Tag: Nuisance

Dealing with disruptive residents ranks high on the list of thorny problems community associations—and their management companies—can encounter. You’ve probably heard your fair share of complaints about people violating parking rules or failing to clean up after their pets, but you’ve hopefully never dealt with anything close to the multi-year reign of terror conducted by…

More and more community association managers, especially those of HOAs or condo buildings in urban areas, are having to deal with the issue of how to handle homeless individuals on or near their properties. The homeless can pose concerns for residents and staff, ranging from creating a nuisance to criminal activity.

Although in many parts of the country, planned community and condominium residents are battling snow and freezing temperatures, spring and summer—with warm weather and opportunities to get active—will be here soon enough. And some communities experience soaring heat year round, like those in association-prevalent states such as Florida. Many members invite guests into the community and host seasonal parties or activities in warm weather. You may even provide association-sponsored summer fun.

A Michigan family has been told by their homeowners association that they can’t raise chickens at their home in a planned community. In a letter to the family, the association demanded that the family comply with “applicable covenants” and remove the chickens they were keeping in their backyard as pets. But a lawyer for the family clarified that there was no regulation in the homeowners’ association rules prohibiting them from keeping chickens. However, the association changed its bylaws shortly thereafter; its rules now prohibit chickens.

By Carolyn Zezima

By Andrea Brescia

By Andrea Brescia

For associations that have designated commercial space, finding the right tenant is critical. While there are a lot of retail stores that provide convenience, not every commercial tenant is necessarily a good fit for your community.

One of the draws of living in a planned community is aesthetics—uniformity in the design and appearance of homes, rules and regulations that prevent homeowners from putting up decorations that are eyesores, and specific paint themes and landscaping that are in good taste all make for a neighborhood that looks great. But there are times when members may want to make modifications to their homes. In these instances, the concern for associations is that these changes may affect the harmonious design of a community, decrease property values, and increase liability.

Living in close proximity in a condo building or sharing amenities year after year in more spread out planned communities can throw together members with different points of view—some of them controversial. The past year has created divisiveness in political conversations and discussions about recent exposes regarding sexual harassment. But some states had reported a rise in hostility and aggressive behavior among community association members even before national events brought up these issues to argue over.