Independent American Communities
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By Deborah A Goonan, Independent American Communities How many times have we heard representatives from HOA industry trade groups utter the words, “Homeowner Associations are not going away?” But that, dear readers, is nothing more than wishful thinking. Let’s start with the facts. The construction industry is building fewer new HOA homes and condos …
Continue reading "Reality check: HOA managers face decline of their industry, like it or not"
A trio of DESTRUCTIVE hurricanes have thrust the related issues of flood control and storm water management into the limelight By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Regular readers of IAC know I emphasize the fact that financial burdens of storm water management and flood control systems are heaped upon property owners and residents …
Continue reading "Connecting the dots: Storm water, flood control, HOAs, and affordable housing"
How to navigate its complex governance hierarchy to address sewer plant failure In the past 20-30 years, local governance for communities has become a complicated hot mess. That is abundantly apparent following devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in southeast Texas. Cinco Ranch, a Fort Bend County association governed community of 8,700 homes for 12,000 households …
Continue reading "Cinco Ranch community faces post-Harvey challenge"
In the aftermath of Harvey, Woodlands Township, Counties, and MUD will each play a role In previous blog posts, I explained that, in general, association governed communities are not eligible for cash assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for post-disaster clean up and repairs. FEMA does not provide taxpayer funding for mandatory community associations, …
Continue reading "Timarron Lakes HOA seeks FEMA flood relief, storm drainage improvements"
The architectural committee of the HOA is enforcing recently revised rules and regulations. Meanwhile, the board recently authorized further study of municipal and tax district alternatives. by Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities For more than a year, Spring Creek Association has been exploring HOA alternatives that would shift maintenance and public services to a …
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Updated 9:15 PM EDT Regular readers of IAC know that Poinciana, a large master planned community in Central Florida, has been a hotbed of conflict and controversy for at least the past several years. And that trend continues with the latest motion filed in Polk County circuit court. AV …
Continue reading "Homeowners suing Poinciana’s developer left and right"
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Water management and flood control are serious issues faced by municipalities and counties all across the country, and not just in coastal communities. Much flooding and property damage in recent years has been the result of poorly designed or maintained storm water infrastructure. Homeowners Associations are almost always …
Continue reading "HOAs must pay for their own water management, flood control"
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Sometimes a story that is reported in the news is not actually news. Instead, it reads more like a soft sales pitch, an editorial, or, dare I say, political rhetoric. Take this recent article about a Nevada community meeting, where the topic of discussion included HOA alternatives. In my opinion, …
Continue reading "Apples and Oranges HOA alternatives comparison"
Should HOA member votes be based on residency instead of property ownership? By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Several readers have contacted me, wondering if I am aware of any association-governed community establishing a bylaw that stipulates One Person, One Vote. One condo owner pointed out that allocating votes to actual people who own …
Continue reading "Rethinking HOA voting rights"
By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities It never ceases to amaze me when an entrenched HOA board member insists upon going against the will of the people. I wrote about Dammeron Valley, Utah, a few weeks ago. At that time, three additional subdivisions had voted to exit from the 40-plus year old Landowners Association. Seven …
Continue reading "Dammeron Valley HOA board not acknowledging recent exit of members?"
