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Can one be required to join a homeowners association if the homeowners association was established AFTER your home purchase?
No, but...
When it comes to HOAs, common sense, logic, and the law tend to get tossed out the window. Well connected lawyers, powerful management firms, and self-righteous busy bodies form an iron triangle of evil that has been known to violate even the most basic principles of private property.
If someone is trying to force you to do it, start fighting now, expect to fight hard and expensive for a long time, and don't count on winning, even if you are right.
Another Answer
You can find a copy of the definition of your property in the local land use office. If your property was part of a common interest community when you purchased it -- that fact is a matter of record. If true, when you purchased your property you were entitled to receive a copy of the CC&Rs that govern that form of land use.
If, however, your property is listed as a private lot of land, you can find a local real estate attorney to help you maintain your status.
What else can I help you with?
Is insurance required for private roads owned by a homeowners association?
No--unless it is required by the HOA bylaws or CC&Rs. However, having liability insurance is advisable for a homeowners' association because of the expense and burden of lawsuits in today's world.
Is it illegal to install speed bumps in a Florida homeowners' association?
Your answer may depend on who owns the roadway. If the association owns the road, they can install any manner of amenity. If the municipality owns the road, permission may be required, or petition may be required for the municipality to install speed bumps.
Can one be required to join a homeowners association?
No--unless the homeowner's association is in your home's deed. To find that out, you may contact the escrow or title company who prepared you home's closing paperwork.
Which prevails an individuals' right to protect property or a homeowners associations rules?
When you purchase property in an association, you agree to abide by the covenants, conditions, regulations and restrictions -- CC&Rs -- established for the association. The association's responsibility is to protect, maintain and preserve its real estate assets. There may be 'rules' established by the board, which must conform to the CC&Rs, and must be enforced by the association. When the association fails to protect your property, you may be required to protect it yourself. If you find yourself in a position to protect your property, because the association has failed to protect it, best practices dictate that you establish and confirm the facts involved in your situation and take your evidence to a common interest community-savvy attorney who can help you protect your property. There is no standard answer to your question.
How is a Homeowners Association formed in an existing subdivision?
To form a Homeowners Association in an existing subdivision, a majority of the homeowners in the subdivision typically vote to establish the association. The process usually involves gathering support from homeowners, drafting and adopting governing documents such as bylaws and covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), and registering the association with local authorities if required. It is essential to consult with legal professionals and follow any state or local regulations regarding the formation of homeowners associations.
Would a homeowners association need to have trustee?
The term 'trustee' may be representative of the leadership required for the association. The association represents all owners who own real estate in common. Often associations are multi-million dollar ventures and require leadership.
Can you be held liable to a homeowners association you did not agree to?
If you purchased real estate already established as a homeowners association, you are subject to that private government. You received copies of the governing documents when you sat with the title company and signed that mountain of documents. Your realtor told you that you were buying into an association. _______________ However . . . If you purchased real estate in a community without an association, and your neighbors are forming an association, as an owner you are entitled to full disclosure as to what your liabilities are and/or will be once the association is formed. Usually, you can resist joining a newly formed association by being 'grand-fathered in' in your current exempt state, but when the property is sold, it may be required to become subject to the association -- or not. This is a legal issue with no standard. Best practices dictate that you engage the services of a local common-interest-community attorney to help you preserve and participate in the position you want.
Can a homeowners association sell off part of its common area without 100 percent agreement by all homeowners?
Read your governing documents to determine the process required to sell part of the common area. This may require an uber-majority of owners' votes, an amendment to your CC&Rs and so forth. Your association's legal counsel can answer this question specifically.
What type of policy is required for a detached unit in a cluster development with a homeowners association?
Your governing documents hold the answer to your question. You can also contact your board and request an answer from the board. Finally, your insurance agent can work with the association's agent, to determine the coverage and policy you need.
Are by laws and Covenants both required for a Homeowners Association?
The covenants -- usually conditions, covenants, restrictions and regulations (CC&Rs) are land use documents filed by the developer when the project is developed. By-laws are employed to operate the association day-to-day. Your association's counsel can answer the question as to whether both are 'required'. Both are ultimately useful and go hand-in-hand in the best run communities.
If a homeowners association is made up of multiple communities is the Board required to have at least 1 representative from each community?
It sounds like a logical requirement, HOWEVER - Homeowners and Condiminium Associations are regulated by state statute, and unless the statutes specifically call for equal representation in a case such as yours, it may not be legally required. You should carefully review the document that created the Home Owners' Association, the By-Laws and the Rules and Regulations. They should provide for the rules about the make-up of the Association Board. If they were already in place and of record when you purchased your property then you agreed to the terms and provisions set forth in those documents when you made your purchase. To determine the validity of any particular provision you should contact the attorney who represented you at your closing. The answer may be quite simple.
Is PMI bad for homeowners?
PMI, or private mortgage insurance, is not inherently bad for homeowners. It is typically required for homebuyers who make a down payment of less than 20 on their home purchase. PMI protects the lender in case the borrower defaults on the loan. While it adds to the cost of homeownership, it can help individuals qualify for a mortgage and purchase a home sooner.
