HOA Boards Strike Again...

[DCLMP]

Of course they can raise the fees. But they should also be providing each household with the spending plan/budget for the year. I mean, if the trash collectors raise their fees, the HOA has to raise it's fees. If the landscapers raise their fees, then the HOA who contracts with the landscaper has to raise their fees. If you contracted out for all of this stuff on your own, your fees would go up too and you'd shop around.

Our HOA reviews our trash and snow removal contracts annually and gets bids from local companies to ensure they are getting the most cost effective solution. It's helpful if the board members are residents because they are also impacted by the fees.

They don't just raise fees "because." It's all directly related to the expenses which, without an HOA you'd have them also such as trash pickup. I do suppose there are people who decide not to do that and drive their trash to the dump--not unheard of.

Like I said not an issue for you because obviously you’re well off.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Like I said not an issue for you because obviously you’re well off.

Why are you stuck on this? You aren't even aware of everyone's dues, you can't just arbitrarily decide that someone's dues are beyond their means simply because it's an HOA; that's using preconceived notions. Most people are going to complain about paying more not because there's an affordability component but because we all hate to pay more. The school district raises what I owe on my property tax far more than the HOA does on a yearly basis (with some years not being raised on the HOA) and for most people the property tax, sales tax and income tax are going to have much more of an impact to them. Stop trying to talk about wealth and such, you're pretty far off base here.

 

[DCLMP]

Why are you stuck on this? You aren't even aware of everyone's dues, you can't just arbitrarily decide that someone's dues are beyond their means simply because it's an HOA; that's using preconceived notions. Most people are going to complain about paying more not because there's an affordability component but because we all hate to pay more. The school district raises what I owe on my property tax far more than the HOA does on a yearly basis (with some years not being raised on the HOA) and for most people the property tax, sales tax and income tax are going to have much more of an impact to them. Stop trying to talk about wealth and such, you're pretty far off base here.

I’m not stuck on it. I asked if they could decline services it’s they wanted. She answered the question. There are reasons in life why someone may need to do that or the continuing rising cost of homeowners HOA might be a hardship for someone. Some people do complain about paying more because it is an affordability issue. I know it’s hard to wrap your brain around that.

 

[Christine]

Like I said not an issue for you because obviously you’re well off.

LOL, hardly. My trash pickup is quite a bit cheaper through the HOA versus if I went and got an individual contract. Believe me, we checked to see if we could pull that from the HOA and lower the due and boy were we surprised.

My HOA doesn't do lawncare and at age 62, my husband still cuts the grass. One day he won't be able to and we will either have to pay someone to come do it, but I can assure you that if we were in an HOA community that did it, the individual share of the neighborhood rate is a better deal than being out on your own.

But again, everyone has a choice on joining and HOA or not so I'm not getting the crabbing on this one. It's not forced on anyone.

 

[DCLMP]

LOL, hardly. My trash pickup is quite a bit cheaper through the HOA versus if I went and got an individual contract. Believe me, we checked to see if we could pull that from the HOA and lower the due and boy were we surprised.

My HOA doesn't do lawncare and at age 62, my husband still cuts the grass. One day he won't be able to and we will either have to pay someone to come do it, but I can assure you that if we were in an HOA community that did it, the individual share of the neighborhood rate is a better deal than being out on your own.

But again, everyone has a choice on joining and HOA or not so I'm not getting the crabbing on this one. It's not forced on anyone.

If you live in a house long enough you have no control over the price hikes, the constant rule changes and the change in your actual home owners association. Our association management has changed multiple times. It’s next to impossible to find a community in our county that doesn’t have one. In some
ways it is forced on you. The only people I know they don’t have one live out in the middle of the desert.

 

[Christine]

If you live in a house long enough you have no control over the price hikes, the constant rule changes and the change in your actual home owners association. Our association management has changed multiple times. It’s next to impossible to find a community in our county that doesn’t have one. In some
ways it is forced on you. The only people I know they don’t have one live out in the middle of the desert.

I suppose I've been lucky then. Same house for over 30 years. We've gone years without any increases. It's only been post-COVID that we've had hikes as everyone has raised their service costs (again, I'd have those even without the HOA).

We, the community, voted on by a full majority to go with a new management company AND a company run architectural board. It may turn out to be a mistake, who knows. But what I've found in our state is that the HOA can do very little without significant buy-in from the residents. There's no willy-nilly making changes. But I do realize that every state has different laws on the books on how well the HOAs are regulated.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’m not stuck on it. I asked if they could decline services it’s they wanted. She answered the question. There are reasons in life why someone may need to do that or the continuing rising cost of homeowners HOA might be a hardship for someone. Some people do complain about paying more because it is an affordability issue. I know it’s hard to wrap your brain around that.

You asked a poster and they answered you, you dismissed it and just used your own agenda you have, then when another poster answered you did the same thing. It's okay to not like HOAs they are often a controversial thing to people. I didn't even set out to be in one just was how it came about. But not liking it and then inventing things up every time someone responds is being stuck on it. If you're actually wanting to know if the specific person you're asking questions to finds it an actual hardship you'd just ask them that, I don't think I'm the one having issues wrapping my brain around something TBH.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you live in a house long enough you have no control over the price hikes, the constant rule changes and the change in your actual home owners association.

Quit making statements that are not true. Even if it's true for you, doesn't mean it's true everywhere.

We've been in our house over 20 years and haven't had any rule changes. I do think yearly dues have gone up, but do you really expect prices to NOT go up in 20 years?

