HOAs: Obey the CC&Rs

I get it. You buy into an HOA and you agree to follow the rules. While many Members never ask permission for any exterior project, you ask every time. And that's the fundamental problem. Members who are good enough to come forward for approval are the very ones who are tormented by the board with absolutely irresponsible questions. Further if they have had a brush with the board president, there are endless tactics that board member will impose against you. The Members who do what they wish are never confronted for CC&R violations. So what do you do when you live in an HOA ... ask for permission or forgiveness? Either way you are submissive to a repressive micro-government model.

I support following the CC&Rs when they apply to all Members., especially BofD's. However, virtually every complaint I get involved with has at it's center a controlling and highly unethical board of director, one that seems quite adept at manipulating the board and the MC. (Management companies are incredibly easy for the board to manipulate, many are commission or bonus incentivized. They rarely know Governing Documents ... id: A pretty funny one was when a HOA Member was declined community docs bc it was a Hippa Violation. Duh, how do community docs & Hippa relate?) The MC's goal is stall tactics and more stall tactics.

Too many Board of Directors use their position to extract revenge from certain HO's. That's a very common complaint. Too often a member seeks position for power. Ridiculous, I know but that power whether it's held over 25 or 1000 people is meaningful. Never knowing this person would run for office, a HO offends him. He makes it clear thru parties, at the pool or tennis courts, board meetings etc that he will get even. And he does, whether it's stalling projects, declining projects, shunning those who voted for him, having MC vehicles parked in the HO's parking spot or using those same vehicles to block driveways.

If the board is willing to talk to you, it is more likely to intimidate than work thru a problem. Know that you are not alone. Many people have been thru HOA abuse.

If you have suffered HOA abuse, contact HOATruth.com. Dennis Legere is the principal advocate. Or you can reach me at EarsUp@iCloud.com. Full disclosure, neither are attorneys. We do this bc we don't like bullies. FREE.