Entire homeowners association board resigns after $60K special assessment dispute

10 Tampa Bay has confirmed residents of the Villas of Carillon townhome community got an email Friday informing them the entire homeowners association board has resigned, effective immediately.
This comes after owners successfully postponed a board vote on how they would be allowed to pay a $60,000 special assessment stemming from a structural integrity reserve study.
Confusion over recent state reforms intended to prevent another tragedy like the 2021 Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside may have contributed to the management company's recommendation and the board's action to require its reserves to be "fully funded."
Those reforms require reserve and milestone studies and required yearly contributions to reserves but they only apply to units that are three stories or higher. All of the townhomes at the Villas are two stories.
The board also contended insurance companies would not insure the complex in a few years if funds weren't in reserves to pay for new roofs. However, a reserve study would have required the time equivalent cost of the project to be in a fund ahead of any renovation, if the association would want to avoid special assessments, according to Patricia Staebler, a certified reserve specialist based in Sarasota.
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[@scotts8284]

NEVER purchase property with an HOA.

[@411sponge72]

Totally agree 👍

[@renneedwards9826]

I learned the hard way 🚩👀💅🏾

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

your simplistic answers to the questions?? so you want crack dealers, grow ops in garages, and derelict cars and appliances on the lawn? you want Compton.

[@newfellazlive]

It’s tough because half of houses being built are being an a hoa.

[@user-mm5te6px8g]

100%

[@mselle66]

Mishandling of that money that's exactly what HOA really does

[@thomastuorto9929]

You ever been on a HOA board? I am for the second time. The only mishandling is when I wasn't on it, my lazy neighbors gave it over to a property management company. While it is good for handling the problem residents & have a host of contractors to get the work needed done, it is an added not needed cost. Also, it is not the property managements money & the work is shody or not even done on the correct building, they always side with the contractor because it is easier than go back & forth. What ever is less work for them because again, it is not their money! 2 buildings with a total of 15 units between both. We have a $4k totaling $60k SA due July 2024 with less than half paid. I believe we will need another SA to get, keep the property up to 100% quality & a sufficient amount of money in the Reserves.

[@mselle66]

😢 why buy an apartment I'm sorry To me it is pointless

[@thomastuorto9929]

@@mselle66 For me, it was pretty cheap at the time & if you don’t count property taxes & HOA fees, grew about 135% in 20 years vs renting. I never wanted a mortgage but rent was getting to high & found no single family homes that satisfied me for what could afford or wanted to spend. Back then to even now, it was & is still much cheaper than renting. I could refinance the equity & rent it out & pull in extra income every month providing one gets a good tenant. Background checks & 1 year security. We have two owners (don’t reside here) that own multiple condos here & elsewhere & their tenants are building up equity for them every month.

[@CountryAndProud]

​@@mselle66brainwashed into thinking its what they're supposed to do.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

@@mselle66 For older people it's less maintenance since the common areas and building maintenance are shared, but it looks like in the long term, those HOA fees and assessments are killers.

[@szhinkoszhinko5006]

HOA should be illegal

[@Gk2003m]

You’re playing the victim card - in error. No one puts a gun to your head to force you to buy a property in an HOA (or condo, or share in a co-op). You CHOOSE that of your own free will.

[@wonkawilly5573]

​@@Gk2003m Your comment may be correct, but you have failed miserably at taking the next step.

[@steven4315]

@@Gk2003m Try buying a new or even fairly new home in Florida that doesn't have an HOA. No first hand knowledge but have been told it is very hard to do.

[@CountryAndProud]

​@@Gk2003mthe point is they're small pockets of communism.

[@Johnthecollie]

@@Gk2003mfound the guy who writes fines for leaving your trash out 30 seconds past trash pickup.

[@jeffbaca1173]

Their resignations occurred because prison time was looming.

[@RossMalagarie]

no HOA members where going to jail, a HOA can take your home if you don't obey one of their made up rules. So yeah HOAs can do whatever they want and you pay them to do it.

[@rndmvar]

Resigning doesn't mean they get off scot free. They can still go to jail if an audit finds fraud, embezzling, or misappropriation of funds. If the audit finds they have no records, then the IRS can go after them for tax evasion/fraud. The only sure method out for them, would be fleeing to a non-extradition country.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I imagine they just didn’t want to deal with neighbors screaming at them. Those are volunteer positions so it’s their choice whether to donate their time and energy to the community.

[@neil5611]

And still looming. The law can still charge them even if they resign.

[@jasoncrandall73]

I went to my steady amount of Condo association board meetings when I owned a Condo in Bradenton FL for 10 years. 89 units. Less than 20 homeowners per meetings.

[@alan8887]

I lived in a H.O.A. complex and the problem I experienced was when a resident wanted a new roof installed, everyone in the complex wanted a new roof installed. If a resident got new gutters, everyone wanted new gutters, if someone got a new fence, everyone wanted a new fence. The situation was impossible, so I sold and got out.

[@eile4219]

Not everyone. It's hoa forced everyone to get the samething..hoa is the the law. They can do almost anything

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

Sounds like tyranny of the majority in this particular case. That’s not always benign if they are short sighted or don’t have the time to think things through.

[@luigivincenz3843]

My family members lived in HOA's. Some were good. Some were evil. Not all are a bunch of commie nazi's looking at every wrong stuff. The HOA my sister lived in was almost non-existent because they were hands-off, mostly. At that HOA, the TENANTS were the ABUSERS. It should have been the other way around.

