Monthly HOA (homeowners insurance, attorneys, new home)

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by Don9

The mortgage company has the lien on your house. The car company or bank has the lien on your car. When you get a loan, it's a loan and until the loan is paid off its not your house or car. An HOA has a permanent lien on your house but the HOA didn't loan you the money for the home. The HOA only takes away your money. This is not apples to apples.

Interesting that you included renting. If you rent and don't make a payment they evict you. If you paid for your home in a HOA and you don't pay the HOA fees then they evict you and they take your home that could be worth hundreds of thousands more than what you owed the HOA.
This is fuel for the fire that you don't really own the home in a HOA ... it's worse than renting and you don't even have renters rights.

You are making up wild scenarios just for the sake of argument. Before you purchase a home with an HOA, you are provided with a copy of the CC&R's to read so you are fully aware of all of the rules. You must provide a signed copy that you have read, understand, and agree to all rules contained within before escrow can close.
Those rules protect both you and the HOA. You can't do anything against the rules, but neither can the HOA. If you follow the rules you signed for, you will never have a problem with the HOA. If you think that rules are for someone else, you probably won't get along very well in the community.
Our HOA has never put a lean on anyone's property. We have never even been to small claims court. Most people pay their bills they owe before it gets to that point.
We have had a few incidents of people being foreclosed on and stopped paying dues. In that case we continue to bill the party so we have legal ground to charge the subsequent buyer for the back fee's. We don't bother to fight the guy with no job and losing his home, we just charge it to the new buyer which he must pay before closing escrow.
Most people's only experience with HOA comes from horror stories heard around the water cooler with no basis in facts.. Most people in here complaining about HOA's have never been involved, they just like to embellish the stores they have heard.

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

I'd rather live in a neighborhood where the people have enough common sense to maintain their homes without needing Mildred driving around with her binoculars and tape measure looking for violations. HOAs are power trips for people who couldn't get elected to anything else. I don't really care if someone keeps an RV or boat on their property or has a basketball hoop about their garage door.

You are exactly the kind of person we don't want in our community, that why we value our HOA....!!

[Vascodagama]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

You are making up wild scenarios just for the sake of argument. Before you purchase a home with an HOA, you are provided with a copy of the CC&R's to read so you are fully aware of all of the rules. You must provide a signed copy that you have read, understand, and agree to all rules contained within before escrow can close.
Those rules protect both you and the HOA. You can't do anything against the rules, but neither can the HOA. If you follow the rules you signed for, you will never have a problem with the HOA. If you think that rules are for someone else, you probably won't get along very well in the community.
Our HOA has never put a lean on anyone's property. We have never even been to small claims court. Most people pay their bills they owe before it gets to that point.
We have had a few incidents of people being foreclosed on and stopped paying dues. In that case we continue to bill the party so we have legal ground to charge the subsequent buyer for the back fee's. We don't bother to fight the guy with no job and losing his home, we just charge it to the new buyer which he must pay before closing escrow.
Most people's only experience with HOA comes from horror stories heard around the water cooler with no basis in facts.. Most people in here complaining about HOA's have never been involved, they just like to embellish the stores they have heard.

I am not making up anything. I supplied credible links to cases where HOA's have done what I said. Just because your HOA has not experienced any of these scenarios does not mean others also have not.
Do some research for yourself instead of claiming I'm making up wild stories.

[Vascodagama]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

You are exactly the kind of person we don't want in our community, that why we value our HOA....!!

Let me guess ... you are a BOD member for your HOA ...

[Heidi60]

Originally Posted by Don9

I am not making up anything. I supplied credible links to cases where HOA's have done what I said. Just because your HOA has not experienced any of these scenarios does not mean others also have not.
Do some research for yourself instead of claiming I'm making up wild stories.

There is plenty of information regarding HOAs through a Google search. I'm really glad some people have had good experiences with HOAs but many have not which is why I encourage everyone to do their homework. Our HOA certainly will and has many times filed a lien on a unit as soon as the legal time requirements have been met. This generates additional fees for the lawyers and management company which are of course kept in their pockets.

Repairs are often nothing but a way for a contractor to milk the cash cow. Just to change the water pressure regulator our HOA paid neary $200 for a ten minute job and $75 part. The contractors are forbidden to provide the homeowner with a statement so the charges remain secret and the small circle of friends just keep enriching themselves.

My husband fought hard for two years to improve the "system" and did make some impressive changes but one term was enough for us. We are just hoping to get out of this bottomless money pit. By the way, our monthly dues are nearly $400 and going up every year. We get more bang for our from our local property taxes.

Look carefully before you get involved and check out the financials for any HOA!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

Repairs are often nothing but a way for a contractor to milk the cash cow. Just to change the water pressure regulator our HOA paid neary $200 for a ten minute job and $75 part.

This isn't necessarily a trivial job.

