Car Stuck in Garage by HOA (Dallas: section 8, renting, taxes)
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I have been reading about what you been going through the past few days. I still can't believe what that HOA is doing. I would have thought those concrete blocks are not coincided vandalism or some similar crime.
Couldn't agree more. Yeah, I hear rumors that there are some good ones out there. But a "good HOA" sounds more like a unicorn, to me, than reality.
None for me, thank you.
Living with HOA once was enough for us! Busy bodies is too nice a word for a HOA board...it's more like a dictatorship. We used to call them the "pansy police" as they had to OK the flowers you put in your window boxes.
The type of HOA in this thread is a once in a blue moon type of example. Thankfully!!
Actually I have read more negativity about HOAs throughiout the various state forums and from my own personal experience and several friends, we also agree that HOAs are not somewhere we would choose to live again.
I am surprised that they didn't give you this spreadsheet months ago before things got to this point. That way, you could have cleared it all up and hopefully had a much smaller balance in the process. I hope it all gets sorted out. I am sure you are ready to put this behind you.
Yes I am. Are they supposed to volunteer this information? From what I am learning HOA's can operate on their own and for the most the local police and fire department stay away from civil situations. So I think it depends who is on the board. Some boards are made up of good people - some not so nice. From what I have learned they changed law firms after their last one dissolved. But yea - if I would have seen this I would have cleared this one right away. I am confident this will get resolved - fairly.
I have been reading about what you been going through the past few days. I still can't believe what that HOA is doing. I would have thought those concrete blocks are not coincided vandalism or some similar crime.
SAME HERE. I was FLOORED to come and see my wife was stuck in the house. I was even more confused when the HOA president told me I would have to pay $300 to have the blocks moved so she could get out. When the police came he was very sympathetic but could not do anything beyond issue us an event ticket. When I called the fire department we were told the same thing. We are sorting out the past years discrepancies right now and looking to get back on paying back the principal. But from what their attorney's told me and my neighbor we have to pay their legal fees first. I am ready to pay and have picked some extra work and told my clients to get ready to abuse me. We are first having to deal with this issue from last year. I am just in awe that their accounting showed I was delinquent for 5 months last month when indeed I was actually over.
What I am learning is that you have to SPEAK OUT. Let people know your story! Thanks for letting me share...
My next move is to locate someone in the Sandy Spring government - do you guys think that would be wise?
Personally I think HOA's are aweful - who are these strangers to tell me how and what I should do on my own property. Reason I do not live where there is an HOA and never will! Bunch of busy boddies with nothing better to do than bother their neighbors! Get a life!!
If you would walk over to your neighbor's house, they would not be strangers. As someone who has actually served on my HOA Board, I'm in full support of it. It's a thankless position that no one has the time for. The only real goal of an HOA is to make everyone happy and to keep the neighborhood and it's amenities in order. The only time I have ever heard of a problem was with an elderly widow in our neighborhood running behind on some home maintenance. Several willing volunteers were more than happy to help her for a few afternoons over a few weeks and everything was great. Your HOA is paid for and supported by you. If you don't like it, change it.
Actually I have read more negativity about HOAs throughiout the various state forums and from my own personal experience and several friends, we also agree that HOAs are not somewhere we would choose to live again.
What are you most likely to write about? A bad or good experience? When people vent their issues, they are more likely to vent them because they are upset. So, the statistics are a bit skewed. I think it is pretty good that out of four HOA's, we have enjoyed them all. We have had differences in opinion with some board members from time to time, but nothing as serious as this thread. I don't know if I have noticed any "I love my HOA" threads yet.
If you would walk over to your neighbor's house, they would not be strangers. As someone who has actually served on my HOA Board, I'm in full support of it. It's a thankless position that no one has the time for. The only real goal of an HOA is to make everyone happy and to keep the neighborhood and it's amenities in order. The only time I have ever heard of a problem was with an elderly widow in our neighborhood running behind on some home maintenance. Several willing volunteers were more than happy to help her for a few afternoons over a few weeks and everything was great. Your HOA is paid for and supported by you. If you don't like it, change it.
Shame we never hear as much good things about HOA as we do bad., but I guess more people are willing to complain about something then to post anything positive.
Not all HOAs are bad. I'm fully aware of this and have friends who serve on HOA boards. (Yes, even in my own neighborhood). They look out for the homeowners and everyone is happy in their "shangri la" neighborhoods. I say this all the time...
What pro-HOA people never hear or choose to ignore because of profit motive is this: THEY ARE NOT REGULATED!!!
HELLO! What do I mean? Well, if a criminal, an unethical buffoon, an HOA management company stooge, clone or goon, or some insecure egotistical idiot along with a friend or two get on an HOA board they can create a nightmare for homeowners by creating a tyrannical totalitarian neighborhood which may also lead to a financial burden on many people. When this occurs, there isn't much a homeowner can do other than shell out cash for an attorney. The board members have free legal support through homeowner money/assessments, while the homeowner pays out of their pocket. This may involve an HOA board member holding illegal elections, not releasing financial records, improper or unethical accounting standards (frequent problem), spending thousands of dollars in homeowner dues/HOA funds to pay attorney fees in order to keep themselves on the HOA board, changing bylaws/CC&Rs without a vote, condoning racism, paying local police to threaten or bully people at board meetings, arbitrarily re-lining property lines (ex: having someone extend a fence in their neighbor's driveway), etc...
No authority on a local, state or federal level will intervene on a homeowners' behalf; often they will state, "this is a private matter," or "The Texas AGs office does not get involved in private contractual disputes." Even in cases where racketeering, extortion, arson, fraud, theft, etc... are committed, legislative authorities will often turn a blind eye to the problem and remain silent. Although, many HOAs in Las Vegas are being investigated by the FBI and DOJ for extortion, fraud and running construction defect lawsuit scams, no one has yet to be charged with anything. (Note - some HOA lawyers, current HOA board members and former HOA board members have been charged with crimes in Las Vegas like coercion, attempted murder, illegally obtaining a controlled substance, etc..., but not any charges related to what they did with HOAs like fraud, racketeering or extortion).
Just a few stories to look at:
Casa Blanca Condo Association in Dallas
FBI HOA Raids in Las Vegas
Ventura HOA in San Antonio
Las Vegas Autumn Chase HOA
(I could list many many more)
And if you're wondering; no, these are not isolated incidents; HOA unethical behavior and criminal activities are occurring frequently throughout the country. (Those are just a few cases I'm most familiar with)
And if you say, "Don't move into an HOA, if you don't like them." Well, each year that is going to become harder; many cities and counties require HOAs to be mandated before any new neighborhoods are built. In some places the entire town is an HOA. I think we have 30,000 HOAs in Texas now. In some areas a person may have to drive 50 miles to go to work if they don't want to live in an HOA.
Now some may get a state politician to move on passing legislation to require HOAs to do this or that; release financial records to homeowners, public meetings, fair elections, not throwing the elderly or military families out on the street, etc... The problem? No one enforces that legislation after it's passed. No one! A state attorney general like Greg Abbott (his office) will usually tell you to go get a lawyer, if they even respond back to you at all. Local and County authorities will also follow suit of the AG, but remember they may be using the HOAs as cash cow operations through double taxation; homeowner pays out property taxes, then another tax payout (assessment) to their HOA; street repairs, trash removal, street lights, etc...
Get it?
Last edited by rodneydg; 06-13-2011 at 10:54 PM..
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