options

Am just curious if there is any way to opt out of HOA?When this condo was purchased we were told the fees would be a lot lower than what they actually are (approx 2.5 times lower).Not sure if there is a way but if anybody has any info it would be greatly appreciated.

As has been said many places, the covenants go with the land, not the owner. The only way out is to move (given RogerB's advice) if the CC&Rs won't allow it.

Atleast you weren't misinformed you were in a HOA or Condo association. Many here don't even get that. Sorry the fees were higher than you thought. It can go with the terriotory with a HOA. There are times that fees have to be raised to have the amenities taken care of. A HOA is ONLY funded by the owner's for the owners.

I live outside of a HOA now. However, looking at what I got for the money paid on dues in a HOA, it was MUCH cheaper. My HOA paid for our lawncare, clubhouse/pool access, garbage pickup, due collections, rule enforcement, and some common area maintenance. All this for $50 a MONTH!!!

Living outside the HOA, I have to pay a lawncare person about $35 - $45 to mow my yard EACH week. Garbage pickup fees are $13 a month. If I had a pool, I'd be responsible for paying for ALL the chemicals and upkeep. If I wanted a violation of a neighbor who's put an outhouse in the front yard, I'd have to go to City council and wait months for something to happen if ever. There would be no common area maintenance, I am responsible for my yard.

So instead of being upset at the costs. Look at what your getting for it. I am sure there is even liability insurance that part of the dues money covers. That's yet another expense that I've got to carry on my own as well. Be happy with what your getting.

Even though your point is a good one, I think you are mixing apples and oranges. If you live outside the HOA, then you don't have any common area, so the lawncare, pool, garbage fees would not be a cost item. If you have your own lawn, pool and live in a city, then you would have to pay for these items even if you lived in the HOA. As long as you are talking about planned communities and not condos, the only thing you pay for in an HOA is the common area maintenance.

The point about violations is a good one, though through the stories in these forums, some would argue that it might be faster to get the city to resolve the issues.

I DO live in the city. My HOA was in the city as well. However, a HOA governs itself and funds itself in addition to what the city provides. A HOA may be a gated community. The city does NOT take care of the gates. The HOA funds the cost of the gates, manages the gates, and maintains the gates. The city most likely won't even enter the area without the HOA approval.

A HOA and city coincide with eachother and often overlap but they are separate from eachother. The HOA has to obey local, state, and federal laws. The city doesn't have to adhere to the HOA's rules.

As far as it being "better or faster" for a city to take care of an issue, NOT in a million years! A HOA should be much faster, get better results, and has the teeth to do it. A HOA is much smaller and has limited membership. The board is made up of the peers of the neighborhood. They know exactly the setup and situation of the owner. A HOA also has specific rules that govern it.

A city is much larger and harder to deal with. When my HOA wanted to paint red curbs on one side of the street to mark it as a fire zone, it was years to get it to pass and done. Our board had created the idea and agreed to it. We even mapped it out. However, our streets were turned over to the city. They were NO longer private. So to get our red curbs we had to go to the city. The city had to send a fire marshall and representative to the community. We then had to map out again with them with the board's approval. Then we had to go BACK to city council and get an ORDINANCE passed. That ordinance stated that anyone parking in the red zone is violating the law and can be fined by the police or removed. Then we had to go to the CODE department of the city for them to create a code to allow Red curbs. The Code department ONLY allowed signs of NO Parking. Our HOA rules state NO signs other than for sale/rent. So we got the Code department to approve Red paint. The city then had to go and purchase the red paint. They came out and painted the curbs. Now if someone parks on that side of the road, we can call the police and have them ticketed or removed.

Mind you it took the death of a resident to make this happen. The ambulance got stuck on our narrow roads and couldn't turn around. If we didn't make one side no-parking, more people could have died or houses burned down.

If our HOA still had private roads we maintained, then we could have just purchased the red paint and painted the curbs ourselves with board approval. However, the police wouldn't be able to enforce the law because there would be no law at the city level in violation. The HOA would be responsible for making sure no one parked in the red zone. So which is easier?

In NC, the HOA dues are part of the disclosure form that the owner gives the buyer at the time of contract. If you have such a disclosure in your state you may have recourse against the Seller, unless the dues were raised after you bought, in which case that's what can happen with any HOA.

Just remember that a HOA is a non-profit organization of which you are an equal owner/member. For example, if the HOA needs $100,000 to pay expenses and another $10,000 to fund reserves (for future maintenance), then the owners each pay an equal share of the $110,000. The HOA is not making a profit on your dues (if it's all being done correctly). You are the HOA, all the owners are the HOA together. You are basically partners with your neighbors to take care of all common elements.

Of course, the positive is that you also have the opportunity to volunteer to help run the HOA and influence the budget. You can also request the financials as a start.

Best Regards,
HOATalk

I still don't think your getting the point. It's better for you to stay with your condo association because the costs are REDUCED! If the condo needs a $10K repair for your unit's exterior and there are 5 of you in that unit, then you would ONLY pay $2K a piece. However, if you "Opt-Out". That repair could cost you extensively more. Plus any repairs you do, has to MATCH the repairs the other members do. You can't put up pink siding while everyone else has tan. There's still limits, approvals, and rules you have to adhere to even if you do your own repairs.

Yes, I think it's expensive to have to pay the $2K. However, I didn't see where that was required expense. It's just when you need a repair correct? Believe me, doing the job yourself can often times be more hassle, expensive, and time consuming. Plus, what if you face fines for every day your job is incomplete? That's not unusual in a condo/HOA.