Having a homeowners association in your corner is usually helpful for the local community. These organizations can efficiently fix any problems you’re having in the neighborhood, addressing any potential misuse of the joint space.
In fact, communities managed by HOA generally have a higher standard of living. However, there are also cases where homeowners’ association blatantly abuses their power. They might create arbitrary rules for certain families while completely neglecting them for others.
“Many issues between HOAs and homeowners occur due to a lack of legal knowledge,” warns SFVBA, a referral service for finding an HOA attorney in Los Angeles. According to this organization, the conflicting sides might not have a full grasp of rules and regulations, leading to easily-solvable disputes.
Whatever the case may be, here are some of the most common reasons why homeowners struggle with their local associations.
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Issues in communication
As silly as it is, the majority of issues between HOA and homeowners are a product of bad communication and inactivity. For example, the board members might not be passing information to homeowners the way they should.
In these situations, the local residents don’t know what’s in store in the upcoming period. On top of that, this slows down issue resolution. Lack of communication causes various problems where homeowners are not acquainted with new rules, financial state, and scheduled maintenance.
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Uncontrolled financial expenses
Financial plans are the main reason for conflict between the two sides. Occasionally, HOA will make decisions that go against homeowners’ desires. They often push their own agenda regardless of how expensive it might be.
Even if board members made a sound decision that could benefit the entire community, homeowners could still oppose it. In fact, financial mistakes are one of the main reasons why residents file disputes against the organizations.
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Penalizing homeowners
Some HOAs are extremely strict when it comes to the implementation of the rules. They wouldn’t have any issues penalizing local residents, even if they were right.
Occasionally, HOAs implement draconic fines in an attempt to drive out homeowners. There were lots of situations in the past where board members tried to enact new rules overnight and enforce them on unsuspecting habitants. They might use this strategy to expel unwanted homeowners from the community or to free up properties.
Whatever the case might be, the locals should check the bylaws to see if they were wrong (or wronged) in this particular case.
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Use of common space
One of the usual points of conflict is the use and maintenance of joint space. This is one of the more common issues not only in the US but also in other developed countries.
Simply put, homeowner associations often disregard common areas such as parks, gyms, and pools. This usually happens because they don’t want to spend money on maintenance. Alternatively, they might appropriate these areas and start using them for other purposes.
When such a thing happens, the residents should remind them of their duties and force action. If that doesn’t work, you can always file a lawsuit.
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Giving advantage to certain residents
Even if an HOA try to be impartial, they will often give an advantage to certain residents. This makes sense because board members will start developing relationships with residents over time. Even if it was a smaller favor, the local residents might notice it and will become frustrated with your decision.
In an ideal world, HOA should treat everyone equally, whether we’re talking about amenities or fines.
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Regulating pets
Nowadays, lots of families have dogs and other pets. Because of that, pet regulation has become one of the more common talking points between homeowners and HOAs.
The majority of communities in the US allow homeowners to keep pets, and there are no legal rules against it. However, the main problem isn’t their presence but their behavior. For example, allowing your dog to relieve itself on the streets is a bit no-no. The similar can be said for barking and aggressive behavior.
It’s up to board members to enact rules that would regulate pets as well as their owners.
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Use of parking space
Like with pets, a similar thing can be said about cars. Families nowadays have several vehicles, which can cause parking issues. HOA can enact rules that would limit the number of cars per family. Furthermore, they can fine the residents for disobeying traffic regulations.
Aside from local vehicles, organizations can enact rules regarding commercial vans and trucks. They have the power to regulate where these cars can park and how long they can stay there.