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A Letter
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Some homeowners associations are being run by decent, caring homeowners
Not all of us are out to get our neighbors, or fill our pockets with our neighbor's money
October 03, 2006
By
HOA Voices
(View author info)
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Jim:
People have a right to rent their properties and for any period of time.
In parts of Europe, every other house is a delightful bed and breakfast that travelers and hosts enjoy.
People should be able to make a living whether it is caring for children, seniors or guests and it's none of your business.
It looks like there's a group of you living in the Timberline Association corporation business who are invading and controlling others' ability to make a living or just enjoy people.
Whose corporate interests are you protecting?
County or State laws control how property is used. Property owners do not need a bunch of inexperienced , busy body neighbors dreaming new rules for their property.
Posted Oct 16 2006 3:41PM CEST
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Marie Anderson
Los Angeles, California |
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Jim,
When individuals talk about their HOAs/CIDs online, there's is absolutely no way to prove whether or not they're telling the truth UNLESS they happen to be involved in a lawsuit against their HOA/CID. Then, there is a public record to go by (as there is in my lawsuit against my HOA, the B Lazy M Ranch in Florissant, Colorado).
However, when talking to homeowners online, it has been my experience over the last 12 years or so I've been involved as a homeowners advocate that after one listens/reads for awhile what a homeowner is saying/writing and begins an online dialog with that person, it doesn't take long to figure out that one's first impression was probably true. And that's because if a homeowner isn't telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, he/she will have inconsistencies in what they're saying or writing. Then, if one questions them about those inconsistencies, they just dig their inconsistent yhole deeper and deeper.
So, when someone comes online -- whether it's to AHRC or some other forum/message board -- and starts talking about how great their HOA/CID is, experienced HOA homeowner advocate usually immediately say to themselves, "Oh, really?" Then the homeowner advocate will begin to ask questions that will tell him/her whether or not that person that says his/her HOA/CID is being completely truthful, or just talking to hear him/herself talk.
As an HOA homeowner advocate, I believe I've read all I need to read about your HOA/CID, Jim. Thanks for the info, but I don't think I'd ever refer anyone to your HOA/CID. Just my own personal opinion.
Posted Oct 16 2006 12:56PM CEST
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Jan Jackson
Florissant, Colorado |
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Quotes from Jan are in blue Here on AHRC we discuss HOAs/CIDs that are single family homes or single family condos - not commercial developments.
Thanks for the name of your HOA, Jim. I did a quick little google search on it. Appears your HOA is a commercial developememt in a resort (skiing) area. Expensive to rent there, too, sounds like, as it is in most resort/ski areas.
Now I can understand why you don't "seem to have the kind of problems" that you read about here. Of course you wouldn't becuz mostly here on AHRC we discuss HOAs/CIDs that are single family homes or single family condos. Not commercial developments. Jan,
I'm not sure what you were looking at. There is Timberline Four Saesons Resort which is one of the two ski resorts and is a commercial operation. It is surrounded by many homes, all vacation or rental owned by individuals, not the resort, and some of those sections have their own associations.
Our association, Timberline Association, Inc.(TAI), is NOT a commercial operation. Each home in here is owned by an individual. Though we have 462 lots, about 80+ are still vacant and the remainder are mostly vacation homes or short term rental property, owned by individuals who happen to also rent their vacation homes, due to the ski resorts and other leisure activities the area provides, such as mountain biking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, etc. There are about 50 of us who live here year round.
Also, there are no condos in TAI, not even single family. About two years ago, someone wanted to build a large home in TAI and run it as a B&B. Because it was considered a commercial operation it was not allowed.And you certainly would need those Security, Maintenance and Office Manager type employees to do the grunt work for the members of your board in your high dollar gated community, right? Would you care to exactly explain to me what you meant by this comment?And liens for non-payment of "dues"? Now that sounds right up there with the best of them, i.e., CAI lawyers. What CAI lawyer? In your utopian view of the world what would you do about non-payment of dues or special assessments that have been voted on and agreed to by the members of the association and not just the board? I think I mentioned previously that there has never been a foreclosure since my involvement with TAI. From what I know there had only been two liens. One was removed after the homeowner paid what was in arrears and the other will be taken care of when the house is sold, due to the couple going through a nasty divorce.I think maybe you did come to the wrong place for help when you came to AHRC, Jim. Most of us here are average, full-time homeowners, not landlords in a fancy (wealthy) resort area. Show me where on this site there is any mention of certain dollar limits in order to participate.
Posted Oct 15 2006 12:59PM CEST
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Jim Morvay
Canaan Valley, West Virginia |
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http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/tools/sub/comments/action/View/mediaid/3179/mediadb/media#10723
Try writing a webletter addressed to each one of the board of directors and be very polite:
WRITE MAKES RIGHT - Homeowners, Write, Track and Publish Letters to Government, Vendors & HOAs using the AHRC Website
Posted Oct 15 2006 11:01AM CEST
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Username withheld
, California |
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Thanks for the name of your HOA, Jim. I did a quick little google search on it. Appears your HOA is a commercial developememt in a resort (skiing) area. Expensive to rent there, too, sounds like, as it is in most resort/ski areas.