[@Tugela60]

Yeah, its greed, they think they are missing out if their neighbors get new stuff. It ends up costing a ton in wasted resources.

[@heaven-is-real]

@@eile4219 yes and that's the problem, ...they can do anything

[@mselle66]

Great reason to say hell No to condo purchases

[@bhambhole]

Indeed. It's a horrible investment.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

You don’t avoid the costs by not being in an HOA though. Things still have to get fixed whether you own it by yourself or in common with your neighbors.

[@neilkurzman4907]

This is a Florida problem.

[@SuperMachead1]

@@bhambholepaying rent is a worse investment ….

[@prst99]

Too bad condos are the only affordable option in the area. I know moving away is an option but that’s a very drastic one.

[@imxploring]

Mismanagement and living on the cheap as well as deferring maintenance and repairs has a way of catching up with you in the long run.

[@viningscircle]

Resign, or be run out of town.....

[@mikeroberts308]

Where’s the tar and feathers?

[@viningscircle]

@@mikeroberts308 oh, indeed that has its place as well 👍

[@neilkurzman4907]

Resigned because why should they get National attention for volunteer job. They probably said screw everybody let somebody else deal with it.

[@viningscircle]

@@neilkurzman4907 volunteering to pilfer the cashbox. Volunteering to hire contractor friends and family. Not exactly altruistic, that they actually care about the community.

[@waterwitch8902]

Again I say it is never ever worth living with an HOA!

[@mattbosley3531]

Half of properties in Florida have an HOA, and it's increasing. So if you want to live in Florida it's difficult to be without one.

[@waterwitch8902]

@@mattbosley3531 than I won't be going there.

[@Alwaysbeclosing1774]

Yeah I would probably say almost 75% of properties have hoa in SWFL. Most that don’t are trashy neighborhoods with pit bulls and multiple cars parked on there front yard

[@ytadventurer9170]

@@Alwaysbeclosing1774 It's amazing how many people want to live in a neighborhood that LOOKS like it has an HOA, without dealing with an HOA themselves. Meanwhile, the only reason those neighborhoods don't look like they're half occupied by squatters is thanks to the HOA. There are absolutely a few bad ones out there. But while the bad ones are the ones that make the news, they're a tiny minority. Just like people, in general. Unless you've got 10+ acres and don't have to worry about neighbors, choosing whether to buy into an HOA or not is effectively choosing whether you'd like to risk living next to an overbearing Karen or a Frat house.

[@zrebbesh]

I have never heard of any homeowner experiencing a good result from an HOA.

[@Tugela60]

In my experience it is usually a handful of obstructionist owners who cause all the issues.

[@neilkurzman4907]

Because people don’t complain when they have no problems.

[@inksday]

There are zero good reasons for an HOA.

[@Jesusistheonlywaay]

HOA are out of control but they are in 75% of properties in FL.

[@Bill-im6nt]

I though Florida as the perfect lala land?

[@tonyburzio4107]

It is, the crazies are all behind fences in HOA zoos.

[@juliannevaneps1752]

It’s actually more like 45%. You wouldn’t catch me living under the thumb of an HOA.

[@michaelfrock2473]

New HOA laws passed will fix this now.

[@Rew123]

You need an HOA to prevent loud parties, ghetto neighbors, airBnB, etc.

[@johnceragioli9671]

I’m a former architect who just retired from doing reserve studies (the funding studies they spoke of in this video) for Homeowner Associations. If you listened to the entire report it was stated that there were issues with the original installation of the roofs causing dangerous rot in the roof structures. This would necessitate a cash infusion to pay for necessary repairs in the very short haul and depending on how much money the association had accumulated, $60,000 per roof to replace the roof, gutters and downspouts and repair/replace the roof structure would not be out oof line.

[@Maria___28]

Why doesn’t the Board sue the developer for construction defect and get the money from the insurance?

[@johnceragioli9671]

@@Maria___28 There are generally legal time limits on how long the Board (HOA) has to sue developers for construction defects. I worked in California and the implied guarantee on construction was 1 year, with Boards (HOA) having 10 years to discover construction defects and another 2 years to file lawsuits after that. Floridas laws are slightly different, construction defects must be discovered within 4 years and there is only 10 years total to file. I do believe this association is older than that.

[@Maria___28]

@@johnceragioli9671 wow. So depending on the circumstances, a board may be negligent in bringing a lawsuit in a timely manner. I wonder if the homeowners can sue the Board members individually if they failed to act?

[@johnceragioli9671]

@@Maria___28 Because it often takes a long time for construction defects to show themselves, it is most likely that the board didn’t know about the defects until long after the discovery period was over. No, individual board members generally cannot be sued (with certain exceptions such as fraud and theft). The Board could be sued for inaction, but not personally. Here in California, all HOA’s are required to carry D&O (Directors and Officers Insurance) to cover instances where the Board is sued and loses.

[@Maria___28]

@@johnceragioli9671 It might be necessary to change the laws so that the time limit is extended for recovery on construction defect cases.

[@stephaniejames4940]

That's $60,000 that could be used towards your principal. With that amount you can pay your mortgage off in a few years. Never would I buy a condo and I will not purchase a home that has an HOA. They are out of control!

[@anderander5662]

Still thousand$ a month for fees and insurance....you could buy a nice home on 5 acres in the Ozarks for that.

[@Tugela60]

Ummm...it is money for repairs. Putting money into your principal is pointless if the building rots around you.

