HOA and management companies

[sniper7]

Anyone familiar with HOA management companies, how they operate, what is involved, how hard it would be to set up an LLC to manage an HOA?

we have out meeting coming up in december and frankly I am sick of the BS and I would rather take on the burden than to deal with these slimeballs.

too much money is wasted. now the management company wants to increase there management fee from $42,000 to $48,000 next year.

In these times of foreclosure, job loss, wage decrease etc etc, a 14% increase is ludicrous. and it is one guy running the management company.

there are 3 board of director positions opening, and I guess I need to get put on the ballot ASAP (by the end of NOV).

anyways, if anyone could help me out and let me know any info would be appreciated. I am just starting to research and plan to get as much info as I can over the next week and go from there.

thanks[Beer]

[Wulf202]

The only real way around them is to never buy a place with one. Otherwise you're looking at dissolving an HOA which is a royal bitch any way you slice it. Each HOA has their own rules, you're going to have to read your contract.

Interestingly start researching what happens if you stop paying HOA dues. They can't really do anything to you that I've seen.

[Scanker19]

Interestingly start researching what happens if you stop paying HOA dues. They can't really do anything to you that I've seen.

I'm going to do this. the one i have is about the most worthless MOFOs on the planet. They bitch all day to me, yet when I ask them for something they tell me to take it up with code enforcement.

I thought they could put liens on you.

[newracer]

How big is your community and what all do they provide? I live in one of the biggest neighborhoods in Fort Collins and we paid just over $30,000 last year. Sounds like your board needs to shop around. Do you know who you are using now?

[ChunkyMonkey]

Justin,

As much as you are sick of the management company, I would voice your opinion through meetings, but not by getting involved as a board member. Being on the board is pointless unless you get your neighbors to vote with you anyway. You could never make everyone happy-- and you'd be in the spotlight constantly.

Get the current management co. fee schedule and shop it around. If you need a list of mgt co. I'd be more than happy to point you to the right direction. Attend the meeting and ask for your finding to be shown to everyone (email list, newsletter, etc)

Good luck!!

[XJ]

Find a crossroads in the neighborhood and be there at midnight...

[Krasni]

Find a crossroads in the neighborhood and be there at midnight...

Selling your soul?

[KevDen2005]

Selling your soul?


Yes, to learn how to play guitar

[sniper7]

How big is your community and what all do they provide? I live in one of the biggest neighborhoods in Fort Collins and we paid just over $30,000 last year. Sounds like your board needs to shop around. Do you know who you are using now?

713 homes

$45 a month

only benefit really included is trash pickup in those dues.

we have no gyms, a couple very small parks with dog shit bags provided.
no rec center, no pool, no gym, no basketball courts...nada.

the only costs I see are watering, a little bit of electric, sprinkler repairs or sod repairs, snow removal in a couple common areas...not even sidewalks, and landscaping to include planting and flowers and mowing etc etc.

I mean they are pulling in like a half mil a year with everything and only spent 285K last year.

seems to me that our dues can go down buy about $10 a month with plenty of room to spare.


oh and as far as the liens go...not 1 cent has been collected on liens, so either they don't push the fact or every single person has paid their dues.

[sniper7]

Justin,

As much as you are sick of the management company, I would voice your opinion through meetings, but not by getting involved as a board member. Being on the board is pointless unless you get your neighbors to vote with you anyway. You could never make everyone happy-- and you'd be in the spotlight constantly.

Get the current management co. fee schedule and shop it around. If you need a list of mgt co. I'd be more than happy to point you to the right direction. Attend the meeting and ask for your finding to be shown to everyone (email list, newsletter, etc)

Good luck!!

I am going to the next meeting. supposedly there is some pretty interesting stuff going on...like the guy running the management company doesn't have his LLC licensed even in the state, he isn't on any deeds to property in the HOA area which is a requirement under the contract, and his buddies are all the ones who are board members, all of whom are up for re-election this year...so yes, i will definitely be there, loudly voicing my opinion.

