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FL homeowner says HOA should respect her religious freedom
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Community Millie Francis, a homeowner in Bradenton Tropical Palm, says she isn’t going to take down a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe (also known as the Virgin Mary) that adorns her mobile home, despite her HOA’s objections. The property manager of the trailer park, Janet Nowakowski of Vanguard Property …
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Homeowners blame Elf on the Shelf for HOA violation
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Today, for a change, I’m sharing a lighthearted HOA story. It’s a story of homeowners using the power of humor to “fight” against HOA restrictions. You see, Somersett Owners Association, located in northwest Nevada, is having its second annual holiday decoration competition. And this year, homeowner Dan Rowan decided to …
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County works with HOA to dredge lake, improve watershed
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Here’s an example of an HOA working with their County to create a tax district to help pay for a $500,000 lake dredging project. The lake community was forced to lower water levels and eventually drain the lake, following flooding earlier this year. Over time, silt has covered the …
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It’s HOA budget season. Let the chaos begin.
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities According to a recent KTNV report, an annual budget meeting at Highland Ranch Homeowners' Association ended in chaos, with local sheriff called in to disperse the crowd. An uncharacteristically large number of angry homeowners gathered to attend the meeting in a small office on HOA property. But due to …
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Her dream condo was flooded by storm water — 4 feet deep
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities People don't often think about flooding in landlocked neighborhoods, nowhere near a river or ocean. But storm water floods can cause a heap of damage, as Bonnie Miles, a retired Veteran in Roanoke, Virginia, recently learned. Miles was a first time home buyer as of September 1, 2018. When …
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Homeowners fight over money: $6K HOA special assessment
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Here we go again, with yet another HOA fight over money . The HOA board for Lincolnshire, a subdivision in Mission, Kansas, recently proposed a $6,000 special assessment to repair roofs, gutters, and chimney caps on its 33 townhouses. But under protest of homeowners, that proposal was rejected by the …
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Your HOA can’t save you from a horrible neighbor
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities I’m amazed by the number of people who believe that an HOA “protects” homeowners from a horrible neighbor by enforcing rules that uphold property values. The research on HOAs and property values is quite thin, and simply doesn’t support the HOA industry’s lofty claims. The truth is many HOAs …
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After negative media attention, condo association has change of heart
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities After media attention, good news for Florida woman who couldn’t smell the mold growing in her condo near Orlando. Her association had a change of heart. A few weeks ago WFTV news reported that Judy Young’s condo association invoiced her more than $6,000 to clean up mold and make …
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HOA, condo & co-op litigation and case law highlights (Dec. 2018)
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American CommunitiesDecember 2018 HOA litigation and case law highlights: business judgment rule, assessment collection following bankruptcy, and HOA foreclosure rights and limitations. How Is The Business Judgment Rule Applied To Board Actions?by Husch Blackwell LLP November 14, 2018 The Business Judgment Rule can be a great protection for condo and HOA …
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Public Infrastructure Fee is not a tax (Florida)
New, privately imposed public infrastructure fees benefit property owners of commercial community associations, such as shopping and entertainment centers By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities As the holiday shopping season swings into full gear, Florida shoppers should take note of extra fees tacked onto each purchase they make. Commercial developers in Florida’s Volusia and Duval …
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