The man accused of stealing from a Warren condo association has pleaded guilty to an amended indictment. Randy Rule entered the plea to a felony charge of attempted grand theft. The crime happened from January 2015 to December 2022 while Rule was president of the Surrey Point II Homeowners Association. Read the article…………………………….
Township to aid Glencairn HOA in traffic sign purchases (OH)
Based on a memorandum of understanding signed last year between Richfield Township and the Glencairn Forest Homeowners Association, the township will work with the group to purchase regulatory traffic signs to be mounted atop decorative sign posts. The HOA would purchase the signs. Read the article…………………………….
Ohio lawmakers want to ban HOAs from prohibiting thin blue line flags
A bipartisan bill in the Ohio Statehouse would ban homeowners associations and landlords from prohibiting thin blue line flags. House Bill 75, sponsored by Reps. Kevin Miller (R-Newark) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma), would bar HOAs, condominium associations, mobile home parks and landlords from disallowing residents to display the thin blue line flag. Introduced in February, […]
Family of Ashville woman killed by dogs sues owners, Pickaway Co. dog warden and condo association (OH)
The family of a 73-year-old Ashville woman who was killed by two dogs in October is suing the dogs’ owners, as well as the Pickaway County Dog Shelter, Pickaway County dog warden and The Reserve at Ashton Village condominium association, where the dogs’ owners lived. Read the article…………………………….
Campground lawsuit defendant: Calling him a liar was factual allegation, not opinion (OH)
In a legal memorandum filed in Hocking County Common Pleas Court Jan. 29, the attorney for defendant Bradley Rothgeb disputes a number of claims made by the plaintiff, the Lost Hollow Property Owners Association (LHPOA), in a motion to dismiss filed Jan. 8. Read the article…………………………….
Can your HOA bar political signs? Ohio bill would end bans
A new bill could shake up suburbia by creating a right to plant political yard signs—even if your homeowner’s association says you can’t. House Bill 16 would let HOAs and local governments keep “reasonable restrictions” about where, when, how big and how many signs people displayed. But outright bans would be prohibited. Read the article…………………………….
‘Get me out of here.’ Hammond North residents living condo owners’ nightmare (OH)
Leonard Webb and his wife, Diana Porter, are living a condo owner’s worst nightmare. The retired school teachers have been forced to vacate their freshly remodeled three-bedroom unit at The Hammond North Condominiums in College Hill to allow for remediation and reconstruction after two separate fires in March 2022 and February 2023. Read the article…………………………….
Crews called to fire at Poland Twp. condo (OH)
No one was injured in a fire Wednesday afternoon at a Poland Township condo. No one was home when the fire started in the 3500 block of E. Western Reserve Road. A neighbor heard a fire alarm going off and called to report the fire. Read the article…………………………….
Euclid condos left in the dark finally have outdoor lighting (OH)
or months, a cluster of condominiums in Euclid were left in pitch black every morning and night; the outdoor lighting flipped off for months. But on Friday, the lights came back on. Read the article…………………………….
Ohio lawmakers continue push to ban HOAs from prohibiting political yard signs
Ohio lawmakers are once again attempting to ban homeowners associations from prohibiting political yard signs. House Bill 16, sponsored by Reps. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), was introduced at the Statehouse last week. The legislation would make it illegal for HOAs, or any other neighborhood or civic group, to disallow political yard […]
‘My unit is worthless’: Displaced local condo owners must decide on sale after fire
Condominium owners at the Hammond North building are facing difficult decisions, with the condo association’s board urging owners to sell their units as they grapple with the aftermath of the February 2023 fire, which left many displaced and facing financial burdens. Read the article…………………………….
13 displaced, 3 hospitalized in Fairfield condo fire (OH)
Thirteen residents were displaced, five were rescued and three were hospitalized in a two-alarm condo fire late Sunday, Fairfield fire officials say. Flames broke out around 10 p.m. at a 12-unit condo building in the 1500 block of Gelhot Drive, according to Fire Chief Tom Lakamp and Deputy Fire Steve Conn. While firefighters were en […]
80-year-old man taken to hospital after North Royalton condo fire (OH)
Fire officials are investigating after a North Royalton condo fire sent an 80-year-old man to the hospital Thursday morning. Read the article…………………………….
