If you live in an HOA, you should read the new Florida law very closely. It impacts just about anyone who lives in a community governed by one. www.news4jax.com/news/florida...
Yes, along with any property management companies that they choose. The homeowners that pay for everything, become totally powerless about whatever they both decide to do, including freedom of total mismanagement of whatever monies legally require from homeowners
People who don't enjoy maintaining their property, including cutting grass painting including bringing in their garbage, are the ones who don't like HOA.
@Horton.1114 I don't like HOA, and I do everything you mentioned in your statement. Real difference is that people who like HOA are liberal Karen and Ken types that are not happy unless they are causing strife in people's lives. I enjoy my place looking nice and kept up, but I also love the fact that if I want to have a giant BBQ or work on my vehicle or friends vehicle and it needs to sit here for awhile it can. Or if I want to string up Christmas lights to use as every night lighting year round I can. It's my property and I'll set it up to fix my taste and situation as I see fit, NOT as a f'n Karen or Ken thinks it should be.
The fact that they needed to pass “laws” for this is pathetic. How about we just take it up the chain and BAN ALL HOAs! No one will ever tell me what I can or cannot do with MY property.
Not sure why someone would live in one. You park your work truck in your driveway. Someone comes along and says you can't do that. How does that work for your sanity.
Then don't move into a community with an HOA my home value has been going up for 20 years because the house across from me can't paint it with purple and pink polka dots and I don't need your trash truck parked on the front lawn that sends the value of my home down you want to live in a garbage neighborhood move to one you can't follow rules that protect property value then quit complaining about it and don't move in to an HOA
I never understood that mentality. It would be one thing if the HOA paid part of my mortgage. But why would I spend several hundred thousand dollars and have someone tell me I cannot have flamingos or garden gnomes in the yard. From my experience the neighbors that have wierd or strange things in their yard tend to be the best neighbors. They are usually a bit kooky but in a fun way.
It's because your property doesn't lose value because your neighbors don't maintain, and your equity keeps growing. A well-run HOA is democratic with owners voting on all the rules with 60% needed to pass.
Nothing at all funny about HOAs. They aren't for everybody. I would never, ever buy into one no matter what. I'll live in a barn 2 hours from my job before I'd go the HOA route.
Well.. nobody wants to see an ugly work truck in your driveway. Especially if it’s got ladders and everything else all over it. Business vehicles should not be seen. I myself rent space so it’s not in my driveway. Business vehicles are different than daily vehicles.
Right there, you said it, you can loose your home. An HOA should never have any claim to your home. They should not be able to foreclose on your house. If they say you own dues or fines they should have to go to court to get payment and that’s it! For this reason I wouldn’t live in an HOA again.
Actually a lein on a home and it’s forced sale is the proper way to go once payment has been missed. Same goes for people who do work on home. Remodel a kitchen and they refuse to pay. Put a lien on the home and then they. A pay or the home gets sold. The sale money goes to the party owed money and any remaining balance gets returned to the home owner, assuming they straight up own the house, if not bank gets its money first. This means if you only lived in that home for say 5-8 years you could lose everything by not paying your bills. That’s because you mostly pay interest first before the principal in a mortgage, so you’d have little principal payed off.
You cant easily loose a home, its generally made of solid materials. Unless you bulldoze it, maybe, and grind down the rubble. It would be loose but Im not sure it would make a difference with your HoA. Pay the dues and follow the rules you agreed to, its the easier choice than loosing your home.
I was Renting a home with an HOA & we had a Lady who would drive by every house and take pictures of "Violations". They kept Fining my Landlord because little snippets of grass kept growing in between the concrete slabs that made up the driveway!
If i was a cop and the HOa president told me i couldn't park my cruiser at my residence, i would simply arrest the HOA president. I would do it on a long weekend where they dont get to see the judge for 3 days.
I normally support civil liberties and hate the overreach of law enforcement in certain scenarios, but I would applaud this enforcement of civil liberties, even if it took putting some moron in jail for a long weekend.
Then you would be a bad cop and I hope I never have to deal with a cop like that because that's an unconstitutional arrest (lawsuit for your department). I just love how some people are so willing to break the law - just the kind of folks who should stay away from HOA's. And that's why I like living in an HOA - because people who hate following rules/laws mostly don't live in them. People who annoy others aren't really welcome in HOAs. We've got this old idiot now who thinks he's 16 and has a low riding, souped up pickup with a loud muffler who likes to sit in his driveway for 30 minutes revving his engine just to hear the roar. I can't wait until he decides to blow that big chrome train horn he has on the hood. He has had numerous complaints by many pissed off owners and he has toned it down a bit. Who let that jerk in here?
