The
HOA was formed as part of the plat requirement for the city to provide
oversight for the wetlands and the Native Growth Protection Area. The
mission of the HOA is to provide oversight for these areas as well as
the maintenance of the common areas, detention ponds, storm water
conveyances, storm water vaults, and architectural control over the
development. They are required to inspect these annually at a minimum
per our founding documents and have failed to do so. In fact they have
not even attended council meetings where the storm water utility
district the city is forming will have an impact on us all as
homeowners. They have done little more than contract with a landscaping
outfit for lawn mowing. The rest is to pursue their own agendas with
disregard for the standard of care in our documents.
I
moved in at the beginning of the development. Since then there has been
a lack of architectural control, no maintenance or inspections of any
of the storm water systems, inventory of HOA equipment, and no
maintenance and replacement plans for the trail and playground
equipment. Apparently they do not have time for this. They are to busy
filing liens and lawsuits.
Per
are founding documents the HOA Board is required to maintain certain
records like notice of meetings, meeting minutes, financial documents.
These are also required by the RCWs for HOAs: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.38 and the RCWs for Non Profits: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=24.03 . They have failed to follow these rules and have shown that they are not accountable to anyone other then themselves.
The
whole system of neighbors against neighbors is a bad one. The people
that take these positions do so for the wrong reasons. They lack the
education necessary for the job as well as any sense of ethics. They
can assume these positions without any qualifications whatsoever. Some
of the past board members have changed jobs four times in the past year
or simply have to work for themselves. This shows that they are unable
to have any sort of longevity at a job where they answer to someone and
also shows their instability. Where in the Rules does it say that they
will contact your employer to hurt you financially? I must have missed
that when I read the documents.
They
are biased. They file complaints on neighbors and then enforce them.
Most often they have the same if not more violations they have
committed themselves. When asked for written confirmation of the
complaint they start floundering becuase they cannot produce it.
They do not want the
HOA to go away. This is the tool that gives them power. They will fight
to keep it alive at everyone’s expense. The HOA does not raise your
home values. If anything it is a deterrent to any potential buyers. I
ask you to talk to friends and ask around. They will all tell you about
their bad experiences. Look up HOAs online. It is a problem nation
wide. The system does not work.
But be careful of who
you share your views with. With them you are either drinking the grape
aid with them, or you are against them. Then you to will become a
target. They will write letters about you, contact your employer, and
smear your good name with anyone that will listen. They will even
fabricate stuff if they have to. I know that this is an abuse of the
position when they took it for the purpose of looking after everyone’s
best interests in the HOA. They are corrupt. It seems that their
practices are a looming liability for us all.
Dissolve the HOA
Challenge: Write two columns. One with the positive things that have
come from having an HOA i.e. they mow the lawn, the second with the
negatives that has come from the HOA i.e.… All of the poor
relationships and feuding that has formed. Keep in mind all of the
duties laid out in our documents and their responsibility to provide
certain records and accountability. Then weigh them out and see if it
does more harm than good. |