[@QAsession]

​@Tugela60 The problem with this news report is that its not complete. All properties that appear as " Condominium" in Florida MUST have recertification done. The smaller the community, the easier the process. Some communities have elevators and pools and maintenance is required. Some condos are tall buildings with underground parking.... lots of maintenance there. Others are two story townhomes with balconies and shared walls... they sill need the recertification. This Tampa community, if each unit has their own roof, then each owner is responsible for their own upkeep. They most likely pay for their own insurance. That is in contrast with townhomes who might have 5 or 6 units sharing one roof, and its a designated townhome-condo community, in which case the owners have to all contribute to a new roof...but its not gonna be $60,000!!!! That sounds outrageous. So there's more to this story than what was shared here.

[@Tugela60]

@QAsession That is not what condominium means. Look up the definition before posting please. It is a property complex of individual units, they can be a single building or they can be a collection of discrete buildings. Having your own roof does not mean you are responsible for repairing it. In towers or townhouses the HOA is responsible for that. In single dwelling developments where houses are built individually to general specifications, the owner might be responsible, but that depends on how the HOA is structured. Generally anything that requires all unit exteriors to look exactly the same will be the responsibiltiy of the HOA since they are mandating that. In the development shown the buildings are clearly multiple unit structures. As for the cost, the damage is not simply the roof, there is extensive structural damage as well, so it is not just a a case of reshingling the roof, the roof most likey has to be entirely rebuilt.

[@QAsession]

@Tugela60 You sound like you have insight into that particular community. Regardless whether you do or don't, if the board had been doing their job, there would be reserves, allowing the owners breathing room and not forcing them to have to put out so much money. And how dare you say I dont know what Im talking about. You have no idea who I am or what I do. The audacity. Smh

[@louismartinez4467]

They mean somebody finally got a lawyer...

[@nameblocked]

Hey what's the big deal? Remember, NO STATE TAXES 😊

[@nickvin7447]

Enjoy the cesspool northeast.

[@MaggieMiller1]

NEVER BUY A CONDO. They are going out of favor because of these kinds of issues. A condo board and an HOA are two different things.

[@sibhuskyguy]

tomatoe tomato.... condo and co op boards are essentially the same garbage, different tyrants...

[@eligebrown8998]

Not by much

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

The duties are similar I think. But I agree that people should think carefully about buying condos. Too many seem to think they have no more responsibilities than if they were renting an apartment, when they are in fact sharing ownership of a very complex infrastructure system. I think condo prices would be much lower if everyone really understood the risks.

[@sarahann530]

​@@aliannarodriguez1581 You seem to think all condo owners are uneducated morons .

[@JBoy340a]

Good point. Many single-family homes have HOAs. If your development has any facilities from a sign at the entryway to a pool or tennis court, it likely has an HOA.

[@rnrjunkie724]

Why did this happen...because prior boards didn't want to raise the monthly dues and reserve a little more each month for the past 20 years. If you kick the can down the road, the road will eventually end. This HOA is at that place. Boards fight over low monthly dues, but have a responsibility to properly fund reserves. If the special assessment is $60k per unit, it sounds like they have not been saving for more than just roofs, as each unit's roof replacement won't cost $60k, even if plywood needs replacement. Point the finger at prior boards and a management company that ignored a growing problem, and maybe at yourselves for not understanding where you live and how an HOA works.

[@Telephonebill51]

Don't forget that most HOAs are staffed by TOTALLY unqualified idiots that A)like to boss people around, B) THINK they're good at managing, when in fact they are just good at shouting orders all day, and C) they usually have someone in charge shoe them into a job they can't do, so they never get removed or the guy that appointed them looks like an idiot, too. HOA's just suck in EVERY capacity, and do what they Do do badly.

[@ashleyconnor8891]

Point the finger at the residents mostly…..kicking the can down the road to be someone else’s problem. THAT’s the untold story here….a good journalist would find out the past numbers

[@ploppill34]

You were not paying attention. None of the buildings are over two stories. The law doesn’t apply to them. Do try and keep up.😂

[@ploppill34]

@@ashleyconnor8891 the residence can’t just quit their job like the board did and walk away your pointing fingers in the wrong direction as usual😂

[@grand2425]

Stay away from HOA as much as possible.

[@jogmas12]

You mean condos, they all have HOA

[@JosEPh-zy3yr]

@@jogmas12 He said HOA which is more than condos. And he is right in is assessment of HOAs.

[@jogmas12]

@@JosEPh-zy3yr sure there are houses in HOA communities but the only responsibility in those communities are upkeep of your front yard , general community landscaping and a community center if they have one. Other than that all repairs and maintenance on your house is your responsibility, just like a non HOA house.

[@mcsegeek1]

Never ever ever live in an HOA controlled condo unless you want to deal with this kind of incompetence and stress in your retirement years.

[@bmacd2112]

Should we all bow our heads and have a moment of silence for all those UNEMPLOYED, former HOA board members? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@safeandeffectivelol]

Those aren't real jobs and most of them don't get paid. If they do, it's usually not much. Most of them do it for the power or to steal.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

Interesting view of human nature. There are actually a lot of people that feel a sense of civic responsibility. It’s not the only reason people get on boards, but it’s a pretty common one.

[@JBoy340a]

They are volunteers.

[@Tugela60]

HOA board members are not paid, they are volunteer positions.

[@NuKarriuss]

😹

[@mhoepfin]

All of these commenters not even realizing the special assessment is for structural repairs, roofs, etc that likely has been an issue kicked down the road for a long time and now the community is paying the price for deferred maintenance. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not like the money is going into the pocket of the board members as they have to pay the special assessment as well.