After renting within an HOA for years, when we were finally ready to buy a home our number 1 was that the home was not in an HOA, or in a neighborhood with the potential to be turned into an HOA. We ended up in Arcadia and commute to Naples for this reason. In our rental we were fined for putting up a remember 9/11 flag during the month of September. We were fined $100 per DAY. As a military family i REFUSED and threatened to sue. We have rights as Americans and these HOAs have become their own government with wayyyy tooo much power.
I think this is for people who nitpick other people's house. You have a red begonia in your front yard it should be yellow. That's a 100 fine. Our lawyer says it should be 2000. You don't have 2000. We will sell your $200000 condo for $10 to this nice guy who happens to be the board president best friend.
For the most part HOA's are a scam, the soldiers are retirees who has nothing better to do but to walk around the neighborhood to make other people's life is miserable!
The only law that should be passed regarding hoa’s should be they aren’t permitted to exist. I don’t know why any home owner would want an organization that can over rule them as the home owner. There should be a small board that upkeeps the community property but that should be where their authority ends.
Not true. Plenty to gain. I love my HOA. Many people do. I wouldn’t live in a neighborhood that didn’t have an HOA. I’ve seen some of those neighborhoods without them and they’re usually unkempt and dilapidated.
I've lived in my HOA for 20 years now. My property is worth 5-6 times now what it was worth then AND it's a mobile home community. 99% of residents are good neighbors, all neat, well-maintained properties, quiet and peaceful. Great place to live for people who care about their neighbors. That's what an HOA is good for. Bad HOA boards are a big problem, I admit that. Many people love HOA living in good neighborhoods and we should not be penalized for the bad ones. My community is for over 55 owners and I Iove living here. I've lived a half dozen places in my life and always kept a well-maintained property, but sometimes neighbors did not, and it could be unpleasant.
Anyone moving into a community with an HOA is giving a copy of the governing documents before closing on a property. At closing they sign those documents and a copy is given t the HOA. Most people don’t actually read the documents. This is the problem.
We rented a house and ended up leaving 3 months later because my husband had an additional work vehicle that didnt fit in our driveway and we had to park it on the street. We received so many nit picks and fines that we had to leave.
I hope this will be looked at by other states to implement laws to help HOA homeowners. There are some HOA's that have abused their power and hurt people financially and harassed home owners.
The rules to not be able to install a physical fence should be banned. I am ok with a special version (4-5 foot, metal…). But I have the right to keep my pets safe and other animals out.
Is there any useful law at all? Ridiculous details, parking, holiday decoration. It would be good to see some real changes that benefit homeowners. This is as good as nothing.
When you bought the house you agreed to enter into this agreement that you will "function" as a closed society within certain rules. So yes, you can have ownership of a house/apartment and be under regulations. Some for example with city ordinances, when you want to open a new window, or remodel your house, you need to comply with regulations, otherwise you are not allowed too, despite owning the propriety.
i personally will never buy a home in HOA. i dont think they realize how many buyers they lose. some HOA fees so high that your money you make was spent in HOA fees. take your monthly HOA and inverst it and you find out just how mich of a rip off they are!
I was looking into a home in an HOA once. The HOA fees would have been more than the monthly mortgage. Eventually it was demolished because no one wanted it.
Down with home owners associations! If you buy your plot of land you should not be required to pay a third party program to tell you what you can and can't do with the land that was bought. What a huge waste of money and it let's the little guy get huge amounts of power and time time again have shown that the small guy gets power corrupt. Almost 50% of Floridians live in a home owners association. We need to reverse that.
My sister had to ask permission for me to visit and park my truck in her driveway! I would NEVER allow people to rule my life that way! If I were the auto industry I'd protest along with my customers!
I will never understand the need to pay a bunch of people just so they can literally dictate how you live! It makes no sense. They can even come inside of your home in many of them and dictate what kind of furnishings you have. Who in their right mind would want to pay for this garbage, particularly with the fees they charge. When I buy a car I shouldnt have any need whatsoever to contact an HOA to make sure the make, model, year and color is approved by them first. The very concept of crap like that is insane from the start and I cant comprehend why anyone who ISNT a Karen or a Kevin wanting to live in one. Thats not to say that everyone that lives in these insane asylums is a Karen or Kevin, but its crazy that anyone that isnt would want to live in such an environment.
