Comments on: What Does Your Homeowners Association Do?

By: Vance

Vance — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:14:06 +0000

I just got slapped with about 52% increase in monthly maintenance. Get ready…from 240 to 370/mo!!! It turns out a new management company took over for the condo assoc. we complained about plenty before they took over. The plus, it looks like they are actually doing what the previous assoc. was supposed to be doing. Minus, 52% added cost. Can we sue or something for what the prior assoc was supposed to do but didn’t? Isn’t it illegal to collect those fees and do minimal then give the crap to someone else?! please help!!!

By: J.

J. — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:40:42 +0000

Sounds like most of these fall under city ordinace rules. Our hoa does nothing but water the weeds at the entrance to the subdivision and cut around the retention pond. Not worth the money they receive from home owners.

By: BMOC

BMOC — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:33:02 +0000

Yes, alot of the HOAs collect this money and then are inactive. They don’t use it to keep the development up like the homeowners expect, so the homeowners are getting very little for there money. Also things like common safty of residents, vadalizism and crimes going un-checked out of houses in the community because the HOA says it is a individual problem

By: pat

pat — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:14:08 +0000

my husband and i own our condo,we pay 100.00 fee a month ,and now they want to raise it $25.00 if we don,t pay up they will put a forecloure on it .can they do this if we own it.we live in a side by side of 4 units.

By: Regan

Regan — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:57:36 +0000

She needs to talk with them about the situation. They should grant some leniency, if they are nice. Have her take pictures of her yard and others in the neighborhood that are like hers. This will help her case. She can request a hearing. This will stall the fines.
Hope that helps.

By: Debbie Parrish

Debbie Parrish — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:28:15 +0000

What can I do to help my daughter, who is a single mom and has just got served papers saying from the HOA that she is being sued because of her yard.. she does mow it and has some flowers,, some dry spots,,but who doesn’t with the hot weather.. they can only water on odd days,,she just got broken into her house , she doesn’t have extra money for a lawyer,, she has 20 days to reply,, can you help me to help her,,

By: Regan

Regan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:17:14 +0000

Oh lordy, I feel so bad for those who live in certain HOA’s.
I am president by default of our HOA. There is a difference between HOA and a property management companies that presume responsibility for neighborhoods. We had a horrible property management that policed our neighborhood, charged a incredibly high amount for their services and were overall a horrible nuisance.
I went around and did a petition to remove the porperty management and hence, became president since the current board did not want to run the HOA without the property management.
I have been president for 3 years, and since then have decreased our yearly dues to half, hardly ever write letters (I wait for complaints, then knock on their door.)If someone wants to do something to their house, I usually don’t care. As long as it is an improvement… then go for it. If it is a big thing, discuss with neighbors and see how they feel about it since they will be dealing with whatever it is.
My feeling is… if you work hard and have gotten a house, then by goodness you should be able to have the house you want and live in peace.

By: Brandi

Brandi — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:09:11 +0000

I was glad to read a post from an actual HOA president because i know they can be good if they have a good leader and I see then reason for them. We had a great one at our last home but now at our new place we get monthly letters complaining about everything. The last one basically said our children are not allowed outside at all! It wasn’t a letter to us personally it was to all residents but that was what the letter said. We live in a condo and the kids are now not allowed to play outside anywhere. Is that actually something they can enforce? Who can I talk to about the HOA? We live in sunny San Diego and my kids can’t play outside? They NEVER leave anything out in the common area, they mostly sit in the grass under the trees or jump rope in the shade. What can I do?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:51:04 +0000

I need help! And ammo for our upcoming meeting to dethrone our HOA manager. It’s just one guy. Never reachable by phone, never returns calls, and takes a week or longer to reply to emails. Here is what he replied when I emailed him about several grievances:

“I do not provide Association or Facilities Management services and therefore do not engage in following up with owners requests for those items which are beyond my scope of service or authority. My services are limited to Receivables, Payables and related items and provide a resource for questions regarding the CC&Rs, Bylaws and forwarding owner requests and complaints on to the President of the Board.”

I’m going to ask for a copy of his contract, but my question is this: if the contract states exactly what he said his duties are, what would my argument be to fire him? Are the duties of an HOA Management Company that lax and subjective?? No real guidelines whatsoever, so long as you do the minimum required by your contract?

By: jim sadler

jim sadler — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:38:04 +0000

I am a president of a condo association and a director of a property association. We have too much power. There need to be far greater restraints placed upon associations. Freedom is not a trivial thing. For example I feel that it should be illegal to ban motorcycles from any condo, HOA, POA or rental complex. Saving energy is a national priority. Yet people must sue to get relief. And half the time boards make clearly illegal decisions. On the other hand property owners tend to be dumb beyond all reason.

By: Casey

Casey — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:03:26 +0000

I agree with Diane. I had a falling out with my HOA over them waiting to cash my dues check and they talk to you any kind of way because they can. Its not like Att or verizon and cancel your service. Your stuck and they know it.

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:27:24 +0000

I”ve been living at my property for almost 3 years. Since then We’ve recieved about 4 threatening letters about weeds and a tree that can’t help losing it’s leaves if you don’t water it EVERY DAY. We always clean up our yard and revive this tree, yet I notice that neighbors around us have weds high enough to pass for some of the ugliest tall grass I’ve ever seen. I think favortism runs RAMPANT in this HOA.

By: marta

marta — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:22:14 +0000

The developer of my subdivion (only 10 lots) appointed the first buyer president of the HOA. The president, after 9 years has never had a meeting or collected dues. My question. Is there still a HOA in my subdivion?

By: Elena

Elena — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:13:47 +0000

We need advise. We replanted living Christmas tree from the pot to our front yard this spring, just like label sad. It is about 6 feet tall, about 10 feet from sidewalk and over 30 feet from neighbors property. The tree is gorgeous, and if anything increases value of the property, in our opinion. HOA disapproved the tree as “it is too close to other tree on our property and will not fit in the front yard when fully grown”. What can we do? It seems moronic to remove the tree… Any environmentalists out there?

By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:23:27 +0000

I live in LA 90016 to be exact, not exactly Beverly Hills but not the worst area either. When I first bought my home in a middle class neighborhood the hoa was $325/mo and it has now risen to $450/mo since 2006 when I purchased it. They have raised it every year and last year did a raise and an assessment wtf! When I go to the board meetings to ask what is to stop it from being $800 dollars a month they say it won’t go that high. They are planning another hike and it will pass because it is a large community with over 300 units so the board only needs minimal votes. We have 24 hour security (that should have been gone), 1 pool 2 jacuzzis, large green areas and a tennis court they also pay for water, but this is crazy.Only 60% approx. of the community is paying is there anything that can be done? Otherwise I will loose my home because I can’t afford my hoa.