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Yeah, I agree. I saw your other post on what that condo board wanted. I had a friend who rented a condo in a fancy high-rise building and they asked him through the owner for almost the same amount and type of information. I find it absolutely outrageous that they feel they can ask such invasive information.
They said they were unable to get my financial information because they couldn't reach the reference I had given them. But I provided his e-mail, a fax, he has voice-mail----they made no effort. I called him today; he said he was never contacted by the board. If they had called me, worked WITH me, I could have worked to provide whatever financial reassurance they needed, except not to provide them with all my account numbers which is what they wanted.
Again, birth certificate, driver's license, social security number, passport, bank account #s. ---how can they expect anyone in this day and age to give away that information to a fumbling non-professional condo board?
I purchased a few properties in HOA communities. I was never asked for that much personal information by a HOA. But none were in Florida either. Even if I was I wouldn't do it. This whole deal smells fishy to me the way you explained the purchase.
I believe the HOA barring you from the sale is called restraint on alienation. Looks like some HOAs can ask to have a background check but some of the info has no bearing on a background check. Very invasive. Let your dad buy it himself.
This! "Restraint on alienation" hits the nail on the head!
They said they were unable to get my financial information because they couldn't reach the reference I had given them. But I provided his e-mail, a fax, he has voice-mail----they made no effort. I called him today; he said he was never contacted by the board. If they had called me, worked WITH me, I could have worked to provide whatever financial reassurance they needed, except not to provide them with all my account numbers which is what they wanted.
Again, birth certificate, driver's license, social security number, passport, bank account #s. ---how can they expect anyone in this day and age to give away that information to a fumbling non-professional condo board?
I wouldn't be comfortable with giving out that information at all. That Condo Board (and President) are too Power Crazy (for lack of better words). I would be worried as to where the information would be stored and if someone could get at it easily (just today I read Experian had a breach, and they're a credit bureau!).
I hope your Father can find another place to buy fitting both of your needs that doesn't have a highly intrusive and distrustful Condo Board running it.
OP, This is your day to celebrate for you have just been blessed. I have been around real estate for quite a while and I could write books about the things I have seen condo and HOA associations put their homeowners through for no reason. You are lucky you didn't get in. My advice is to find a place to buy or rent that does not have a condo or HOA association. Good luck.
OP, This is your day to celebrate for you have just been blessed. I have been around real estate for quite a while and I could write books about the things I have seen condo and HOA associations put their homeowners through for no reason. You are lucky you didn't get in. My advice is to find a place to buy or rent that does not have a condo or HOA association. Good luck.
You mean a house? Because don't all condo complexes have Condo boards?
This condo was only $26K; partly a special deal for us because of all the work and money my father had already put into it over the 3 winters he stayed there. Dad had done an extensive search prior to his girlfriend buying this condo and they could find nothing better. It was rundown and he put all the work into fixing it up, so the estate was selling it to him at the price that his late girlfriend bought the place 3 years ago, which was $26K. This was her deathbed wish, that he have the condo. She died so suddenly, it was not the time or place to put that in writing. She was 20 years younger than him, nobody thought she would pass away first.
It's like in everyone's eyes , except the condo board president's, it was already Dad's condo. Most of his neighbours thought he WAS the owner. It's an exceedingly modest condo in a very modest complex; it's not like they are all millionaires or perfect people.
I still don't see how they can just reject me like this and I have no recourse.
Also all of the other board members are not bad, they just don't care and apparently they leave everything to this one guy, the condo president. It is an 55+ community, I just turned 55. A lot of the condo board members are sick, or are from Europe and aren't even around except in the winter, so it's like this one guy just runs everything. He took a dislike to me and my father for some reason....and that's it, my 90 year Dad's heart is broken. This condo president is purposefully being malicious to me and my father, and my father does not deserve to be treated like that by this absolute bully and jerk.
If my Dad were to apply and actually be the purchaser, could the Condo board not even allow me to occupy the unit?
There is no renting allowed. But owners are allowed to have co-occupants.
The co-occupants are not run through an application procedure. But this Board President seems to hate me so much, he'd probably find a way to bend the rules and disapprove even my Dad's application just because evil me might reside there. It's hard to be hated this much...and why? why?
Jeesh. As someone posted on another thread this may be a blessing for you but it must be awful for the sellers.
The sellers don't care. There is a clause in the declaration that if the board disapproves a buyer, the sellers can demand that the condo board find a buyer that they do approve of, and that the condo then has to be sold to them at the price they were selling to us, is how i understand it. Since my Dad spent 3 winters updating and fixing up the place I'm sure they can find a buyer who will be glad to only have to pay what Dad's late girlfriend initially paid for it, which is what we were going to pay because Dad had put so much work into it.
I have no problem with any of that. It's just the disapproval was illegitimate, and it looks like the board president never even did the proper meeting or review! And the lawyers are saying we have no recourse!
If my Dad were to apply and actually be the purchaser, could the Condo board not even allow me to occupy the unit?
There is no renting allowed. But owners are allowed to have co-occupants.
The co-occupants are not run through an application procedure. But this Board President seems to hate me so much, he'd probably find a way to bend the rules and disapprove even my Dad's application just because evil me might reside there.
I was just going to ask you if you thought that could work.
Try it, what do you have to lose?
Is there any available literature about the procedures the board has to go through to approve/deny an applicant?
When we lived in a townhouse/condo development that had an association, we had a small binder that listed all of the "rules" for residents as well as how the board operated and it's procedures. But...there was no application process to purchase.
Shouldn't that be common knowledge for residents - with respect to how the condo board operates/makes decisions/votes? Could your dad possibly have the info somewhere?
Do you think the board member who lives next door would enlighten you?
I'm sorry if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about, because I don't.
I don't understand why someone would want a 90 year old to have to pick up and move....I bet a local reporter wouldn't understand either. Is there one who has covered condo associations/boards and how they abuse power? Might want to give him/her a call if your dad gets denied for purchase after having lived there.
Sorry to hear about this, my heart goes out to your dad.
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