Best practices dictate that you volunteer for the finance committee, so that you can participate in the decisions about maintenance, preservation, insurance, and protection of the real estate assets that you own in common with all other owners.
Assessments pay for those necessities.
Your question sounds like there was an original HOA, which was superseded by a new HOA. Every HOA collects assessments to operate the community, and as an owner, your governing documents define your responsibilities to pay and the association's responsibilities to collect assessments. The new HOA has its own form of assessments, regardless of the form of assessments paid to the original HOA.
Yes, an HOA can raise fees. The governing documents of the HOA typically outline the process for fee increases, which may involve a vote by the HOA board or membership. However, any fee increases should be reasonable and in line with the needs and expenses of the community.
A lien will not prevent your home from going into auction. Apparently, you owe someone for the loan to purchase the home, or you owe the HOA past-due assessments, or other debt for whicih your home is security.
Owners pay HOA assessments, in monthly or in annual payments. These payments are the revenue source for the operation of the community. Past-due assessments in escrow may be paid to satisfy a lien.
Probably not. Annual assessments are levied in order to pay the bills sufficient to operate the community. When assessments are increased year-over-year at a dramatic level, such as 25% higher this year over last, affected lenders are generally interested in exploring these increases.
Your bankruptcy attorney can help you add assessments due and owing up to the date of your filing. Assessments incurred post filing are due and owing.
The current owner will inform you as to the monies due to the HOA at the time of sale. If the HOA has filed a proper lien on the title to cover past assessments, then yes, they are paid as part of the sale.
Monies may have been earmarked for assessments as part of the sale transaction. If you believe that such monies were earmarked and the assessments were not paid from the monies involved in the sale, you can notify the Title Company with your evidence and request that the assessment monies be sent to the HOA offices.
The titled owner is responsible for HOA assessments, whether it be the fore-closed-up owner or the bank -- when the bank takes over title to the property.
The number of years a homeowners association (HOA) can collect dues depends on the specific laws and regulations in the jurisdiction where the HOA is located. In some states, there may be a statute of limitations that limits the number of years an HOA can collect dues, typically ranging from 3 to 10 years. However, it is recommended to consult with a lawyer or review the governing documents of the HOA to determine the exact time frame for collecting dues.
In several words: Yes, and It All Depends. The governing documents must specify that locking out a tenant is one option it can execute -- and one that is well known, documented and legal in your state -- to leverage an owner who does not pay assessments into paying them. If, however, the tactic is not well known, documented and/or legal in this state, the tenant may have a cause of action against the HOA. In this case, the owner enjoys a revenue stream from the unit, which has its operating expenses paid by assessments. So it's reasonable that the HOA use the relationship with the tenant to leverage payment of assessments. Locking out the tenant should be one of the final acts that the HOA takes, after notifying the owner of being in arrears, denying the tenant access to amenities, filing a lien on the unit's title, calling the owner and asking for payment and even stepping into the revenue stream, so that the assessments are paid to the HOA by the tenant's rent. It's also possible that the HOA can sell the unit to recover the monies owed by the owner.
Actions such as sending collection notices, filing a lawsuit, obtaining a judgment, or initiating foreclosure proceedings against a property would likely qualify as proceedings to enforce a lien or collect a debt for unpaid HOA assessments in Maryland. Any action taken by the HOA that aims to recover unpaid assessments through legal means can be considered part of the enforcement process.