[@sct4040]

We don’t know that, maybe kickbacks.

[@markdsm-5157]

no but like politicians they treat the money they're managing like an allowance with no desire to save it. They have a conflict of interest because any project they champion raises their property values. So you see a lot of HOAs spending money on vanity projects and when the real issues arise slap these special assessments around it's candy.

[@omgitsmario7]

The special assessment comes because they refuse to raised the HOA fees on a yearly bases. Also all HOA style buildings are built cheap. They have amenities that are hard to maintain and unnecessary. Dont buy in HOA.

[@karmasutra4774]

So where do you think there are a bunch of properties not in an HOA near jobs and cities that won't require a ton of money to prep the land ? Not many

[@neilkurzman4907]

@@karmasutra4774

[@jimdavies5530]

THE LAW IS SPECIFIC, I BELIEVE, WHEN IT SAYS THREE STORIES OR HIGHER!! THE LAWYERS WHO STATED THE TWO STORY BUILDING FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY SHOULD BE DISBARRED!!

[@steven.h0629]

kinda like The 2nd.. 👍😎✊

[@neilkurzman4907]

So you’re saying they don’t have to fix the leaky roof they can continue to let them leak

[@brianatkinson6600]

This is no surprise. Being a member of an HOA board is not only difficult, it's uncompensated (not to mention it's governing your neighbors). I like HOA's when run properly (I've lived in 5 and in my 28th year). However, it isn't usually the board or the concept that is the problem..... it's the people that live in them. This current HOA I live in.... I bet at least half of the owners are not qualified to own a home (mentally, physically or financially). I bet the majority of the homeowners in this story are not qualified to own a home. My current HOA is like showing up to a tricycle race with a motorcycle. An HOA board has very limited powers..... you cannot advance issues that an idiot cannot perform and everyone else has to downshift to the dumb. An HOA is a "business", not a "daycare center". Florida has a major problem.... borderline functional fixed income (people that cannot afford to be retired) are trying to turn HOA's into retirement communities (makes proper funding very difficult / if not impossible). There needs to be a way to qualify people who buy into an HOA.

[@wayzooted]

Uhhhh... They need new roofs. That is the issue. And, insurance companies are not going to be hung out to dry for their lack of maintaining them.

[@xFD2x]

How old are those houses, and why doesn't a roof last as long as the house does ? My roof is 30 yrs old and I feel no need to replace it.

[@wayzooted]

@@xFD2x Out of the 2+ minute segment the issue at hand (roofs) is only covered in the final 10 seconds. *Also important to note that a "30 year roof" is not going to be 30 years in Florida. Dimensional shingles for example are typically a "25-30 year" roof material, it would be stretching it at 20 years here.

[@xFD2x]

@@wayzooted Those houses were build in 2006. I found the info online. Wouldn't a metal roof survive Florida circuimstances a lot longer ?

[@wayzooted]

@@xFD2x Yes, if designed, installed and maintained properly. Apparently the management company claims therein lies the issue.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

@@wayzootedAnd the insurance companies are now declining to insure homes with roofs older than ten years in some cases.

[@ApriliaRacer14]

Once received a HOA notification that I had three weeds in my front lawn, photos and a correlating report that required me to provide how I was going to remedy it. 🤣😂😆🙄

[@AlbertoGonzalez..]

Wow

[@cgrf45]

I would have wipe my butt with it and send it back.

[@sarahann530]

Why didn't you pick the weeds, are you handicapped ?

[@neilkurzman4907]

You’re complaining on the wrong article. This is about a condominium. The condominium is responsible for getting rid of the weeds.

[@jptang1701]

@@neilkurzman4907 You sound like a weed too. Can you get rid of yourself?

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

Sixty thousand more reasons to not be in an HOA.....

[@karmasutra4774]

Not many options otherwise. Homes have them, condos have them.. hard to find land you can buy and not spend a ton getting prepped for water and septic and all that. Not all counties allow you to just plop down an RV like many think. HOA's are everywhere now

[@dvate]

Wow talk about greedy people

[@coldjello8436]

“When HOAs make lawyering up cheaper than paying fees.” On the next episode of “Florida”.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

The roof still has to be fixed, lawyers can’t make that go away.

[@d.c.3220]

HOA Boards are going to be the bad guys x10 with the fallout on this new law. No one is going to want to serve on those boards with angry owners taking it out on board members. Remember - this new law that goes into affect in 2025 is forcing all associations to make up financial deficits that where were allowed previously. This particular complex and the 60k assessment relates to structure defects that were probably a builder screwup that were uncovered recently and will cost $$$ to fix.

[@neilkurzman4907]

Surfside resident fought the HOA board there for three years before the collapse.

[@TheBodrey]

Since none of the units is more than 2 storeys the HOA board shouldn't be charging the owners SA fees in the first place. The fact that they're exploiting these new reserve laws in an attempt to have the owners fund their shortfalls is just wrong. I'm glad the entire board resigned, but what they attempted to do should be considered criminal. If I was looking to buy a condo (regardless of state) I would never buy one run by an HOA. They have entirely too much power and by the sounds of it are trying to use their influence to gouge the owners. As usual, the bad actors are coming out of the woodwork to exploit the new reserve requirements law. So much corruption, it's sickening.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

Talk to a friend who has lived in a condo for a long time, or better yet has served on a board. I think you need a lot more knowledge about how condos and HOAs function before considering it.

