Reply
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,109
Registered: ‎04-14-2013

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

I feel your pain. I so agree with just about every comment here - and that's why I went on an urgent mission to find a home in a community with NO HOA. I did, and we couldn't be happier now. Our last neighborhood had detached and attached housing, garage and non-garage units, a raving maniac for board president, and the rest of the board push-overs. There was always conflict and it mattered not if you tried to participate - if you didn't stroke the right person you got nowhere in terms of community policy (but you could expect subversive favoritism and it was maddening, the lack of constancy and the lack of foresight for the "big picture"). The property management company was a joke - our rep showed a notable lack of language comprehension, correct spelling, grammatical syntax, proof reading - the list goes on. Scary, for someone interpreting legal documents on behalf of a community. Then again, she was easy to manipulate so the president thrived on it. Now, the state plows our road and we pay $5.50/week to have trash and recyclables collected. No dread when checking the mail in the event of the "violation letter". My front door can be any color I like. Property maintenance is our business. Parking and having visitors is never an issue. No going back!

Cogito ergo sum
Super Contributor
Posts: 1,335
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

Grown, mature adults turn into bickering, controlling high schoolers on these HOA board. No matter how "high end" the condo development is, it's the same old thing with the board no matter where it is! I'd rather get a root canal than serve on one of these things. My husband was President of a HOA board years ago when we were first married, and man oh man, was that ever an education!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

You should be happy people actually attend meetings! I am original owner of 21 years and the only time people attend meetings is to request an architectural change or appeal something from the board.

We were required to attend a meeting about 10 years ago on parking and it wasn't pretty.

I was required to attend a meeting about 5 years ago to make a statement for the record regarding the renters in the TH next to me. They were working with the police on having them removed and I needed to make a statement on the record for the legal process.

Other than being required to attend meetings, I stay far away from them.

My community is on the website Nextdoor.com. All people complain about are dog poop and trash.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN
Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

just as here on this BB and in all other public forums what you get in a HOA is just a bunch of cliques - who all band together no matter how inane a certain subject may be and then they will argue as a group with anyone who has anything else to say. After being on this board I am very well versed on how these things go, and I could not care less to attend those meetings past the one yearly one we are required to attend unless we get an exemption.I have a friend who, when ever the HOA is brought up in a conversation, just walks away. I am planning to take that exact attitude when we go home this fall.

We were notified that there is a new plan of homes going to be built right next to our plan. Only 40 homes - all over a million dollars. Some of the people in our plan are moaning , sending out e mails that we need to make them build a wall between our plan and theirs. DH and I got a good laugh when one of our friends said - Don't worry , they will no doubt be building a very large wall to keep us out !!!!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,234
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

YES!!! There's always someone who has a controlling dominant personality who wants to dictate to the board. Often those types are counting on other members not to want to wage war and fight. Oh boy, if you have a couple of that type your board becomes a mess.

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 149
Registered: ‎06-15-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

Trix I noticed you were from chicago...are you guys having issues with the new palm ruling in your association?
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,143
Registered: ‎04-18-2012

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

I refuse to ever live in a home with a homeowners association. The petty power tripping is just insane.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval
Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,954
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

The President of our condo board is a retired doctor. He was the CEO of a huge cancer research hospital here in town.

I just speak to him privately re: any issues I have...and let him run the show. I would never assume to have his kind of experience and he really enjoys his role.

Super Contributor
Posts: 408
Registered: ‎05-01-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

I always avoided HOA's but now I live in a neighborhood with one. So far, no problems. We do have one who has a bit of a "strong personality." Hits with a velvet covered brick. I joined a committee figuring if I am part of the solution i can make a difference. You know what they say, keep you friends close and your enemies closer.

Super Contributor
Posts: 771
Registered: ‎04-06-2010

Re: Ot anyone here on a condo/townhouse board?

We are in a condo now and there are a handful of people that make decisions, always doing only what they want and they run others away so that they can be the only people on the board. The lady on it now is perfectly classless and always has been. She makes everything UGLY. She cuts down trees, and is constantly, constantly throwing cement over everything. She has a thing for cement trucks I guess. She also loves cheap tacky plastic things, those garden picks and reflectors. Big plastic mail boxes. I could literally write a full book of horror stories about our association and my advice is to distance yourself as much as possible, keep private and get out if you can, and stay out if you are not in one.

Yes, I know some people work hard on these boards. But the fact is a certain personality type gravitates towards these boards and they usually drive the nice people away. They need to revamp the laws on these HOA's, most were put together years ago.