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Old 09-01-2016, 05:11 AM
 
Location: Alabama
956 posts, read 745,004 times
Reputation: 1492

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Rule #1, don't move into a HOA.
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:00 AM
 
24,569 posts, read 10,869,900 times
Reputation: 46910
At closing you received your HOA covenants. Details about number of lots sold/built prior to turning HOA over to homeowners should be part of it. He may have X number of votes per lot he holds versus one per homeowner. Have you contacted the management company/representative?

As far as weeds are concerned there is not much you can do. Do county/city have regulations concerning height of growth on undeveloped land? If your lot butts to it - spray the outside perimeter for a foot or two. My weed guy does this on his own.

You say 'people need to know this' - I agree but it is up to the buyer to ask questions and do research.

What happened to the local barber shops aka centers of real time information? Planning commission or even tax assessor will have plats with proposed projects and their development state. Your council man should be involved in large projects concerning his district and be able to discuss it with residents.
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:30 AM
 
2,513 posts, read 2,790,094 times
Reputation: 1739
Quote:
Originally Posted by LCTMadison View Post
Not defending his actions (or inactions) but again...its his right as declarant, and this is what comes with buying in a new construction neighborhood where the homeowners do not yet control the HOA. He can remain declarant (as can any developer/builder) as long as he sees fit and if he has future plans for that undeveloped land then that is what he may choose to do. When he is done, he no longer holds an interest in managing the HOA and will let the homeowners take over. He doesn't usually turn over to the homeowners until he is completely done with the neighborhood....and he may not be.
In general, that wouldn't be an issue if he was keeping the overgrowth from spreading into the rest of the neighborhood, maintaining the grounds, and using a bid process for the maintenance. If his land is is part of the hoa, then the enforcement iof appearance should apply to him as well. I guess legally he can run the hoa without owning property that's in the hoa or that can be enforced by the hoa.

I've read the covenant, and very little is said about the builder other than that he's the declarant and can pull out when he chooses. I guess he wants property values to go down. Nothing holds the builder accountable for their land, even though his land is apart of the neighborhood.

Last edited by NoleFanHSV; 09-01-2016 at 06:41 AM..
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:40 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
3,297 posts, read 6,266,015 times
Reputation: 2678
Quote:
Originally Posted by Threestep View Post
At closing you received your HOA covenants. Details about number of lots sold/built prior to turning HOA over to homeowners should be part of it. He may have X number of votes per lot he holds versus one per homeowner.
Yes, but the only problem is that a declarant can amend those CCRs at any time at his discretion....so people need to keep that in mind. As long as the developer is declarant, he can amend the CCRs as he sees fit. There is one builder that notoriously does this in almost every one of his neighborhoods, so when the onsites are telling clients the "HOA is about to be turned over to the homeowners" I just roll my eyes because it NEVER happens.

NoleFan, you might try calling Hughes Properties (I am assuming they manage your HOA) and see if there is anything they can do to assist the homeowners in this matter. I have found that they are very responsive at addressing issues.

I get your frustration...I'm just telling you what the reality is, not defending his actions.
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Old 09-01-2016, 08:44 AM
 
266 posts, read 396,904 times
Reputation: 223
Does anyone think that the State might finally do something about the iron grip that builders have when it comes to these CCRs and HOAs. I was dumbstruck when i found out how little the laws on the books go towards protecting a home buyer. Is the state afraid that if the laws change to favor the home buyer that all these builders would stop building?
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Old 09-01-2016, 08:59 AM
 
24,569 posts, read 10,869,900 times
Reputation: 46910
Quote:
Originally Posted by LCTMadison View Post
Yes, but the only problem is that a declarant can amend those CCRs at any time at his discretion....so people need to keep that in mind. As long as the developer is declarant, he can amend the CCRs as he sees fit. There is one builder that notoriously does this in almost every one of his neighborhoods, so when the onsites are telling clients the "HOA is about to be turned over to the homeowners" I just roll my eyes because it NEVER happens.

NoleFan, you might try calling Hughes Properties (I am assuming they manage your HOA) and see if there is anything they can do to assist the homeowners in this matter. I have found that they are very responsive at addressing issues.

I get your frustration...I'm just telling you what the reality is, not defending his actions.
Yes he can which is the reason to read with a fine toothed comb before committing.
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Old 09-01-2016, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
3,297 posts, read 6,266,015 times
Reputation: 2678
Quote:
Originally Posted by cnygreek View Post
Does anyone think that the State might finally do something about the iron grip that builders have when it comes to these CCRs and HOAs. I was dumbstruck when i found out how little the laws on the books go towards protecting a home buyer. Is the state afraid that if the laws change to favor the home buyer that all these builders would stop building?

We have been trying for several years to get HOA regulation and disclosure laws and we got very close a few years ago but the builders pretty much killed it.
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Old 09-01-2016, 01:28 PM
 
944 posts, read 1,186,299 times
Reputation: 661
Quote:
Originally Posted by cnygreek View Post
Does anyone think that the State might finally do something about the iron grip that builders have when it comes to these CCRs and HOAs. I was dumbstruck when i found out how little the laws on the books go towards protecting a home buyer. Is the state afraid that if the laws change to favor the home buyer that all these builders would stop building?
Nope, much like any "special interest" group in AL, they have the money and the power - from **** fighting to builders. LCT is 150% correct. Everything and anything gets shut down...every.single.time (this has nothing to do with left or right, it is just how it is).

Our CCR's have changed at least 3 times in 3 years (probably more) and we never receive notices...until a rule is broken, then we do - it is our responsibility as buyers to keep track of them apparently I never had issues with HOA rules and regs in VA, and didn't think they would be a big deal here either, little did I know - we just go with it, stay within the "laws"
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Old 09-02-2016, 08:35 AM
 
2,513 posts, read 2,790,094 times
Reputation: 1739
Quote:
Originally Posted by LCTMadison View Post
Yes, but the only problem is that a declarant can amend those CCRs at any time at his discretion....so people need to keep that in mind. As long as the developer is declarant, he can amend the CCRs as he sees fit. There is one builder that notoriously does this in almost every one of his neighborhoods, so when the onsites are telling clients the "HOA is about to be turned over to the homeowners" I just roll my eyes because it NEVER happens.

NoleFan, you might try calling Hughes Properties (I am assuming they manage your HOA) and see if there is anything they can do to assist the homeowners in this matter. I have found that they are very responsive at addressing issues.

I get your frustration...I'm just telling you what the reality is, not defending his actions.
We have, and afaik Breland has said go pound sand.

A while back we saw the yearly expidentures of our hoa and we were floored by how much the landscaping costs were for the little amount they were doing. We also found out that no bid process was involved for those services.
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Old 09-02-2016, 08:39 AM
 
2,513 posts, read 2,790,094 times
Reputation: 1739
Quote:
Originally Posted by Becky2517 View Post
Nope, much like any "special interest" group in AL, they have the money and the power - from **** fighting to builders. LCT is 150% correct. Everything and anything gets shut down...every.single.time (this has nothing to do with left or right, it is just how it is).

Our CCR's have changed at least 3 times in 3 years (probably more) and we never receive notices...until a rule is broken, then we do - it is our responsibility as buyers to keep track of them apparently I never had issues with HOA rules and regs in VA, and didn't think they would be a big deal here either, little did I know - we just go with it, stay within the "laws"
I assumed that the reason the builder controlled the hoa was to keep home values up. That doesn't seem to be the case. If anything, it will lower them. People here aren't that opposed to HOA. People are opposed of hoa where they have no voice or the builder changes the ccr just to suit them
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