Renovation costs put hundreds of College Hill condo owners at risk of losing homes; fate left to a vote (OH)
Nearly 200 homeowners at the Hammond North Condominiums in College Hill could be losing their homes. It stems from two fires that occurred in the building. In March 2022, a person died after falling from the 12th floor of the 19-floor high-rise during a fire that caused an estimated $350,000 in damages to the building. […]
Homeowners concerned over proposed sale of Hammond North Condos (OH)
Over 100 College Hill homeowners could lose their home before the year’s end due to a proposal recommended by the board to sell their building. First-time homeowner Adrienne Moore Cornwell and her 16-year-old son are on the brink of homelessness after they were forced out of their Hammond North condo when a fire left it […]
Charges added to Ashville dog owners in deadly attack of elderly woman (OH)
Two people charged in the death of a woman after she was attacked by dogs were in court Wednesday morning. According to the Pickaway County Prosecutor’s Office, additional charges were added for a mother and son, who were initially facing three felony charges after their dogs allegedly killed an elderly woman on Oct. 17. Read […]
Neither Ashville PD, Dog Warden removed injured pit bulls from condo before deadly attack (OH)
Two months after two pit bulls attacked and killed a Pickaway County grandmother outside of her Ashville condo, ABC 6 News is starting to receive records from the village requested weeks ago. That’s after a lawyer for ABC6 News sent the village a letter this week regarding the delayed records requests and time expectations according […]
East Walnut Hills community says proposed development poses dangers (OH)
“We’re very concerned about the stability of the property because we have no idea what that would do to us,” Edgecliff Condominium Association President Peggy Roudebush says. The Edgecliff Condominium Association is one of two neighboring groups that filed an appeal on the decision to approve these special variances. Read the article…………………………….
He bought an entire city street. Now Trenton wants it back, but the owner says they aren’t paying its worth. (OH)
Nichols said the reason he was able to purchase the street in the first place is not totally clear. “I’m not sure how that occurs other than it was a private drive that was created through a homeowner’s association,” Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols said. “The homeowner’s association was responsible for maintaining that property and […]
‘Everything is gone’ | Fundraiser aims to help those devastated by multi-condo fire in Lawrenceburg (OH)
More than a month and a half after a fire tore through Bryan Hartford’s 88-year-old father’s condo, he looked over the now-freezing pile of ash and debris. Tony Hartford has been staying with family and caring for his wife, who’s suffering from a brain tumor, ever since. Read the article…………………………….
HOA Fees and Condo Dues Rising (OH)
Central Ohio homeowners wrestling with rising costs now have another one to worry about: homeowner and condominium association dues. Dues are climbing to record heights driven by insurance, maintenance, landscaping, and other expenses. Read the article…………………………….
Ohio bill allowing ‘unapproved’ flags in HOA, condo communities called unconstitutional
A dispute over an Israeli flag hanging outside of an Ohio condo is revealing government attempts to block homeowner associations in the state from banning certain flags. While legal experts say the First Amendment does not apply to an HOA or COA prohibiting some flags from flying, violations do occur when state lawmakers try to […]
Attorneys differ on risk reduction measures in Knox cattle dam suit (OH)
A Nov. 4 hearing in the Knox cattle dam lawsuit revealed progress on several court-ordered actions. However, it highlighted different views about implementing interim risk reduction measures (IRRMs) to maintain the dam’s safety. On Oct. 3, Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel appointed Jack Harris of Intercept Management Corp. receiver for the Landings Property […]
Avon Lake neighborhood residents oppose HOA’s policy prohibiting flags (OH)
A September change to a homeowners association rules regarding flags and signs residents can post has divided the community and proved costly for at least one resident. The association representing Belden Point in Avon Lake made the change Sept. 12 — banning the flying of any flags, signs or messaging for social causes and allowing […]
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign – except in some HOA communities. A lawmakers wants to change that (OH)
If you drive by some houses in Ohio, you will see so many political signs that it could almost be called a shrine to a particular candidate. But if you drive around some neighborhoods, you won’t see any political yard signs anywhere. A Republican lawmaker thinks that might be because some homeowners associations prohibit displaying […]
Bill would stop homeowners associations from banning yard signs (OH)
