HOA property management

Does your HOA have a professionally done HOA Reserve Study? It is a very useful tool in managing the budget and future expenses. Mine is self governed and has been for 49 years.

 

All things in moderation...

I once lived in Chicago, and after a big snowfall whoever dug out a parking space would then “claim” it with a chair. Of course, someone else would come along and move the chair and park, which quickly devolved into shouting matches and fights. People are generally not very good about cooperating with each other when there are shared resources, unless everyone agrees on some rules.

 

I don’t know, but great question to ask the board president when I talk to him about this proposal.

 

I'm on the board of my HOA. 2500 homes, 1.4mil annual budget.

The shit is taking years off my life. It's a dysfunctional clique of morons and corruption. A convicted felon got appointed to the board by default because not enough people ran for election. 4 out of our 9 positions weren't even elected. The president is a retired truck driver who aspires to be the mayor, but can't write a complete sentence. I was the Treasurer but got ousted in a coup because I exposed shenanigans. All residents do is bitch about everything. Constantly. And it's all "your" fault. Our president fired our management company without telling the rest of the board. We have had no management for 2 months. People's dues checks got lost.....

So, if you value your sanity, don't bother to get involved.

Run. Far. And fast.

 

In the state of Arizona - the HOA "reserve study" and resulting reserve fund maintenance are mandated by state law. Idiots get elected to the board and think they've uncovered a treasure trove that needs to be spent on whatever pet project they are pressured to undertake. Illegal - and something that homeowners can sue them over! The HOA has to build accounts and maintain sufficient funds to take care of stuff usually covered by the municipality in open communities.

Our HOA owns the roads - and road replacement / maintenance costs, sewers and storm drainage, landscaping of community areas and god knows what else........ people on the board have fiduciary responsibilities. A state audit can have repercussions. We've had people run for the board, win a seat - and immediately resign when they find out what they are accountable for.

 

I'd say at least 7, but no more than 10. Then it becomes a horde

 

My grandparents had property with an HOA. They (the community) decided to dissolve the HOA years ago and donate the parks to the city so the city would maintain them. As far as I know the community lived happily ever after. Just a thought...

 

I'll add to this...

In my experience, property management companies get a little power and it all goes to their head. My next place will be on acreage or lakefront with no HOA if that tells you anything.

The last house I sold, lived there for nearly 10 years, had a very small HOA property management company, charged a ton and didn't do much of anything. The majority of the funds went to their salaries, the landscapers and landscape water bills. After 6-7 years and paying nearly 8k total in annual HOA dues there, I ran for the board. After I was elected, I made sure repairs were always done, things were maintained, and lowered the dues. I don't miss it and will never volunteer on an HOA again.

Where I'm at now, we have a very large HOA property management company (multiple subdivisions) that addresses issues here and there, selectively enforces issues randomly, hires all their friends and family members (nepotism) for office positions, maintenance, and various board positions, and spends a ton on stupid stuff, but also doesn't charge a lot. They do hold community events like yard sales and holiday lighting contests and keep the place up on the more expensive streets, but the cheaper subdivisions seem to be neglected more.

For example, I've been singled out for patio string lights, yet my neighbors 7 or so houses down appear to get a double standard for theirs. Furthermore, so do the neighbors across the street who are literally hoarders. Contacting the city has gotten more results with my hoarder neighbors than the HOA, but neither has fully rectified the problem. We also have a lot of renters on our street, some are awesome and some who are less than favorable, which the HOA seems to turn a blind eye to.

Also, about three years ago the HOA took two homeowners to court for unpaid fines on fees. Apparently, the HOA would take the fines and not properly record them in their books resulting in more late fees. One homeowner represented himself and the other had an attorney. They both won their cases against the HOA.

What's that saying? Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians...

 

Yeah, private roads owned by the HOA are a totally different ballgame.

 

Oh I lived in Chicago for a while. That chair thing is real. One does not simply move another man's chair. Like, who does that? May as well walk right inside and put their feet up on my coffee table while they're at it, making claims to things that aren't theirs...

 

Words to live by

 

11th commandment.

 

"Gaggle of Karens" I love that! The term shall be used at the next 'board of idiots' meeting. If I'm given proper notice to attend.

 

A Kaggle?

 

I am just six months into a HOA.
The intent of HOA’s, among many others is preserve property values, by enforcing bylaws, covenants conditions and restrictions to maintain a homogeneous and well-kept appearance and minimize neighborhood blight.



Enviably, some jokers believe, in-spite of signing agreements, breach the agreements by neglecting labs landscape maintenance or adorn their front yards with JUNK. For example, using discarded toilets and bathtubs as flower planters, storing junk cars, washer/dryers, etc.

 

I find it ridiculous how people will choose to live somewhere with an HOA and then get upset that the HOA is enforcing their rules.

 

Legit. After all, at closing, or before, you get handed the list of covenants and by-laws. And you have to sign that you received and read them.

On the other hand, there is a difference between reasonable enforcement and overreach, and when crossing from one to the other life can become painful.

 

Understandable, but for me it's a bigger issue than that. My HOA selectively enforces, while turning a blind eye to other homeowners who get a double standard. Even though one of CC&R's states all rules and regulations are to be enforced uniformly across all homeowners.

People get a little power and it goes straight to their head. Sometimes rules are changed without homeowners input or consent.

 

Which is understandable, I would be upset with that too.

 

All this makes me enjoy my HOA, which I forget exists most of the time and most of the people keep to themselves and respect the peace of others. I've also seen HOA's that will leave notes if they don't like the position of your trash bin or if they can see your shed, even though they approved the guy next to you and his is bigger.

Something, something, the best intentions