After efforts spanning more than a generation, the end is in sight for residents of Timber Lake. A referendum victory at Tuesday’s election gives the Timberlake Watershed Improvement District the power to levy a tax and incur indebtedness or issue bonds — necessary to cover the costs of dredging Timber Lake, hoping to reverse decades […]
Genecov Group, Hollytree area homeowners reach agreement on nearby development (TX)
Genecov Group President Ray McKinney said in addition to tweaking plans as previously discussed, the developer also met with homeowners association leaders. McKinney said the homeowner groups brought a proposal that they felt would satisfy both sides, and presented the agreed-to changes to the P&Z committee. All matters approved by the committee must still be […]
Residents challenging town’s findings on private roads (CT)
Residents of four roads are disputing the town’s position that they should no longer receive services such as plowing and paving. The town has said the roads are private, but the residents argue that they should be considered public. Read the article…………………………..
Row of trees solves Whitehall Township property dispute (PA)
A 55-and-up condominium community in Whitehall Township has settled a dispute with the township by extending an olive branch — or in this case a row of trees. The condominium association of The Cottages at Belmont Glen, appearing before the township board of commissioners Monday, proposed a solution to its struggle with the township over […]
Dispute over Edina parks maintenance fees resolved (MN)
The Edina Housing and Redevelopment Authority and a group of Centennial Lakes residents have reached an agreement after questions were raised over the fairness of park maintenance fees. Ever since the Village Homes of Centennial Lakes condominiums were built 30 years ago in conjunction with the park’s opening, the residents there have been paying a […]
Town, county agree to $1.3M in loans for failing roofs (WY)
Town and county officials agreed Thursday to pay up to $1.29 million in loans to fix failing roofs at Melody Ranch Townhomes. The county will pay for 55% of the loan, and the town will pay for 45%. The $1,292,800 will primarily come from fees collected from developers. Read the article………………………….
Gilbert neighborhood gets sidewalk on school route thanks to Operation Safe Roads (AZ)
Back at the start of the school year, we introduced you to an East Valley family who believed their walk to school was more dangerous than it needed to be. There was no sidewalk on one side of the street that many in the community near Riggs Road and Higley Road in Gilbert used to […]
DORA Releases its Sunset Review for the HOA Information and Resource Office (CO)
The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released its Sunset Review for the HOA Information and Resource Office on October 15, 2019 (Report). This article summarizes that Report and makes some observations. Please review the Report and draw your own conclusions. This article contains the opinions of the author, and not the opinions or positions of […]
Residents to Ask Pasco Commissioners to Make Owner Maintain Closed Golf Course (FL)
The president of The Estates at Beacon Woods Homeowners Association said residents plan to attend this week’s meeting of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners to ask for help addressing deteriorating conditions at the former Links Golf Club. Read the article………………………
What is the purpose of a homeowners association? (WI)
For issues such as the fate of the neighborhood pond in the Auburn Hills subdivision, Caledonia Trustee Dale Stillman said that homeowners should use their neighborhood homeowners association (HOA) to address the issue, not local government. Read the article……………………………
Town considers new stop signs for private condominium (NY)
It’s only a matter of time before somebody is injured or killed by a motorist speeding through a stop sign in the Courtyards at Pleasant Meadows Condominiums, homeowners say, but unless the signs meet state Department of Transportation standards and the intersections are annexed to the town, they cannot be enforced by police. Read the […]
Boise neighborhood association approved for walkway, but another HOA may block it (ID)
The city granted $136,000 to Pierce Park Neighborhood Association for a safer walkway for schoolchildren, but the project is on hold until one subdivision approves. Read the article………………………..
