HOA blues...community pool...need advice (Phoenix: condo, how much, neighborhood)

[Zonie70]

Hello everyone. My first post, but I've lurked here for awhile. I'm hoping someone could help me out here. I'm being met with pool issues and the HOA, and I'm hoping for websites or advice or anything that can help me.

We have a community pool. We have been dealing with excessive pool closure over the past three or four years. Closed...closed...closed. We lost the month of July a couple of years ago for maintenance. Imagine the kids being sprung from the drudgery of education and everyone is ready to hit the water...and the pool is closed. It's a three day weekend! The pool is closed. It's gotten out of hand, we are all frustrated, and we all feel powerless to do anything. We don't have a lot of community involvement in the form of HOA meeting attendance and voting, but that doesn't seem to make a difference in the long run...HOA closes the pool.

No one uses the pool in the winter (unless you're visiting from Wisconsin), so one would expect that all maintenance issues be dealt with in that time frame...or maybe that's just me. The pool is closed for winter...fix, repair, seal, buff, whatever...I must be unreasonable to expect that.

The pool is still closed as we speak. It was supposed to open on April 1st, but it will be closed until the "proposed" date of June 1st...for maintenance. If everything goes according to history, the pool will not open on June 1st.

I pay dues for this pool and I want to use the pool.

So if I haven't made this very clear already, my frustration is excessive pool closure during swimming season, and HOA. I can't sink $$ into legal consult, but will consider it in the future. I'm hoping to get some advice, a web site (hopefully easy to understand), someone who has BTDT and what you did to resolve the issue, or anything you can offer.

Thanks in advance.

[nwlv]

THis time, it's the government mandated retrofit so little juan and maria won't get sucked into the drainage system, when they stick their fingers in the suction.

[Danno3314]

I own a condo here in AZ and we have a community pool. I've never heard of that before.....our pool has never been closed for maintenance. Part of my HOA dues goes toward paying for a someone to maintain the pool. If repairs are necessary, there should be enough money in the HOA's account to cover it...if not, then the HOA has a vote for a special assessment to pay for what ever needs to be fixed (although even when we resurfaced the pool that wasn't necessary). What's wrong with the pool that it needs to be closed to fix it? If it's a question of being too dangerous to remain open and there's no money to fix it, then it sounds like the dues aren't high enough. If there's no money just to fix the pool, what's going to happen when something serious needs repair (like the roofs or re-paving)?

[nwlv]

It seems like it would be in the bylaws for the pool to be operational. An empty pool would be about as bad as a taco truck for value. I had an HOA in Phoenix, and the pool was never closed for one day in four years. This retro fit thing has a lot shut down now. My HOA had to pay 21,000 for two pools and a spa.

[Zonie70]

Originally Posted by Danno3314

I own a condo here in AZ and we have a community pool. I've never heard of that before.....our pool has never been closed for maintenance. Part of my HOA dues goes toward paying for a someone to maintain the pool. If repairs are necessary, there should be enough money in the HOA's account to cover it...if not, then the HOA has a vote for a special assessment to pay for what ever needs to be fixed (although even when we resurfaced the pool that wasn't necessary). What's wrong with the pool that it needs to be closed to fix it? If it's a question of being too dangerous to remain open and there's no money to fix it, then it sounds like the dues aren't high enough. If there's no money just to fix the pool, what's going to happen when something serious needs repair (like the roofs or re-paving)?

It's not about the money to fix it...the money is there...it's excessive pool closure for maintenance needs...maintenance needs that should be occurring when the pool is unused, and questionable how much of it is truly necessary or due to vandalism...and certainly there will be things that come up that will leave us pool-less for awhile, but this is a few years' worth of excessive pool closure...dues paid, pool a mere dream...

[Woody7]

Something is going on You may not be aware of. Almost all pool work can be done in a day or two. I'd do some snooping around.

[nwlv]

Originally Posted by nwlv

THis time, it's the government mandated retrofit so little juan and maria won't get sucked into the drainage system, when they stick their fingers in the suction.

http://www.cpsc.gov/pssa.pdf

Woody is correct about time. They could build one from scratch in about 4 days.

[trudawg]

have you asked them what's going on? Seems like that would be the first step

[Finger Laker]

definitely get more active in the meetings - set up a neighborhood petition (go door to door if you have to) - make it known that this is not acceptable

remember that the HOA works for you

also remember that an HOA is a non-profit entity and there are certain duties they need to meet

request a copy of their financial statements over the past few years to see exactly how much they are spending on pool maintenance or if money is going to places that look suspicious

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Woody7

Something is going on You may not be aware of. Almost all pool work can be done in a day or two. I'd do some snooping around.

Originally Posted by nwlv

http://www.cpsc.gov/pssa.pdf

Woody is correct about time. They could build one from scratch in about 4 days.

Originally Posted by trudawg

have you asked them what's going on? Seems like that would be the first step

I agree on this one . . . GET INVOLVED!

Obviously there is more to this "pool problem" than some hateful ole HOA closing the pool for spite.

Which is worse . . . closing the pool now for repairs or face legal and financial ramifications if and/or when a serious problem arrises?

If someone, especially a small child, is injured or killed due to unsafe or unsanitary conditions who would be responsible in this "sue happy" world nowadays?