INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY: The information provided
on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice;
instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for
general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute
the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to
other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader,
user or browser; this Firm does not recommend or endorse the contents of the
third-party sites.
In 2018, The Washington Post reported on why homeowners hate
their HOA. The article was based on a
survey by Insurancequotes.com. The Post
reported that about 29 percent of the U.S. population lives in a HOA according
to Community Association Institute. Only
57 percent of people participating on the board said they loved their HOA and
33 percent who never participated on in the HOA said they loved them. Baby boomers ranked higher in their love of
their HOA while Gen Xers ranked lower.
Most stated that they hated their HOA because of fights at the
meetings. Interestingly, the survey
showed that the most complained about restrictions are lawn maintenance,
parking regulations, and pet restrictions.
But, the most wanted restrictions were parking, noise regulations, and
cleaning up after pets.
Most homeowners would probably agree that they don’t like confrontation. I think there are ted talks about that. Having difficult conversations is nerve
wracking to anyone. I am a lawyer and I
have to deal with those situations almost daily. Especially if there are confrontational
arguments at every board meeting. But,
that is where management and the attorneys can step in and help. Having a third party mediate the situation
can be beneficial.
HOAs are important for two reasons. First, HOAs help to protect the homeowner’s
investment. Buying a house is very
expensive and time consuming. The
homeowner wants to make money, not lose money.
When it is time to sell a house, the homeowner does not want to owe more
than the house is worth or beg people to buy it. If there is a house next door that is
completely covered in tall grass and weeds and is painted bright pink and
purple, the homebuyers looking to buy will probably want to look elsewhere
(maybe not, maybe they like the uniqueness of the neighborhood).
Second, HOAs are important because they bring people
together. I know…it doesn’t seem like
it. But, going to meetings brings people
together to work towards a common goal.
The people within a community want their neighborhood to look nice and
function. The hardest part is finding
common ground, but there are people working for the HOA to help. Sometimes it takes a neutral third party to
bring it all together in a positive way.
In my experience, the HOA wants to work efficiently and cost effectively
for the benefit of everyone. I generally
don’t meet individuals that want to work against the HOA.
I worked for a HOA that constantly had huge 18 wheelers
parking overnight in the neighborhood.
The noise and smell were terrible.
The residents got together, signed a petition and had signs erected by
the county that restricted parking overnight.
Everyone was so happy and proud that they did it together. In another occurrence, a veteran was having
trouble mowing their grass. The
neighborhood got together and figured out a way to help that individual. It was inspiring. These stories are why I do this job, to bring
people together to figure out solutions.
Being a part of a HOA doesn’t have to be difficult or constantly
confrontational. Being apart of a HOA
can be rewarding and inspiring. I just wish
there were more stories out there about the positive outcomes instead of only
seeing why people hate their HOA. I
guess I will just have to keep posting.