I want to start this little topic so the residents of Charles County can discuss their concerns regarding Homeowners Associations and the need for reform or at the very least some oversight in the area of homeowners association management companies.

Complaint, praises, concerns, reform,  quasi-government….Do you give up your rights when you join a H.O.A.
Today it is almost impossible to buy a home that is not involved with a homeowners association, as homeowners we need protection of our rights and our property.

We have in place laws, such as the Homeowners Association and Condo Association Laws, and Charles County offers the Homeowners Association Dispute Review Board, but is this really working or is it a Band-Aid on a larger problem that if we don’t reign in now, in the future it will be a major problem to correct.

Just some thoughts to get the ball rolling….

i will not ever live in a neighborhood with an HOA again.

i did at one point, and as a ham radio operator wanting to install an antenna, i can tell you i learned everything i needed to know about them from that nearly one year experience. i’ll save the details, but suffice it to say, i will never make that mistake again. mind you, this was at a time when the little mini-satellite dishes (like DishTV) were getting popular, and my antenna was no more offensive looking than those damn dishes. there should have been no problem with my request.

my sense is that HOAs are usually stocked with people who have never had positions of power before, and they get a little carried away with their sword.

i do believe you probably give up some rights. the HOA rules are signed usually before settlement. once that’s done, i think you probably don’t have much of a leg to stand on to fight them.

as you point out, almost every neighborhood has them these days. they are almost impossible to avoid.

xcitor - 05 September 2010 09:47 AM

i will not ever live in a neighborhood with an HOA again.

i did at one point, and as a ham radio operator wanting to install an antenna, i can tell you i learned everything i needed to know about them from that nearly one year experience. i’ll save the details, but suffice it to say, i will never make that mistake again. mind you, this was at a time when the little mini-satellite dishes (like DishTV) were getting popular, and my antenna was no more offensive looking than those damn dishes. there should have been no problem with my request.

my sense is that HOAs are usually stocked with people who have never had positions of power before, and they get a little carried away with their sword.

I do believe you probably give up some rights. the HOA rules are signed usually before settlement. once that’s done, i think you probably don’t have much of a leg to stand on to fight them.

as you point out, almost every neighborhood has them these days. they are almost impossible to avoid.

Xcitor…

This is exactly my point….Last legislative session I had attempted to have legislation submitted that would have required Homeowner Association Management company’s be regulated, licensed and bonded. To be required to pass an exam that would question their knowledge of the Homeowners / Condo Association laws and as well as laws of the association in which they manage.

But this was kicked back, saying this is not a state issue (excuse me, but I think it is) but a local issue that has to be handled by the county. I then requested the same via our competent and gracious ruler, His Grace, Wayne Cooper, who in turn sent it back to me, stating they could not do this, it was state law that need to change… So I was in a catch 22… The left does not know what the right is doing…but has et ever?

This is one of the main reasons I stated this little forum to get a feel from other county residents for their feelings, concerns and gripes.. Should I pressure this reform again, or am I wasting my time.

I do know these management company’s need to answer to someone, anyone can start a homeowner association management company and not be required to know anything about the position, and this position affects thousands of people throughout our county.

RR, a few thoughts re: the legislation you proposed. This was to apply specifically to the management companies and not the HOA board members, right? I know Maredith Management, one of the companies I’ve dealt with extensively, touts having its AAMC certification. The company web site states they are only one of about 100 management companies nationwide to have that certification, so the issue you raise appears to be a national one. But also, I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea to require HOA board members to take a similar class within, say, 90 days of taking office. Not speaking to any individual motivation for running for an HOA board, but the majority of people who serve are just neighborhood people without any specific knowledge of HOA laws, procedures, etc. Some of these wild and crazy stories you read about HOAs run amok are just as often the result of ignorance of the laws and rules as it is gestapo-like board members ruling with iron fists.

Now, with all that said, I currently serve on a couple of HOA boards. I am president of each. I was involved as a volunteer in each community for a few years before I decided to run for the board, and I continue to serve for the sole purpose of making each a better community. I’m fortunate—and so is the community—to have other board members who have the interests of the community at heart and not their own personal agendas. I’ve heard the horror stories of HOA boards ruling like despots, levying outrageous fines for minor or questionable infractions, etc. I’m lucky enough to have never witnessed any of that first hand. All in all, I think the purpose of an HOA is a pretty good thing—to maintain the values of the properties by promoting and, where necessary, enforcing certain standards. But of course, the success lies in how well that purpose is executed by those entrusted with the responsibility and authority to enforce the rules.