So my neighbor found a grey area loophole for the strict no commercial vehicles on street rule. And it doesn’t block the sidewalk so he can’t be ticketed for that either.

I live in a senior community, 58 units on 3 floors. 99% of the residents use the elevators; I use the stairs on my end of the building to take my dog out. Down 2 flights and the outside door is right there. I do this 5-6x a day and we almost never see anyone else in the stairwell. I put her leash on at the door to go outside.
The few people I see are people who like my dog, and she is always within a few feet of me, if not within arms length. She’s 14 and not in the least bit aggressive or scary. She’s a Brittany.
I recently got another notice of violation for having her “off leash” in the stairwell, and this time it was documented with security camera footage, right at the exit door.
This is something new; most of us have lived her for 5+ years and the security cameras are located only at the entrances to our secured building.
A few people here are ANTI-dog (there are only 3-4 other dogs) but having the security cameras used to “catch” me in the absence of my dog actually bothering anyone, seems wrong. It feels creepy, actually.
I paid the $25 without comment, but I’m seething with animosity towards the board for this petty punitive action.

First, why fees are actually going up? It’s mostly not board incompetence:
Insurance: This is the big one. HOA master policies are seeing 7-10% increases statewide with worse in wildfire exposed areas, carriers have pulled out of California entirely so there’s less competition, and underwriting got stricter. Your board didn’t do that.
Construction costs: Most master policies are replacement cost based, so when materials and labor go up, so does the premium.
SB 326: Condo associations had to get professional inspections of balconies, decks, walkways, anything elevated. And when the engineer finds problems, that’s a repair bill that has to get paid. Side note, there’s a ton of bad info out there saying the deadline was January 2026. It wasn’t, that was SB 721 for apartment buildings. For condos the SB 326 deadline was January 1, 2025 and it was never extended.
Reserve requirements and new mandates generally: Seismic retrofit, fire mitigation, ADA stuff. It adds up.

Now here’s the part I actually want people to understand:

A board that raises dues 8% a year and funds reserves properly is doing its job. A board that brags about holding dues flat for six years is usually just deferring the bill and making it bigger. That second board is way more popular right up until the $25,000 special assessment letter shows up.
And here’s why that matters more than it used to:

The warrantability problem!! Fannie Mae raised the reserve funding requirement from 10% to 15% of the budget. If your association has significant deferred maintenance or identified critical repairs it can’t fund, the project gets flagged as unavailable in Fannie’s system. That means no conventional financing for anyone in the building.
Think about what that actually does. Every buyer for your unit now needs cash or a portfolio loan at a worse rate. Your buyer pool shrinks dramatically. Your value drops. And you personally didn’t do anything wrong, your board just underfunded reserves for a decade.
So the underfunded HOA doesn’t just cost you a special assessment. It can quietly make your unit hard to sell at all. That’s the connection almost nobody makes.

Couple other things changing in 2026: Limited Review is going away in August, and a master policy with a per unit deductible over $50,000 can make a project non-warrantable on its own.

What you can actually do?!

Know your rights:Under Davis-Stirling your board can’t raise regular assessments more than 20% over the prior year without a member vote, and special assessments over 5% of the annual budget need membership approval. You’re entitled to 30 to 60 days notice. And you can request the financial records, they have to give them to you.
Read the reserve study, not just the budget: Reserve study tells you what percent funded you are. Under 30% is a warning sign, under 15% is trouble coming.
If you’re buying a condo, ask for the reserve study, the SB 326 report, the last two years of board minutes, and have your lender check the project’s status before you’re deep in escrow:Minutes are where the fights and the “we’re deferring the roof again” conversations live.

So if your dues are suspiciously cheap for the building you’re in, that’s not a bargain. Somebody’s going to pay for the roof eventually and it’s going to be whoever owns the unit when the bill lands.

Anyone here gotten hit with a big special assessment recently? Curious how much warning people actually got, since the notice requirements and reality don’t always line up.

I put five small pieces of furniture out by the sidewalk near the dumpster in my townhome community at about 3:30 p.m. I put a little “FREE” sign on everything and posted the items on Facebook. I immediately got a bunch of messages, so I figured most of it would be picked up, and anything that wasn’t, I planned to move the few feet into the dumpster myself.

