Thursday, March 05, 2009
Taking Action at the Local HOA
A lot of talk is bandied about these days regarding starting at the local level – contacting mayors, town council members, etc., about controlling spending. Sounds good, but…
We can’t even get our Homeowners Association (HOA) to listen.
People think an HOA helps preserve their property value and neighborly quality of life. Whether they do or not is a matter of opinion. The facts, however, are that they can use force to collect the homeowner dues (also called “regular assessments” according to our HOA President) and impose late fees and liens on our houses if these dues aren’t paid. (Sort of a mini-IRS.)
Usually, people who get elected as officers have such low self-esteem that they need to have power over others, whom they fear – in this case their hapless neighbors whom would run totally amok without the omnipresent authority of the HOA. They spend the dues money on things that they think are crowd-pleasers, such as kid-oriented events (about 80 out of 197 households in our HOA have children) then wonder why more and more owners stop paying their dues. The basic principle of capitalism – getting value for the value given – seems to totally escape these people. They live by the platitude of “doing it for the community.”
My husband and I got fooled into thinking that an HOA would help in dealing with difficult neighbors, like the renters who lived on both sides of our previous house (in a cul-de-sac). They held parties where plenty of alcohol consumption took place, in the front yards (which were tiny) instead of the back yards (which were large). They were illegal Hispanics, and the landlords cajoled us with the statement that their tenants’ disruptive behavior was just a “cultural difference” and that we “should get used to it.”
Unfortunately, our HOA falls far short of the expectation of having someone to help when there are neighbor issues like these. We still have to deal with them ourselves. In fact, our neighbors impose on us. One got a school bus stop arranged in front of our house. They have also acquired a young dog that is turning into quite a barker. Other neighbors harass workmen who happen to park outside of our property while doing repairs.
Of course, the HOA did its part by forcing a neighbor to throw away the shingles he got at a discount and then buy other shingles. Why? The ones thrown away were brown. Our bylaws/covenants specify using only black. We have yet to understand how this improves our property value and maintains a pleasant neighborhood. Sounds like just a bunch of petty, small-minded thugs flexing their puny muscles.
One thing we’re thankful for: the HOA is not in charge of our household budget. My hubby and I would be in bankruptcy court in a year or less.
Here’s a sample of what they are doing (remember that this is a small HOA of 197 houses, a tennis court, a pool, and a sorry excuse for a clubhouse – amounts are rounded off):
Management/admin: $16,300/year*
Grounds care: $13,000/year
Pool expenses.: $17,500/year**
Clubhouse/tennis courts: $3,000/year**
Newsletter/social events: $2,350**
* They wanted more but settled for a decreased amount; I’m certain they will get the rest through the back door. Our HOA officers are complete Socialists.
** Approximately 10% of the owners use the pool regularly. Approximately 1% use the tennis courts and clubhouse regularly (mostly Girl Scout meetings). All for “the community.” The newsletter is a waste of paper and postage, filled with “fluff” pieces.
The budget total is $61,000 ($310 per year per house, which is $10 more than we pay in fees per house per year – that’s a deficit of $1,970 per year). Meanwhile, our pool has been estimated to cost $150,000 to replace in a few years. Guess we better get ready to bend over and take it when a large “special assessment” comes our way.
To top off all of this, our budget income amount included items such as fees for statements on the HOA’s finances issued to buyers (we tried to get one of these before buying, but the management company refused). These statements are rarely done. That’s like finding a $10 bill on the sidewalk one year and including in your projected income for the next year the certainty of finding another $10 bill. Chances are pretty slim. Our HOA officers don’t seem to be able to grasp this basic concept. Of course, our HOA doesn’t have to worry about it. They can just raise that “regular assessment” or issue a “special assessment” to cover the shortfall they irresponsibly created with their expenditures on Easter Egg Hunts, etc. Sigh, it’s all in the name of “the community.”
With an HOA like this, how does one start at local level to undo the mess of overspending in the trillions at the national level? Just be glad these people aren’t part of the DC spendthrift crowd.
Copyright © 2009 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good after all. (And don't forget to check out her blog site: Sounded Good.) She and her hubby also have a fun blog that takes a little lighter look at the issues: Break Time Topics (things to read while you take a break to enjoy your morning coffee of afternoon tea). Also, don’t miss her on Townhall.com.
We can’t even get our Homeowners Association (HOA) to listen.