Ohio is in the final stretch ahead of Decision 2024, and political yard signs are being displayed across properties ahead of election day. Now, a bill has been introduced at the Ohio Statehouse that would let people place all types of yard signs across their private property without interference from their homeowners association. Read the […]
Police: Ashville pit bulls under the influence of cocaine weeks before deadly attack (OH)
Prior to the deadly attack on October 17, the Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association sent a series of letters to the Withers dating back to 2015 warning them of complaints that their dogs had been loose on the property, and they needed to be leashed. The association issued a series of fines and then […]
Before Ashville ‘vicious’ dog killings, owners received a history of legal action and warnings (OH)
A mother and her son facing involuntary manslaughter charges after their dogs allegedly killed an elderly woman were ordered to remove the animals by their homeowners association, and did not comply with a court order as recently as five weeks ago. According to court documents, Susan and Adam Withers received as many as seven warnings […]
90-year-old Stow woman says HOA tore down her fence and billed her for it (OH)
An elderly Stow woman said she was horrified when she discovered her homeowner’s association had torn down her fence and billed her for it. “It’s very unsettling to feel as though you’re not in control of the property that you paid for,” said Sylvia Hackbarth. 90-year-old Sylvia Hackbarth lives alone in her condo in the […]
Judge orders Ohio mom and son charged in fatal pit bull maulings held on $500,000 bond
A mother and her son, who owned two American pit bulls that fatally mauled a woman and another dog Thursday in an Ashville condominium complex, were arrested Monday evening. Adam E. Withers, 35, and his mother, Susan Ann Withers, 61, of Ashville, were both charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal dog […]
A Non-Profit Gifted a Disabled Mentor 8-Year Old a Swim Spa for Physical Therapy. It’s Now Become the Center of an HOA Dispute (OH)
Because Ray and his wife Darci Christner lived in Newell Creek, a middle class subdivision on the southern edge of Mentor, they were bound by the rules and regulations of its homeowners association. The HOA doesn’t allow pools, and Ray needed a permit, for both a concrete slab and new electrical wiring. A teacher, Ray […]
Judge appoints Harris as receiver in Knox cattle dam suit (OH)
Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel appointed Jack Harris as receiver in the Knox cattle dam case, formally known as the State of Ohio vs. The Landings Property Owners Association Inc. In 2020, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources asked the court to determine the owner of the lake and dam because the dam […]
Judge rules residents of fire-damaged condo high-rise must vacate by October 15 (OH)
After two fires broke out at Hammond North Condominiums in two years leaving the 19-story building damaged, residents filed a lawsuit to fight the condo association’s methods for handling repairs, including forcing condo owners to vacate while construction happens. Read the article…………………………….
Judge declares owner in Knox Cattle dam dispute (OH)
More than two years after starting court action, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has an answer in the Knox Cattle dam dispute. On Sept. 23, Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel finally ruled that The Landings Property Owners Association (POA) Inc. owns the dam and the lake. “The consequence of this finding is […]
Fire damages multiple condos in Miami Twp. (OH)
Video from the scene shows damage down the roof of at least one of the condos. The Miami Valley Fire District shared on social media that multiple units were involved in the fire. Read the article…………………………….
Family Gets Approval For Disabled Daughter’s Swim Spa, But HOA Has Warning (OH)
Afather has told Newsweek how he grew “angry and disappointed” after receiving a letter from his housing association regarding a swim spa installed in the garden for his disabled daughter. Dan, who asked not to be formally named, is a teacher and lives in the Newell Creek development in Ohio and, for almost a year, […]
What’s the status of the Yauger Road cattle dam? (OH)
“The judge required the State of Ohio to serve the corporation that owns the real estate,” he explained. “That’s the Landings Property Owners Association Inc.” In legal terminology, to serve means to notify of prosecution or litigation. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, the Landings Property Owners Association Inc. was canceled in March […]
North Olmsted returning HOAs to city-paid garbage pickup (OH)
The city’s five-year contract for solid waste and recycling pickup with Republic Services comes to an end Dec. 31. Currently, there are 678 homes on non-dedicated streets in the city. They are part of single-family homeowner associations (HOAs). Read the article…………………………….