Now pass a law that says HOAs have to puicly post what every dime is spent on for the neighborhood. The one by me collects $1,080,000 a year that apparently is needed for a 300 yard median strip and a swimming pool that's closed more than it's open. 😂
My HOA is looking for a way out of this. They saying because the Declaration does not include the " Kaufman language" the state rules does not apply to us. That is scary. Probably 3/4 of Florida HOA has the same kind of declaration. If that is true, we are screwed. That would be a sucker punch to the home owners, and it will put a huge smile on the board members face - an other victory for them. I am expecting a lot of resistance from Florida HOAs.
How about ALL your neighbors having ALL their families visiting at the same time all with 5 cars, all on your cul-de-sac of 5 homes, all staying for a month. Yes, that's ridiculous, but possible. Parking is one reason for limitations. Also, facilities are built for a certain number of residents and the residents pay to maintain the facilities. If too many people want to use the facilities, the costs go up for everyone. If there's a pool with a limit for users (limits are set by the county health department), residents who pay for it can't use the pool if there are too many visitors in it. That's not all, but it's a start for why there are limits. Pools, clubhouses where you can hold family gatherings, sometimes golf clubs, etc., are all things built and maintained by residents and some of the reasons that HOA's are popular. Our HOA also prohibits short term renters and Air B&B type renters. Everyone who lives here has undergone a background investigation so we're also short on criminal activity.
@jjbud3124 public pools have the same limits for capacity, so the logic in that is the same. I have 10 acres, my own well, fire pit, no one is going to give two shits about how loud the DJ (husband) plays, or anyone taking a leak in the woods, or who is parked in my 330' circular driveway. HOA can eat rocks.
@@marywiggins7411 HOA residents' have PRIVATE pools but our taxes still pay for the public schools. How many people live in the woods? You're just acknowledging you don't give a damn about anyone else, and you have enough space and money to do as you please. Congratulations. You are privileged.
@jjbud3124 ha privileged my aunt Fanny, worked hard. Army wife, 4 kids, then divorced. No fancy education - community college as an adult, went into IT, bought only used cars. Stuff a sock in your assumption.
Those ridiculous HOA laws charging owners for everything should be prohibited . I already pay $750 monthly fee ( last year was $450.00) for one bedroom condo of only 800 SF. Recently I needed to replace my sofa and I was told I have to “ reserve “ the elevator giving the HOA $500 deposit, pay a non refundable fee of $ 100 fee for using the elevator when taking out the old sofa . Of course same when bringing in the new sofa. I understand and agree to give the HOA a $500.00 refundable deposit when moving in or out but if no damage is done to the elevator or to the walls or other condo facilities this deposit should be refunded. Owners should not pay anything else to use the elevator since all expenses were included when they assessed the monthly fee. Pretty soon we will have to pay to use the pool, gym, Parking and other amenities that were included when the condo was purchased from the developer. I already complained about this issue and was told that nobody will be able to change it because in was in the condo bylaws. Therefore it WAS THE LAW. I hope the government put a stop to those HOA and let owners to amend and revise those bylaws.
It's really important for prospective buyers of Florida homes to examine the HOA regulations before they buy. If the regulations are overly strict, look elsewhere. If HOA regs start affecting house values they will change.
When I worked in Real Estate my Buyers had the right to inspect HOA & Condo Regulations written into their offer & Contract. I can't tell you how many didn't even bother reading them since most were more worried about the Monthly fee instead.
Yay!! We lost our home 3 years ago to an HOA lawsuit refusing to let us pay for exorbitant lawyer charges attached to dues we owed when my husband list his job. They auctioned our house for a $7 k from $1500 of dues. We had 2 HOAs in our community. One was wonderful and worked with us to pay them. The other didnt and took us to court, lied, and even blocked us when we went to pay the full amount before the auction. Crazy
None of this seems to apply to manufactured home communities. Where is the state protecting the millions of people, primarily retirees, from skyrocketing lot rents on a whim of these big corporations that are buying up manufactured home communities across the state? We no longer live in one of these communities, and that is one of the big reasons why...we bought into a lovely family-owned community and 17 months later, the community was sold to a huge out-of-state corporation. Lot rents went up 30% within 2 years and now are more than double what they were! From about $700/mo to just under $1,500/mo! It's gotten so bad that anyone needing or wanting to sell is forced to either lower their price to far below market or walk away and sign their home over to the big corporation. Retired couples and widowed elderly can no longer afford to live in their homes.