[@karmasutra4774]

There is no option than to be in one for the majority of people. Certainly would not consider any condo without one. There is no such thing .. maybe townhouses .. but you are at the mercy of your neighbors . No thank you. Bugs, fires, plumbing issues, roof leaks, unsightly paint and cars on blocks .. yuck

[@markreynolds9888]

After what the outgoing board went through I wonder who will be willing to serve? Probably not the people who complained the loudest.

[@alanssnack1192]

Sounds like Hell

[@eddiee3269]

Get new board and continue, Roof repairs to be made a priority and the law stated 3 stories so no one should see the law any differently

[@exoressdelivers70]

"Residents tonight don't know how or when a new board will be put in place". Boards are not 'put in place'. They are elected from among the homeowners themselves. That means that these complaining homeowners themselves have to be the new board and get the repairs done and everything taken care of for less money all the while keeping the rest of the homeowners happy. Let's see how that works out.😅

[@AdmiralStoicRum]

Either that or the association collapses in on itself due to a power vacuum

[@exoressdelivers70]

@AdmiralStoicRum If no one will serve on the board, the Florida statute requires that the court take over the operation of the Association. That means it will be assigned to a judge who would then appoint a trustee, normally an attorney, who the judge knows who would serve as the director of the Association. Each homeowner will have to pay the trustee fees, which will run about $200 per month per home. That is on top of the regular monthly assessments. The trustee will be a board of one who has complete authority to make every decision for the Association going forward.

[@catherineromero1862]

😅

[@johnceragioli9671]

@@exoressdelivers70 Courts taking over negligent associations is in all 50 states, not just Florida. Let’s not forget that when your association is in receivership, your property is unsaleable too.

[@wadesanecki7269]

Once again, we see the cause of this problem was sub-standard work by previous contractors. The sad part is that this is not the exception, but rather the rule in Florida. Trying to find an honest legitimate contractor in Florida is next to impossible. To be a contractor in Florida, all you need is a cell phone and a pickup truck.

[@bigkahuna6277]

After the nightmare stories I have read about HOA's I would not purchase any property where an HOA was involved. Last month's Readers Digest had an excellent story on HOA's, and the people who regret buying property with HOA;s involved.

[@scotttild]

They should all be sued for not keeping up the reserves to deal with ongoing issues. There never should be that big of an assessment unless it is some kind of unknown disaster. Boards should be held liable for not doing their jobs.

[@shontoo6979]

1. These are volunteer positions. 2. The current board may not even be responsible for past board decisions. 3. Often residents don't want to take time to attend HOA meetings or participate in the process until something goes wrong.

[@keezjordan1619]

Check all the past finances of this HOA. they all quit sounds sketchy. It is your right to have full financial records.

[@catherineromero1862]

Why weren’t adequate reserves maintained to begin with? What did all prior boards do? You can’t expect o own a home and not maintain its major systems and structural integrity ffs. I think this board got a bum rap and don’t blame them one bit for resigning. Let’s see if a new board is able to wave some magic wand to make everything all better without spending any money 😅

[@mencken8]

All the predictable rants about HOAs are here, but the whole point of this story is that neither the HOA BOARD nor their attorney bothered to read and understand the FL state law governing CIDs (Common Interest Developments, e.g., condos, co-ops, zero lots, town homes, or even detached houses). Apparently they not only attempted to impose an assessment not required by the law, but the requirements of the new statute only apply to properties of 3 or more stories, and theirs is only 2.

[@ChiCityLady]

Regardless of the law, the roofs are rotting and are a danger to anyone living under them. They need to be replaced along with the gutters. $60k per tile roof plus replacing the rotting structure underneath and the gutters doesn't seem like an outrageous price. It just seems like they have serious structural damage to fix.

[@ChromeLuxx]

New federal laws are needed to regulate HOAs. They should NOT have the power to apply leans on properties or apply fees.

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

liens

[@supremesfan2]

Fees are applied after letters have gone out and warnings if the the issue is not corrected. Liens apply as the last resort.

[@neilkurzman4907]

It’s funny when people like you just blindly make that statement every time you see HOA or even think you heard it. This is condominium, which means the roof have to be fixed by the condominium board that works out to $60,000 per owner. They must’ve really let the place go for a long time.

[@keithjansen1734]

If a construction company or companies sold defective residences i.e. roofs and gutters then that company should pay to have them fixed not the buyers

[@rapid13]

It’s called a reserve study, and I find it hard to believe that there is a state that doesn’t have a law on the books regarding the funding of the reserve.

[@tamaradavis3693]

the only hard and fast rule we gave our realtor when searching for our new home: ABSOLUTELY no HOA's, ever.

[@neomonk5668]

I’ll just take a wild, unfounded guess, but I’m betting the HOA has relatives willing to do the ‘work.’

[@ashishpatel350]

This is what happens when you dont put money aside. The board is right and ir shoulr be fully funded . Hoas that aren't funded will just lowerr your property values

[@danielterry382]

One of the issues is the Boards are not shopping repairs careful enough. The problem is also that no one wants to be on these Boards and you get unqualified people. My neighborhood has a Professional management company we pay to run the Neighborhood correctly.

[@catherineromero1862]

Bingo! It isn’t as simple or easy as one may think. Let others in this HOA run for board and then they’ll find out

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I think volunteer board members would rarely have the expertise to shop the repairs carefully. A lot of associations have a management company to handle things like that, but those companies don’t have any skin in the game and may not do the work needed to get the best price and product either. And they themselves are a big expense. Still, they’ll be able to do a better job than the volunteer board members.

