Community Association News National News Florida News Legal News National News MO: Brookside Square now has both neighborhood and homeowners' associations The council is also considering how homeowners’ associations fit into city government. Currently, only neighborhood associations are recognized, meaning the council and staff contact these entities... FL: What to do if your HOA jacks up your fees with ‘emergency’ charges Home sweet home is turning a bit bitter in some places, especially when consumers are hit with additional fees from their homeowners associations (HOA) that are spurred by budget shortfalls caused by... AZ: HOA bills headed to Legislature Those and other bills are expected to be filed during the 2009 legislative session in an attempt to strengthen communities and address neighborhood concerns. FL: Helping break down the language barrier The students are landscapers for First Choice Management Group, the management company, and they work in Vizcaya every day. But Steve realized they're invisible, in the sense that everyone sees them,... FL: Old train cars used as part of condominium's clubhouse When railroad entrepreneur Bill Savage purchased several train cars in the 1970's he intended to include them in a railroad attraction. However, two of the cars ended up abandoned on a lot in Ormond... NC: Vandals Leave Politically Charged Messages In Charlotte Neighborhood Vandals left anarchy symbols and vulgar messages on the doors and walls at the Steel Haus Condos in the Plaza-Midwood community. FL: Mediators foresee gloom, doom in condo industry Working for the state's Office of the Condominium Ombudsman is dirty, sometimes even ''disgusting,'' work, say Bill and Susan Raphan, who supervise the Fort Lauderdale satellite office. CO: A political subdivision The election of 2008 appears to be the campaign that keeps on giving for residents of the Grand View subdivision in Grand Junction. A battle over political yard signs in that subdivision has the... AZ: HOA bills would standardize rules, protect homeowners Every year the number of bills involving homeowners associations grows in the state Legislature. And as the session draws near those involved in crafting the bills are beginning to cobble together... CA: Capitola condo residents steamed by loss of heat Residents of the 172-unit condo complex at 1925 46th Ave. have been shivering since the heating system broke down on Christmas. FL: New insurance rules upset condo owners Dick Herman may be president of the Burgundy A Condominium Association, but he doesn't like being a cop CA: Capitola condo residents steamed by loss of heat Residents of the 172-unit condo complex at 1925 46th Ave. in Capitola have been shivering since the heating system broke down on Christmas. CA: Noisy neighbors all too common in apartments While some new buildings, such as Millennium Tower, at 301 Mission St. in San Francisco, are now built with noise control in mind, the vast majority are not. MD: Residents Win Fight Over Holiday Decorations in Frederick Residents of the Worman's Mill community attended a meeting en masse Monday night to protest the homeowners' association's decision to fine three residents for inappropriate Christmas displays. AZ: Homeowners association to address lingering problem A notice of violation was sent in early October to Paseo Estrella Homeowners Association, which signed for the certified mail but did not reply within the required 30 days, Cox said Monday. OH: Water kerfuffle has residents hoppin' mad Millicent Johnson pays for water each month with her $200 condo association fee. But for hours Tuesday, she and other residents at the Hidden Cedars complex on Garden Rd. couldn't use their water. FL: Foreclosure isn’t just for lenders these days Donna White never thought she’d lead the charge to foreclose on her neighbors. GA: Owning a Home No Joy to Some Naomi Whiters should be in Phase Two of her homeownership plan by now FL: Spruce Creek residents of different faiths celebrate together Beginning Dec. 21 and continuing for eight days, the community celebrated its 10th anniversary of sharing the holidays in this manner. IL: Are the 1920s back? The subprime mortgage debacle is worse than even the economists anticipated, said Jordan Shifrin, chairman of the Condominium Advisory Council. SC: Sea Pines property owners association responds to Judge Coffey's lawsuit The Sea Pines property owners association in charge of the plantation's private security team forcefully responded to Hilton Head Island municipal court Judge Maureen Coffey's lawsuit this week,... IL: Condo boards can have trouble policing a 'no renter' rule Everyone knows that mortgage money is hard to come by, there is a dearth of buyers these days and everyone who is stuck with a piece or property who is not in default would love to rent it out. But,... Housing Counsel: Condo loan payment may not be justified QI bought a condo just over a year ago. It was difficult to get a certificate for the sale, because there was no operating homeowner association. However, when the Realtor finally got it from an... CT: Home for the holidays: Army sergeant gets a taste of his future Fairfield House Condo Association President Sue McClenachan said it was her idea to host a party for Kostovic. "Ana called asking permission to put a 'Welcome Home' sign up, and I said, 'Sure, and... NV: Pets die, 3 people overcome by carbon monoxide Three people are hospitalized, including one woman in critical condition, after a car left running in a garage