Many (most?) HOAs have open elections and have policies in place on how rule changes are handled. If one is against a proposed rule change, they can show up at a meeting and present their side.

If someone is not going to go to meetings and then complain about what happens who's fault is that?

 

[DCLMP]

Quit making statements that are not true. Even if it's true for you, doesn't mean it's true everywhere.

We've been in our house over 20 years and haven't had any rule changes. I do think yearly dues have gone up, but do you really expect prices to NOT go up in 20 years?

Many (most?) HOAs have open elections and have policies in place on how rule changes are handled. If one is against a proposed rule change, they can show up at a meeting and present their side.

If someone is not going to go to meetings and then complain about what happens who's fault is that?

So it’s not a true statement because it doesn’t apply to you. Got it.

 

[sam_gordon]

So it’s not a true statement because it doesn’t apply to you. Got it.

It's not a true statement because it doesn't apply to everyone.

Is "Going 60mph is speeding." a true statement?

 

[DCLMP]

I suppose I've been lucky then. Same house for over 30 years. We've gone years without any increases. It's only been post-COVID that we've had hikes as everyone has raised their service costs (again, I'd have those even without the HOA).

We, the community, voted on by a full majority to go with a new management company AND a company run architectural board. It may turn out to be a mistake, who knows. But what I've found in our state is that the HOA can do very little without significant buy-in from the residents. There's no willy-nilly making changes. But I do realize that every state has different laws on the books on how well the HOAs are regulated.

Appreciate the fact that you realize that not all HOAs and states are alike.

 

[DCLMP]

It's not a true statement because it doesn't apply to everyone.

Is "Going 60mph is speeding." a true statement?

Next time I make a statement I’ll try to qualify it with “some” will that help you out.

 

[DCLMP]

You asked a poster and they answered you, you dismissed it and just used your own agenda you have, then when another poster answered you did the same thing. It's okay to not like HOAs they are often a controversial thing to people. I didn't even set out to be in one just was how it came about. But not liking it and then inventing things up every time someone responds is being stuck on it. If you're actually wanting to know if the specific person you're asking questions to finds it an actual hardship you'd just ask them that, I don't think I'm the one having issues wrapping my brain around something TBH.

I did ask them that many posts ago.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There's no willy-nilly making changes.

From a lot of articles and news stuff that I've read it honestly seems like the ones that have the biggest issues are either the ones that were entirely too vague on their covenants so it's left up to interpretation which fluctuates as the Board changes or they were way too specific for far too many things such that unintended consequences occurred from that mostly where a homeowner did something that was never thought of to be included in the covenants.

People like to talk about fines and whatnot but like our city does fine you for your yard looking either like it's just full of weeds or is too tall, mostly these are coming from neighbor complaints but they do drive around sparingly as well. The state requires anyhow that a picture of one's home is done every 6 years. Our HOA does have rules about weeds and grass height but haven't really seen people get fined much for it, probably because the majority do adhere to it and the HOA is understanding when we've had excess rain in a short time or whatnot. We are constantly fighting certain weeds, some that stay away for years and then come back.

Quite frankly the people who have the most complaints on Nextdoor around here about people's homes and behaviors are actually homes not in an HOA.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I did ask them that many posts ago.

No you didn't ask them that. You asked them if they can keep raising fees and then presumed this little nugget "It sounds like you’re wealthy enough to not care how much they raised them." Then another poster answered you and you said "Like I said not an issue for you because obviously you’re well off."

 

[sam_gordon]

Next time I make a statement I’ll try to qualify it with “some” will that help you out.

If you actually want to make true statements, sure.

Appreciate the fact that you realize that not all HOAs and states are alike.

I don't think any of the "pro-HOA" posters have claimed that all HOAs are good and valuable. It seems only the "anti-HOA" folks who want to act like ALL HOAs are the same.

 

[DCLMP]

No you didn't ask them that. You asked them if they can keep raising fees and then presumed this little nugget "It sounds like you’re wealthy enough to not care how much they raised them." Then another poster answered you and you said "Like I said not an issue for you because obviously you’re well off."

Why are you so bothered by this. The poster didn’t seem to mind me pointing out the obvious. You don’t have to take offense to everything. We’re on a forum where people spend thousands of dollars visiting a theme park every year. Most people on here are better off than the majority of the population. I can certainly relate to rising costs and fines being an affordability issue not just a whining issue. My job puts me in contact with a lot of middle class and people living on fixed incomes.

I’m glad some of you are happy with you HOAs. First time in my life I’ve heard that.

 

[DCLMP]

I

If you actually want to make true statements, sure.

I don't think any of the "pro-HOA" posters have claimed that all HOAs are good and valuable. It seems only the "anti-HOA" folks who want to act like ALL HOAs are the same.

I can't believe I'm arguing about HOA's. Pure boredom.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Why are you so bothered by this. The poster didn’t seem to mind me pointing out the obvious. You don’t have to take offense to everything. We’re on a forum where people spend thousands of dollars visiting a theme park every year. Most people on here are better off than the majority of the population. I can certainly relate to rising costs and fines being an affordability issue not just a whining issue. My job puts me in contact with a lot of middle class and people living on fixed incomes.

I’m glad some of you are happy with you HOAs. First time in my life I’ve heard that.

It sounds like you got bored of other threads where people asked what your investment was of a topic you didn't like and moved to this one. Sounds like you're bored of this thread too

 

[DCLMP]

It sounds like you got bored of other threads where people asked what your investment was of a topic you didn't like and moved to this one. Sounds like you're bored of this thread too

Sounds like I have a boredom problem.