Community associations have a keen interest in state and local laws and how they affect their self-governance. CAI’s state legislative action committees provide invaluable services by working with legislators and other government officials to craft reasonable laws and regulations for community association stakeholders. Read the article………………………………….
Running afoul of HOAs can have outsized consequences (CO)
Homeowners associations, the private, usually nonprofit, corporations that govern residential communities, are often maligned as intrusive, nit-picky coalitions of busybodies. These entities, however, are meant to ensure the maintenance and upkeep of properties — and property values — within their respective communities. HOAs have the authority to set rules, and when those rules aren’t followed, […]
Voter and Candidate Suppression; It May (Also) Be An HOA Issue and the Reasons Behind 2019’s SB 323 (CA)
I first heard about voter suppression in law school, where I learned that the United States has a long tradition of threatening voter access. I thought it was a thing of the past. But I have been surprised by recent news stories that tell us that there are real efforts in 2020 to make it […]
Huge Investment Funds Are Snapping Up Hundreds of Thousands of Single Family Homes and Turning Them Into Rentals
“Real-estate investors have a mountain of money looking for a home. Lately a lot of it is ending up in suburban single-family houses.” Invitation Homes, one of the largest single-family home rental companies, just received another $1 billion of funding in order to add more rental houses to its 80,000-home portfolio. American Homes 4 Rent […]
When homeowners associations were first created, they helped keep Black people out of the neighborhood. They’re still doing it today
For too many Americans, the dream of owning a home has been stymied by a homeowners association. Owning real estate is one of the best ways to build wealth and pass that wealth on to the next generation, but for decades, Black Americans have been excluded from buying in certain neighborhoods. Read the article……………………………….
Things to Know Before Your Neighborhood Installs an Automated License Plate Reader
Every week EFF receives emails from members of homeowner’s associations wondering if their Homeowner’s Association (HOA) or Neighborhood Association is making a smart choice by installing automated license plate readers (ALPRs). Local groups often turn to license plate readers thinking that they will protect their community from crime. But the truth is, these cameras—which record […]
Condo board president Camejo says ‘No” to $100 million bond issue (FL)
The Village of Key Biscayne has ignored reasonable requests for a one-village unified stormwater system, despite years of meetings and articles. Instead, the council approved a doubling of the stormwater fee last fall without any consideration of the impact on condo budgets. Read the article……………………………….
Homeowner Association Accountability (MS)
The millions of dollars embezzled from local homeowner associations ought to elicit examination. Why fiduciaries in prosperous neighborhoods exhibited no greater vigilance than elementary school students is incomprehensible. Read the article…………………………………..
Is flag hung upside down ‘disrespectful’ or protected speech about ‘a vessel in distress’?
’Tis the season when campaign signs spring up like weeds after a summer downpour and the boards of homeowner associations with covenants against political proselytizing are busy calling for neighbors to remove them. So Rich Roberts, who lives in The Knolls of Bent Tree Village east of Interstate 75 off Bee Ridge Road, wasn’t surprised […]
Opinion: In housing, dog whistles and race-based slogans maintain the segregated status quo
Protests and demonstrations across Long Beach have shown the urgent need to address structural racism. Clearly, the murder of Black people by the police and other police violence nationwide is the immediate issue, but Long Beach is as guilty of racism in many other ways. White people, past and present, made choices to segregate Long […]
OPINION: Neighborhoods and communities need to do better to address systemic racism proactively
My first real memory of any neighborhood watch that took place in a community I lived in came from my youth in South Florida. We had moved out of east Miramar to the west side of town — a side that provided a culture shock when we noticed how often Black and other minorities were […]
Dawson Ranch HOA offers rebuttal to Zephyr Minerals’ editorial
Citizens of Cañon City and Fremont County: Tuesday afternoon on its website and in Wednesday morning’s printed edition, the Cañon City Daily record published an opinion article written by Mr. Felderhof of Zephyr Minerals. In that opinion, he stated: Read the article…………………………….
