Jarrell Residents in Uproar as Sonterra Community HOA Fees Quadruple Unexpectedly AI Assisted Icon By Ryan Anderson Published on January (TX)

Residents of the Sonterra community in Jarrell are expressing significant frustration over an unexpected hike in their annual neighborhood fees—a sharp increase from $60 to $240. This financial imposition looms large with a deadline at the end of January, leaving many to grapple with budgetary constraints.   Read the article…………………………….

North Texas HOA charged with discrimination for trying to kick out low-income renters

Federal officials accused a North Texas homeowners association of discrimination for trying to kick out residents who receive government assistance to pay rent.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development charged the Providence Village Homeowners Association, a small community in Denton County, with discriminating against Black residents.    Read the article…………………………….

Lost Creek neighborhood sues city over tax efforts (TX)

The Lost Creek Neighborhood Association and two property owners in the area that disannexed from the city of Austin last September have sued the city after residents discovered that the city is still expecting them to pay property taxes. According to attorney Bill Aleshire, who is representing the plaintiffs, the city says it will continue […]

Why your house number placement matters for safety and services (TX)

From emergency responders to postal workers, a clearly posted house number is essential for quick and accurate service.   Here’s what Houston, Harris County, and HOAs require for address displays.  The rules governing house numbers in Houston, Harris County, and areas managed by Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) vary depending on location and jurisdiction.    Read the article…………………………….

Dallas home with viral Christmas lights cost taxpayers $25K (TX)

A viral Christmas light display in Dallas cost taxpayers about $25,000 and took 71 officers away from responding to calls.  The traffic got so bad in the Preston Hollow neighborhood that police had to get involved to help maintain order and safety.    Read the article…………………………….

Austin man who allegedly set condo on fire charged with arson (TX)

Police were called to the Foundry Condos on E. 4th Street on the night of Dec. 21, 2024.  According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the 911 caller told dispatchers that they heard glass breaking, verbal threat and the sound of physical violence coming from a nearby unit.    Read the article…………………………….

‘Fart smells’ plague Texas neighborhood over Christmas

….Pat Sinnott is the president of the Lake Pointe HOA. She has lived in the neighborhood since the 1990s and has spent the last several years leading the charge against the wastewater treatment plant.  Sinnott said the lease agreement for the plant is renewed every five years. It ends at the end of this December. […]

Appellate Court Stays Nationwide Injunction on Enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act; FinCEN Extends Filing Deadlines

On December 23, 2024, in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al., v. Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States, et al., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stayed the nationwide injunction previously enjoining enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementing regulations.  On December 3, 2024, the U.S. […]

POA asks county for road help (TX)

Streets in the Cypress Lake Gardens subdivision in northwest Comal County are so rough that Comal ISD is threatening to stop picking up the children living there.  The subdivision’s property owners association lodged a plea with county commissioners on Thursday, asking for help with fixing some or all of the big subdivision’s private roads, which […]

Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and the Reporting Rule Temporarily Blocked— Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report January 1, 2025, Deadline is Stayed

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) requires Reporting Companies to report specific identifying information in a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report to the Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN).1 The BOI report must include each beneficial owner and state their legal name, date of birth, current residential or business address and a unique identifying number.2    Read the […]

Synergy Park property owners request no tie-in to trails system (TX)

As City of Kilgore personnel continue the development of their planned citywide trails system, property owners in Synergy Park have requested the trails not tie-in to their routes around Elder Lake.  In a letter to Kilgore Mayor Ronnie Spradlin and the remaining city council members, the Synergy Park Property Owners Association noted their pride in […]

‘I see a total mess’ | Northwest Houston residents say heavy trash is piling up after delayed collections

Residents in northwest Houston could see relief soon after delayed “heavy trash” collection left piles of debris outside their homes.  Throughout Inwood Forest Village, the issue can be seen firsthand. On Wednesday, stacks of old boxes, furniture, tree branches and other large items were scattered on sidewalks and lawns around the neighborhood.  Homeowner’s Association President […]

Enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act is Enjoined Nationwide

On December 3, 2024, in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al., v. Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States, et al., the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas enjoined enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its implementing regulations, and stayed the January 1, 2025 reporting deadline for reporting […]

Corporate Transparency Act Enjoined

A federal judge in Texas, in a lawsuit initiated by a number of small businesses, issued an order on December 3, 2024, granting a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). As you likely already know, the CTA required essentially all business entities in the United States, including community associations, to […]

Johnson County neighbors seek answers as roads crumble in their development (TX)

