Two Reston sycamore trees at Lake Anne Village Center appear to be a concern to certain people, but for three different reasons. Their unease involves Reston’s flagship characteristics, its tree canopy, lakes, and public art. Apparent consternation for some residents at Heron House is that the sycamores block lake views. According to the Morton Arboretum, […]
Longtime Sandstone Ridge streetlights issue in Berea to be resolved (OH)
A longstanding situation involving the lack of streetlights in one section of the Sandstone Ridge housing development in Berea will be resolved in 2021. Read the article…………………………………..
Condominiums are spoke on real estate cycle (IL)
Q: When was the first condominium created in Illinois? A: The Illinois Condominium Property Act was adopted in 1962 and was effective July 1, 1963. It is my understanding that the first declaration of condominium was recorded on July 31, 1963, in Cook County. It’s been “off to the races” since then, and there are […]
Real Estate Q&A: Window broken by stray golf ball
Q: We recently moved next to a golf course, and an errant ball broke one of our windows. We called the clubhouse, but they did not want to help. Are we on the hook to pay for a new window? Read the Q&A…………………………………..
Man arrested after allegedly spray-painting swastikas, racial slur on Spring Hill home (TN)
Shortly after the discovery of the vandalism, however, neighbors power washed and painted the homeowner’s garage — a community effort the homeowner described as “nothing but gracious.” ……An online fundraiser had also been set up by the homeowner’s homeowner association to help with the purchase of a new garage door. Any funds leftover are planned […]
What happens when a course owner tries to sell off land to stay viable? One California town is finding out.
Zaruka said building homes on part of the course will raise needed financial capital to make improvements to the course and keep it running for years to come. But some homeowners in the Sterling Hills community said they paid a high price for their homes with the belief that the golf course wouldn’t be developed. […]
Do purely virtual association meetings comply with the law? (FL)
The first quarter of the year is when the vast majority of Condominium and Homeowners’ Associations hold their annual members meetings. With the risk of spreading COVID-19 still around until vaccinations get widely distributed, many Associations are continuing to turn to having virtual meetings, rather than in person meetings, utilizing internet services such as Zoom […]
HOA Homefront: Do management cutbacks threaten association’s stability? (CA)
Q: I received notice from my association that our management company resigned and the association intends to self-manage. I am uncomfortable about the expertise that exists on the board to properly run the business of the complex. What does the Department of Corporations require? Read the article…………………………….
Resident burned, condo complex damaged after four-alarm fire in northeast Dallas (TX)
A condo resident in far northeast Dallas accidentally set his home on fire and burned himself early Friday while using his oven for heat, firefighters say. One hundred city firefighters responded to extinguish the four-alarm blaze, which was reported a little before 1 a.m. at a condominium complex in the 9800 block of Walnut Street. […]
Condo World: Another chance for us to get it right (NH)
If there were any time to reassess, it is after the problems of 2020, with evictions, joblessness, financial constraints, and the mothballing of visits to friends, neighbors, families, and restaurants. Those of us who are older used to think of Zoom as a PBS show for kids. We now have a different understanding. Read the […]
One Critically Injured After Three-Alarm Fire Breaks Out At Condo Complex In Fairfield County (CT)
One occupant was home at the beginning of the fire and self-evacuated. Danbury Hospital Nuvance Health EMS was on scene and transported the resident to Danbury Hospital Center emergency room where they are in critical condition, Gagliardo said. Read the article…………………………………..
Condo questions: Are pit bulls allowed if its emotional support? (FL)
Q: Our governing documents allow pets but prohibit pit bulls. A person has submitted an application to lease a unit and indicated that he has a pit bull but claims it is an emotional support animal. Can we deny the lease application on the basis that the pit bull violates our rules? Read the article……………………………..