Precisely the issue that is not being addressed. Retirees who bought manufactured homes on leased lots have been hit hard because the properties are being sold for a huge profit, and the new owner has to pay the bank a huge mortgage, so of course rent has to come up. Putting a manufactured home on your own land, or buying it in a place where you own the land is a good solution. However, this may be too late for some elderly citizens that are currently trapped in these lease parks. It's really sad. What's happening all over Florida is really scandelous. Time will tell who will step in with the power and desire to fix it all.
This is the problem my Mother is having. She can't sell her mobile home because the lot rent is the same as a 1-2 bedroom apartment cost. It's crazy. "Legacy corp" purchased her park and raised rates like mad and added multiple fees and reduced almost all the services.
The major problem with HOA's (other than out-of-control rogue boards) is that people DO NOT read the by-laws and rules and regulations BEFORE purchasing. They don't read them and then they sign the form that says they agree to them. Then after they move in they say "Oh, I didn't know that." Or worse, they read them, sign the forms, and then totally disregard the by-laws and R&R. I worked as office manager in an HOA before I retired and I can't tell you how many times people just disregard all the perfectly reasonable rules we have. Every rule and R&R has been voted on by all residents and run by attorneys for legality. No one should buy in an HOA who wants to violate any R&R's. While I worked as office manager for about 10 years, fines were almost unheard of. Fines were $25 a day, but first owners were contacted, meetings were held, and usually there weren't any fines. We have a very well-run HOA. I know not all of them area and I've been lucky to live in a good one.
I like how my HOA operates. They only bother people if something looks crappy. We can do whatever we want as long as it makes the neighborhood look good. They make sure no one is painting ridiculous colors or keeping garbage in their yard etc mine is not too strict not too lenient. It maintains the neighborhood nicely. And my HOA fees are lower than most. So I know I’m lucky because there are some HOA’s that will give a notice if you have a weed in your lawn. I like some rules because it keeps everyone on top of their properties.
It's already a thankless job to be on an HOA board and there is no personal benefit from it so after this they need to pass another law to say how an HOA can operate without anybody being on the board because I sure don't understand why anybody would volunteer
Many volunteer to keep an eye on the property management company that does the actual work. Many HOA's are NOT self governing. They dont have the knowledge or time to be after delinquent payers and filling out legal documents required by the state yearly. If you live in a small HOA with like 20 homes or townhomes maybe you can self govern, but its challenging. You need to have a lawyer, and accountant, and computer knowledge to do the bookkeeping...its not easy. Sooo... many HOA's hire a property management company to help. The result of this is that property management companies are FOR PROFIT. Therefore, your HOA fees will be increased yearly since thousands will be going to the property management company who do the leg work. Being on the board is a thankless job. Most members are there to help and protect the owners from being ripped off . Its a shame that the news doesn't do a thorough job of reporting all the ins and outs and diversity of situations that exist in HOA communities. So much misinformation. Smh
I think criminal groups get on some boards and run through phony invoices to contractors and pocket the extra money for their group. I lived in a SoCal HOA condo bldg where some did this. They would never release the invoices for scrutiny either because apparently it wasn’t law for them to provide proof
I lived in a great clean neighborhood.. Many people were selling their homes to people who would buy only to rent.. My community has lost 15% of home values because of neighbors not cutting grass or maintaining property
Why would anyone buy a home and work their butts off paying for it, only to be told what they can and can't do with it? Why would anyone be willing to give other people control over their lives and properties? It makes no sense whatsoever.
Remember, these prospective HOA purchasers do state they have read the HOA rules and regulations BEFORE they purchased the home. They actually sign a document on their application submission. So, it's not correct they did not know the rules.
Sheds are an issue in my HOA. I wonder if companies will capitalize on the new market for sheds. I would love to buy several sheds that are just as tall as my fence, that way I cannot get dinged from the HOA. I'd buy 3 of them to offload temperature/weather resistant storage from the garage / attic, like Halloween decorations and such. I'd want something maybe 5-6 feet tall by maybe 8 feet wide and two or three of them.
the biggest issue is that HOAs and community development districts have legal governmental powers but very limied ability to defend youself against them or limited ability to get representation. the first thing i asked when moving into this house wasnt about hoa dues or CDD tax surplus...it was is there any rule affecting my right to display an American flag on my property.