sent deadly carbon monoxide into several condominiums in northwest Las Vegas. Florida News Daytona Beach condo fire causes estimated $100,000 damage A fire this afternoon at a Daytona Beach condominium complex caused an estimated $100,000 in damages but no one was injured. Bulk buyer snags 60 units at Marina Blue A Singer Island-based group has paid nearly $13 million for 60 units at the Marina Blue high-rise across from American Airlines Arena in Miami. What to do if your HOA jacks up your fees with ‘emergency’ charges Home sweet home is turning a bit bitter in some places, especially when consumers are hit with additional fees from their homeowners associations (HOA) that are spurred by budget shortfalls caused by... Richard White: Q & A There is a common area privacy hedge behind my home that has been attacked by a fungus. Many plants have died. The hedge was a barrier for both privacy and sound from the boulevard that my home... Helping break down the language barrier The students are landscapers for First Choice Management Group, the management company, and they work in Vizcaya every day. But Steve realized they're invisible, in the sense that everyone sees them,... Joe Adams: Legal Q & A Q: Like many associations, we were forced to set up a "bad debt reserve" in our 2009 budget for owners who have become delinquent in payment of their quarterly assessments. As a director, I have been... Old train cars used as part of condominium's clubhouse When railroad entrepreneur Bill Savage purchased several train cars in the 1970's he intended to include them in a railroad attraction. However, two of the cars ended up abandoned on a lot in Ormond... Mediators foresee gloom, doom in condo industry Working for the state's Office of the Condominium Ombudsman is dirty, sometimes even ''disgusting,'' work, say Bill and Susan Raphan, who supervise the Fort Lauderdale satellite office. Community Living: Managers and attorneys serve in advisory roles Q: Do professionals such as attorneys and managers under contract to this condominium have any obligation to see that the board operates under the guidelines of the condominium act and our... New insurance rules upset condo owners Dick Herman may be president of the Burgundy A Condominium Association, but he doesn't like being a cop Man jumps from burning condo in Clearwater Authorities say a Clearwater man was hospitalized after jumping from the second or third-floor balcony of his burning condo. Timing is everything for condo insurance Matt Hudson, a state representative from Naples, said he was only trying to help out condominium associations when he sponsored legislation earlier this year allowing them to force insurance on unit... Foreclosure isn’t just for lenders these days Donna White never thought she’d lead the charge to foreclose on her neighbors. Joe Adams: Legal Q & A Q: I live in a development that is governed by a homeowners’ association. More and more, we are seeing owners “walk away” from properties they can no longer afford due to the poor economy. This... Spruce Creek residents of different faiths celebrate together Beginning Dec. 21 and continuing for eight days, the community celebrated its 10th anniversary of sharing the holidays in this manner. Community Living: Clogged drain damages are on owner Q: While I was away for the summer, my air conditioner condenser water drain blocked and the water flooded my unit and ruined my walls and carpet. There is mold on the baseboards, walls and carpet... Richard White: Q & A Question: I received a copy of the Summary of Changes to Condominium Act effective Oct. 1, 2008. I am a board member in one of the smaller condominium associations. We have never had a condominium... Miami may see more parks due to condo bust With the economy stalling any short-term development plans, Miami hopes to turn vacant properties into temporary city parks. Condominium insurance law leaves confusion in its wake Flustered by Florida condominium insurance law? Some of the latest requirements are as confusing as they are contentious. An Issue of Great Public Importance or Not? Under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030(b)(4), the District Courts of Appeal have discretionary review powers of final and non-final orders of the County Court that are otherwise appealable... Fires Force 4 Families From Their Homes Meanwhile, a fire ripped through a condo in Orange County. It happened at the Valencia Park Condo Community in Park Tree Trail. Sen. Justice sides with Tierra Verde Sen. Charlie Justice said today he will likely support the so-called "all or nothing bill" that would prevent local governments from dividing up Tierra Verde. Joe Adams: Legal Q & A Q: I read your recent article regarding the requirement for condominium unit owners to purchase insurance. We own a unit, in common with another, which we purchased for investment purposes and rent... Chinese drywall fears widen in SW Florida Doug Hoffman, executive director of the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, said he’s been getting reports of problems associated with Chinese drywall mainly in the Southeast Richard White: Q & A Q: What recourse do the owners have to lower our annual budget? Legal and Legislative News MO: Brookside Square now has both neighborhood and homeowners' associations The council is also considering how homeowners’ associations fit into city government. Currently, only neighborhood associations are recognized, meaning the council and staff contact these entities... AZ: HOA