Testimony begins in College Hill condo lawsuit; owners say condo board can’t force them out (OH)
Following a 2023 fire, The North Hammond Condominiums board said remaining residents will need to relocate during repairs, but condo owners sued the board claiming that decision requires a vote. Nine people were injured. Nearly two dozens units were destroyed. Fifty families remain displaced. That’s the reality at The North Hammond Condominiums in College Hill […]
Woman doing her nails starts blaze that displaces 30+ condo residents, fire official says (OH)
A woman doing her nails accidentally started a fire that displaced dozens of residents from a multi-story condo building overnight, according to the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department. A portion of the second floor collapsed onto the first floor early Wednesday, displacing residents in a total of 24 units, fire officials say. Read the article…………………………….
Old West End neighborhood struggling with trash removal (OH)
One neighborhood in Toledo’s Old West End is struggling with their trash removal. Homeowners say they’re frustrated after their trash wasn’t picked up this week. Sheena Swick, a Birckhead Place resident and Vice President of the neighborhood’s homeowners association, said another neighbor told her Republic Services customer service said they couldn’t get through the streets […]
Ex-HOA chief accused of theft (OH)
Court documents state Rule is accused of having submitted falsified invoices to the HOA’s management company to collect reimbursements that amounted to $140,218. Investigators verified the listed vendors and examined the receipts before determining the payments were for work that was never performed. Some of the invoices submitted were for nonexistent companies. Read the article…………………………….
Greater Cincinnati condo owners battle being forced to leave amid proposed safety upgrades (OH)
A group of condo owners in a College Hill building are trying to prevent themselves from being forced out of their units for half a year or longer. It’s related to two fires that happened at the building over the past few years and the repairs and safety fix the condominium association said is needed. […]
City links condos to annexation (OH)
Plans for condominiums south of County Road 99 and west of Interstate 75 were approved Thursday by City Planning Commission on the condition that the site be annexed into Findlay. Read the article…………………………….
Judge halts vote on Apple Valley POA bylaws amendment (OH)
Knox County Common Pleas Judge Richard Wetzel halted the voting Monday on an Apple Valley Property Owner’s Association bylaws amendment relating to short-term rentals. The amendment restricts short-term rentals of less than six months. The POA planned to announce voting results at its June 22 annual meeting. Wetzel granted a 30-day temporary restraining order (TRO) […]
Greater Cincinnati condo owners battle being forced to leave amid proposed safety upgrades (OH)
A group of condo owners in a College Hill building are trying to prevent themselves from being forced out of their units for half a year or longer. It’s related to two fires that happened at the building over the past few years and the repairs and safety fix the condominium association said is needed. […]
‘We’re getting fed up:’ Cleveland neighborhood debates using license plate readers as crime spikes (OH)
Between West 117th and West 65th streets, 46-year-old Jeon Francis has counted at least 20 city-owned cameras. But he said they aren’t enough to stop crime plaguing his neighborhood. Over the past two months, a team of neighborhood advocates living near West Boulevard in Cleveland’s Edgewater and Cudell neighborhoods surveyed residents about an effort to […]
Copley HOA zoning change request denied by trustees (OH)
The Copley Township Board of Trustees Feb. 26 denied a request from the Copley Homeowners’ Association (CHOA) to remove the R-CD (Conservation Development) Residential District from the township Zoning Resolution. Representatives from the CHOA said their goal with requesting R-CD’s removal from the Zoning Resolution was to prevent the misuse of zoning and preserve the […]
Firefighters battle fire at Clayton condominium building (OH)
Fire crews in Montgomery County battled a fire at a condominium building Saturday evening. At 7:07 p.m., Fire Collaborative – Clayton, Englewood, Union, and Clayton police were dispatched to 7815 North Main Street, Spanish Trace Condo, on reports of a fire. Read the article…………………………….
County approves funding for new security cameras in Edgewater neighborhood (OH)
Members of the Cuyahoga County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to approve a grant that will help the homeowners association in Cleveland’s Edgewater neighborhood purchase new security cameras. The HOA’s pursuit of the $25,000 grant from the county created controversy among some Clevelanders because the county’s top elected official lives in Edgewater Read the […]