People think an HOA helps preserve their property value and neighborly quality of life. Whether they do or not is a matter of opinion. The facts, however, are that they can use force to collect the homeowner dues (also called “regular assessments” according to our HOA President) and impose late fees and liens on our houses if these dues aren’t paid. (Sort of a mini-IRS.)
Usually, people who get elected as officers have such low self-esteem that they need to have power over others, whom they fear – in this case their hapless neighbors whom would run totally amok without the omnipresent authority of the HOA. They spend the dues money on things that they think are crowd-pleasers, such as kid-oriented events (about 80 out of 197 households in our HOA have children) then wonder why more and more owners stop paying their dues. The basic principle of capitalism – getting value for the value given – seems to totally escape these people. They live by the platitude of “doing it for the community.”
My husband and I got fooled into thinking that an HOA would help in dealing with difficult neighbors, like the renters who lived on both sides of our previous house (in a cul-de-sac). They held parties where plenty of alcohol consumption took place, in the front yards (which were tiny) instead of the back yards (which were large). They were illegal Hispanics, and the landlords cajoled us with the statement that their tenants’ disruptive behavior was just a “cultural difference” and that we “should get used to it.”
Unfortunately, our HOA falls far short of the expectation of having someone to help when there are neighbor issues like these. We still have to deal with them ourselves. In fact, our neighbors impose on us. One got a school bus stop arranged in front of our house. They have also acquired a young dog that is turning into quite a barker. Other neighbors harass workmen who happen to park outside of our property while doing repairs.
Of course, the HOA did its part by forcing a neighbor to throw away the shingles he got at a discount and then buy other shingles. Why? The ones thrown away were brown. Our bylaws/covenants specify using only black. We have yet to understand how this improves our property value and maintains a pleasant neighborhood. Sounds like just a bunch of petty, small-minded thugs flexing their puny muscles.
One thing we’re thankful for: the HOA is not in charge of our household budget. My hubby and I would be in bankruptcy court in a year or less.
Here’s a sample of what they are doing (remember that this is a small HOA of 197 houses, a tennis court, a pool, and a sorry excuse for a clubhouse – amounts are rounded off):
Management/admin: $16,300/year*
Grounds care: $13,000/year
Pool expenses.: $17,500/year**
Clubhouse/tennis courts: $3,000/year**
Newsletter/social events: $2,350**
* They wanted more but settled for a decreased amount; I’m certain they will get the rest through the back door. Our HOA officers are complete Socialists.
** Approximately 10% of the owners use the pool regularly. Approximately 1% use the tennis courts and clubhouse regularly (mostly Girl Scout meetings). All for “the community.” The newsletter is a waste of paper and postage, filled with “fluff” pieces.
The budget total is $61,000 ($310 per year per house, which is $10 more than we pay in fees per house per year – that’s a deficit of $1,970 per year). Meanwhile, our pool has been estimated to cost $150,000 to replace in a few years. Guess we better get ready to bend over and take it when a large “special assessment” comes our way.
To top off all of this, our budget income amount included items such as fees for statements on the HOA’s finances issued to buyers (we tried to get one of these before buying, but the management company refused). These statements are rarely done. That’s like finding a $10 bill on the sidewalk one year and including in your projected income for the next year the certainty of finding another $10 bill. Chances are pretty slim. Our HOA officers don’t seem to be able to grasp this basic concept. Of course, our HOA doesn’t have to worry about it. They can just raise that “regular assessment” or issue a “special assessment” to cover the shortfall they irresponsibly created with their expenditures on Easter Egg Hunts, etc. Sigh, it’s all in the name of “the community.”
With an HOA like this, how does one start at local level to undo the mess of overspending in the trillions at the national level? Just be glad these people aren’t part of the DC spendthrift crowd.
Copyright © 2009 A.C. Cargill
A.C. Cargill resides on the East Coast for now, has lived in several locations, including Europe, and uses her background in technical writing, including researching topics online, along with her degree in Philosophy and English, to point out good ideas that aren’t so good after all. (And don't forget to check out her blog site: Sounded Good.) She and her hubby also have a fun blog that takes a little lighter look at the issues: Break Time Topics (things to read while you take a break to enjoy your morning coffee of afternoon tea). Also, don’t miss her on Townhall.com.
Labels: association, budget, hoa, homeowner, overspending