[@catherineromero1862]

@@aliannarodriguez1581 getting at least three proposals and then submitting to the board for their approval is probably the standard. Next step is a vote of the owners on a special assessment. I feel like there are parts missing to this story or the board just didn’t know how to handle things like you said. They’re just homeowners themselves

[@dolphinbear661]

Proof it was a $ grab. Sue them for harassment & legally disband the entire HoA. Do the work yourselves, if there is actually any work that needs to be done.

[@CherylSCampbell]

No roofing company is going to do business with individuals, but only with an association, because this is an association property. It is part of the common elements

[@dolphinbear661]

@@CherylSCampbell dis-band the HOA. Roofing companies routinely work directly for homeowners.

[@CherylSCampbell]

​@@dolphinbear661 Sure, as individuals. You tell me who is going to put a roof on a 80-person mulfi-family building without dealing with a SINGLE entity that will ensure payment and can demonstrate adequancy of funds for the whole job. And, more importantly, that entity needs to have the power to put a lien on the unit owners in the event someone has failed to pay up, if the job gets bigger than expected. (That often happens in big jobs. You raise the roof only to find the concrete deck needs repaired before the roof can be replaced, for example). One individual cannot put a lien on another individual. And the roofing company sure as heck isn't going to be dealing with the names and credit-worthiness of 80 unit owners.

[@dolphinbear661]

@@CherylSCampbell my Mom lives in a condo & just did her portion of the roof. I'm not sure who you're arguing with. If they need a roof, get a roof. Dang

[@neilkurzman4907]

Sure it’s a condominium. They can disband the condominium. It’s not gonna fix the roof. I’m not sure how you would fix the rules if people in common buildings had to team up together but in the end it’s still 60,000 a unit

[@smallcoffee75]

The good news is the residents won't be forced to pay Big Dollars because they underfunded the reserves for new roofs and general upkeep on the property and buildings. Hopefully with a new board they might be able to vote to lower their monthly assessments. Big Win for the Homeowners who only want a modest low cost place to live and can put up with some drips, bugs, cracked sidewalks and broken railings in the complex.

[@catherineromero1862]

Leaking roofs, too right? 😅

[@karmasutra4774]

@@catherineromero1862cheaper for them to pool together and get a contract for the roofs and they all do it together no middle man

[@Mako_683]

Wait, so condo owners dont actually own their unit? Hence why the repairs need to be done from a communal pot? (Still learning about condos)

[@lisacarpenter8849]

Residence who bought in to these villas should not be paying for Shawty construction when they were built

[@vb3147]

Do not buy in a neighborhood with a HOA!!!!!

[@williamjones7163]

Audit the hell out of that board! Something fishy is going on!!!

[@johnnyfreedom3437]

I only lived under an HOA for 2 years before I moved out! I bought a wonderful home in an amazing town in Oklahoma with no HOA! My neighbors and I are happy, there's no additional fees!!

[@davehenson3588]

60,000 and 10% for the pockets of the board.

[@1225328]

The board that just resigned were on the take

[@HuCing11]

Like politics, Condo and H.O.A Boards are magnets for people of questionable moral character with criminal intent.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I’m sure it happens. It’s like Little League coaches. You might typically get community minded moms and dads that just really want to help out young kids, but it’s also a dream job for pedos.

[@Paul-ps8ho]

I sold mine in 2015 i saw the signs coming.when i moved in hoa was 140 plus special assessments $$$ when i left it was 450 now its 650, money doesnt just appear because the hoa says so i can cut my lawn Myself.

[@karmasutra4774]

You lived in these?

[@jeffbaca1173]

@@Paul-ps8ho ouch

[@Paul-ps8ho]

@karmasutra4774 not these but another set of condos

[@joeh.3135]

Note to self , add to list of despicable corrupt and sorely failing alphabet clubs .

[@neilkurzman4907]

So who’s left that’s not in your list of conspiracy theories?

[@rayRay-pw6gz]

There is no information on exactly why they need to raise $60K from each unit. We never heard from anybody on the board. Not a good source to make any comments on. Need to hear the the other side give their version.

[@joshuaborem7063]

The amount of people misunderstanding HOA is ridiculous. Just complaining about them with their imagination as the only source.

[@l7le]

HOA rules should require each board member to own personal liability insurance, everything should be available to all owners upon request, and all owners or their representative need to take their turn being an HOA board member.

[@weedandwater]

I bought my first home in a HOA neighborhood. It was the worst mistake I ever made. I sold my house for less than what I bought it for so I could get out. That’s how much I hated it.

[@steveg6978]

yes 20 years of voting no to maintenance

[@jazziez6467]

I heard it is impossible to get rid of an hoa once they are established. My neighbor wanted people to join hoa and my hubby and I was at the meeting and my hubby yelled to shut him down or he'd beat his as*, meeting shut down and never occured again.

[@AdmiralStoicRum]

I'm willing to bet the assault charges will be in the long term cheaper than all the HOA dues that would be due by the end of say 3 years. It's like saves people a lot of money. I would be like hey we're going to communally fund your trial case You saved us like thousands of dollars for the rest of the time we own these houses. What's a quick 50 bucks In our support I'm voluntarily giving this to you. Lol Oh my God.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

If an HOA was such a bad idea then why not explain that at the meeting ? If physical threats are going to be how we decide arguments then we might as well yield to the criminal cartels now.

[@jazziez6467]

@@AdmiralStoicRum like i said the meeting was shut down and no one ever talked about an hoa again, no charges

[@AdmiralStoicRum]

@@jazziez6467 Oh no this was speculation I am cheering for your husband hubby.