Being Neighborly Means Talking to Your Neighbors
This spring, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, I decided, finally, to stain my fence. This was early- or mid- April, when we were all still a little freaked out about the whole thing, when there was so much information flying around that no one was quite sure how safe it was to even […]
Condos, co-ops are their own entity, not an afterthought (NY)
Despite all of the other obvious pressures at the time, there is a need for our elected representatives to address a recurrent problem with which the co-op/condo community is too often burdened. Each of the lawmaking bodies — local, state and federal — from time to time addresses an issue and passes regulations that appear […]
Foothills HOA bylaw vote debated (AZ)
My partner of 35 years and I have lived in Ahwatukee Foothills for 31 years, the most recent 18 in Cabrillo Canyon, right here in The Foothills. While in Lakewood, I served as president in our sub-association for 6 years and led their very extensive landscape renovations and maintenance committee with a team of very […]
CAI president’s message: Cynthia, what is your perspective?
Pandemic rules are frustrating. I do not want to wear a mask wherever I go and I want to be able to go places. As I write this message, Massachusetts has promulgated six pages of rules just to re-open swimming pools, court deadlines are suspended until July 1st and certain lawsuits can’t be filed or […]
CAI Statement Supports Fair Housing, Condemns Discrimination
Last week, Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer, and Ursula K. Burgess, Esq., president of CAI’s Board of Trustees, released a statement calling for equality and justice. As communities continue to navigate the current crisis, CAI shares an unwavering support of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and advocates for our public policy […]
Meet the McCloskeys: How Private Places Act as a Form of Spatial Anti-Blackness in St. Louis (MO)
Two white homeowners threatened the lives of Black Lives Mater protestors in on a private street in St. Louis yesterday, raising questions about anti-Black racism in pseudo-public space. Read the article…………………………..
Opinion: Independent Progressive: Lake Anne Audit—Mismanagement, Appearance of Self-Dealing (V
On June 11 the Forensic and Integrity Services group of the audit firm Ernst & Young presented the findings of its forensic audit of the prior Board of the Lake Anne Condominium Association (LARCA) to a membership meeting. The audit covered the last three years of that Board, 2017-19. And it was not pretty. Read […]
HOA solutions aren’t as cut and dried as argued (TX)
Mark Stevens’ commentary (“You can fight back against homeowners association,” The Daily News, June 17) was unsatisfying. Yes, there are serious problems with many boards, but his solution to just “vote them out” isn’t practical. Read the article………………………….
Defending access is a good use of public funds (ID)
The May 20 issue of the Mountain Express contained an advertisement from Kiki Tidwell, an independent candidate seeking election to the Blaine County Board of County Commissioners in November. While Ms. Tidwell is not challenging pubic access and parking, she argues that the expenditures for legal and other services to preserve access and trailhead parking […]
Club West residents should be appalled by HOA board (AZ)
In the April 22 issue of the AFN, there was an article regarding the Club West Conservancy’s lawsuit against the Club West HOA Board of Directors and the board’s action to seek dismissal of the lawsuit. As some in the community may not be aware, the Club West Conservancy is a not-for-profit group of Club […]
Moratorium on Foreclosure Actions? SwedelsonGottlieb Does Not Completely Agree
Earlier this month, CAI released a Statement of Moratorium on Foreclosure Actions urging community associations to immediately suspend all foreclosure activity and not begin new foreclosure actions until June 1. We question how well thought out this position is as it is not all that realistic for California community associations. Read the article……………………………….
