When the Sundial Drive Homeowners Association (HOA) mulled the pros and cons of keeping its water-thirsty grass in 2020, the HOA board decided to survey its residents for input. The board had to decide whether to raise HOA fees to cover water and landscape maintenance costs or replace the turf with a water-efficient alternative. Read […]
Homeowners paying thousands after sprinklers run for hours after small fire put out (GA)
Some Cobb County homeowners are shelling out thousands of dollars in repair fees after the sprinklers in their homes ran for hours after a small fire was put out. Read the entire article……………………………….
Feds: Dedham official bilked R.I. condo association out of $46,500 to go to Plainville casino (MA/RI)
A Dedham town official allegedly defrauded a Woonsocket condominium association out of $46,500 to fund her personal expenses and gambling at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, prosecutors said Monday. Read the entire article……………………………….
Condo fire in Helena injures at least one (MT)
As the fire department worked to contain the blaze, police helped evacuate nearby residences. At least one occupant of the condo was injured, however, the extent of their injuries is unknown. Read the entire article……………………………….
Developer to accept Bitcoin for Punta Gorda condos (FL)
A Pacific northwest developer has announced it will accept virtual currency in sales of luxury condos planned for the “oceanfront” site near Ponce de Leon park in Punta Gorda. Read the entire article……………………………….
Non-payment of country club dues in some communities may result in foreclosure (FL)
My sister lives at a country club condominium. She is 84. They have club dues which have gotten way over her ability to pay, so she stopped paying. The club banned her from all amenities. Read the Q&A…………………………………
Alpharetta seeking to connect with homeowners associations (GA)
Alpharetta likes to work closely with homeowners associations and other neighborhood organizations within the city to improve citizen outreach and communication. Read the entire article……………………………….
Community Law Legal Matters (FL)
Q: I want to submit an official records request to my condo association. Along with the records I also want the board to answer a few questions I have about certain expenses from this past year which is also the subject of the records request. Can you explain how I can do this, and what […]
Tenants still face challenges in aftermath of Whittier Place condo fire (CO)
It’s been a little more than three months since a fire burned through the Whittier Place Condominiums during the early hours of Oct. 19. Residents continue to face fallout from it. Most have not been able to physically return to the complex at 23rd and Pearl streets to retrieve their belongings. Those in units that […]
Owners can serve on board prior to paying off unit (IL)
Q. I purchased a condominium unit from a relative some time ago, and I have been an active member and resident of the association. The purchase is being accomplished by an installment contract, so I won’t have a deed to the unit for several more years. The board has approached me about running for the […]
Suspension of gate use questioned (FL)
Q: We live in a gated community. Recently, the board has begun voting at its meetings to suspend the automatic gate access of owners who are delinquent in their assessments. While I support aggressive collection efforts by the association, I am worried that this type of suspension exposes the association to risks. Is a homeowners’ […]
Pool repairs get bogged down in paperwork for homeowner (NV)
Q: Always a pleasure reading your very informative articles. We purchased a patio home in a homeowners association community (not gated) built in the late 1970s. We are seasonal residents from out of country trying to navigate HOA rules etc. Read the Q&A…………………………………
HOA Homefront: Is ‘open forum’ ever truly open? (CA)
Q: Recently an owner had a matter which she wanted to bring up during the “Homeowner’s Forum” but she could not attend. She sent an email to the association delegating me to share with the board her concerns. At the meeting, the president shut me down and said only people present could speak and that […]
West Chester pledges $19.2M in funding for NorthPoint mixed-use development (OH)
Dillin has also been in negotiations with the Beckett Ridge Homeowners Association to possibly build a retention pond on a vacant, wooded pocket of land on the north side if West Chester Road to help mitigate the flood plain. Read the entire article……………………………….
West Austin condo fire leaves 10 units temporarily displaced (TX)
16 units, 67 firefighters and four aerial devices were brought in to help fight the fire. “That aerial device allowed us to reach into a higher area so that we could cut into the metal roof from the outside and get to that part of the fire that we weren’t able to get to from […]
Judge rules against Bonnet Shores in fire district voting rights case (RI)
Like many waterfront fire districts in Rhode Island, the Bonnet Shores Fire District does not fight fires. That service, and policing, are provided by the town of Narragansett. The fire district operates like a private homeowners association or beach club with the state-sanctioned power to levy taxes. Read the entire article……………………………….
Ask the HOA Expert: Governing Documents
Question: Our governing documents are vague about how to allocate expenses among the unit owners. The board decided to base it on unit square footage. Read the Q&A………………………………..