Now I can understand why you don't "seem to have the kind of problems" that you read about here. Of course you wouldn't becuz mostly here on AHRC we discuss HOAs/CIDs that are single family homes or single family condos. Not commercial developments.
Renters who speed, for example. I can understand, now, why that concerns you. And you certainly would need those Security, Maintenance and Office Manager type employees to do the grunt work for the members of your board in your high dollar gated community, right?
And liens for non-payment of "dues"? Now that sounds right up there with the best of them, i.e., CAI lawyers.
I think maybe you did come to the wrong place for help when you came to AHRC, Jim. Most of us here are average, full-time homeowners, not landlords in a fancy (wealthy) resort area.
Posted Oct 9 2006 11:03PM CEST
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Jan Jackson
Florissant, Colorado |
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I don't believe this one for a minute! I feel this letter was written by a board member.
I live in as Association that just hit us up for a Special Assessment and then threw a lavish party costing the homeowners over $7000 -- out of the reserves they claimed were 'vastly underfunded.'
Not one homeowner complained and all happily attended the party, to show the sheer stupity of people.
Our Association Board of Directors President is a bully and a narissicist and no one will stand up to him. The Board of Directors sits by in silence at every homeowners' meeting in which he rules from behind his all important folding table, rolls his eyes, and yells at and insults homeowners. He spends our money on throwing parties we don't get a vote on.
I'm just waiting for the day he drops dead in the middle of the common area so I can dance on his corpse.
Posted Oct 9 2006 6:21PM CEST
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Username withheld
, California |
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Re: Sorry about that Jim, I just took another peek and I see you say you live in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. What did you say the name of your HOA was?
Timberline Association, Inc.
And I will again state that we don't seem to have the kind of problems I read about here. I joined this board to see what I could find out about what other HOAs do about speeding, which is a problem for us. We've owned our property here since '92 and finally built our home after we retired and moved in, in '04.
We don't use a management company. We have employees that work directly for us in the area of Security, Maintenance and an Office Manager. The books are open to all members. All members are welcome to attend all board meetings.
Yes, we have put liens on property for non-payment of dues. No, we have never foreclosed on any property that I'm aware of.
Our biggest problems that create the most angst within our association, are speeding, deer management, goose management, dust control and how many trees can you cut down on your property, not necessarily in that order of importance.
I was originally looking for an association of associations thinking that someone else may have already had similar challenges and came across Community Associations Institute (CAI). But after reading what they had to say on their web site, I realized that was something I wanted to no part of.
I then found this board, but it seems as if everything I read is negative, which is why I made my "breath of fresh air" comment.
And no, I'm not a board member, but am a member of several different committees.
Posted Oct 9 2006 12:03PM CEST
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Jim Morvay
Canaan Valley, West Virginia |
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I was a volunteer for 3 years until I was run-off when I tried to look deeper into our developer-run CAI affiliate HOA.
I have since reported their cronyism to the IRS and our states attorney general but the developer is pretty well connected. I think many would volunteer and not be pointing fingers if it wasn't for legit reasons.
I've seen close up how the managers and "select" committee members (and their attorney enforcers) operate as closed cliques. It worries me that we would give them such power over us like HOA foreclosure power. Why should HOAs ever be given this power. There are many ways to collect small debts to untrustworthy non-profits, such as these without giving them our homes and destroying so many families...it's still hard to believe this is going on in America.
See this TUPCA battle with the Texas senate (scroll in 1:45 to view it). One homeowner brought the senate committee to a halt with her tears:
http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com/2006/10/listen-to-senate-hearings-on-tupca.html
Posted Oct 5 2006 4:08PM CEST
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Username withheld
, Texas |
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Jan,
I must have worded my response wrong. By NO means is our HOA board/association "good"!!
I was trying to say that whomever the original poster was, is fortunate to be involved in a "good" one...if so said is tru!
Posted Oct 5 2006 12:12PM CEST
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Kim McCarthy
, Colorado |
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My thoughts exactly, Robbie. Anyone who has to hide who they are and where they come from probably has lots of other stuff they're hiding too. Wouldn't surprise me at all if they were HOA board members (or a member of the board's "cabal"), or a member of the CAI (lawyer/lobbyist).
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I would also like to know what association, board of directors and management company you have. Are you one of the board of directors in your association? Are you sure you're not in Orange County, California?
Why not name yourself? If you're truly sincere, you will name yourself and give more information to this website!
Posted Oct 4 2006 8:29PM EDT
Robbie Bell (View Profile)
Laguna Niguel, California
Posted Oct 5 2006 6:32AM CEST
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Jan Jackson
Florissant, Colorado |
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