: Saltwater rising from underground
Not long after a condo tower collapsed in Surfside, Florida, last June, Randall Parkinson had what he calls an epiphany. Parkinson, a coastal geologist who studies the impact of climate change at Florida International University in Miami, wondered whether rising sea levels had driven saltwater into the ground beneath the tower, corroding its concrete foundation. […]
Condo questions: Is it important to return proxy sent out about annual meeting notice? (FL)
Q: I live in a homeowner’s association. This year, we are having an election for two board member positions. It is a contested election with six people running for the two board of directors’ seats. Read the Q&A………………………………..
Sewage overflow problem behind West End condo complex will take years to fix (TN)
eople who live in one West End neighborhood report sewage overflows whenever it rains too much. A manhole behind a condo complex on Long Boulevard regularly overflows with stormwater and raw sewage. Metro is aware of the issue, but the fix will take years. Read the entire article……………………………….
Palisades residents speak out against HOA at council meeting (OR)
Nearly a dozen residents of the Lincoln Palisades spoke against the formation of a new homeowners association at the 150-lot subdivision during Monday’s meeting of the Lincoln City City Council. Read the entire article……………………………….
Landlord feels left out from Marshall Fire assistance as HOA assessments continue with no income coming in (CO)
Easing the assessment costs on just the owners who lost homes would require a unanimous vote from all of the owners and mortgage lenders. Read the entire article……………………………….
Seven Bridges Delray Sues GL Homes For Shoddy Workmanship (FL)
At issue: shoddy workmanship that the HOA claims GL left behind when it finished Seven Bridges a few years ago. GL Homes has, according to the suit, refused to fix the problems, leaving the HOA to pay for fixes itself. The problem with GL is not new. Other GL communities have also been left to […]
American Express files $300K suit against Naples property management service (FL)
A property management company staring down a lawsuit by 35 Collier and Lee county condo and homeowner associations focusing on alleged fraud now faces legal action by a credit card company over a nearly $300,000 unpaid balance.
Ask the HOA Expert: Owner Not Paying Assessments
Question: We have an owner who has not paid an assessment for several years. The property is being used as rental property. Read all the Q&A’s……………………………………
Inwood Co-op Board Stunned by $3 Million Con Edison Charge (NY)
There’s sticker shock. And then there’s the shock an Inwood co-op board got when it set out to replace its aging oil-burning boiler with a new dual-fuel model in order to meet the looming demands of the Climate Mobilization Act. The board’s consultant estimated that the cost of the conversion to natural gas would be […]
Flames Rips Through Diamond Bar Condo Complex (CA)
The blaze was first reported at 2:25 a.m. in the 300 block of South Prospectors Road, near Golden Springs Road. Cell phone video showed huge flames and smoke engulfing the complex. Read the entire article……………………………….
Somers fire kills resident in Heritage Hills condominium community (NY)
One person died in a fire that ripped through a condo in Heritage Hills on Wednesday. The two-alarm fire was reported at 4:11 p.m. and spread to two units in the condominium community. One resident, who was the sole occupant of one of those units, was found dead inside, the Somers Volunteer Fire Department said. […]
Neighbors frustrated after car burglars hit Alamo Ranch community several times (TX)
Residents living in the Summit at Alamo Ranch community hope one of their gates is fixed soon to prevent the crime they’ve experienced since it became inoperable recently. The Summit I Exit Gate has been open for several days, which meant an open invitation to thieves to enter the community with bad intentions. Read the […]
Crested Butte South POA agrees to re-vote on covenants (CO)
The Crested Butte South Property Owner’s Association (POA) determined last week that it would hold a new vote on amendments to its covenants this year after having nullified the previous vote held last November. This time around the POA plans to allocate votes based on property deeds, eliminating some irregularities of former practices, and to […]
Distressed Carolina Beach timeshare Condos To Be Sold In Auction (NC)
With one building stripped to its aging bones, the North Pier Ocean Villas sits vulnerable to whipping salty winds – the fate of the once-popular Carolina Beach timeshare condominium is in flux. Its homeowners association is stuck in debt and lacks the cash necessary to make the repairs necessary ward off a condemnation notice lingering […]
Can my HOA hike my fees without limits? What to know as a homeowner (TX)
When Pflugerville resident Casey Fewell moved into the Carmel neighborhood in May 2018, she and fellow homeowners paid $75 each quarter to their homeowners association to help cover the services and amenities provided. Then in December, Carmel’s HOA board approved raising that cost to $180 each quarter. It was approved during a board meeting that […]
A Paradise Valley neighborhood HOA takes resident to court over artificial grass (AZ)
It’s been dubbed turf wars as a homeowner in Paradise Valley takes on her homeowner’s association (HOA) over artificial turf she had installed. The battle has led to the state capitol and a new bill on HOAs and artificial turf – and the bill could pass this week according to its author, Rep. Jon Kavanagh. […]
Boca Lakes Sues Woman Who Allegedly Flooded, Torched Home
The Boca Lakes Condominium Association wants Ann Potter out. The resident of 8916 Warwick Drive was arrested Monday and charged with arson after allegedly trying to burn down her apartment building earlier in the day. It was the second time she apparently tried to do this — she also is accused of setting a fire […]
Augusta residents on private roads seek city trash pickup (ME)
Residents on Three-Cornered Pond want something the residents of most other homes in the city get now: their trash picked up at their homes by the city. But not all of them are willing to sign over a public easement to their private roads that officials say is required for city crews to venture onto […]
Linn County, Kansas resident’s locked outside gates after battle with HOA
A group of homeowners living in Linn County, Kansas say their Homeowners Association is preventing people from accessing their homes. The community, called Tanglewood Lakes is a private community, 60 miles south of Kansas City. It consists of three lakes and an estimated 2,200 property owners. Read the entire article……………………………….
FOX 13 Investigates: They hear noises in their homes, and Utah law seems to be on the side of the builder
Both women live in a condominium complex in Herriman called Eagle View, built by Edge Homes. Residents here have complained about excess noises to Edge and their homeowners association, records show. A fix has not yet arrived. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo Q&A: Can HOA Ban Flags on Trucks? (FL)
Question: Our HOA Declaration prohibits “signs, banners, advertisements and posters from being exhibited, displayed, inscribed, painted, or affixed, in, on, or upon any part of the Properties without prior ARC approval.” It also provides that this prohibition includes “signs inside of Living Unit windows or the windows of motor vehicles.” Read the Q&A……………………………….
Fire destroys Woodcraft Condo building (MI)
Firefighters from multiple agencies spent about four hours Sunday wrestling with a blaze that tore through a 12-unit building that is part of the Woodcraft Condominiums complex in Monroe. Read the entire article……………………………….
Homeowner has legitimate concerns about HOA communication (NV)
Q: I live in a Reno community with a homeowners association. I would like clarification on how homeowners are to receive notices from the management company. Are certain notices supposed to be via postal mail and not email? Read the Q&A……………………………………
Real Estate Matters: Relationship between condo fees and insurance
Q: You recently wrote a column about condominium building’s reserve funds. You failed to mention that condo special assessments are an insurable risk. I just increased my coverage from a limit of $1,000 to $50,000 for an extra $10 per year. You should mention this to your readers. Read the entire article……………………………….