Posts with tag Homeowners association

"Thou shalt not steal" is a shared societal principle that, by law, protects our private property, religious or otherwise, from being taken by others at will. That is, at least, until your private property becomes offensive to your local homeowners' association. An enraged family in Pittsburgh is accusing their... Continue Reading »

Another homeowners association is about to be pilloried for its less-than-delicate treatment of military families. Jodi and Timothy Burr of Bossier City, La., are being sued by their HOA for refusing to remove a front yard banner supporting their son in the Marines, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, the Huffington... Continue Reading »

Plans to build a new home for a paralyzed Army veteran at no cost to his family have been put on hold by the local homeowners association. The reason, said the president of the nonprofit homebuilding group, is fear that the home would drag down property values in the neighborhood. The Evans, Ga., home was to be built for... Continue Reading »

A 77-year-old Army veteran in Macedonia, Ohio, is fighting for the right to raise the American flag in his front yard. Fred Quigley, a retired Army chaplain and minister who served active duty during the Vietnam War, is being threatened with legal action because his flag violates his homeowners association's rules on... Continue Reading »

Condo owners are legally entitled to the same pet allowances as other residents in need: There are guide dogs for the blind and alert dogs for the hard-of-hearing. Their owners are protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act when it comes to keeping the animals at home in a building that might otherwise have a no... Continue Reading »

Spring home selling season is upon us, and there are more homes on the market this year than ever before. According to reports from the National Association of Realtors and CoreLogic, more than a year's worth of homes are for sale or in the foreclosure pipeline. With so many homes available, homeowners need to find new... Continue Reading »

People aren't the only ones walking away from underwater mortgages. Banks are walking away, too. Communities are fighting back to regain control of their neighborhoods. Some by forcing banks to terminate mortgages. Others by purchasing the homes abandoned by banks, fixing them up then renting or selling them. A... Continue Reading »

Homeowners have different needs than buyers and sellers: Mainly, they already own homes, and therefore are less affected by day-to-day market issues. Still, 2011 promises to bring some new twists to this large group of consumers. Tara-Nicholle Nelson of our sister site, WalletPop.com, gives a glimpse at some of the housing... Continue Reading »

Homeowner associations struggle daily with how to pay the bills as more and more HOA fees go unpaid on housing units in or near foreclosure. That means HOA members are left holding the bag for unpaid mortgages in their communities -- and end up paying higher fees or getting fewer services. The Association Law Group (ALG),... Continue Reading »

You may recall the story of Captain Michael Clauer and his wife, May. The couple, who live in Frisco, Texas, owned their $300,000 home free and clear. But when Michael, an Army reservist, was deployed to Iraq, his wife got into a funk and failed to pay their $800 homeowner association dues. Next thing you know, the... Continue Reading »

Patty Robinson got a great deal on her townhouse in Charlotte, N.C. It needed some updating, but she didn't mind investing in new carpeting, paint and window treatments, because that would make it feel truly like her own. She planned ahead and was careful to take a detailed inventory of her belongings so that she would... Continue Reading »

Capt. Michael Clauer of Frisco, Texas was deployed and serving his country in Iraq when the Heritage Lakes Homeowners Association decided to sell his family's home. The story is an especially surprising one considering that the HOA foreclosed on the home owned by Capt. Clauer, who serves in the Army Reserve, and his wife... Continue Reading »

As suburban sprawl continues and traffic demands increase everywhere, more homeowners are faced with an annoying byproduct: noise. But there are numerous ways to fight noise. We'll start with your yard. Several "green" solutions exist that, when combined, can reduce the perception of noise. Here are some things you can... Continue Reading »

Many struggling homeowners have to make tough choices about which bills to pay. If you live in a community with a homeowners association or own an apartment in a building with a condo association in Florida, you'd better pay those monthly fees -- or you could lose your house. Florida law puts a homeowners association on... Continue Reading »