Don't worry Florida... The HOA Administrations are ton's smarter than the Florida Government... My home State is FLA... How so much I would love to live there again... but it's the HOA rules and policies that stops me. Not only the rules and policies... but the outrageous fees! Trust me... HOA is highly Political in FLA. Here's another kick in the head... just because, on paper, you own the home... doesn't mean you own the land. Don't even get me started on Florida home insurance. If you're thinking about getting that Home on the water... better make sure what size boat and dock you can have, not to mention who's responsible for the seawall (oh... you're going to love that one). All I can say is... Buyer Beware! It very much helps to do your own research and ask your own questions. You not only need a Real Estate Agent to help find your home... you need a Real Estate Lawyer to help you decide and a very good "unbiased" Property and Building Inspector. When you first check on a property in FLA... and if "anyone" asks you... Why Florida? or... What is your exit plan? Politely end the conversation and walk away. It's all about the money. It's the HOA that has the money and it's the HOA that controls the Government. If you think Disney World is a tourist trap... wait till you buy a home in Florida. Until these people iron out this mess... I'll pass. This is coming from a guy that loves Florida and wants to go back.
As another exiled Floridian, I feel your pain. Ironically, I used to live in a non-HOA neighborhood in Florida (although they were Trying to get one) and now live in a HOA neighborhood in another state. (not my home, not my choice). It's not TOO bad, but I would like a clothesline in the back to dry my sheets on. They want to get a shed for the back, but there are so many requirements that we keep putting it off. And I have to be careful with the trellises in the vegetable garden so that nobody can see things from the street. sigh
They must also enshrine in the law that sellers must divulge the membership in an HOA s well as ALL APPLICABLE RULES to prospective buyers before receiving any offers from them.
It’s about time I hope more laws come about in the near future HOA need to be held accountable they really can make your life a living hell yes I used to live in that type of community so glad that’s over
Exactly!! Wait till the neighborhood goes to pot and no one wants to live there. Property values decline and people have to reduce their price because someone painted their house purple. 😂
There are neighborhoods that are decades long that have never had an HOA and are beautiful. Regardless of having an HOA or not, having a nice neighborhood depends on the residents. Some people are just negligent and do not care about the appearance of their home, car, or self. Home owners that pay a mortgage usually are invested in keeping up their property value and maintaining its appearance. Renters on the other hand sometimes coukd care less. The more that investors step in and buy homes and lease them out, the bigger the issue of unkempt properties will rise. Neighborhoods go down the drain when a high # of the residents are leasing. That has been our experience in our community.
The point isn’t to make neighborhoods look like trailer parks. The point is to get rid of the stupid stuff that makes no sense that people are being arbitrarily screwed over. Heaven forbid if somebody drives a pick up truck and actually parks it where other people can see it. Has anybody priced a real pick up truck? They’re more expensive than most of the vehicles on the road! Oh my gosh! That guy has a sign for his paint company on the side of his vehicle! That’s going to make people not want to live here because they can see that he has a job… Maybe even his own company! Don’t even get me started on what and somebody’s backyard. It really adds up to this…. Nobody business. Never was never will be. If somebody has a fenced in backyard, they should be able to have anything they want back there, and it is no one else’s business. Period. I’m not sure how any of these things equal “looking like a trailer park”
@@johntaylor2433 My HOA isn't Draconian like a lot of others and it keeps everything in here looking very nice. We have a couple houses with minor issues that need to be addressed but overall the HOA works well. I don't want to see Bob's towing trucks when I go out walking nor do I want to see police cars etc either, they belong at work. You drive your car to work, pick up your work vehicle, use it, leave it and work and drive your car home, or garage them.
Not in our community. We haven't had an election in two years because they never notify for the actual election and they appoint themsleves and refuse to hold elections.
@@diannh2894We had a board like that. Here is what we did: We collected signatures on a petition that we wanted a meeting. We made a copy of the petition for ourselves. We sent the original one by certified mail to the board president, and copies to the rest of the board members and the property management company. By law they had 30 days to comply. We expressed our disatisfaction with what was happening and demanded an election. We already knew who would be willing to step in and volunteer (that is the hardest part because everyone complains, but noone is willing to step in and serve). The board was so pissed off that we the owners were all against them that they resigned. We now have a new board with intelligent, educated members who are transparent and communicate effectively. They stepped in for a year to get things in order. Lets see what happens after that. DON'T STAY QUIET. YOU HAVE RIGHTS. Get that board out. Talk to your neighbors. Form a group of five and walk the neighborhood and collect signatures and do something. I'm rooting for you!!!
@@diannh2894 They don't steal your money, when you move into a community that has a HOA make sure you read the CCR's and bylaws if you agree to the fees and how they govern then you shouldn't have a problem. Not all HOA's are the same.
I have never lived in a community where some self-serving organization can tell you what to do on your own property!!! When they start paying my property taxes, I might listen to them!!!
