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It is nice to know that I am not the only one that is having HOA issues.
Our HOA is worse then the other thread where the trash cans need to be picked up within an hour. We need to pick it up within 8 hours, and after that there is a 50$ a day fine.
At our HOA, you are required to pay a monthly membership fee, a monthly maintance fee, and a special assessment because the previous board mis-managed all the money.
The current board took over control without a vote and demanded that we accept them as the board stating that the old board 'appointed' them. This board even though most of them have homes in the area only 1 of the board members actually live in the nieghborhood. Even the president rents out her unit.
Most of our homes are falling apart and in the last 7 yrs there has been no maintance on the homes. Siding is falling off, roofs leak, and decks are broken. The current board stated they are not responsible seeing that they were appointed and refuse to take responsibleity of the old board. ( gee, only if Enron could have done that.....)
We asked for an audit, and it was denied on the grounds it costs money. The HOA claims they have no money, but are buying foreclosed homes and wanting to provide them to the police department to deter crime.
We asked for a new vote for a board as stated in the covents, but the current board said no, and if we the home owners did not like it, we can sue the board.
Letters have been sent to various news organazations, and even the city counsel, however there has been no response that is of any value.
Values of the homes have dropped 35- 45% in 6 years. I guess that Charlotte wants low value slums in the city limits.
If you are wanting to move to Charlotte, do not move into the Eastland Mall area, unless you are interested in hearing gun shots and seeing drug deals on an almost daily basis. Welcome to Charlotte's version of the Bronx.
It is nice to know that I am not the only one that is having HOA issues.
Our HOA is worse then the other thread where the trash cans need to be picked up within an hour. We need to pick it up within 8 hours, and after that there is a 50$ a day fine.
At our HOA, you are required to pay a monthly membership fee, a monthly maintance fee, and a special assessment because the previous board mis-managed all the money.
The current board took over control without a vote and demanded that we accept them as the board stating that the old board 'appointed' them. This board even though most of them have homes in the area only 1 of the board members actually live in the nieghborhood. Even the president rents out her unit.
Most of our homes are falling apart and in the last 7 yrs there has been no maintance on the homes. Siding is falling off, roofs leak, and decks are broken. The current board stated they are not responsible seeing that they were appointed and refuse to take responsibleity of the old board. ( gee, only if Enron could have done that.....)
We asked for an audit, and it was denied on the grounds it costs money. The HOA claims they have no money, but are buying foreclosed homes and wanting to provide them to the police department to deter crime.
We asked for a new vote for a board as stated in the covents, but the current board said no, and if we the home owners did not like it, we can sue the board.
Letters have been sent to various news organazations, and even the city counsel, however there has been no response that is of any value.
Values of the homes have dropped 35- 45% in 6 years. I guess that Charlotte wants low value slums in the city limits.
If you are wanting to move to Charlotte, do not move into the Eastland Mall area, unless you are interested in hearing gun shots and seeing drug deals on an almost daily basis. Welcome to Charlotte's version of the Bronx.
Thanks,
Steve
Get a lawyer and or move. Lawyers are the only way to bring an HOA into control in these situations. You can then sue them for legal fees so it doesnt cost you anything. Just about everything needs to be done with a vote. They are only doing what they are being allowed to do.
You need to go to hoatalk.com or Viewing list of forums and get some more experienced advice.
Sounds like the current board is a bunch of whack jobs that think they have total control. Your bylaws will state how to remove them and if them even being there is legal.
I have been to 12 different lawyers. One took $800 and told me that I could get a judgement, but he was not interested after 2 months. All the others are either 'for HOAs' or just don't wnat to get involved.
The lawyer I currently am talking with is still looking at the documents, but wants a HUGE binder if he feels that he can sue.
Also if I do sue them and do win, and they have no money... what did I win?
MarkH,
thanks for the link, I have been there... basically the advise was to hire a lawyer.
Yes, there is a great deal of rules on how to remove them and we have tried. They refuse to respond to us, and give the 'sue us' response.
It is nice to know that I am not the only one that is having HOA issues.
Our HOA is worse then the other thread where the trash cans need to be picked up within an hour. We need to pick it up within 8 hours, and after that there is a 50$ a day fine.
At our HOA, you are required to pay a monthly membership fee, a monthly maintance fee, and a special assessment because the previous board mis-managed all the money.
The current board took over control without a vote and demanded that we accept them as the board stating that the old board 'appointed' them. This board even though most of them have homes in the area only 1 of the board members actually live in the nieghborhood. Even the president rents out her unit.
Most of our homes are falling apart and in the last 7 yrs there has been no maintance on the homes. Siding is falling off, roofs leak, and decks are broken. The current board stated they are not responsible seeing that they were appointed and refuse to take responsibleity of the old board. ( gee, only if Enron could have done that.....)
We asked for an audit, and it was denied on the grounds it costs money. The HOA claims they have no money, but are buying foreclosed homes and wanting to provide them to the police department to deter crime.
We asked for a new vote for a board as stated in the covents, but the current board said no, and if we the home owners did not like it, we can sue the board.