The condominium’s grim reapers: Coronavirus and recession
The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic recession pose serious issues for condominium life. They also raise to a crisis level chronic condominium governance problems of litigiousness, construction defects and disrepair, soaring insurance rates, owner apathy, poor management and fraud. Many of these issues were identified as early as the 1970s in the United States […]
A Letter from the Condo Association to Mr. and Mrs. MacBeth
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth, I am writing to you as interim president of the Dunsinane Estates Condo Association to express serious concerns about recent activities on your part as well as violations of the association’s regulations and rules of conduct. I confess it is with trepidation that I write this note, given that Mr. […]
Removing Racially Discriminatory Rules in Governing Documents
Restrictive covenants, often contained within a deed, impose a restriction on the use of land. Typically, a homeowners association must gain a majority vote of owners to amend their particular governing documents and remove a discriminatory restrictive covenant. Read the article…………………………
Homeowner Associations: Neighborhood Control or Abuse Of Power? (FL)
If you live in Miami, it is very possible that your house is under the administration of a Homeowner Association or HOA. These HOAs have the obligation to maintain the organization and the control of your community, but they have also been called out for abusing their power, for misuse of the community funds and […]
Homeowner associations can be tricky (NC)
I have heard from folks in condo associations and communities where one or two properties have made life insufferable for the rest of the community. In my opinion, every community or condo association have those feel a need to mandate, influence or control. Minimizing the impact of these detractors seems to be the key in […]
Rancho Vistoso HOA needs a new perspective (AZ)
Mark Twain once said that “politicians are like diapers; they must be changed often and for the same reason.” The same can be said for some of the board members of any home owner’s association. I have lived here as a full-time resident since 2004. Driving to my house was always a pleasant experience going […]
Proposed Virginia Legislation Would Empower Developers to Oppress Rights of Unit Owners in Sale of Terminated Condominium Developments
For many years, I have observed how state statutes enable condominium boards or developers to oppress the rights of unit owners in the termination and sale of condominium developments. I have work experience as an attorney representing unit owners or tenants in such cases. In 2019 I published a case study in a state bar […]
Editorial: Condo owners need help in dealing with insurance crisis (BC)
An emerging crisis is threatening condominium owners. Rapidly rising insurance costs make it increasingly difficult for strata properties to get coverage. Across the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria, some annual insurance premiums have increased between 25 per cent and 300 per cent. At the same time, deductibles are also rising. Read the article………………………….
Proposed Virginia Legislation Would Empower Developers to Oppress Rights of Unit Owners in Sale of Terminated Condominium Developments
For many years, I have observed how state statutes enable condominium boards or developers to oppress the rights of unit owners in the termination and sale of condominium developments. I have work experience as an attorney representing unit owners or tenants in such cases. In 2019 I published a case study in a state bar […]
Legislators shouldn’t meddle with HOA restrictions (TN)
No cause has had a better advocate than Pamela Davis Needham, who is working against proposed state legislation that she says would limit homeowners associations on many issues, including restrictions of short-term rentals. Needham is founder of Save Our Neighborhoods and represents three local HOAs. She is working with Scott Ghertner of the 50-year-old Ghertner […]
Column: What won’t Hollister Ranch residents do to keep us off ‘their’ beach? (CA)
It was not a question of if, but when. The residents of Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara County are nothing if not predictable, determined and relentless as the tides. So it’s no surprise they have fired a torpedo at a new law that would finally, after decades of battle, allow public access to one of […]
Commentary: Foreclosures a rare but vital tool for S.C. community associations
The case of two homeowners who fell behind on their association fees and had their house sold by the HOA for $3,000 is an aberration and troubling. One needs to review all the details of the case to ascertain the substantial intricacies. The case has caused significant outrage by many who were unaware that foreclosure […]
The lessons from historic preservation councils blocking solar panels
To achieve their ambitious climate goals, countries of the world will need to change almost everything: how people get around, where and how they work, how they heat their homes and charge their phones, what they buy, and where they live. That will be challenging for any number of reasons, ranging from the opposition of […]
Making America Ethical (and Civil) Again
I often note that community associations are effectively microcosms of our larger culture, facing the same challenges and trends. One example of this is the increase in (real or perceived) lack of civility and ethics in communications with and between boards and their members. This past week, the Community Association Institute (CAI), an international membership […]
Phil Gulley: Neighborhood Bully
When my wife and I moved into our Danville home 22 years ago, it came with a homeowner’s association and a list of rules governing, among other things, acceptable house colors (earth tones), where you could park your vehicles (not on the street), and whether you could have a garden (don’t even think about it). […]
Urge Mesa, Arizona, Homeowners Association to Stop the Coyote Massacre!
