What you need to know if your home is a member of the Homeowners Association (HOA)

Homeowners associations in the United States (Homeowners association, or HOA) are private organizations that set rules for the residence of owners of houses and apartments in “their” area.

Фото: Depositphotos

Whether you want to or not, but the contributions to the PLA will have to be paid regularly, otherwise a fine and arrest of real estate may occur, the newspaper writesNEWS".

Homeowners associations do not exist in all areas, so Americans have a choice to buy property in the place that serves the PLA, or outside it. However, in reality it turns out that the most attractive housing options in the city with a good infrastructure for the middle class are under the watchful eye of an association. And the PLA appear in the area almost before the building itself.

The construction company hires a private management company during the development of the area to maintain order and market the houses. When construction ends, residents can leave the same management company or sign a contract with another. President, accountant, responsible for organizing holidays - all positions in the association are elected. At the same time, local residents work for the benefit of the area only on a volunteer basis, that is, for free. Typically these people are retired or already have jobs, but they care deeply about their community.

Depending on the state or area, NAO contributions can range from $120 to $1 per year. Typically, 20-25% of these funds goes to a savings account, the rest is spent on current expenses. In our area (Texas) there are only private low-rise buildings, about 2 thousand buildings in total. Homeowners Association dues are $550 per year. You can pay quarterly or all at once, but it is mandatory. Debtors are in for serious trouble: in addition to a fine, the management company may seize the property.

The association’s duties include maintaining cleanliness on the streets, planting flowers and trees, caring for lawns, and repairing the irrigation system. The state of the pool, tennis court and gym, which are available in the district, is also monitored by the PLA. Its functions include the organization of parking spaces: for example, the restriction of parking on the street, so as not to impede access to emergency ambulance, fire truck or police. In addition, the association arranges holidays for residents of the area.

As a rule, once a year 2 residents from our HOA gather and discuss problems in the area, approve the budget and expenses by voting. Once a year they elect a president who will protect the interests of the district in association and keep in touch with the residents.

Фото: Depositphotos

With a large number of advantages, life in an area with an active association has some inconveniences. So, annual fees are obligatory for everyone, and it does not matter whether you use the pool and gym or not. American management companies, as a rule, impose strict restrictions on changes in the appearance of the house and the land around it. Everything should happen only after agreement and following the rules of the association. If I decide to repaint the house or cut down and plant other trees, I need to send a detailed plan to the association and get permission, otherwise I will have to pay a fine. At worst, they can sue me.

I recently received a letter from PLA notifying me that I had not removed the trash can from the street for two days. According to our district's rules, the trash can should not be left on the street for more than 24 hours from the last time the waste was collected. The fine for not picking up a trash can on time is $25, they send you a reminder letter twice, and the third time you get an invoice.

The same “letters of happiness” will come for a lawn that was cut at the wrong time. They will warn you in writing twice, and then the management company hires a gardener and sends the homeowner an invoice for his services. Plus a fine for negligence, so the total is about $100-120. As a rule, after the first letter, residents quickly correct everything, since no one wants to pay a fine. The amount of fines is set by the HOA; all rules and regulations are outlined in the bylaws, which are sent to new residents in paper form and which can be read online.

Avoid contributions and organizational delays can be: in some areas, residents decide to vote against the creation of the PLA, but this is rare. Usually, only farms and houses outside the city are not included in the association.

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