A homeowners association is a legal way to insure that there would be certain rules in place to govern the way people live in a particular community. It can be a high-rise building, golf course development, townhome community or traditional neighborhood. Check out our articles and blog posts for more information about homeowners associations.
HOA: Changing Homeowner Association Rules
HOA: Changing Homeowner Association Rules Q: I just read your response to the question about the 20-unit homeowners association (HOA) that can't get people to run for the board. I used to manage HOAs and have a few thoughts for your readers. 1. Before they do anything, they need to carefully read their HOA documents [...]
HOA Board: No One Wants To Serve
HOA Board: No One Wants To Serve Who will run the homeowners association if no one wants to serve on the HOA board? Q: I belong to a 55+ community of 20 single family homes. We are self-governed by a homeowners association board (HOA) of five members. This past spring, the terms of two of [...]
HOA Rules Contain Alarming Language
HOA Rules Contain Alarming Language Q: The homeowners association (HOA) of our complex added language to the association’s rules and regulations that I believe is alarming and invalid. I read your column every week and wanted to get your take. Our HOA has around 70 units. A section of the new rules was adopted without [...]
HOA Smoking Rules
HOA Smoking Rules: What's permitted under state law? A homeowner association board member asked owner to research local and state laws to see what rules could be enforced. Q: Your newspaper article on homeownership association rules around home smoking policies has prompted me to try to get my homeowners association (HOA) to pass “no smoking” [...]
HOA Won’t Pay Repair Bill
HOA Won't Pay Repair Bill Here's why the homeowners association won't agree to foot the entire bill for water damage to an owner's unit. Q: We own a condo in Atlanta as a secondary residence. About a year ago we discovered a portion of our floor was saturated with water. We discovered, and the [...]
Can we shut down our HOA?
HOA: Can we shut down our HOA? What can a small community do if no one wants to step up and manage the homeowner association? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCg1nR3GzfU Q: We live in a small townhome community of 24 houses in Maryland. We have a homeowner’s association (HOA), and it is generally very mellow, without any [...]
What is a Homeowners Association and What Can It Do?
What to do when your homeowners association is making life difficult? What do HOA's do? Q: I read the article you wrote about first-time homebuyers and homeowners associations. The State of Florida has a lot of gated communities and along with that typically comes a powerful homeowners association (HOA). Unfortunately, I didn't know that when [...]
How Much Should an HOA Have in Reserves?
How much should an HOA have in reserves? This reader wants to know how much an HOA should have in reserves and what happens if it’s too much. Q: Can a homeowners association have too much cash in reserves? If they do, what are the consequences? How Much Should an HOA Have in Reserves? A: [...]
How Do I Overturn an HOA Decision?
How do I overturn an HOA decision? This reader doesn’t agree with a decision the HOA board made and wants to know if they have any recourse. Q: The association board of my building wants to take down basic pine trees behind my unit. The trees are healthy and provide no danger to the building. [...]
What Happens When No One Runs for the HOA Board?
What happens when no one runs for the HOA board? This reader’s association doesn’t vote on board members, they step up whether they’re qualified or not. Q: I wanted to comment on your recent column in the Sarasota Herald Tribune relating to the use of a homeowners association (HOA) pool during COVID-19. Halfway through your [...]