Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-14-2016, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Riverside Ca
22,146 posts, read 33,256,850 times
Reputation: 35433

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by germaine2626 View Post
That is interesting but in my condo complex, in Wisconsin, I only own the inside of the building to half-way between the inside wall and the outside wall (basically I own the drywall & half of the studs), and I do not own any part of the roof at all (only the inside wall that touches the roof). Yes, I suppose I could put up solar panels on my property but the only sun that they would get would be through my windows.
Look into it. There are a lot of changes to solar laws due to the energy laws


Quote:
Originally Posted by rational1 View Post
What Electrician said is consistent with my understanding- there are laws that are state-dependent.

However there are other issues. For example, the Florida statute says permission cannot be denied. But what about roof problems perhaps caused or aggravated by a solar installation? Can an HOA put requirements on the installation, or perhaps decline some responsibility for roof repair?

Also- unless the installation is owned- leased installations can cause problems if you ever need to sell the unit.

I actually walked away from two houses due to leased solar installations. Search back in my posts there is a longer write up on how solar basically works in a lease. That's the first thing I do before I even do a bid. I ask if the system is leased or truly owned outright paid for. Most are not paid for.
You would be responsible for damages. The install is only as good as the installer
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-14-2016, 04:40 PM
 
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FL
5,663 posts, read 10,681,499 times
Reputation: 6944
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueherons View Post
I just can't see on a condo where you'd put the solar panels unless it was on your balcony and that doesn't seem like it would work.
That's the thing I find so interesting about the statute I posted. If I am reading it right, unit owners can't be stopped from installing panels or even wind turbines on the condo roof. It seems to fly in the face of everything I know of condos in FL as an agent, an owner, and a member of a board of directors.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 05:12 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
19,480 posts, read 24,983,075 times
Reputation: 51106
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueherons View Post
Generally speaking, townhouses only share walls and condos share walls, floors, and roof.

For the most part where I live, townhouses are vertical, if the building is four floors, you own all four floors and usually have a yard, many have private pools.

Condos tend to be one floor (an exception are PH) and have a shared pool.

It really depends on where you live. I've seen many townhouses painted different colors, have different roofs, etc.

I just can't see on a condo where you'd put the solar panels unless it was on your balcony and that doesn't seem like it would work.
Once again, a townhouse is style of building and a condo is a type of ownership of a building & common property.
In my city, we have many different types of condominium complexes from ones in high rise/ multi-story buildings (and some of those condos are two floor condos within a 10 or 15 story building), to many townhouse style condos, to some condos are look more like one or two bedroom apartments on one level in complexes, to sections of mansions converted into condos (those have an extreme amount of variability in size & shape), to duplex or triplex townhouse style condos.

We even have one large condo complex that are ranch style, three bedroom completely detached houses with full basements. But, the roofs, outside walls, driveways and the grass are all common property and owned jointly with the other owners. People driving by usually think that it is just a regular neighborhood and not a condo complex. But the owners know that they do not have to shovel snow or mow the grass.

Our first condo had about 20 townhouse style (two stories & a full basement) all connected to each other in a huge complex with about 250 owners. Our current condo is a side by side townhouse (two stories & a full basement & two car garage) with only one neighbor connected to our condo in a complex with only 16 fellow owners.

Townhouse ----type or style of building or housing unit.
Condo----type of ownership of any number of different types of housing units.

Last edited by germaine2626; 05-14-2016 at 05:21 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
7,448 posts, read 7,517,705 times
Reputation: 16456
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you View Post
Look into it. There are a lot of changes to solar laws due to the energy laws





I actually walked away from two houses due to leased solar installations. Search back in my posts there is a longer write up on how solar basically works in a lease. That's the first thing I do before I even do a bid. I ask if the system is leased or truly owned outright paid for. Most are not paid for.
You would be responsible for damages. The install is only as good as the installer

Absolutely correct about leased systems. Houses with them are a nightmare to sell. And right now energy companies are looking to switch from paying retail to paying wholesale for electricity you sell back. That will make the break even point much further out. When I was looking for a winter home in Arizona I flat out told the realtor to not waste my time with houses that had solar panels, and she fully agreed.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 05:48 PM
 