The neighbors keep hitting dead ends with every attempt to get the roads fixed. Each municipality in Texas has its own rules and standards when it comes to the construction and maintenance of public roads. This neighborhood is outside both Godley and Joshua city limits, so they’re not responsible for servicing the streets. As it […]

Homeowners in San Antonio question lack of secure mailboxes amidst mail theft surge (TX)

We reached out to the U.S. Postal Service who says they are not in charge of replacing damaged mailboxes:  “Postal Service guidelines specify that the purchase, installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of mail receptacles are the responsibility of the customer; or apartment property management companies and homeowners associations (HOA), where applicable.”  Gomez said he just […]

Improvised mockumentary from Austin satirizes all-too-real HOA drama (TX)

A buzzy film premiering at this year’s Austin Film Festival will hit close to home for many viewers: Subtopia: The Story of Hueco Canyon, is about heated drama with an HOA.  Subtopia tells the 2011 story of Wally and Julia Kaplan (played by Lowell Bartholomee and Liz Fisher) “looking for a community and [finding] the […]

Texas rejects insurance rate increase for coastal homeowners, businesses

Texas’ chief insurance regulator has shot down a proposed 10% insurance rate hike for many Gulf Coast homeowners and business owners.  Texas Insurance Commissioner Cassie Brown on Monday rejected the increase for residential and business policyholders sought by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the state’s insurer of last resort for homes and businesses on the […]

Padre Island bulkhead repair work from Tropical Storm Alberto making progress (TX)

Bulkheads on the Padre Island canals failed during Tropical Storm Alberto in June which caused severe damage to several neighbors properties.The Padre Isles Property Owners Association (PIPOA) has been working on repairs to fix the bulkheads for a few months, and according to PIPOA Executive Director Rick McGinley, the work is about halfway done.  Read the […]

Mission community threatened by dog attacks (TX)

“It’s not the dogs’ fault, the dogs are just animals, but at least the owner, even an apology would be fine as we are not looking for money or something, but just for him to know that the cat was part of our family,” Gerardo Martinez said.  Gaitan says she has called her homeowner’s association […]

San Antonio HOAs have mixed rules on Halloween decorations (TX)

Spooky season has officially arrived. It’s the time of year when 10-foot skeletons, cauldrons, orange and white lights jack-o’-lanterns make their way onto front lawns. But with homeowners’ associations so often being a stick in the proverbial mud, can they douse the fiery flames of Halloween decorations across San Antonio? Read the article…………………………….

Texas DPS sends cease and desist to Flock Safety for camera at private homes and businesses

The Texas Department of Public Safety is ordering a surveillance company, Flock Safety, to stop operations in private homes and businesses after failing to obtain a private investigators’ license. The Texas DPS sent Flock Safety a cease and desist order for their cameras that are used to track vehicles’ license plates.    Read the article…………………………….

After years of the HOA paying for repairs on fence damaged by storms, this Houston homeowner says she’s responsible now (TX)

Pauletta Aldridge has lived in her southwest Houston home for 20 years and throughout all those years she’s lived through major storms.  “We’ve had damage, from Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey,” said Aldridge.  The fence in her backyard was damaged by both storms and repaired by the homeowner’s association. The broken fence lies between her […]

Lawmakers urge USPS to replace cluster mailboxes as more than a dozen San Antonio communities struggle for solutions (TX)

There’s a renewed push led by Congressman Joaquin Castro to replace broken mailboxes nationwide in an effort to restore faith with the United States Postal Service.  A letter addressed by Democratic and Republican lawmakers urges U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address concerns expressed by residents who’ve struggled to get their mailboxes repaired and replaced.  […]

‘Where’s the golf course?’: Angry Houston residents slam developer of luxury golf community after paying thousands of dollars for services, amenities they never received (TX)

When Jennifer Chao moved into her Mediterranean Forest community in 2020, she was promised a luxury golf course community with high-end amenities. However, she quickly realized something wasn’t right.  To start, the home she paid $300,000 for didn’t match the floor plan she was given. Many of the luxury amenities, including a golf course, didn’t […]

Condominium Fire in The Sharpstown Area (TX)

Firefighters arrived on scene to find fire coming from a condominium and made an attack while searching for three missing people. As crews controlled the fire, several searches were completed, and three deceased individuals were found inside the residence.   Read the article…………………………….

The Woodlands Township’s unique government shaped by legislation (TX)

The Woodlands Township is the only township in Texas, but its existence came about through a years-long process, legislation and consolidating the administration of several different community associations almost 15 years ago.  In 1999, when The Woodlands community was 25 years old, the path to a new form of governance began when its community associations […]