Township can do little about group home – attorney (MI)
Residents of Woodridge subdivision who hoped the township could shut down an adult foster care home in their neighborhood have received a letter from officials saying there is little they can do. Read the entire article……………………………….
Bad Neighbor Boosts Cost of Co-op’s Facade Repairs (NY)
Good fences may make good neighbors. But bad neighbors can definitely make for more expensive facade repair jobs. Just ask Leon Geoxavier. “Sometimes the protective measures are worse than the disease,” says Geoxavier, an architect at Stone Engineering & Architecture who’s overseeing a mandatory facade repair job at a 16-story, postwar condominium on the Upper […]
Condo questions: What are newly-elected board members’ responsibilities? (FL)
Q: What are new condominium and HOA board members required to do after being elected? Read the Q&A……………………………………..
Fire at University City Condo Complex Causes $500K in Damages (CA)
A fire of unknown origin spread through a University City condominium complex at daybreak Wednesday, displacing seven people and causing an estimated $500,000 worth of damage, authorities reported. Read the entire article……………………………….
Contractor Hits Gas Line At The Meadows Condo Community (PA)
A contractor working in the area reportedly inadvertently struck a gas line, causing fire officials from local companies to be called out to ensure there wasn’t a danger to the community. Read the entire article……………………………….
Problem Solved: Paying for Central Air in a Prewar Co-op (NY)
Projects designed to benefit everyone in a building can be challenging enough, but when a project benefits only those who decide to participate, it can get even tougher. You worked with a co-op on the Upper West Side that successfully got one off the ground. What’s the story? Read the entire article……………………………….
Trump Tower condo owners stand to receive $222,000 property tax refund from Chicago Public Schools (IL)
The Chicago Board of Education is slated Wednesday to vote on paying Trump Tower condominium owners about a quarter-million dollars after negotiating a property tax appeal from 2015. Read the entire article……………………………….
Questions About Filing Your Association’s Federal Income Taxes? We’ve Got Answers (NC)
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……………………………….
Some new Hopyard residents haven’t gotten mail delivery for seven months (VA)
It’s not unusual for bad weather or staff shortages to disrupt mail service for a few days, but a handful of residents in King George County haven’t gotten mail delivery for seven months. Read the entire article……………………………….
HOA Presidents Strikes Back at Citizens Opposing ‘No’ Parking Signs in Lexington Park (MD)
The St. Mary’s County Board of Commissioners held a public forum on Jan. 11, where many of the citizens complained about the parking restrictions. Citizens believed that the commissioners’ board added park restrictions off of misinformation given by a Homeowners Association (HOA) member. In defense of the HOA, the HOA president has responded. Read the […]
Landscaping battle rages between home owner, association (FL)
Some neighbors in one Boca community feel their condominium association is abusing its power and retaliating against residents who protest. Read the entire article……………………………….
Black Point lawsuit underscores gray area between land and Long Island Sound (CT)
A waterfront homeowner wants to know who’s responsible for a gaping hole in the gray area between his seawall and the Long Island Sound. Read the entire article……………………………….
Illinois Q&A: Can board take action against dog’s owner?
