Tag Archives: taxes

HOAs hope Special Districts will resolve storm water problems (MI)

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Every week I read several articles about homeowners coping with poor storm water drainage and its devastating effects. Erosion. Landslides. Potholes. Crumbling roads. Basement flooding. Muddy back yards. Malfunctioning retention ponds. Dams in need of repair. Truth be told, most of these problems might have been avoided by proper planning and construction when subdivisions were built. Engineering knowledge and proper construction methods can prevent poor drainage. That comes at Continue ReadingHOAs hope Special Districts will resolve storm water problems (MI)→

AZ County Improvement Districts proposed for road repair in HOAs

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities In case you haven’t noticed, road construction and maintenance – or lack of it – is a growing problem in the U.S. Many of our roads have not been properly maintained for decades, especially neighborhood streets and less-traveled thoroughfares. The problem is particularly acute in the state of Arizona, blamed in part on the fact that the state has the lowest gas tax in the nation. That, according to Continue ReadingAZ County Improvement Districts proposed for road repair in HOAs→

Hilarious but true: John Oliver on Special Districts

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Shared by Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   Time for a bit of humor. Several readers have shared John Oliver’s 15 minute video on Special Taxing Districts. As you watch this video, notice all of the parallels with Association Governed Residential Communities: Homeowners Associations, Condo and Cooperative Associations, even Trailer Home and Modular Home Associations. Yes, HOA-Land is just as potentially wasteful and corrupt as Special Districts. Dare I say that HOA absurdity and corruption Continue ReadingHilarious but true: John Oliver on Special Districts→

In Virginia, no HOA means no road maintenance

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities Residents of a small Virginia subdivision called Golden Hills want to know why Greene County refuses to maintain their road. David Underwood, a homeowner in Golden Hills, has been taking the lead in trying to obtain answers from County officials. The County insists the roads in Golden Hills are private, not public, even though Golden Hills was developed in the 1990s without a mandatory homeowners’ association to fund and Continue ReadingIn Virginia, no HOA means no road maintenance→