HOA Question

[G-Knight]

Does anyone know if a management company of an HOA charge a fee for sending an initial letter for a violation?

I received a letter from my HOA because supposively the side walks are to dirty. This is the first letter I have received regarding the questionable violation and they want to charge me $15 for them sending the letter. It was my understanding that this is what the management fee is for.

 

[brahmanknight]

Molotov Cocktails would be my choice.

Wait, that wasn't the question I was expecting.

 

[cnsaguy]

IMHO, if you have to be told to clean your own home you should not complain about the $15.

Invest in a decent pressure washer, it will serve you well over the years.

 

[SublimeKnight]

What I've noticed most people do in your situation, to get their pound of flesh, is to walk the neighborhood and send a letter to the HOA with a list of all the issues you notice. That way the HOA makes more money and your neighbors hate you.

 

[G-Knight]

I pressured washed my drive way 2 months ago. It is not dirty. A new management company took over and they are sending notices to half the neighborhood for differnt minor things.

 

[Happy Hands]

What can ya do? I believe the American poet Lil Wayne said it best, " HOAs gon be HOAS so I couldn't blame Tammy."

 

[BattleAx]

Your problem is not the HOA. Your problem is the contract with the management company. Your HOA hired a management company who is compensated for the number of letters written to enforce HOA rules, thereby relieving the HOA of hands on management. It's akin to speed traps in Hawthorne & Lawtey where law enforcement is encouraged to write speeding tickets to improve the small town revenue stream. Get rid of the management company and let your neighbors enforce neighborhood rules themselves.

 

[Knightsweat]

I serve on my neighborhood HOA, primarily because it was being run by a hateful group of bitches who had no purpose other than to remind our neighbors they were in charge. The HOA typically has a set group of bylaws and processes that require a quorum to change. It's all set out ahead of time. In our particular neighborhood, it requires 3 letters before the board can recommend sending it to a fining committee, which decides independently of the HOA board, what the fine should be. The fines are clearly laid out in the bylaws, and the fines cannot exceed the approved fining amounts, and there is an appeals process. But I digress.

You should pull out your deeds and covenants and review the fining process. Any changes made without public notice would make the board subject to civil action.

IMO, HOA's are sometimes a necessary evil because inevitably some dipshit wants to grow broken down cars in his front lawn, or breed poisonous snakes in his house (true story), but HOA's do need to be reined in at times. And if they are violating the rules, such as charging fines for 1st time letters, and it's not in your deeds and covenants, i'd raise hell and attend the next HOA meeting and make it uncomfortable for them.

Hope this helped.

 

[USFSucks]

Each HOA has different rules, why ask a bunch of strangers who have no idea where you live when you can just read your HOA docs?

 

[cnsaguy]

My HOA wants us to submit a landscaping plan if we change anything. I ripped out the entire thing and replanted all new plants. Didn't ask for permission. #rebel

 

[UCFWayne]

HOAs are the worst. Id rather not have them.

 

[jetsaholic]

#BanSidewalks

 

[CommuterBob]

What's truly funny about a sidewalk rule is that in most neighborhoods, you don't own the sidewalk. It's not within your property line. Usually the property line starts either on the house side of the sidewalk or even farther back. In essence, the HOA is demanding you to take care of common property (usually even CIty/County property) with the threat of liens and foreclosure on your home for property you don't even own.

 

[Knight_Light]

What's truly funny about a sidewalk rule is that in most neighborhoods, you don't own the sidewalk. It's not within your property line. Usually the property line starts either on the house side of the sidewalk or even farther back. In essence, the HOA is demanding you to take care of common property (usually even CIty/County property) with the threat of liens and foreclosure on your home for property you don't even own.

Correct in my area....as the City owns the sidewalk...and when tree roots rip them up...city comes and repairs them and pours new sidewalks.

But the City does not own my driveway...hence our responsibility to repair it and/or to pressure wash it 2-3 times per year.