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The home owner association where I live have been here for more than 10 years! Same people! Last time I went to a meeting, and we ask for new elections, they throw at us a piece of paper with their name on it. Nothing gets done. It's a nightmare. Does anyone know who I could contact to help us getting ride of those people ?
I believe they are required to hold public elections by law. You might find your answer(s) here:
NJ Department of Community Affairs (http://www.state.nj.us/dca/codes/newhome_warranty/assoc_regs_initiative.shtml - broken link)
If they are not following the rules, you might try to overthrow them.
Here is what I found on the internet, from a public hearing regarding the association where I live. This is back in 1997:
[SIZE=+1]We have no open meetings. We had a period of nine years where we were told there were no elections. We asked for an election to be held at open meetings. "Okay, you want to have an election." They handed us slips of papers with their names on them, and that was an election.
[/SIZE][SIZE=+1]We went out and solicited enough proxies to win an election. We went in, turned over our proxies, went into the meeting. They said, out of almost 100 proxies we had given them only 6 were valid. So now we have to go into court to fight for our proxies so that we can have an election process. It's like a never ending-- Well, let's take it into court for this; let's take it into court for that. This just does not make sense. There has to be some organization, board, person, whatever, that can enforce some of the rules that you make.
[/SIZE][SIZE=+1]We started going to our town council meetings to see what was going on. We started meeting people from other communities in town, two of them which are here tonight, who had experiences with the same management company. Before we know it, we have six communities all having the same shared problems with one management company. I'm getting to a point here.
[/SIZE][SIZE=+1]The point is, who has anything to gain from this? We're home owners; we bought into something, that's our investment. We're going to spend our time trying to protect our investment, to grow it, so that if we choose to move out, we can recoup our investment or if we want to keep in for the long term maybe we'll recoup a little gain on it. The people who have money to gain from this -- and a wise man once told me, if you want to find the problem, follow the money. Look at the people who are getting paid in this game. That's the management company -- excuse me, but the lawyers and the accountants. In our particular situation, that trio of management company, lawyer, and accountant have been together since, at least, 1981.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]If you want to look at an area, that's where we've got to be looking at, the people that are earning money from this. They're the one's that are causing the oppression, that are preventing the elections. If we had a professional management company, they would be encouraging an election process, much like this woman over here who lives in a utopian society, almost. They would be encouraging people to come out to vote, to get involved. We don't have committees, we don't have votes, we don't have a newsletter. We have nothing except our dues that we pay every month, $400,000, that gets spent, and when we question it we get told nothing.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]I'd just like to read-- There was a letter sent from our town council to the prosecutor of Ocean County, and I'd just like to read a couple of highlights, and then I'm done, because I'm sure you're about as tired and had a long day like I did.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]"Management company exerts undue influence and control over their association by requiring their election as secretary and treasurer, money and records. Management company exerts undue influence and control over the association by requiring that nonresident condominium owners provide their voting proxy. Management acting as elected officials of the association do not hold meetings as required by the association bylaws and master deed." And there is a whole list that was sent. It was published on the front page of the Ocean County section in the Asbury Park Press.[/SIZE]
Also, it looks like everyone wants to change the board of trustees, and the people from the association. But those people always find a good way to make votes whenever nobody is present. So they keep everything in between themselves
The home owner association where I live have been here for more than 10 years! Same people! Last time I went to a meeting, and we ask for new elections, they throw at us a piece of paper with their name on it. Nothing gets done. It's a nightmare. Does anyone know who I could contact to help us getting ride of those people ?
Thank you so much
I am also having a problem with my HOA. We are paying fo a clubhouse and security that we do not have and will not have for another few years due to the bad housing market. I was told by my town to contact the NJ Division of community affairs NJ Department of Community Affairs (http://www.nj.gov/dca/lgs/lfb/mtgdates.shtml - broken link)
I am pretty sure the Attorney General for the State of New Jersey oversee's the HOA in NU as they do in other states. Start documenting things, State of New Jersey
The home owner association where I live have been here for more than 10 years! Same people! Last time I went to a meeting, and we ask for new elections, they throw at us a piece of paper with their name on it. Nothing gets done. It's a nightmare. Does anyone know who I could contact to help us getting ride of those people ?
Thank you so much
You need to get a copy of your by-laws, see what the rules are, and organize.
As far as government, I think the Department of Community Affairs would be your place to go with a complaint.
Yeah, I rented a condo in Brick and that was bad enough. Bought myself a house with no HOA.
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