Sunland Village East Homeowners Association (HOA) in Mesa, Arizona, has reportedly hired a contractor to set traps—including cruel steel-jaw devices—throughout the neighborhood with the misguided intention of reducing coyote populations. Read the article…………………………
Rubbish removal from residential condominium units (RI)
First: let’s be clear – residential condominium units are single-family residences. Like a single-family detached house, they can be eligible for a 25% Homestead exemption as an owner-occupied single family residence. Unlike single-family detached residences, single-family condominiums are “excluded” from receiving municipal rubbish collection. Read the article……………………..
Will Upzoning Result in More Condos?
Nearly all housing-related organizations and major news outlets have reported on the affordable housing crisis in the U.S. Research from the Urban Institute, Harvard University, Brookings Institute, and advocacy groups supports that home prices are rising at a much higher rate than wage growth. Millennials, the generation making up the largest group of potential homebuyers […]
Affordable dream: Housing crisis policies could bring changes to your community
The American dream isn’t dead, but it is evolving. For decades, the dream has meant owning a home, having a successful career, or having a better quality of life than your parents. Now, it’s more about freedom and family. A pair of studies released earlier this year showed how the American dream is changing and […]
Property Buzzards (FL)
From interviews of two residents of the Ibis Golf and Country Club by Palm Beach Post reporter Tony Doris. Doris interviewed the homeowners, Siobhan Casimano and Cheryl Katz, after Casimano wrote the following in an email to the Post: “Our home along with neighbors’ are continually being ravaged by hundreds of vultures, costing thousands of […]
Increase Your HOA or Condo Assessments Before the Next Recession
When times are good it is easier to increase your dues than when times are tough. Asking people to pay more for dues or common charges when their work hours get cut back or a spouse loses their job is much harder. But what is an association to do in order to keep a balanced […]
How condo associations can mitigate damages from sea-level rise | Opinion
Daunting statistics indicate that sea level will continue to rise for centuries, even if greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are sharply reduced. By 2100, sea levels are expected to rise by at least 24 inches. In Florida, the statistics are not encouraging. Miami has the most to lose in terms of financial assets of […]
A ‘Yes’ Vote Protects Jersey City Residents: Association (NJ)
A homeowners association urged residents to vote “yes” to proposed regulations regarding short-term rentals in Jersey City Nov. 5. Read the article…………………….
Condo boards should stay away from power trips
Unbending homeowners’ and condominium associations have been accused of overreaching rules that prevent residents from flying the American flag or other expressions of personal or political choice. Rarely, though, has a condo association rule been blamed for the untimely death of a resident. But, some people are pointing at an Evesham Township condominium board because […]
Petula Dvorak: The white nationalism next door
The president of their Leesburg, Va., homeowners’ association, as far as his neighbors knew, was all about the mundane issues of suburbia: “Stray cats, Ash and other trees, snakes, large trash containers, development, fees for townhomes vs. single family, pool expense, sidewalk and bus stop snow removal,” were the items listed on the agenda that […]
Community Associations Supporting the Local Ecosystem (VA)
Homeowner and condominium associations make many of the decisions that will determine the future of the birds and butterflies of Northern Virginia. Not only do community associations set standards for landscaping on private property, they also own and control large amounts of community property, including much of what is left of the undeveloped land in […]
There are many complexities in homeowner associations (NC)
I would like to express my opinions regarding the homeowner/property owners associations. We all have differing needs and expectations when it comes to our homes and dwellings. These groups or associations can be the greatest asset and source of comfort or a financial drain and/or an emotional nightmare which seems to suck the oxygen out […]