First, you have to verify the pressure regulator is actually the problem. People can have all sorts of plumbing problems that may or may not be caused by faulty regulator.
Next, accessing the pressure regulator might not be easy: surrounded by bushes or behind heavy stuff in a garage.
Then, you need to turn of the water to the entire property.
Third, you have to get a wrench and remove it carefully and that's if the thing isn't locked with rust and stuff.
You have to buy the right part.
You have to put it on properly, turn the water back on.
Finally you have to adjust it to the correct pressure for your home.

$200 does not sound unreasonable for a plumber to make a visit and change out something like that.

[nurserosie]

Originally Posted by Charles

This isn't necessarily a trivial job.

First, you have to verify the pressure regulator is actually the problem. People can have all sorts of plumbing problems that may or may not be caused by faulty regulator.
Next, accessing the pressure regulator might not be easy: surrounded by bushes or behind heavy stuff in a garage.
Then, you need to turn of the water to the entire property.
Third, you have to get a wrench and remove it carefully and that's if the thing isn't locked with rust and stuff.
You have to buy the right part.
You have to put it on properly, turn the water back on.
Finally you have to adjust it to the correct pressure for your home.

$200 does not sound unreasonable for a plumber to make a visit and change out something like that.

thanks for explaining that...not that I could have....

but it is not just HOA's that pay huge bills...hasn't anyone called a plumber and found out what their hourly rate it??

not to suggest that plumbers,,electricians and other technical folks are not well worth the money...

[Heidi60]

Originally Posted by Charles

This isn't necessarily a trivial job.

First, you have to verify the pressure regulator is actually the problem.

This was done when the homeowner's plumber repaired a damaged pipe due to the high water pressure. After that the HOA plumber was called.

People can have all sorts of plumbing problems that may or may not be caused by faulty regulator.

Such as a leak above the water heater.


Next, accessing the pressure regulator might not be easy: surrounded by bushes or behind heavy stuff in a garage.

No vegetation, sits out in the open on the patio.

Then, you need to turn of the water to the entire property.

The shut off for the unit is under the pressure regulator in the open.

Third, you have to get a wrench and remove it carefully and that's if the thing isn't locked with rust and stuff.
You have to buy the right part.

And that was probably the hard part for the HOA plumber!


You have to put it on properly, turn the water back on.
Finally you have to adjust it to the correct pressure for your home.

Like I previously said, it was a ten minute job from start to finish.

$200 does not sound unreasonable for a plumber to make a visit and change out something like that.

The problem had already been diagnosed by a professional plumber, no obsticles to working on the regulator or shutting the water off, the part is cheap from a big box store but chosing the right tool and working the wrench was probably the hard part.

I was only using this as an example and there are many more I can provide but don't have the time to detail each one. The point is, that in our experience, the homeowners paid a higher than market rate because of the relationship contractors have with their management companies. Since homeowners aren't aware of this fact, they don't understand how it works.

[IC_deLight]

Originally Posted by Charles

How many people like HOAs?

About 54.6 million people do.

Puhlease. An involuntary membership organization is not evidence that people like the organization they are involuntary members of. You are confusing numerosity with popularity. HOAs are numerous largely because of local government mandate and because developers seek a control and liability shifting device during development.

I guess they just don't like living next door to someone with an RV or a boat with a blue tarp on it parked in their front yard 51 weeks a year, a car parked on the lawn or a 100 foot ham radio antenna.

"these organizations were practically unheard of in 1960, but today some 54.6 million people in the United States United States live in various neighborhood associations. That figure continues to rise each year "

and

"Our data indicate that houses in HOAs in Northern Virginia are worth, on average, more than 5 percent more than similar houses in the same neighborhood but outside of HOAs. Given those large advantages, it is not surprising that HOAs are growing rapidly.

We have shown that HOAs increase house value"

from

Do homeowners associations raise property values? - Free Online Library

No they really showed no such thing. First, the area is a rather unusual part of the country to begin with. Second, they only showed that HOA houses cost more not that they are worth more or have increased in "value". Third, they did not include the carrying costs or the risks associated with "owning" HOA-burdened property. Fourth, after about 40 years of HOAs is this dubious report the only "evidence" available? The numerosity is increasing due to local government mandate, not popularity. Local governments are mandating that all new development must be HOA-burdened.

The bottom line is, with no HOA a homeowner risks living next door to someone who simply doesn't care. All it takes is one guy who parks his car on the lawn or has a sofa on the porch or keeps a blue tarp boat in the front yard to lower the values of all the homes in the neighborhood. HOA's in general, protect homeowners from these property lowering situations.

HOAs do not and never have "preserved property values" for the owners of the property. HOAs have created value in your home for the local governments that tax without providing services. HOAs also created value in your home for the parasitic vendors that make a living off of the HOA corporation and the involuntary members of the HOA corporation. Purchasing HOA-burdened property is a threat to any "investment" made in the property.

[Heidi60]

Very well said, they are just another layer of taxation! But, it is a voluntary membership as no one forces anyone to live there. I'm sorry our realtor was more interested in making her commission instead of providing us with better information. However, eventually, we will sell regardless of how the market is doing and never again live in such a money pit. Buyer beware.