HOA Cable contract

Just some advice,

We have a cable basic service package that is being paid for currently by the HOA at a monthly per home cost. There are 600 homes that the HOA pays a monthly fee and is covered in HOA fees. We are coming up on contract renewal and we are looking to understand if its worth it.

Basically, we pay a monthly fee per home whether they have the provider or not. The provider cannot tell us in our bill where the discount is applied currently. My contention is that if they can't tell us where the discount is, then its just giving away money to a cable provider for free. Am I wrong? The folks who have bundles already have locked in rates, etc and have a discount. We already have homeowners who don't use this provider at all. Just looking to do the right thing and not sign a contract where we are giving away money to a cable provider for free. It equates to more than 60k/year. Please advise.

I like Sheila's idea about polling Owners about what they want.

But, as she also wrote, many folks are cutting the cord, so why should everyone in an HOA pay for cable service? Even in our high rise condo, each Owner has their own cable provider that they each pay for.

I agree.

Having said that ... it is a good price for 600 homes, depending on what is provided. $60,000 / 600 = $100 per home per year.

But it sounds like it's just a discount, not the actual price of the service. At least, that's the impression I had.

Personally, I wouldn't want my HOA to do this, for the reasons others have said.

It looks like Basic Service is just around a hundred dollars a year, a great deal. Our condo complex pays around $30.00 a month for expanded basic plus HBO. Here at my house, we pay $102.00 a month for the same service except no HBO (HBO would be another $15.00 for a total of $117.00). Just personally I'm not will to give up $87.00 a month just to say I have "Personal Control".

Personally, I don't like such agreements.

If the Association needs internet service, then they should simply contract for themselves.

That said, I do understand the benefits, especially in high rise condos, that such a contract can have. However, if the building is designed properly with cables ran to one central location, then any provider could hook up to any unit.

We have a high-speed internet provider whom we let wire our twin high rise condos so that any of us can subscribe if we choose. Our board approved this in exchange for them providing free service to our managers and security staff.

TV is on each Owner, & there are too many personal preference choices for one size to fit all 200+, which now includes many cord cutters, and which'll include my spouse & me soon.

We've found that our bill has been steadily on the rise over the last 3 years and for a 50 unit complex we are paying just north of $27,000. We have elected to bring bulk high speed internet to the building and cancel the cable. This will save us over $10,000 annually and will bring the owners a more useful service as opposed to basic cable.

What do your CCR's state regarding the HOA providing this service?

I might could understand a cable contract for a multi unit building if for no other reason then to help cover the costs of wiring such a building. For a standalone homes association (such as ours) I so no validity for such a contract even if it brings some services in below a single purchaser price.

That is good ... because it leaves the door open for choices.



I am with Geno ... I would want to know every penny on a breakdown. I would also check with your owners to see if any have been essentially double paying and not receiving discounts for their basic service which had already been supposedly provided in the past.