What is it about?
Condominium and other housing associations can be a source of contention between members and the board who must conduct the business of the association. Members are often shocked when they are presented with massive assessments, seemingly out of the blue, and/or fines for doing things on their own unit or property. We conducted a study to see how the relationship between owner and directors evolves when members are faced with a large and unexpected assessment for necessary repairs.
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Why is it important?
Law-suites and dissatisfaction in condominiums, town homes, and homeowner associations is growing at an alarming rate. Owners don't realize they are buying into a system of social control that they do not realize severely restricts them and attaches their assets. Studying what goes wrong in the organizations is imperative if communities are to address the problem.
Perspectives
This study addresses the unequal power relationship between the board and its community members. This unequal relationship is the natural consequence of untrained people put into positions of power over their neighbors and the unnatural fomenting caused by vendors who serve their own interests at the expense of the owner. We are able to suggest some actions that, if followed, may help slow down the discontent.
Shelly Marshall
Day By Day Recovery Resources
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: HOA power relationship, problem-solving, and communication patterns during a major building renovation construction crisis, Housing and Society, October 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/08882746.2018.1529509.
You can read the full text:
Resources
On the Commons Radio Program (Shelly Marshall)
Shelly Marshall joins me On The Commons this week. Shelly is a dynamic owner and advocate, a keynote speaker and an author. Her first HOA book is called HOA Warrior. She has followed that with HOA Warrior II, her second book. Her book is full of great advice for both homeowners and board members, incredible stories, interesting facts and lots of forms to help the homeowners by pass the absurd run around, designed to frustrate and further inflame the situation.
On the Commons Radio Program (Michael Marshall, PhD)
Shelly Marshall and Michael Marshall, PhD join me On The Commons. Shelly is an HOA Warrior. She is a prolific writer of self help books including a book on HOAs, what to look for and how to understand what you are getting into. Dr. Marshall, Shelly’s brother, is a Psychology Professor and practitioner. This dynamic duo have combined forces to answer the question; “Why can’t people hear us?”. Shelly warned Mike about the risks involved in buying a condo and told him to keep looking but that didn’t stop him. For awhile everything went well until one day when his utopian dream came crashing down.
HOA Warrior (resources)
This is the gateway website to the work of Shelly Marshall, homeowner advocate. It contains links to her books, grassroots help from around the nation, useful links and articles of interest to homeowners.
On the Commons Radio Program (DEBORAH GOONAN)
Deborah Goonan joins us On The Commons. Deborah is a prolific, analytical and detailed blogger. Her blog, Independent American Communities is a comprehensive study of what is going on in the world of association living. Today we debunk some of the more often told lies surrounding HOAs. Probably the biggest, and potentially most damaging whopper, is that HOAs protect property values.
ABOUT INDEPENDENT AMERICAN COMMUNITIES (IAC)
The purpose of this blog is to inform and educate readers about the economic, political, and social realities of HOA governed Common Interest Developments (CIDs). Association Governed Housing communities include Mandatory Homeowners’, Condominium, Cooperative, or Property Owners’ Associations, as well as Master Planned Communities established as Special Tax Districts. HOA Common Interest Development (CID) articles cover current events, legislative and political news analysis, market trends, and consumer protection perspectives for home buyers, homeowners, tenants, and other interested parties. IAC documents harm to housing consumers, based upon the erroneous assumptions that HOAs protect property values, and that CIDs save local governments money.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