bills headed to Legislature Those and other bills are expected to be filed during the 2009 legislative session in an attempt to strengthen communities and address neighborhood concerns. FL: Mediators foresee gloom, doom in condo industry Working for the state's Office of the Condominium Ombudsman is dirty, sometimes even ''disgusting,'' work, say Bill and Susan Raphan, who supervise the Fort Lauderdale satellite office. AZ: HOA bills would standardize rules, protect homeowners Every year the number of bills involving homeowners associations grows in the state Legislature. And as the session draws near those involved in crafting the bills are beginning to cobble together... FL: New insurance rules upset condo owners Dick Herman may be president of the Burgundy A Condominium Association, but he doesn't like being a cop SC: Sea Pines property owners association responds to Judge Coffey's lawsuit The Sea Pines property owners association in charge of the plantation's private security team forcefully responded to Hilton Head Island municipal court Judge Maureen Coffey's lawsuit this week,... IL: Condo boards can have trouble policing a 'no renter' rule Everyone knows that mortgage money is hard to come by, there is a dearth of buyers these days and everyone who is stuck with a piece or property who is not in default would love to rent it out. But,... FL: An Issue of Great Public Importance or Not? Under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030(b)(4), the District Courts of Appeal have discretionary review powers of final and non-final orders of the County Court that are otherwise appealable... TN: Condo owners gain protections with new law Jan. 1 Condo owners will face a new set of rules when the new year rolls around. That's when an updated condominium bill passed by the state legislature in April finally takes effect. TX: Condo owners v. Mother Nature Three Diamond Beach condo owners and their Houston attorney are blaming the developer for Ike's havoc in Galveston County court, claiming a misrepresentation was made about the Galveston seawall in... OH: Neighbors concerned boy will stay home A teenager accused of terrorizing his Far East Side neighbors with threatening notes and fake bombs was allowed to return home yesterday despite the neighbors' safety concerns. AR: Gates Four homeowners sue over planned annexation The Gates Four Homeowners Association is challenging the city’s plan to forcibly annex the gated community in western Cumberland County NY: Condo residents kick MetroPCS antennas off roof in groundbreaking legal dec. For the second time in four months, residents of a Lake Street condominium have kicked one of the nation's largest wireless telephone companies off the roof of their 12-story building, this time by... IL: State’s attorney will not pursue charges against homeowner association The state’s attorney will not pursue charges against a homeowners association president whose Internet comments about “spraying poop” spurred local officials to believe he threatened them. IL: Attorneys answer condo conundrums A community association's queries and quandaries are many. Attendees at a recent "Ask an Attorney" seminar, hosted by the Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations, had their... FL: Homeowner group's truck dispute not out of sight yet When a Hillsborough judge called the Eagles Master Association's parking restriction "utterly unreasonable," pickup truck owner A.J. Vizzi and his attorney rejoiced TX: Condo builder misled plaintiffs about units' safety behind Galveston seawall A Galveston County couple and a California woman claim a Galveston condominium builder misinformed them about the ability of the Galveston seawall to protect the property from hurricanes. CO: Smoking ban idea snuffed at Centennial in Aspen A propertywide smoking ban at Centennial condominiums in Aspen went up in flames Tuesday after an overwhelming number of homeowners voted against the idea. IL: Former condo association president charged with theft The former president of the Thatcher Woods Condominium Association has been charged with the theft of $118,750 in association funds GA: Treasurer accused of stealing HOA funds A Peachtree City man has been charged with 16 counts of fiduciary theft for writing $29,000 in checks from his homeowner’s association to himself and two of his companies. FL: Legislator plans to push for ombudsman of homeowner associations State Rep. Julio Robaina told leaders of homeowner associations Monday he wants feedback before crafting legislation to overhaul associations across the state FL: Judge: Parking restrictions "unreasonable" A Hillsborough County homeowners' association now faces thousands of dollars in legal fees after losing a lawsuit against one of their residents CT:Condo Activist In Madison Defends Himself Against Charge Of Attempted Bribery Not long after arriving, Perrelli started battling with the condominium association, and he eventually filed four lawsuits against the group and its board members. The association countersued, and... FL: HOAs cry foul over foreclosures Local homeowners' associations and condo boards say banks are unfairly getting a break on how much back dues they have to pay when they take back a home in foreclosure. LA: State’s attorney will not pursue charges against homeowner association state’s attorney will not pursue charges against a homeowners association president whose Internet comments about "spraying poop" spurred local officials to believe he threatened them.