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MaureenM1 (PA)
Posts: 344
Posted:
Sorry to start a new post on this but I tried to find my old one but didn't want to attach this question to an old post....

Our development is 40 townehomes. Our builder wanted out so sold 12 of his homes that he had been renting to a husband and wife investor for 150,000 lower than than what the current homeowners paid for their homes. He sold all size homes for the same price. The builder also left us with many deficiences and feels he has transitioned the development even though there is no formal documentation (which we are requesting through our attorney)

One LLC owns and rents 7 and the other LLC owns and rents 5 (which is over the 10 percent entity requirement by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). Because of this and the percentage of rentals homeowners cannot refinance or sell their homes. Many homeonwers are emailing me (President) asking what the Board is doing about this.

At our annual meeting this was brought up and the investors promised they would restructure their properties when they purchased another propery on a short sale. A few months later they decided not to buy the short sale and informed the Property Manager that they would not be restructuring at this time. My thought, and I cannot prove it is that they are mad because the board voted to install gates in the front entrance of the development (which they were opposed) and after seeking advice from our attorney, the board had full authority to make the decision on the gates without membership approval. Our development is a gated community and the builder/developer left us with gates that were fabricated from ibeams. We had to fight with the township for 2 years to recover 18,000 of the 55,000 it would cost for gates.

I consulted with our attorney and he is asking the board to "negoiate" with investors and to "play nice". The Board is opposed to this.

The last email I received from our attorney is that you are in an "unfortunate situation".

I have 2 questions: 1. Is there NOTHING that can be done? I have read on the posts to contact state representatives, attorney general etc.

2. Our Declaration states that the board can amend declaration without the vote of the membership if it affects mortgages such as Fannie & Freddie. Our attorney has suggested that the Board put in wording that a homeowner must own for 2 years before they can rent. All current homeowners would be grandfathered. He is saying that we could do this without the 67 required vote. It could be challenged in the future or not.

Any advice on question 1 and 2 would be appreciated....

thank you,

Maureen

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MaureenM1 on 05/18/2013 5:04 AM

I consulted with our attorney and he is asking the board to "negotiate" with investors and to "play nice". The Board is opposed to this.

The last email I received from our attorney is that you are in an "unfortunate situation".

1. Is there NOTHING that can be done?

Your attorney, who is certainly more knowledgeable about the issue than we would be, calls it an unfortunate situation and to negotiate. The Board is choosing to ignore this advice (which is certainly their prerogative).

My advice would be to follow the attorney's advice because their advice is more informed than mine.

Quote:
Posted By MaureenM1 on 05/18/2013 5:04 AM

2. Our Declaration states that the board can amend declaration without the vote of the membership if it affects mortgages such as Fannie & Freddie. Our attorney has suggested that the Board put in wording that a homeowner must own for 2 years before they can rent. All current homeowners would be grandfathered. He is saying that we could do this without the 67 required vote. It could be challenged in the future or not.

Although it wouldn't correct the current issue, it would certainly help contain it in the future.

However, if you want to minimize a future challenge to it winning, I would amend the documents with a membership vote and not simply by the Board.

Since the ruling would not impact current owners (as they are grandfathered) you will probably have support from the membership. Of course, you would need to "sell" it to the membership properly through newsletter articles and Q&A sessions prior to the vote.

CarolR11 (Colorado)
Posts: 2,563
Posted:
Tim's advice sounds good to me, Maureen.

But you said that your developer left you with many "deficiencies." Are these construction defects? If so, you need an attorney's advice about whether you might want to get the developer to take care of them, through litigation if necessary.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
Maureen

One of the nastier HOA elections I was ever involved in was centered on the majority of the BOD agreeing to ignore some legal advice it was given by its own attorney.

Quick summary. The HOA attorney was asked to advise the BOD about a letter from an attorney representing a homeowner in regards to an ARC denial. The HOA's attorney said the attorney/owner was correct and the BOD had better make a change in the way they handled ARC Request/Denials or they could be liable. The BOD agreed to ignore the advice and let any lawsuit takes its course.

Some on the BOD disagreed and the fun began.......LOL

Next election some BOD changes were made. The ARC was replaced and things were changed. For inquiring minds...it concerned garden sheds.

JohnB26 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,569
Posted:
CAVEAT EMPTOR
MaureenM1 (PA)
Posts: 344
Posted:
The builder, through his attorney has refused to correct any deficincies and the Board does not want to spend money on attorney fees fighting him. We already spent thousands of dollars to recover 18,000 for gates that the developer had to reimburse us for. Took two years and only one third of the cost of new gates.

I am ready to report our builder to the my county and state representatives as I don't see any other recourse. He let our Fannie/Freddie status lapse (because he knew he would be selling out to investors) so we are left with homeowners not being able to refinance or sell.

This builder is building a 55 an over one town over and he is not being very successful in sales. He is doing to that development what he did to ours. Noone knew in 2005 & 2006 that the market was going to fall like it did and we would be in this situation (as unfortunate as it was). One of the bloggers wrote "buyer beware" Again, no one saw this coming!!!

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