2 injured, several families displaced after Rolling Meadows condo fire (IL)
A resident and a firefighter were injured in a Rolling Meadows condominium fire early Tuesday morning that displaced 18 families. Witnesses describe a frantic effort to stop the fire at approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, at a large condominium complex on the 2400 block of West Algonquin Road.Read the article……………………………………
Residents of Wellington Hills search for answers, worry about what could come next Pt.2 (NC)
The residents of building 200 love living in the Wellington Hills community and they’re ready to be back in their condos. But the terror of what could’ve happened during the flood, or what might happen during the next one, will make it a timid return. Read the article………………………………..
Portland bets on co-ops to meet need for affordable housing (ME)
Back in March, Houssein Abdi attended a special meeting to find a way to help fellow tenants whose lives were just starting to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic. They hatched a plan to prevent any tenants from being evicted for nonpayment of rent and to help find additional support for five households struggling to […]
Condo Association Trying to Force Dispensary’s Eviction in Aspen, Colorado (CO)
An Aspen, Colorado condominium association is asking the landlord of the complex to evict a cannabis dispensary from one of its commercial units, arguing that the retailer isn’t compatible with nearby residential units, the Aspen Times reports. The association also wants cleared a unit used by a restaurant to store inventory. Read the article……………………………….
Condo Q&A: Does Florida Law Override a Declaration’s Language?
Question: I was under the impression that under the Florida Condo Statute maintenance and repair of common elements including limited common elements were always the responsibility of the association, but my condo’s declaration says that the owner is responsible for the repair, maintenance and replacement of its limited common elements. My question is if the […]
Woman fights to keep BLM sign in her window (CO)
Helen Rigmaiden had hoped the sign she put in her window would lead to a conversation, but she received a complaint instead. “I received a notice on Christmas Eve that I had to take my Black Lives Matter sign out of my bedroom window, and it’s been there for a couple of years,” Rigmaiden said. […]
Park City homeowners association expresses strong support for PCMR development (UT)
There is opposition on the periphery of Park City Mountain Resort to a Provo firm’s plans for a major development on the resort’s parking lots. And critics have appeared elsewhere in Park City, in places like Prospector, as the talks between PEG Companies and the Park City Planning Commission continue. But the Planning Commission in […]
Fire at condominium displaces two Goldens Bridge families (NY)
Goldens Bridge firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire at 24 Boulder Lane in the Wild Oaks Village off Route 22 on Sunday morning. The call came in just before 11 a.m. for a second floor fire that affected two units at the condominium. Read the article………………………………
Taking the Temperature of Habitat’s Co-op and Condo Readers (NY)
After 10 months of unprecedented upheaval, 2020 is ending on a note of high anxiety for cooperative and condominium boards. Now, a comprehensive new survey, emailed to 3,474 board directors, provides a telling snapshot of our readers’ anxieties and hopes as this unimaginable year draws to a close. Here are some of the major concerns: […]
Content of HOA emails determines who can receive them (NV)
Q: Thank you for all of your help in the past. I have a few additional questions I am hoping you can answer, since I have not seen them previously asked or answered: • Are emails between board members and the community manager or management company viewable under Nevada Open Records Act? Read the Q&A……………………………..