11,410 posts, read 7,734,138 times
Reputation: 21910
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you View Post
You guys need to read up on SOLAR RIGHTS LAW. In some states HOAs cannot prohibit the installation of the panels. If you live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, or Wisconsin, the law overrides any HOA contract that says you can’t have solar panels. That doesn’t mean the HOA can’t tell you where to put your solar panels, or how to install them– these laws usually say that some restrictions are possible. But if your HOA is saying that you can’t have solar panels at all, you can show them the law, or, in the worst case scenario, sue them. Importantly, these laws typically state that HOAs can’t deliberately try to delay the installation of your new solar system.
Our CC&Rs, for a townhouse community, specifically disallow solar panels attached to the roof. That might not stand up in court if someone challenged it, but we also have the additional verbiage that states anything installed on a roof voids the responsibility of the HOA for roof repair and replacement. In other words, if you install solar panels and your roof leaks or when it needs replacing, you will bear 100% of the cost and not the HOA.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 06:55 PM
 
Location: Riverside Ca
22,146 posts, read 33,256,850 times
Reputation: 35433
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNC4Me View Post
Our CC&Rs, for a townhouse community, specifically disallow solar panels attached to the roof. That might not stand up in court if someone challenged it, but we also have the additional verbiage that states anything installed on a roof voids the responsibility of the HOA for roof repair and replacement. In other words, if you install solar panels and your roof leaks or when it needs replacing, you will bear 100% of the cost and not the HOA.
Again it depends on your state. I know our HOA can't do anything if I decide to put up solar. Ok they can throw the roof in case of damage on me. But that's about it.
Granted I don't care. The only solar I would ever do is on a detached non HOA home and I would buy the system outright.
I did research on the solar leases as I was looking at houses with solar. Some of those leases are insane. And the ways they get people to purchase and the bs they say to get the leases sold is crazy too

Last edited by Electrician4you; 05-14-2016 at 07:44 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 07:27 PM
 
Location: Western MA
2,556 posts, read 2,264,756 times
Reputation: 6881
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you View Post
You guys need to read up on SOLAR RIGHTS LAW. In some states HOAs cannot prohibit the installation of the panels. If you live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, or Wisconsin, the law overrides any HOA contract that says you can’t have solar panels. That doesn’t mean the HOA can’t tell you where to put your solar panels, or how to install them– these laws usually say that some restrictions are possible. But if your HOA is saying that you can’t have solar panels at all, you can show them the law, or, in the worst case scenario, sue them. Importantly, these laws typically state that HOAs can’t deliberately try to delay the installation of your new solar system.
Thanks for this, your answer was the type of thing I was looking for. My question was mostly theoretical, I am not going to be looking to install solar on my townhouse roof any time soon. I just wondered about the legalities given the push to green energy these days. I believe that HOAs cannot restrict the installation of satellite dishes, so I wondered if the laws might be moving in the same direction for solar. Just curious, mostly.

btw, for those who are confused: My house is a townhouse style. Three floors and a full basement, attached on one side to neighboring townhouse (I am in an end unit so am only attached on one side). My townhouse is also a condo. There are also condos in my complex that are apartment-style, we call them "garden style" here. They are all condos, just different style.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 07:44 PM
 
Location: Ocala, FL
6,406 posts, read 10,207,728 times
Reputation: 7787
In my community, with few exceptions, all homes are one story and the exceptions are two story. In my community, all town homes are the same color (outside and the roofs). I know not all communities have the same rules and restrictions.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 08:28 PM
 
Location: MID ATLANTIC
8,650 posts, read 22,807,444 times
Reputation: 10469
Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkalot View Post
A townhouse is a style of building. Many townhouses are condos. Since she wrote condo (townhouse) I think it is a condo. No different than saying condo (high rise).
Yes, true. TH here is fee simple. TH condo style are called Condos. Local labels.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-14-2016, 08:31 PM
 
Location: MID ATLANTIC
8,650 posts, read 22,807,444 times
Reputation: 10469
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrician4you View Post
You guys need to read up on SOLAR RIGHTS LAW. In some states HOAs cannot prohibit the installation of the panels. If you live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, or Wisconsin, the law overrides any HOA contract that says you can’t have solar panels. That doesn’t mean the HOA can’t tell you where to put your solar panels, or how to install them– these laws usually say that some restrictions are possible. But if your HOA is saying that you can’t have solar panels at all, you can show them the law, or, in the worst case scenario, sue them. Importantly, these laws typically state that HOAs can’t deliberately try to delay the installation of your new solar system.
This is what I was referring to. I handled our HOA docs and the HOA here cannot restrict use of solar panels. (Fee simple TH)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top