By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
News media are finally beginning to report a common problem for homeowners and residents in Association-Governed Residential Communities: Sometimes homeowners pay assessments, but get next to nothing in return for their money.
There are a number of reasons – or excuses – that might lead to non-delivery of maintenance and security services. Usually, the reason comes down to the fact that the amount of the money being collected is insufficient to cover actual costs. Sometimes assessment money is being wasted on non-essential services and “window dressing” to give an initial appearance of good maintenance. It’s so much easier and more fun to replant flower beds 2 or 3 times per year than to clean muck out of a storm water basin or clean rain gutters on the condo.
There could be poor budget planning, or, dare I say, business steered to affiliated vendors with overpriced contracts for less essential redecorating or remodeling projects. The owners might refuse to allow assessment increases, even if desperately needed. Or a board member or manager might be taking the money for personal use. It happens fairly often, as any reader of this blog and others knows well.
In this news report by Louis Bolden, owners in the Walkabout Golf Community in Mims, FL, are paying thousands of dollars each year for a run-down community that is not even a decade old.
The original developer began construction in 2006, but then ran out of money and abandoned the unfinished subdivision after only a small number of houses were built. Owners set up their own homeowners association (HOA) for several years, but apparently it was unofficial.
The new developer has revived the once defunct property owners’ association, and has appointed his own board. He is collecting $1300 per year from each property owner. Homeowners who have refused to pay for non-existent services are now in collections, with the threat of lien and foreclosure.
Homeowner Quentin Hibbs is right on when he says that Walkabout HOA is just one of many communities facing a similar problem. And the only recourse for homeowners is to go to civil court, because, in Florida as in most other states, there is no state oversight or enforcement of HOA maintenance.
Check out the details and video below:
Homeowners say association collects dues, does not provide services
Author: Louis Bolden, Reporter, lbolden@clickorlando.com
Published On: Nov 11 2015 01:44:33 PM ESTUpdated On: Nov 12 2015 06:04:07 AM EST
Homeowners in a Brevard County neighborhood say they are being hit twice with fees, first by their Home Owners Association, then by the Property Owners Association.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. –
Homeowners in a Brevard County neighborhood say they are being hit twice with fees; first by their Home Owners Association, then by the Property Owners Association.The POA collects fees but does not provide the services promised, according to homeowners.
“Everyone understands that something is not right,” said Quentin Hibbs, one of many homeowners in the Walkabout Golf Community in Mims.
The Walkabout Golf community was started in 2006, but the community was not completed by the initial developer.
When many residents bought their homes, neither the POA or the HOA was active, so there were no dues.
When a new developer took over the community, the POA was reinstated with none of the homeowners on the board, so the homeowners also started an HOA.
Shortly after taking over, the POA sent residents a proposed budget saying homeowners would have to pay more $1,300 a year in dues.
“It caught everyone in this community off guard,” Hibbs said.
Including Heather Lange’s family.
“This was a proposed budget of all of these services and things of that nature that really came out of nowhere,” she said.
Full article here:
Homeowners say association collects dues, does not provide services