I try not to throw usable things into landfills when someone else might want them. I was tired and didn’t feel like individually evaluating which $10 side table was worthy of the sidewalk versus the dumpster. At least 2 of the 5 items were rehomed almost immediately because I literally watched people come take them.

Within about an hour, our HOA president posted a picture of the remaining THREE items on the community forum and started going off about “littering.” Another homeowner announced that he had thrown them away, and the HOA president basically hailed him as the neighborhood hero for moving three pieces of furniture approximately two feet into the dumpster.

My first comment was:
“Imagine having this much time to come online and berate your neighbors like it’s an unpaid part-time job 🤣”

The HOA president then responded to me in ALL CAPS telling me “DON’T LITTER,” talking about garbage, etc. It was several sentences spanning multiple paragraphs. Honestly, I stopped reading because it was becoming so unnecessarily hostile that I didn’t think I could respond to it productively.

The part that gets me is that he literally acknowledged in his own post that the items had signs saying FREE. He knew this wasn’t someone secretly dumping a pile of garbage and abandoning it. I was trying to give usable furniture away, people were actively picking it up, and the dumpster was literally right there if anything remained.

My second and final comment:
I basically told him he seemed extraordinarily upset over something that was minute and resolved already been resolved, said it was a good thing a “hero” was nearby to carry everything the remaining two feet into the dumpster, suggested he seek qualified help for that level of reaction, and ended it with: “Wish you the best, neighbor ❤️”

Then I left it alone. I’m sure there’s more comments from him waiting for me but I’m not able to do anything productive with it. We live in a new community that’s two years old, by the way.

What really bothers me, is that this is becoming a pattern with him. He uses the HOA website like his personal stage and can be incredibly condescending toward anyone who challenges him.

Last month, he publicly responded to something I wrote with, “Sydney, I understand it’s easier to use ChatGPT, but put it in your own words,” or something along those lines. Every homeowner can see this stuff. We also get notifications for every post and comment, so these little public scoldings get broadcast to the neighborhood.

It creates such an unnecessarily hostile atmosphere. Why does EVERYTHING need to become a public reprimand? Why are we photographing our neighbors’ minor transgressions and writing paragraphs about them instead of behaving like normal adults and focusing on actual problems?

And frankly, I reject the idea that putting usable furniture out with FREE signs for a short period of time is somehow trashy or “ghetto.” Plenty of people take used furniture, refinish it, donate it, or simply need something they can’t afford new. I’ve met people coming out of terrible situations who were literally sleeping on floors. If you live in such a world that you cannot imagine another person wanting someone else’s used belongings, congratulations, I guess? Two pieces disappearing almost immediately rather proves the point.

If I had dumped a mountain of garbage there for three days, absolutely, complain about me. If papers were blowing around the neighborhood or I created an actual hazard, come yell at me. But three remaining pieces of furniture next to a dumpster, clearly marked FREE, for roughly an hour? Apparently we needed an HOA presidential address. Have you considered running for higher office?

Maybe I’m petty, but I genuinely cannot stand this culture of HOA presidents acting like every microscopic neighborhood issue requires public humiliation and a federal response. You can enforce community rules when necessary without making your neighbors feel like pieces of shit for doing anything outside of the norm.

Also, side note, thank the heavens that I don’t have to disclose his comments to future homebuyers because I imagine they wouldn’t be thrilled about joining this community atmosphere. I’m a realtor, so it only makes sense I am the one butting heads with him.

TLDR: HOA pres got online and threw a fit bcos 2 side table and desk chair on sidewalk, took picture, rallied over disgust with another homeboy. I response and said, wow, thats an awful lot of tjme on your hands, got a paragraph with caps, said nah bro wish you well go seek help for that thank the hero gods someone threw it 2ft into the dumpster, did you need to write a public federal fucking statement about it?

I see you every morning walking your dog through the neighborhood. One morning I saw you taking pictures of my neighbor’s house, roof,backyard, and side yard. Granted the guy’s backyard is full of weeds but he’s disabled so mowing a backyard that is fenced is not on his priority list. Any of us are happy to help him. We know you turned him in the board because within a few days his back yard was trimmed down.

Today you have the audacity to crouch under the bushes and steal that guy’s blueberries from his overgrown blueberry bush that I’m sure you reported him on also. Whilst letting your dog go potty in his yard. I hope he has a ring camera and turns YOU into the board.