Speeding in private communities? Law enforcement can’t ticket without permission (FL)
As St. Johns County continues to grow, so does the popularity of private and gated communities. The idea is to add an extra layer of security for their residents, but privately owned roads can keep police from enforcing basic traffic infractions like speeding. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office needs a written agreement to issue […]
The Secretary of State and Your HOA: How to Remain in Good Standing
Nearly all states require that HOAs organized as non-profit corporations file an annual report to the Secretary of State. Failure to do so can result in an association losing certain rights. Knowing what to file, when to file it, and whose responsibility it is to file are all vital to ensuring the association remains in […]
CBU Invites Neighborhood and Homeowner Associations to Learn About Stormwater Management Options (IN)
Neighborhood and homeowner associations are invited to schedule a visit from the City of Bloomington Utilities’ Stormwater Education Specialist to learn about options for addressing stormwater. CBU and other City departments offer various initiatives to assist neighborhoods with stormwater concerns, including residential stormwater grants, the new Adopt-a-Drain program, curbside leaf collection, and more. Read the […]
Badlands becoming wasteland, haven for crime as property held in limbo (NV)
The city of Las Vegas is fighting a long, expensive battle, and using your money to do it. It’s over the former Badlands golf course located in the west part of town. 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears first teed up this story last year. Monday, she shows the property near Summerlin is a wasteland, and […]
Four lakes along Guadalupe River will not be drained after settlement reached (TX)
A settlement has been reached, which will keep four lakes along the Guadalupe River from being drained. This was a big victory for those who like to take a boat out onto one of the lakes. Although the drainage is delayed, it’s not permanently decided on. Read the article……………………..
New rule on electric equipment sparks neighborhood opposition (CA)
Residents who enjoy the benefits of having all electric equipment underground in their neighborhood and who wish to keep it that way for the foreseeable future will have to pay that privilege under Palo Alto’s new rules Read the article………………………….
Missoula County: Assessment reignites fight over public bridge to private land (MT)
A recent resolution adopted by the Missoula Board of County Commissioners – to change the boundaries of a Rural Special Improvement District northwest of Seeley Lake and assess landowners for maintenance of the Lindbergh Lake Bridge – resurrected two unresolved questions: Who has access when a public bridge leads to private property? Should bridge ownership […]
Johnson County looks to replace concrete neighborhood roads with asphalt (IN)
Johnson County officials are looking for ways to solve an aging eyesore in several Center Grove area subdivisions — crumbling concrete roads. Residents in the Willow Lakes subdivision recently brought photos and samples of the broken roads before the Johnson County Commissioners. Several neighbors in the development have been complaining for years about the deteriorating […]
Why Community Associations Should Check Their Zoning and Entitlement History (FL)
Zoning laws are enacted by villages, towns, cities, or counties to control the types of uses and the parking ratio, intensity, density, and dimensions of those uses. This is for the purpose of preserving property values, managing growth, preserving the character of a community, facilitating the adequate provision of transportation, and promoting public health and […]
Goodyear city crews blocked runoff pipe, contributed to flooding (AZ)
Residents of a Goodyear retirement community, who have complained about “wasted water” stagnating in their green spaces for years, are now learning that Goodyear public works crews may have contributed to high water levels in July. Read the article……………………
City to take over Greendale sewer (IN)
After more than 20 years of dispute, the city of Seymour will take ownership and responsibility of a sewer main serving residents of the Greendale subdivision southeast of the city. The city’s board of public works and safety voted unanimously last week to accept the sewer from the Greendale Homeowners Association as part of a […]
Fairfax County considers taking responsibility of Kingstowne Lake (VA)
One of the few privately maintained stormwater management facilities left in Fairfax County may eventually come under county control. The Kingstowne Residential Owners Corporation sent a petition to Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay on July 10 asking the county to take over maintenance and other responsibilities for Kingstowne Lake, a 14-acre stormwater management facility at […]
The US Postal Service wants to ‘cluster’ subdivision mailboxes — and developers aren’t happy (TN)
Mailboxes for future subdivision houses will become extinct if a U.S. Postal Service mandate for clustered mailboxes remains. “As we all know, we’ve had mail delivered to our houses since it was established by Benjamin Franklin, and that is now changing,” said Kevin Woodward, president of the Rutherford County Home Builders Association, which opposes the […]
Private Bend neighborhood questions city stormwater fees (OR)
Neighbors in a private Bend subdivision say they pay too much in stormwater utility fees, and they want the city to do something about it. Larry Waters, a former public works director in Washington state and the president of the River Rim Homeowners Association, is making his case that his private neighborhood in southwest Bend […]
Does Montecito Want Greater Self— Governance? (CA)
Bob Hazard, associate editor of the Montecito Journal and past president of the Birnam Wood Golf Club, has finally speared a big fish in his campaign for a community services district in the affluent community: County Supervisor Das Williams. At Hazard’s urging, Williams has agreed to convene and chair a meeting with Montecito’s special districts […]
CFSIC recieved over $12 million in claims from condo owners with failing foundations (CT)
Just a week after Gov. Ned Lamont signed a law allowing condo owners to participate in the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company Inc’s foundation repair and replacement funding, over $12 million worth of claims have been submitted. Read the article………………………….
