Finding the homeowners' association linked to a property can sometimes be frustrating and time-consuming. The good news, is that you may not have to drive down to your county's office to retrieve the HOA information you need, thanks to google. This article will attempt to help you save time by giving you step by step instructions and directing you to the right government agencies where the homeowners association information and documentation are usually stored.
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In 1977, Congress passed the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (the “FDCPA” or “Act”) to prevent abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by debt collectors. The act prohibits debt collectors from harassing consumers or using deceptive conduct when attempting to collect a debt. Homeowners or condominium maintenance assessments are subject to the FDCPA, therefore, the association’s debt collectors must follow the law when attempting to collect past due fees from homeowners.
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The association, under its documents and local laws, has the authority to charge annual, special, and capital assessments against all owners in the community to pay for the maintenance expenses and improvements to the common areas. The common areas consist of parks, pools, gyms, sidewalks, and any other area in the community, except those portions which lie within the boundaries of the owner's property.
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The local statutes and recorded Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (the "CC&Rs" or "Declaration") serve to establish the association's authority to charge maintenance fees and enforce non-compliance against all owners and properties subject to its authority. The HOA fees cover the costs of the maintenance and repair of the common areas, amenities, and operation of the association to preserve property values.
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Although a Homeowners Association has the authority to rule a community in accordance with its governing documents, its scope of authority is limited under federal and state laws. For instance, an Association cannot adopt, or enforce a rule that prohibits owners from displaying the United States flag on their property, because the owners have the right to do so, under the law.
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All condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations ("Association") are subject to basic rules of due process under the law. Although the Association has a fiduciary duty to enact and enforce rules to promote health, happiness, and peace of mind of owners, the Association through its body of authority, must act in good faith and offer owners fair procedures...
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