homeowners forced to join association (Many: homeowners association, new house, neighborhood)

[Mscheneau]

Hi I'am the president of my community homeowners association and a question was put before me at our board meeting we had tonight. The question was can we forced the community to join our association? We are just getting started with this association and what makes it so difficult is that our neighborhood has been around for years. Now everyone is set in their ways and don't like change, so once we get everything going can we forced them to join?

[TedH71]

Don't think so. Your association can be sued for that and I've heard of other associations being sued for doing the same thing. In some areas, it's illegal and frankly not everyone's keen on a HOA because they can be overzealous and stuff like that.

[boxus]

I imagine if they wanted to live in an association, they would move to one. Many people do not like them and choose houses that are not in one.

Past the legalities (actually is a legality), why in the world do you think you should be allowed to force someone to join something?

[mhounit]

HOA's start out with best of intentions , and soon deteriorate to an overbearing clique with too much power . The horror stories are all over the internet . No thanks .

[cully]

What was the purpose of forming a homeowners association. How did you form a homeowners association with any legalities involved for your area and only now are people asking this question? Or perhaps you mean the term loosely and are talking about a neighborhood group of leaders type of thing instead of an actual homeowners association. Usually there is something owned in common that needs taking care of...lake, park. And usually that doesn't just pop up but is there to start with. But if something came up as expressed by a few neighbors and many neighbors were polled and decided to proceed with the legalities...why was everyone not informed? You didn't have several meetings about it beforehand? Didn't have flyers about the formation and why? Didn't have it in a newsletter for the community or some other means of communication? You can't have things in common if there is no "common".

[CSD610]

You would have to check the legalities of trying to force someone to join the association but I'm not sure why you would even want to start one. We purposely DO NOT seek a home that has a Homeowners Association because I refuse to pay someone to tell me what color I can paint my home, mailbox or driveway if I want it purple, pink and plaid.

[The Analog Man]

HOA's are the scourge of the earth. Like the others have mentioned, you can't just someone into one of those associations.

[mhounit]

In some places , residents CAN be forced to join/pay dues to a HOA if they move into a development that has one . It's something to consider when house hunting .

[boxus]

Originally Posted by mhounit

In some places , residents CAN be forced to join/pay dues to a HOA if they move into a development that has one . It's something to consider when house hunting .

That is different than what the OP is implying. Moving into an HOA, it is obvious a person has to join. However, the OP implies there is no HOA, and now they want to form one, but need to force people who do not want to join into it.

My parents went through this years ago with some literally bored house wives wanting to form an HOA, it never got anywhere, but it was not without constant harrassment and threats to the point the police had to intervene a few times; all of it started over one new house decided not to put cedar shingles on their roof.

[mhounit]

My point is , you better check the laws in YOUR area . Legal advice from an internet forum is not always accurate .