Months after flood, residents of Wellington Hills still dealing with fallout (NC)
In the three years that Joy has lived in the Wellington Hills neighborhood, which lies just within the Salisbury city limits, she’s grown used to moving her Kia to higher ground when it rains. Joy lives in unit 205, which is one of five connected condos that sit at the bottom of a hill in […]
Looking ahead to 2021, common interest community service (VA)
Happy (almost) New Year! We think that we can all agree that we are ready to say “goodbye” to 2020 and “hello” to 2021! Like everyone else, we are looking forward to new and exciting things in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has had us adjusting our personal and professional lives. Our homes have become so […]
Charlestown settles land-grab lawsuit with residents of low-income neighborhood (IN)
Charlestown and the Pleasant Ridge Neighborhood Association have settled a yearslong legal battle in which the Southern Indiana city was accused of unfairly targeting residents with fines in order to redevelop the land. The agreement, according to a statement released by the city late Monday night, requires enforcement of maintenance code violations be applied equally […]
REAL ESTATE MATTERS: Resident concerned association wants to remove trees
Q: The association board of my building wants to take down basic pine trees behind my unit. The trees are healthy and provide no danger to the building. These trees provide privacy, shade and comfort to my unit. It is one of the main reasons I purchased the unit. Do I have any recourse? […]
Board is allowed to sue developer (IL)
Q: Our condominium association was recently turned over from the developer. An engineer retained by the board has identified numerous construction defects that will be expensive to repair. Negotiations with the developer broke down, and it looks like the association is going to file suit against the developer. Our declaration, prepared by the developer, requires […]
Can owner give tennis lessons on community court? (FL)
Q: We have a resident that appears to be giving tennis lessons on the tennis courts on the weekends. He is an owner and has every right to use the court, but he is also posting advertisements on the bulletin boards and obviously profiting by the existence of tennis courts which we all pay for. […]
Community association to homeowner’s Christmas display: Bah, humbug (SC)
You’d think Ebenezer Scrooge or The Grinch wanted to take down Samantha Mangum’s Christmas display. Every Christmas, Mangum spends hours meticulously designing the family’s holiday decorations that dominate her front yard in the Persimmon Hill subdivision. The display has enough lights, Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen to make Santa Claus smile. Read the article…………………………………….
Leilani Estates residents divided about road up fissure 8 (HI)
Leilani Estates residents are divided about a road up the side of fissure 8 that was built by a resident earlier this week. Sam Estes’ property, which contained a residence and an ornamental plant farm, is one of several located beneath fissure 8, the largest and most productive of the dozens of volcanic fissures that […]
HOA Homefront: ‘Twas the Night Before (the HOA’s) Christmas”
With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, author of the original Christmas poem. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and through the HOA community Not a complaint was heard, and there existed pure unity; The thank-you notes were placed by the bulletin board with care, Read the article…………………………………
Burr Ridge Asked To Enforce Parking In Private Neighborhood (IL)
A resident in a private Burr Ridge subdivision requested police assistance with parking violations more than a week ago. This is a neighborhood where the city confirmed earlier this year that others have no right to walk there. Read the article………………………………….
Grand Lake HOA donates $65K for wildfire recovery (CO)
A small Grand Lake Homeowners Association raised over $65,000 for people impacted by the East Troublesome Fire and is encouraging other HOAs to contribute. The Grand Lake HOA, which wishes to remain anonymous, consists of 12 homeowners who all donated money to either the Grand Foundation’s Wildfire Emergency Fund or a new fund for Grand […]
EXPLOSIVE CLAIM: Election Fraud In Seven Bridges Delray Beach, Emails Revealed (FL)
Emails obtained by BocaNewsNow.com suggest the president of the Seven Bridges Delray Beach Homeowners Association secretly accessed confidential voting information, then used that information to target homeowners who had not yet voted in the association’s election held last week. The community’s property management company then apparently tried to cover it up. Read the article…………………………………….
Condo questions: What is the HOA responsibility in neighbor dispute? (FL)
Q: There are two neighbors in our community that do not get along. They keep threatening each other, and the police have been called multiple times. Each neighbor is demanding the HOA do something about the other’s behavior. What is our responsibility here? Read the Q&A………………………………..
It’s Time for Co-op and Condo Boards To Make New Year’s Resolutions (NY)
With winter descending and the year drawing to a close, it’s the normal time to make resolutions for the New Year. Of course, nothing about this year has been “normal,” but in the spirit of optimism that 2021 will not be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic the way that 2020 has been, I submit a […]
North Little Rock yards quietly fill with Black Santas Show of support cheers father (AR)
A 7-foot-tall inflatable Black Santa Claus stands outside the Kennedy home in North Little Rock’s Lakewood neighborhood, waving to those who pass by. Chris Kennedy said an inflatable Black Santa has been a Christmas tradition for the family since his daughter Emily was born four years ago. Read the article………………………………..