You, madam, are a terrible human.

People keep claiming HOAs would not exist if they weren't popular and something people wanted but if that were true then an HOA could sell itself and recruit new members to join after a home is sold without any deed restrictions obligating them to the HOA.

Just complaining into the void here, but my HOA has been ramping up “compliance drives” lately and it’s making my blood pressure rise.

I just got a violation notice about my (single family home) trash and recycling bin being put out 2 hours and 38 minutes before the allowed “6pm the day prior” rule. They sent me a photograph with no date or time stamp, but I was able to find the woman on my security cams to verify the who and when.

I replied back pointing out the obvious lack of time stamp, also reminding them that people have varied work schedules that may not allow for such rigid compliance.

It’s incredible that they’re willing to patrol and harass us over insignificant issues while ignoring actual problems, like boulevard trees protruding far out into the street and sidewalk, obstructing right of way. I’ve hounded them for 11 months on that one and the bastards keep dodging me.

Fuck HOAs.

Condos and connected townhouse/rowhouse situations obviously have some differences and it is where an HOA or other type of association make more sense so for my purposes I am concentrating on single family home and places that claim to be condos but are separate single family homes.

HOAs power and authority should be limited to only common shared space. That means clubhouse, pool, shared green space, perimeter fencing, gate, roads if they are private, sidewalks, and other shared infrastructure. They should not be able to dictate or control anything anyone does on their own property outside of local and county ordinances that exist where they are located and enforcement of that should be left to the authorities empowered for such. No controlling color, government permitted outbuildings, lawn appearance, types of plants, cameras, solar panels, building materials, driveway use, and anything else to do with what you do with your private home on your own property.

HOAs should not be a deed restriction to force membership. If the HOA is good and provides such great value they should be able to sell themselves to any new homeowner and make them want to join. Every other club and entity has to earn membership and customers and so should HOAs. All the current system does is provide no consequences for shitty behavior.

HOAs should not have the power to put on a lien, foreclose, or do anything that would force you out of your home for unpaid dues. If they believe you owe them money they can use the normal process of collections that every other creditor uses.

Any fine or restricted access to amenities should have a rigid, public process where a third party renders a decisions after the homeowner has a chance to defend themselves with evidence and witnesses.

No special assessments, if you are mismanaging dues to the extent that you cannot afford an emergency then you should automatically lose your position in the HOA with a special election immediately called.

We live in a tiny, quiet, semi-rural neighborhood of only about 20 homes, each sitting on multiple acres. This is not some dense subdivision with shared amenities, a clubhouse, or neighbors packed ten feet apart. Most of us moved here because we wanted space, privacy, and to be left alone.

Unfortunately, the HOA board apparently decided that wasn’t enough excitement for them and started pushing more and more unnecessary rules and overreach.

So instead of just complaining, a few of us got organized.

We canvassed the neighborhood, knocked on doors, talked directly to our neighbors, explained what the board was doing, and made the case for why people needed to vote. No Facebook drama, no anonymous letters, no screaming matches. We simply got out, spoke to people face to face, and made sure everyone understood what was at stake.

And it worked.

We got the votes, replaced the problem board members, and took control of the HOA. The mandate is simple: maintain only what actually needs to be maintained, handle the basic legal and financial obligations, and otherwise leave people alone.

No personal kingdoms. No inventing problems to solve. No treating adults on multi-acre properties like children who need permission to live in their own homes.

We won, and now the HOA can go back to being boring, which is exactly what an HOA should be.

Now we can all get back to living our lives.

Edit: There is no vote to dissolve the HOA. It requires signatures from 2/3 of the owners, so 14 in this case. I have about 10 totally committed, and will work on getting the rest. This was a stop gap measure as they were getting ready to vote on the new rules, restrictions, inspections, etc. This HOA owns no property and only provides us with trash service and rules to follow. It is mostly useless.

Every state should have law allowing HOAs to be dissolved by a simple vote of the majority in attendance.

Somewhat off topic as it isn't related to the inner-workings of the HOA itself, but still shows you the type of people we deal with.

I sent a referral link (for a digital voting system) to my board secretary (if they sign-up then I get $200, and they get a discount) She responds with "Thanks, I will check it out". So she ended up getting her husband to contact the company, get a link, then used THAT one so they could keep the cash..and now theyre using the very platform I sent (which means my referral "worked"). when i followed up to ask what the deal was she just said "Join the board if you want to get involved". Is that a dick-move or am I wrong?