State DOT officials, Battle Forest residents still at odds over Urban Loop aftereffects (NC)
Residents of Battle Forest Village might have to repave a fragmented parking lot on their own dime, but state highway officials are considering other ways they could help fix some of the lingering aftereffects from nearby Urban Loop construction. Homeowners in this townhouse community of about 150 units are complaining that after construction, private contractors […]
County Offers Up To $5,000 Mini-Grants To Local HOAs, Deadline Approaching (FL)
Valrico area residents have the opportunity to improve their communities next year thanks to money from Hillsborough County. Applications can now be submitted for Hillsborough County’s 2020 Neighborhood Mini-Grants, which offer groups and homeowners associations (HOAs) the chance to apply for up to $5,000 to fund community projects. Read the article………………………..
Challenging the New Development Next Door
In most county and city governments, the land use process is one that will allow for some basic decisions to be made at staff levels, with higher levels of review in the form of public hearings required for larger scale projects, or proposals that deviate too far from the established standards for a given development. […]
Homeowners pushing for help in getting neighborhood park maintained (NE)
A North Omaha homeowners association says an uptick in a nearby homeless population and a lack of help from the city is posing problems in getting their neighborhood park maintained. Walking through the Logan Fontenelle Park you’ll notice a few things like missing railings and weeds taking over sidewalks. Read the article………………………
Local groups offer private subsidy to Oro Valley golf courses (AZ)
The group has teed off at the two 18-hole courses for years, and have watched it change hands multiple times. Stephen Jones is a member, and happens to also be president of the Cañada Hills Community Association, which consists of 1,889 homes wrapped around the golf courses. Many of these homeowners have been concerned about […]
Orangeburg County won’t haul debris after storms; resident thinks tax could help with cleanups (SC)
Orangeburg County won’t be hauling off debris from The Landing subdivision and other areas hit hard by last month’s thunderstorms. But the president of The Landing’s homeowners association thinks such problems are only going to continue because of global warming. She thinks the county should consider an additional tax to clean up such damage. Read the […]
California neighborhoods prepare for wildfires with help from federal program
The harsh reality of fire-prone California has caused a kind of awakening in Jackson Oaks, a woodsy hillside community in Santa Clara County surrounded by dry oak-dotted grasslands. Read the article……………………..
Pros against the amateurs: Clearwater condo case illustrates why residents lose construction battles (FL)
Residents of the Edgewater neighborhood printed up hundreds of “No Tall Condos” T-shirts and wrote reams of letters to city planning officials. They wore campaign buttons declaring their opposition and held up signs at boisterous public rallies. When it came time to argue against a 100-foot-tall condominium project before the Community Development Board, they were […]
Oak Island street end dispute heads to mediation (NC)
Oak Island’s Board of Adjustment has recessed a street right of way dispute while the town and a homeowners association attempt to mediate the issue at NE 54th Street. Read the article……………………The issue arises as town officials begin a systematic sweep to discover and remove intrusions and obstructions in road rights of way, starting with […]
Residents ask Casselberry to ‘build a wall’ in their neighborhood (FL)
The Sausalito Shores Homeowners Association has little funds and no legal authority to force homeowners to pay an assessment for a new wall. So the city surveyed residents about forming a special taxing district. They approved it by a more than 2-to-1 margin, city officials said. Read the article………………………..
