Resolving a Problem with Your Homeowner’s Association.
August 22, 2016 by Staff
Filed under Money/Business, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) Homeowner’s Associations started in America back in the sixties. Now, over fifty years later, nearly 100 million Americans live in a Homeowner’s Association community. But what does that actually mean? A lot of people know they live in a Homeowner’s Association community. But not everyone knows what their Homeowner’s Association actually does!
It’s important that you know about these things. This is because living in such a community means you are obligated to pay money towards the Homeowner’s Association. It’s also important because the Homeowner’s Association may cite you for a problem with your property. This will be a problem that needs to be resolved.
How does a Homeowner’s Association work?
Briefly put, a Homeowner’s Association is a local association that maintains the property of a given area. Their fees are usually a few hundred dollars a month, though not usually any more than about $500. Higher fees will usually be charged to homeowners if they’re living in a more upscale area. A lot of the money paid towards a Homeowner’s Association will be kept in a reserve. If something needs to be done about a particular community property, it will be paid for using funds from that reserve. A new roof being needed for a local amenity is a good example of such a scenario.
But you should remember that a Homeowner’s Association can also cite you for problems with your own property. They don’t only look out for public or community spaces. They also look at individual homes. This is because a large part of their job sees them trying to keep property values safe.
If a Homeowner’s Association cites you
Usually, a Homeowner’s Association citation will be fairly easy to deal with. Let’s say that your roof is rotting, or that the paint of your property is peeling. Maybe there’s even damage to the external brickwork. Whatever the case, the state of your home isn’t making the neighborhood look good. In some cases, it could even be affecting public safety. In this case, you’d need to look into fixers and commercial painting. Whatever you do to fix the problem should be enough. Feel free to also read over the following article; https://masterelectrical.com/service/electrical-repair/. Making sure your property is voided of electrical issues, can be a life saver literally.
With that, living in a Homeowner’s Association community binds you to certain rules, you’re obliged to sort the problem out. You will have agreed to such rules in the contracts for the property you purchased. If you don’t sort the problem out, legal action could be taken against you. This could see you have to look for somewhere else to live!
Not agreeing on a problem
Let’s say you don’t agree with a Homeowner’s Association’s ruling. You don’t feel that a certain problem needs fixing. Maybe they’re preventing you from performing a renovation you need. Is there anything you can do to fight a Homeowner’s Association’s decision?
The first step is to appeal directly to the board. It could be as simple as making them see things from your point of view. If this doesn’t work, you may have to look into getting a lawyer. Because of legal obligations on your part, you’ll want the assistance of a lawyer who knows this subject inside out.
Staff Writer; Joseph Witty