HOA Horrors ... (Winter Park, St. Cloud: foreclose, attorney, buying a home)

[jeffakki]

Soon I'll be moving to St. Cloud and am planning on buying a new house in the KB Home, Mallard Pond area. Naturally, the new home comes with its own homemade HOA. I've never had to deal with an HOA before and really don't know what to expect. How is the HOA in Mallard Pond? Any horror stories there?

I found a website last night that literaly scared me sick. The site consists of one HOA horror story after another. This is the link to the site ... HOA Articles

Are the stories mentioned in the website typical within an HOA community? If so, how does anyone find it possible to live under these self-proclaimed dictators?

I'm wondering if it might be more advantageous to find a house outside of any HOA run community, a house just a few years old?

Any feedback concerning HOA's, good or bad is much appreciated ASAP!

Thanks ...

[GinnyFavers]

I'm down with you on this one! One of our main criteria for buying a home is going to be no HOA or a very dinky one with very loose covenants.

My husband's got four old restored cars and a boat and he's been known to rev up a jet engine in the back yard for fun. We don't need ninny neighbors.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I am sure that not ALL HOA's in Florida are horrible but mine certainly is.

From what I understand once the builder has pulled out, the HOA is normally run by the people who live in the development, however here its not that way. We have a management company that is corrupt.

They pay relatives and friends to do work in the development, they pay them MORE then the going rate and don't put a job like re-surfacing the pool out for bid and take the best one.

I personally would prefer to live in a home outside a HOA next time however I do think some of the rules here have helped my homes value. Its a catch 22 really.

You can't paint your house bizarre colors, you have to upkeep things, you can't park on the lawn etc. I guess you just have to decide what you want.

One thing I can tell you about Florida, if you have a dispute with them over your fees or penalties, they can put a lien on the title of your home in order to hold you hostage to get them paid. SO if you have a dispute then you better just go and hire an attorney right off the bat.

[jeffakki]

First off, thanks for the comments. Please keep them coming.

I read stories on how the HOA's may want to make improvements and to do so they contact its members and tell them they WILL foot the bill for the cost of the improvements ... end of discussion!

You apparently have no say in the matter and the improvements may cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars the HOA will want immediately. Who keeps that kind of money laying around these days when everything cost so much more? Surely, not me!

I can't imagine a knock on the door one day and my HOA standing there with his or her hand out demanding money from me that I don't have. What would they do next ... foreclose on my house? If so, I would think living in the Twilight Zone might be a better option.

Maybe life within an HOA community isn't this bad? Maybe I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill? Then again ... maybe I'm right on the button with this HOA thing?

What other HOA horrors exist out there? Tell me more. Tell us all more. I'm sure many have similar concerns about HOA Storm Troopers.

Thanks ...

[pianogal]

Before you move into a community be sure to read the deed restrictions. I live in an HOA community by choice. We have a great board. EVERYONE is welcome to all meetings and free to take part in all decisions. If we don't like someone on the board, we get to vote them out every year. Any major decisions must be voted on by everyone in the community. Our HOA has constantly worked for the betterment of the community....landscaping and maintaining common areas, building a gorgeous park - like central park in the middle of our community - complete with paver paths, beautiful plantings, benches, etc, maintaining the pool, playgrounds, tennis courts, entry, installing fountains, etc.

Your idea that the HOA will demand money for improvements immediately is not correct in my experience. The budget must be set in advance and approved (voted on) annually. Our dues are very reasonable and haven't gone up but one time in the last 4 years and even then it was a small amount.

The last community I lived in was not deed restricted. There were tireless and rusted junk cars set up on blocks in yards, lawns that went uncut for weeks during the summer (causing a health hazard for the neighbors), houses painted Turquoise with purple shutters (I kid you not), worse yet...paint jobs that were started and then left unfinished, a pool started and left unfinished (creating both a health and safety hazard) and such........and this was in Winter Park!!! I drove through a couple of weeks ago and some homes STILL had damaged and patched roofs from the 2004 hurricanes. I even saw a couple of homes with taped and/or boarded windows!!

Then there were the neighbors who used large yard or construction trailers for their work...the ones with big RV's and even one neighbor who drove a semi tractor trailer - ALL parked on the street every night - the RV's were parked there permanently.

There are some people that aren't bothered by the above and want the freedom to do ANYTHING on their property. I RAN to a deed restricted community.

[mhoward48]

HOA scare the heck out of me. The idea of paying 1/4-1/2 million for a property, then hand over the rights to what I do with it to strangers is just scary!!!

The idea of me having to get approval to paint my house a certain color, or build a fence on my own property, that I paid for is not something I would do cheerfully. I think I would be angry all the time, living in such a inviroment. I want to park my RV's on my property. That does not mean, we do not mow the lawn, and keep our property nice. It is one of the nicest in the neighborhood,despite having a RV, and a boat parked in the driveway.

I have know some people like them. They scare me though!

[Forum Guy]

I read the same HOA site and it can get out of hand, but there are some nice communities out there to live in with HOA's.. The site does not have a lot of information yet but it's something positive for once. "HOA Community News Center"

[CURT]

Originally Posted by mhoward48

HOA scare the heck out of me. The idea of paying 1/4-1/2 million for a property, then hand over the rights to what I do with it to strangers is just scary!!!

The idea of me having to get approval to paint my house a certain color, or build a fence on my own property, that I paid for is not something I would do cheerfully. I think I would be angry all the time, living in such a inviroment. I want to park my RV's on my property. That does not mean, we do not mow the lawn, and keep our property nice. It is one of the nicest in the neighborhood,despite having a RV, and a boat parked in the driveway.

I have know some people like them. They scare me though!

hoa's are not the only thing that might stop rv's at residential propertys and boats in driveways. many towns have ordinances that wont allow it either. anyone looking to move and does not want a hoa because they want to park rv's etc on their lot (which i personally dont mind)should check with their city code enforcement. they can and will upon any complaint, or if they see it, make you move these things.

[jeffakki]

Thanks for the info. If anyone has anything else to add please do.

[flgatorgirl]

Ha! My favorite bit is when the HOA changes all sorts of rules around and starts tagging everyone's house with flyers.
My favorite HOA story from a friend in St. Cloud: Someone actually measures her grass height with a ruler to determine if they are in or out of compliance!