How much should Birmingham regulate enclosed balconies, patios, terraces (MI)
Amidst a growing trend of Birmingham residents enclosing their balconies, patios and terraces, city officials may regulate the practice. The Birmingham City Commission and Planning Board decided in a joint workshop session June 17 that officials will examine a formal review process and/or regulations to potentially govern approval for such structures. Read the article…………………..
Sidewalk Defects Liability: In Most States, Size Matters
Insurance claim files are overflowing with losses involving individuals injured when they trip and fall over cracked, broken, or uneven municipal sidewalks. In many cases, the injury is a direct result of a municipality failing to institute and/or conscientiously follow its own policies regarding inspection, maintenance, and repair of miles of sidewalks. Understanding the potential […]
Latest chapter in Baker’s Creek bridge saga: Olmsted Falls set to close access road; East River Road homeowners debate replacement bridge (OH)
Nine weeks after Olmsted Falls sent a letter to nine East River Road residents involved with the longstanding Baker’s Creek bridge saga, the city plans on closing an emergency West Northwood Drive access road currently being used by affected homeowners at noon on Friday Read the article…………………….
Atlanta condo owners to pay $120 for ‘bulk’ trash pickup (GA)
Condo owners will pay $120 a year for bulk trash pickup and other services under a garbage fee plan passed Monday by the Atlanta City Council. Residents had criticized the previous plan requiring them to pay a $400 annual fee, arguing they already pay for similar services from private providers. Bulk pickup is being offered by […]
Fort Bend County officials consider Dispatch changes (TX)
A contentious power struggle between three powerful Fort Bend County elected officials took centerstage at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court workshop after Sheriff Troy Nehls accused Commissioner Andy Meyers and Constable Wayne Thompson of spreading false information to pressure Nehls to reverse a dispatch center policy change made last January. Read the article……………………….
Advocacy Tips: Inviting Your Elected Official to Visit
Summer is almost here, and that means legislative recesses and state session adjournments. This is the perfect time for advocates like you to engage with your elected officials at all levels of government by inviting them to attend your community association events, your board meeting, or asking to meet with them at their district office […]
Real estate appraisal: Home values drop if Oro Valley closes golf (AZ)
A real estate appraisal commissioned by the Cañada Hills Community Association finds that a partial or full closure of the town-owned golf courses would result in a “significant loss” in home values near the site and an overall negative effect on the community. Read the article………………………
City of Melbourne to Offer Free Stormwater System Inspections for Private HOAs in June (FL)
The City of Melbourne is offering free stormwater system inspections during the month of June to private homeowner associations (HOAs) to encourage preventative maintenance before the first big storm of the season. Read the article…………………….
Bentonville files lawsuit over Lake Bella Vista (AR)
The city is asking a judge to decide what property rights it has regarding the Lake Bella Vista dam. George Spence filed the lawsuit on behalf of the city last week in Benton County Circuit Court. Cooper Realty Investments and the Bentonville/Bella Vista Trailblazers Association are the defendants. Read the article………………………
Hampton Terrace to get road safety changes after series of crashes (FL)
One Tampa neighborhood is set to see major road-safety upgrades after a series of crashes, reports of speeding and years of asking the city for changes. Hampton Terrace, located in Tampa’s Seminole Heights community, has a speed limit of 25 miles per hour. However, drivers are often going a whole lot faster. Read the article……………………..
Residents on Lake Orono seek taxing district (MN)
Residents around Elk River’s Lake Orono are working on a special taxing district that will contribute monies toward the restoration and maintenance of that lake, officials learned on May 6 at a work session. State agencies have identified the lake as impaired due to algae pollution and invasive species infestation, and for the past three […]
Kingwood Residents Push For Disaster Declaration Over Flood Damage (TX)
Residents of a Kingwood neighborhood are pressing for a federal disaster declaration, following last week’s flooding. But, Harris County leaders are having trouble obliging them. Homes in the working-class neighborhood of Elm Grove took up to 18 inches of water last week. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she’s determined to help, but she said […]