About 100 Houston-area neighborhoods using license plate readers (TX)
In northwest Harris County, Westlake and Westlake Forest are among the newest neighborhoods in the Houston-area to use technology once only available to police: license plate readers. Read the article…………………………………….
Upstairs condo may have damage from past flooding (NV)
Q: My husband and I live in a condo on the bottom floor. Last year, we lived in a hotel for four months due to a flood that came from the upstairs unit. It came from the washing machine hose (that) wasn’t installed properly. I will make this part short. Read the Q&A……………………………………
Homeowners’ associations donate fingerprint kits to Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office (TN)
Sheriff Lawson says the kits will help solve crimes faster. “We are just happy to have them,” says Lawson. “I think it’s another great tool for patrol officers. It will help the victims too. Help us solve crimes.” The 25 kits were donated by the homeowners’ associations of Legacy Bay and Chelaque communities. Read the […]
When condo owners get stuck paying for a builder’s mistakes
Q: In 2006, we purchased a condominium in Chicago on the third floor of a three-story building. During those years, we’ve experienced water issues with the roof and windows and have repaired them as they have come up. Read the Q&A……………………………..
Golden Gloves on the Gold Coast in a battle over fate of high-rise (IL)
A Gold Coast battle of residents and unit owners versus the Newberry Plaza Board of Directors broke out in October and now may have spiraled deeper into acrimony and distrust, just in time for the holidays. The residents, who call themselves the Newberry Plaza Community Coalition, oppose a pending deal to transfer part of the […]
Owner is responsible for balcony damage (IL)
Q: Our condominium association is in the process of performing extensive repairs on the balconies. During an inspection by the contractor, it was learned that an owner used an epoxy to install carpet on the balcony serving his unit. It is going to be very expensive to remove the carpet and repair balcony damage caused […]
Burlington neighborhood all aglow in holiday spirit (WA)
Think the Griswolds of the movie “Christmas Vacation” fame, but on a neighborhood-wide scale. That’s the festive spirit on display at the Homestead Place Holiday Wonderland, where home after home is aglow with twinkling and blinking lights. Read the article………………………………
1 dead after fire breaks out in Centerville condo (OH)
Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire that broke out at a Centerville condominium Friday afternoon. Initial reports indicate firefighters located one person injured inside while searching the structure. The condition of the victim was not immediately known. Read the article………………………………
Fireworks in an HOA? (FL)
Q: Is it legal to use fireworks in an HOA community on New Year’s Eve? A.B.Read the article……………………………………… A: Your inquiry is very timely, not only because the New Year’s Eve holiday is coming up but also because there is a new law impacting this issue.
HOA Homefront: Stop the fights over records requests (CA)
Over the many years I have been writing this column, the clear number one ranked dispute between homeowners and their associations is access to records and information. Read the article………………………………….These disputes are never productive, and generally avoidable. Here are some tips for HOAs regarding producing requested records and some tips for requesting homeowners.
Popular ‘Katie Land’ Christmas display stokes Plain Township neighborhood feud (OH)
In the seemingly quiet Wicker Creek subdivision brews a longstanding neighborhood feud that has ensnared a beloved Christmas light display. Both sides are dismayed. Both feel afflicted by past grievances and want the other side to let it go. Read the article…………………………….
Details still emerging in argument leads to shooting death (TX)
A dispute between neighbors turned deadly on Monday afternoon, leaving a retired Houston police officer dead in a gated community in Kerrville. Kerr County Sheriff W.R. “Rusty” Hierholzer said his office continues to investigate the shootout between neighbors Mart Hanna and Kenneth Brown. Hanna, who retired from the Houston Police Department, was shot and killed. […]
Collier County community divided over plan to eradicate neighborhood (FL)ducks
The Island Walk homeowner’s association board is considering spending $6,000 to trap and kill the Muscovy ducks that call the neighborhood home. They voted in favor of it but may reconsider after an uproar from residents. Read the article………………………………….