Letters have been sent to various news organazations, and even the city counsel, however there has been no response that is of any value.
Values of the homes have dropped 35- 45% in 6 years. I guess that Charlotte wants low value slums in the city limits.
If you are wanting to move to Charlotte, do not move into the Eastland Mall area, unless you are interested in hearing gun shots and seeing drug deals on an almost daily basis. Welcome to Charlotte's version of the Bronx.
Thanks,
Steve
Steve, no offense, but didn't you post this exact same info months ago?
I am sorry for your trouble, but as anyone who reads here regularly knows, you should not rent, or heavan forbid, buy a home along Albemarle Rd near Farm Pond lane. That area has been bad for at least 10 years. How anyone could visit that little strip of town and not see that is beyond me.
Also, sounds to me like maybe you are in a condo? If so, what you are dealing with is a Condo Association - and I agree those can be notoriously bad at doing what they are supposed to do. Not sure why, except that I believe once too many of the condo's become rentals when the original owners move up, too many rentals becomes part of the problem.
I hope others will learn from your story and save themselves a lot of trouble.
Steve, no offense, but didn't you post this exact same info months ago?
Don't let KMway find out about this ... LOL
As for that area of town, I don't live there, but back a couple of months ago I made the mistake while driving down Albemarle Rd. of looking on my navigation unit for the closest Sears. Dummy that I am, I went to the one in Eastland Mall. That was an enlightening experience - one which I won't repeat. Lets just say I didn't match the target demographic for that mall.
Regardless of demographic, it did appear to be a very seedy neighborhood - and I was there in the middle of the day. I wouldn't want to have been there walking around at night.
Albemarle Road is my shortest route to getting to uptown, though. (Albemarle to Independence, etc.) If I'm returning to the Mint Hill area from uptown at a relatively late hour - I'm curious if anyone else thinks thats a bad-enough area that I should avoid even driving through it when the hour gets late - say, midnight-ish.
Sorry to hear about your HOA, but from the sounds of things - it may not be something even a militant HOA could solve.
I dont think I am posting the exact same thing, just more information on the helpless saga. If I am wrong I do apologize.
As for this area, I have learned that the term 'mixed' neighborhood means that there is a lesser fortunate people that have different demographics that get grouped together. While I am looking for a new home, I do ask if the area is 'mixed' or 'diversed'.
I have been trying to sell my home for many months, and I am the only 4 bedroom townhome with 1500sf that is less then $100k in the Charlotte area.
Even the Bank of America on Albemarle was a dissappointment. I needed to deposit a few checks and transfer some money to Europe, as I approached the cashier she smiled at me and said 'Ola'. I smiled back and said 'Guten Tag'.
I do know that the Dillards in that mall was the most shopliftted Dillards in the US when my old girlfriend worked there. (a few years ago) Now, Dillards has all the external doors locked and you can only enter thru the mall enterance.
As for Eastland mall, there is many rumors about the crime, rebuilding, and ideas about this area, but it seems nothing is happening to that mall yet.
Granted, for those that are between Cental and Independance you will see a wider road soon, and with the 'left' exit off Indenpendance is nice, and does 'invite' you nicely into the area. But honestly there should be a sign that reads, 'Panhandlers, drug dealers, and high crime rate next 4 miles, enter at own risk.'
Also, from the other end, on 485 towards Harris there is some Centex homes going in, and there seems to be some upgrades happening, but way too little, too late.
As for the HOA, a militant HOA would be good. At least the would folllow the rules and laws of the land. Hopefully, I can find a lawyer and force the HOA to go bankrupt. Should not be hard if it is broke. Then the city can put in a new HOA, and rebuild the area. The estimate on fixing the damage to my one home is $40000, times the 97 units, only about $3.8 million.
I do ask that if anyone knows of a lawyer that is interested in assisting me during an election year, please forward that info via private email.
Thanks for your time, I think I will start reading this more often. Your webpage has some nice people that do try very nice to assist people. I am sorry I did not know about this site when I bought my townhome. I would have looked in a different area.
As for that area of town, I don't live there, but back a couple of months ago I made the mistake while driving down Albemarle Rd. of looking on my navigation unit for the closest Sears. Dummy that I am, I went to the one in Eastland Mall. That was an enlightening experience - one which I won't repeat. Lets just say I didn't match the target demographic for that mall.
Regardless of demographic, it did appear to be a very seedy neighborhood - and I was there in the middle of the day. I wouldn't want to have been there walking around at night.
Albemarle Road is my shortest route to getting to uptown, though. (Albemarle to Independence, etc.) If I'm returning to the Mint Hill area from uptown at a relatively late hour - I'm curious if anyone else thinks thats a bad-enough area that I should avoid even driving through it when the hour gets late - say, midnight-ish.
Sorry to hear about your HOA, but from the sounds of things - it may not be something even a militant HOA could solve.
I would personally recommend that at night you not travel Albemarle Rd by yourself. The route I like better, and it is not much longer, is to stay on Independence and take a left onto Margaret Wallace, then Margaret Wallace to Mint Hill. How do you like living in Mint Hill?
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get a lawyer