I am sick of the HOA already and barely been there for a year.

it took 6 months to get a porta-potty removed from across my street that is sitting on a bank owned vacant lot that some bankrupt developer lost out on.

this management company hasn't even been around a year from taking over the last guys who were scamming money from the HOA, and now it looks like it is happening all over again.

[MrPrena]

We got about similar service from our HOA. We pay about $63/mo.
When we first moved here, it was $25. $25 became 45 , and was $67. I guess community had enough , and we changed our HOA. Now it is $63.

I saw few improvement. Snow removal got faster, and our community recently had a outer fences stained.



713 homes

$45 a month

only benefit really included is trash pickup in those dues.

we have no gyms, a couple very small parks with dog shit bags provided.
no rec center, no pool, no gym, no basketball courts...nada.

the only costs I see are watering, a little bit of electric, sprinkler repairs or sod repairs, snow removal in a couple common areas...not even sidewalks, and landscaping to include planting and flowers and mowing etc etc.

I mean they are pulling in like a half mil a year with everything and only spent 285K last year.

seems to me that our dues can go down buy about $10 a month with plenty of room to spare.


oh and as far as the liens go...not 1 cent has been collected on liens, so either they don't push the fact or every single person has paid their dues.


I am going to the next meeting. supposedly there is some pretty interesting stuff going on...like the guy running the management company doesn't have his LLC licensed even in the state, he isn't on any deeds to property in the HOA area which is a requirement under the contract, and his buddies are all the ones who are board members, all of whom are up for re-election this year...so yes, i will definitely be there, loudly voicing my opinion.

I am sick of the HOA already and barely been there for a year.

it took 6 months to get a porta-potty removed from across my street that is sitting on a bank owned vacant lot that some bankrupt developer lost out on.

this management company hasn't even been around a year from taking over the last guys who were scamming money from the HOA, and now it looks like it is happening all over again.

[mx'r]

Be careful, sounds like someone is getting their pockets lined.. Darn politics. Our dues are $45/month, but not mandatory to pay. I havent paid for 4 years now and have never heard a word. I'm sure that i'm the scumbag of the hood though.

[Graves]

Not all of us are paying their sorry asses, sorry meng [Tooth]

[2ndChildhood]

Our HOA is self managed by the board members and the community at periodic meetings. We do hire one community member to do the books and file tax returns - at very reasonable cost.
We get a lot of bang for our buck, all exterior maintenance and repairs (roof too) are covered, structure insurance is covered, trash, plowing, a substantial quantity of attractive landscaping.
Our club house has a big room, 6 small rooms, a kitchen and guest bedroom we can sign up for online. We also have a small workshop, 10 acre open space.

The HOA keeps reserve funds for all repairs imaginable (even street resurfacing) so we are well protected from having to pay some emergency assessment. Every fall when we do the budget meeting, we see the spreadsheets listing each item, its expected life, the amount on reserve, and the amount that will be added to reserve during the year. We also get to vote on priorities. Last year we agreed to back off on snowplowing to save $. Now the plow contractor only comes after a 10 inch snowfall instead of 3 inch. To my mind, this system is working well, we can have useful input and where the money goes is completely visible.

Our cost is $170 a month, which is actually less than many communities with attached dwelling. I am told that many similar communities have no reserve accounts whatsoever or have only a fraction of what they should. When assessments hit these type of HOA's, they are frequently in the $3k to 5k range.

[Irving]

2nd, your HOA really sounds like they have their shit together. At a premium though.

[newracer]

We have two HOAs and I am on both boards. Ours are run very well too. $300 a year for the main HOA and $200 for the pool HOA. We have a lot more to deal with than yours does Sniper7, over 35 acres of irrigated grass, 50 acres of natural areas, miles of fencing and sidewalks to maintain. If you want to take it on what you need to do is get people informed of what is going on, get some responsible/honest people on the board, and hire a new management company. We use MSI, they also have offices int he Denver area, they are very good.