To say that the sanctity of house and home have been invaded and violated by the proliferation of mandatory membership residential associations, is an understatement. The stories, the horrors and the problems across the country are mind boggling. I believe if you ask 100 people who have been targeted by their HOA to explain the problem with this living concept you’d get several hundred different answers. But I think if you ask some industry members, they’ll have a rather glib explanation: “The 3 P’s – parking, pets and people”. I don’t think that even begins to scratch the surface.
Julio Robaina and Jose Pezos join us On The Commons. Julio, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives a nd once Mayor of South Miami was introduced to the issues in HOAs when he traveled the state as a representative talking to people. Jose, a former Marine Sergeant and combat veteran as well as a board certified Community Association manager have teamed up and own a management company in Miami called PRZMiami . When I first met Julio he was a Representative who went out and met homeowners across Florida and listened to their testimonies. At the time he promised me that he would spend the rest of his life helping homeowners. He has kept that promise. The two of them make quite a team. One of the many problems with HOAs is the lack of transparency, this game of hide and seek where the association refuses to make the members aware of what is going on but expect them to fund their follies. To solve this particular problem, Jose has created an APP that will be available nationwide, yes, it could be coming to your HOA as well. We talk to Julio and Jose about Q2, their app, find out how it works and what problems it will solve. Now on to the next lot of HOA related issues and problems.
Thanks to our listeners and guests On The Commons is starting year 19
I always thought if housing consumers knew and understood what they are getting themselves into, most of them would never voluntarily buy a home in an HOA. That was before I knew that a house without the shackles of the absurd “private government” was a thing of the past. HOAs are too financially lucrative for local governments to allow them to disappear into the mists of time. Why would they when they could collect free property taxes without providing the services those tax dollars were designed to pay for? Ah, but fear not, through their sense of fair play, at least some, if not all, state governments have opted for transparency by requiring sellers to provide consumers with disclosure packages. But just how reliable are these packages? What are the remedies for incomplete or outdated information?
John Cowherd joins us On The Commons. John, a realestate attorney in Northern Virginia is one of a handful of attorneys nationwide who is familiar with HOA and condo law and will represent the owners. He keeps up with legislation and litigation in Virginia that affects our homes. We talk to John about a recent Fairfax County court decision in the case of Liam and Brandee Daly v. Gullick Group, Inc. The case is right on point when it comes to consumer protections via disclosures. We also learn about a new Virginia state law that took affect July 1, 2018 listing what is required to be included in the disclosure packages required by the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’ll find out if this new law really offers any protection to housing consumers or is it just another case of “feel good” legislation designed to mislead consumers again? Tune in and you be the judge. John also has a blog called Words of Conveyance