[@dave-d-grunt]

I wonder how much the cut each board member was expecting?

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

Board members are usually unpaid volunteers, they don’t get a cut of anything.

[@JBoy340a]

They are volunteers

[@dave-d-grunt]

@@JBoy340a doesn’t mean they would dip into it.

[@johnceragioli9671]

@@dave-d-grunt Yeah it does, because if they do they get to spend time in Americas finest jails.

[@dave-d-grunt]

@@johnceragioli9671 only if they get caught and or prosecuted. Lot of corruption on those boards. You hear about some being caught regularly. But, how many don’t get caught?

[@MsMsmak]

Few property owners have the discipline to put money aside for repairs. The HOA board is forced into making hard decisions like this.

[@user-zf3xb3qx8w]

Most HOA Boards are volunteer owners. Most posters of comments are not home owners. And never will be.

[@eduardopolack3247]

60,000 per unit assesment on a 2 story villa is just abusive & Not mandated by law only for greed of the Board Members ...Fire Associations that are Abusive by Choice not by Law Mandate!

[@user-kk3qg5el1m]

I wonder if all of the board members that made that decision had their $60k check ready to submit

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were going to be in the position of having to sell too. Can you imagine how hard it would be to vote to tax yourself 60 thousand dollars?

[@xandervk2371]

I lived in a townhouse community with an HOA for 10 years, before buying a single-family home. I am calling you out for being disingenuous.

[@HausofLuciana]

Damn!!! Insane.

[@Ch17638]

This nonsense will only end when home buyers refuse to buy where there is an active HOA. When I went through my first home purchase, that was my first question to the agents because it was a deal breaker, and many times, I got responses like "no, they are relaxed, they don't bother anyone." I explained that I wanted to avoid being 10 years into my bond before the board changed and started lining their pockets with my hard-earned money. Also, in the case of this HOA, start looking into the books ASAP, especially expenses and reimbursements, before the rats scatter too far.

[@mikeb5664]

What's with Florida and HOAs? Why?

[@neilkurzman4907]

Because Florida allowed deferred maintenance and not keeping reserves for decades. They change the law to be like every other state so a lot of poorly run condos are screwed.

[@davidblaske6911]

That is the association of people who own their homes. Most townships don't have a permanent fixation on the eviction of residents.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

You don’t keep up with whatever the town wants to charge in property taxes and they will sell your home in a heartbeat. Some cities and states have passed a lot of other laws that allow them to confiscate your home as well. Philly has a horrible reputation for this.

[@Milesco]

If the HOA board members are that ignorant of what the law actually says, then they SHOULD resign!

[@radzer0966]

All these years the HOA members have been collecting and failing to do what they needed to do. They need to go back on every single of those board members who did this and go after them for the money. Make an example of what happens when you do ignorant shit like they did. That will cut all of this out overnight. They will be too afraid to let everyone go after them so they can go sit in there house and make there house whatever little paradise they want too and leave every other person alone. Laws are laws, you dont make rules that go above and beyond the law. If it was right than the law would have it the way they want it already.

[@kellymcclendon6601]

The board overstepped their authority. Was called out about it. Realized they had screwed up. Got the hell out of Dodge. Its always interesting when idiots are in control.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

My take was that they got screamed at by their neighbors and said “screw this, take this unpaid, thankless job and shove it”. A lot of HOAs can’t find people to serve on their board already.

[@brookecollins558]

Sounds like the board didn't do their homework and jumped the gun.

[@makojuicedaniel9307]

They resigned cause they know an investigation is coming. Educate educate educate

[@ronpearson998]

Why does violence come to mind?

[@selanryn5849]

Because you are a bad person.

[@neilkurzman4907]

Yes, because people like you also live there and the original board said screw this I’m not getting killed because these people don’t want to pay for their own roofs. Peace out.

[@briangasser973]

So the prior board underfunded reserves and now wants to fully fund them. If this HOA just kept adequate reserves, then funding wouldn't become so erratic.

[@khbow2810]

I don’t live in a condo or HOA but I knew the law! Some people just don’t listen well or read the complete story. Since the whole crew resigned, I’m betting they had something juicy up their sleeves.

[@karmasutra4774]

So are you renting or have a home with land no HOA?

[@AFAskygoddess]

I bought a home in a Florida HOA five years ago. I hate the HOA, but I can't afford to move if I want a similar house on the water. So my only option was to get elected to the board where I could make sure that nothing "fishy" was going on. Being an HOA director is a HORRIBLE job that pays ZERO for our time, but the alternative is to let strangers tell me how to live and how to spend my money. GET INVOLVED with your HOA! Don't complain if you don't.

[@neilkurzman4907]

Yes, so you understand the problem. It’s a horrible job. And the people who are doing that horrible job are sucking it up dealing with people like you. Remember, they’re not getting paid. By the way, if you have any business with the board or want the rules changed, you can do that without being on the board. It just has to be put up to a vote of the community.

[@rebecapickering222]

Florida HOAs are out of control. I don't understand why people insist on supporting HOAs.

[@smurf6901]

Who says Merica is great?????

[@andsoitbegins464]

I do! But then again, I don't live in a condo in Florida.😏

[@trinasyoutube]

This is what happens when you have people on “boards” & they don’t understand the intended laws put in place.

[@politicsuncensored5617]

Your first problem was hiring a "Management" company to run your HOA. The homeowners themselves should (Always) make up the entire HOA board. Then you are far less likely to have such screw ups ever. Shalom

[@catherineromero1862]

All a management company does is manage the business details and compliance issues for the board but the board is made up of owner volunteers and makes all decisions.