Q: An owner’s dog has a history of attacking my dog on the condominium association’s common elements. These incidents have been captured on the association’s security camera. The association’s declaration has clear language about pets and nuisance. I have complained to the board about the owner’s violation of this covenant. The board’s response has been […]
Committees and Weed (Arizona Q&A)
In a recent email, I asked hundreds of professional community association managers to submit questions they have on which they need guidance. Here are two of those questions. Read the Q&A……………………………
Overland Park neighborhood opposed to home part of substance abuse rehab program (KS)
People in one Johnson County, Kansas neighborhood are opposed to the men moving in down the street. They’re part of a substance abuse rehab program, one that intends to use a home in Overland Park’s Shannon Valley subdivision to bring addicts back to society. Neighbors complain their presence threatens to make their streets dangerous. Read […]
HOA boards have important role to play in communities (NV)
In the last two columns, I have talked about the roles of the homeowner and the homeowners associations’ management companies. Finally, we come to the role of the board of directors. By law, this role encompasses such legal terms as fiduciary obligations, duty of care, application of business-judgment rule, good faith (Nevada Revised Statute 116.3103). […]
HOA Homefront: Tips before starting major repairs on your community (CA)
One of the greatest challenges HOAs periodically face is major reconstruction. Whether a new roof, balcony rehabilitation or other major repairs, the typical volunteer board and professional manager are not regularly involved in hiring for such work. Therefore, many potential pitfalls can contribute to extra costs or risks. Before sending the contract to legal counsel […]
Ask The HOA Expert: Parking Rules (and more Q&A)
Question: Our parking rules do not allow boats to be parked in driveways. However, some folks need to park their boat for a day or two to clean it before taking it to the lake or storage. Is it reasonable to give permission to residents to park their boats for a short time if they […]
Lake California residence worried about fire evacuations (CA)
People living in Lake California a community just north of Red Bluff and in Tehama County, only have one route in and out. “It’s tree-lined, there are heavy ditches and a fire apparatus would not be able to come up that road and have residents exit safely,” said Sharon Crawford, Lake California Property Owner’s Association […]
What can condo, homeowner associations do to prevent possible fraud activities? (FL)
With potentially millions of dollars at risk, Collier and Lee counties community associations have a very vested interest in monitoring their property management companies. At least 30 condo associations in Collier County are deep into forensic audits after news that their management company, American Property Management Services of Naples, is facing a $100,000 civil suit […]
No public water tap-in for Granger condominiums; county still helping with on-site treatment (OH)
A public water system tie-in won’t be used to mitigate well problems at Granger Lake Condominiums, but Medina County still plans to help with on-site treatment improvements. Read the entire article……………………………….
Paseo Condominium residents upset with continued problems (FL)
People who live in the Paseo Condominiums say they have had problems from the start. When the condominiums were under construction in 2014, there were already issues with water coming through the foundation, windows and even the roof. Read the entire article……………………………….
Seniors forced to take five flights of stairs after elevator breaks down in St. Pete condo building (FL)
For 82-year-old Marion Boyle, getting out of the house is a struggle. She lives on the fifth floor of the Emory building at Five Towns Condominiums in St. Petersburg, and she told ABC Action News in December, “I almost fell the other day taking the laundry down when my foot caught on the end of […]
Condo questions: Do flags on a truck meet the criteria of my HOA’s sign prohibition? (FL)
Q: 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……………………………….
Snowbound Maple Heights residents learn private roads don’t get plowed by city (OH)
As the snow started to fall and pile up on Sunday night, anxious homeowners all over northeast Ohio peered out the window to the driveway, wondering what kind of mess they were going to wake up to on Monday morning. It was not pretty, but if the city you lived in was prepared and had […]
Cameras used to capture vehicle license plates in Springfield sparks debate about privacy (MO)
High tech security seems to be the mainline of defense when it comes to fighting crime. That includes recording devices used by law enforcement and now regular people like you and me. Recently a company called Flock Security offered the department use of license plate readers on a trial basis. Read the entire article……………………………….
Barr Lake residents in Lexington say water quality pond poses safety concerns (SC)
Neighbors living around Barr Lake in Lexington want sidewalks fixed, grass added and weeds maintained at a large water quality pond in the middle of their street, Rainbow Shad Way. “I’m not trying to cause an issue or a problem,” said resident Brian Zarb. “It’s all within our home right here, and we just would […]
Surfside Collapse Challenges Many Older Condos (FL)
TCPalm study finds about 70 Treasure Coast condos have maintenance issues – but repair costs often present a problem if a lot of unit owners are on fixed incomes. Read the entire article……………………………….
78-year-old among residents still unable to return to asbestos-contaminated condo building (MD)
A condominium in Columbia is still recovering several months after asbestos was found inside the building while cleaning up water damage. Read the entire article……………………………….
Collier community files suit, claims fraud, embezzlement by property management company (FL)
A Naples property management company that oversees more than two dozen communities in Collier County is shuttered and its owners have apparently left the country. Meanwhile, the associations have filed a restraining order and are trying to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars entrusted to the company. Read the entire article……………………………….
Sugar Land couple work to raise awareness about HOA protections (TX)
It’s a new twist on a tale as old as suburban Texas. A Sugar Land couple are mad at their local homeowners’ association in First Colony, not because they think the organization is being overly restrictive, but because they say it’s not doing enough to protect their view from a construction project next door. Read […]
Kissimmee folks fuming over lack of mail delivery service (FL)
One Central Florida neighborhood, Trafalgar Village, is lately full of fuming residents. Trafalgar Village residents have not received their mail for more than two weeks. The Trafalgar Village community in Osceola County has had problems working out an agreement with the United States Postal Service (USPS). Read the entire article……………………………….