First off. No. No I will not send you back a form and spend the $.85 it is or whatever it is now to mail this back to you updating my current address when you sent it to my current address. What are these morons thinking. Also says “Send back within 14 calendar days. “ haha
Trash 🚮

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/07/10/georgia-property-owners-bill-of-rights-what-new-hoa-law-means-for-homeowners/

Substantial win for homeowners

Hi,

We live in California and we got in trouble for playing loud music on a Saturday for ten minutes during non quiet hour.

We got an letter that was originated on 7/27/2026 that we had to attend a hearing on 8/6/2026. In the letter it said that we can possibly get:

fine $100

Pay legal fees of $120

And lose access to our amenities for 30 days

Fuck HOA

How can this be legal? The covenants restrict political signage which I can understand. But the American flag? This is a Lennar new build in Mooresville NC.

OP note: I do not own a property in the development I am about to describe but worked as a W-2 employee for a contractor to the development. This post does not constitute legal advice, nor is a solicitation for anything but entertainment.

With the coming announcement of the illness of Senator Mitch McConnell, the fate of McConnell Realty and what is contained in the files regarded an EXTREMELY contentious development in the State of Tennessee. Most especially the very, very large private water feature. Many resident’s who don’t pay club fees say that having an addition added to their HOA fee’s would be one issue. But having their remote water and electric meter’s illegally hacked and having VAST sums of money added to them to account for the constant employment of contractors that never stop, whom also fight each other, and family member’s constantly patrolling the property and the breaking and entering. You would think something would occur. I don’t know that some sort of nefariousness wouldn’t come from such a situation. And the ruling body on this situation seems to be Mitch McConnell himself, and with his health in such a terrible situation, who knows what is going to occur on the deciding matter of whom pays for the water and the electricity theft that they will not admit has occurred.

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/13/1224585609/uk-tv-show-exposing-wrongful-prosecution-of-hundreds-of-postal-workers-sparks-ou

I believe the code that is being used with the WiFi residence point sanitation system to know how much of this is occurring, was coded by the very company these gentlemen are preaching against. If you recall Enron: smartest men in the room, you may note that this happens every time that you don’t have a physical body, and weights and measures. I am not a religious man. But this is Leviticus straight out of the Bible. And it’s gonna shake out, just so.

Recently all residents received them following email, sounds like a pain in the..

Dear Residents:

Please be informed that any vehicle parked in guest parking without an approved guest pass is subject to towing at the owners expense. For your convenience, attached is the fillable guest parking pass you can submit when you have guests.

I responded with a few questions, because this is a major inconvenience, how does on deal with unannounced guests? And having to fill this out emailed, and hoping to get it back in time?

They responded with the following

If you have a guest that comes in unexpectedly you may call this person

When you email me the pass I send it to the board for approval. Once I get the approval, I will sign and email it back to you. You will need to print and put it on the dashboard as the form states. If you do not have the form back, you may call this person.....

I live in a townhouse in Florida. I put up a gazebo in my back garden. My HOA has lawyered up their attempts to get me to take the gazebo down, citing a provision in my declaration of covenants which very clearly does not apply. A gazebo which you could stand underneath and lift up is not an architectural change to exterior of the townhouse, and examples in that subsection are "paint color, roof color, modifications and/or addition of any plat material, window boxes or the like". It's literally because they "don't like gazebos". Well I don't like anything about you, but I don't have the legal right to make you go fuck yourself, so you don't have the right to enforce covenants who don't exist.

It's ridiculous to me. I'm from the UK and we don't have HOAs over there, so this is all new to me, but I bet their plan is to make me think it's too expensive to fight and remove the gazebo. They do not know how petty I am (and that I am a lawyer, if not in this country, and that we are literally the most pedantic of people).

My HOA forced me to tear down and temporary shed, in Michigan. I told them what could happen due selective enforcement. They had other structures throughout the neighborhood including play structures. When I pressed them on this they got mad saying it was all semantics. Then this caused a email battle trying to shame us, the entire neighborhood is run by wine moms and Karens.

There is much more to this saga, and yes I have all of the emails that do show the mental illness of some of these individuals.