[@politicsuncensored5617]

@@catherineromero1862 Not necessarily. Our HOA hired an outside management company 15+ years ago because none of the homeowners stepped up to be part of the HOA board. The management comp. began enforcing rules that were not in our by-laws and issuing fines that were not in our by-laws. I got together with 5 other owners to create our own HOA board and terminated the contract with the management comp. All HOA board need to be run by the homeowner members to avoid screw ups like this one. Shalom

[@catherineromero1862]

@@politicsuncensored5617 yeah so they were not supposed to be doing that and you were right to fire them. The point is that the board is run by homeowners not by a management company the management company is a consultation Bodde only and only carries out the directives of the board to CCR’s etc. if they are not forming to that scenario then of course you’re going to get rid of them. What is an example of it being done incorrectly so I don’t see where the argument Namaste

[@politicsuncensored5617]

@@catherineromero1862 Many HOA's that have problems are run strictly by management companies and not by the homeowners. I know of many HOA's in our N. Florida area that are run by nothing but management companies and they are in the news with problems a lot. I'm not arguing about anything. I just stated in my first comment the main problem with HOAs is that the homeowners a lot of times turn over the running of the HOA to a outside service. That rarely works well for the homeowners. Shalom

[@MichaelBrown-ny3et]

Wait until next year. You won’t be able to give a condo away. Nobody there has 60k.

[@sheenestevez6710]

Being 100% funded for reserve study / capital project items is a good thing. It means monthly HOA dues are only needed to pay basic general maintenance and administrative costs. All $60k upfront, yikes. Funding needs to be aggressive but not that aggressive.

[@slshusker]

Audit time.

[@CherylSCampbell]

Sounds like they need this money up front for terrible roof problems. If new residents won't fill the board with all these problems, it will go into receivership, and they will see that $60,000 assessment again. I doubt it is going away. Under receivership, their monthly legal fees will skyrocket

[@karmasutra4774]

Why can't they just get a business loan and pay it off in smaller chunks. If it were run properly this never would have happened and they could get a loan like other HOA communities do. But everything is super expensive now. Just wow ❤

[@CherylSCampbell]

@@karmasutra4774 Because an association whose whole board resigns is not considered a good credit risk. What kind of bank would loan to them? Banks consider an assessment, whether lump sum or in installments, to be collateral for a loan. They don't just give out money because they feel sorry for associations. (I'm a former president of a large condo association, who did succeed in setting up installment payments over 10 years). Banks run associations do a demanding financial audit of the association, before they loan money. Clearly this particular association, was unable to demonstrate it could collect from its unit owners. If you were the bank, would you loan it money?

[@richardneilan2392]

The community's management company should have provided better guidance. This was easily avoidable.

[@Bonjour-World]

"the board and its management company" ... HOA Management Companies have to be licensed by the state real estate board. This company should lose their license.

[@mm-yt8sf]

no one's mad at the original contractors who constructed incorrectly? i guess it's too late to get them if it wasn't caught in a post job inspection...

[@zegamerz1980]

165 units times $60k, that's $10M. What do they want to do with that kind of cash?

[@4KindnessGal]

I must not have caught it but was the $60,000 EACH to replace facia board and gutters?

[@neilkurzman4907]

And the roofs and the structure under the roof

[@4KindnessGal]

@@neilkurzman4907 WHY do the rafters have to be removed? Construction defects? How do rafters get dry rot when there is no leak? How old is this place? From what other people have said, if they were right, there was shotty work done and now these people are being told to shut up and pay for Construction Defects and Bad Contractors Work. Plus $60,000 per unit?

[@neilkurzman4907]

@@4KindnessGal If this water leaking into the building, it can do a lot of damage. The buildings 20 years old, so any defects are probably no longer covered by the builder. And since it’s 20 years old, they must’ve known about these leaks for years and chose not to repair them. It’s not unusual for Condo owners to vote against expensive repairs and assessments, but sooner related to the bill comes due. My condominium in New York waited 30 years to do repairs on the building siding. When they did it, it ended up costing twice as much as the estimate since so much of the underlying structure was rotted. Fortunately, that assessment was just a few thousand dollars plus a similar amount for the 35 year-old roads and parking lots that needed to be repaved.

[@vatren765]

email this video to HOA and they won't mess with you.

[@user-sg4tn6lh4d]

Please watch sever abuse by Mesa County in Colorado

[@me8042]

Those $60,000 payments would be pooled and split evenly between the board and management company.

[@robertc8110]

Again... HOA tried to pull a fast one.

[@abyssmol]

Bought property in a HOA? I hope they learned their lesson!

[@Bobrogers99]

A properly-run HOA can be an asset. The problem is that the state laws that regulate HOAs are apparently very lax and/or have not been enforced. Before buying a home in an HOA, do your homework. Check the finances. Are they responsibly putting aside funds for maintenance, including periodic inspections, so that when something like a roof needs replacing there will be no need for a special assessment? Are all expenses documented? Are the rules in place overly concerned about uniformity of appearance or uses of every property? Are the rules reasonably enforced? If you aren't comfortable with what you see, look elsewhere for your home purchase.

[@kalijuri]

the construction company and whomever owns that community, even from 20 years ago, should be SUED and made to fix their shoddy workmanship.

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

I really wish that were possible. You see things that these building companies have done that is is basically fraudulent, and odds are they aren’t even in business under that name anymore.