Should our small 12 home HOA buy a snowblower?

Started by KarenT • 7 replies • 714 views

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KarenT (Washington)
Posts: 250

Posted:

We have a private road which is plowed. However, each individual homeowner has to shovel their own driveways and all owners are asked to help keep the sidewalks out in front of the subdivision on a public road shoveled. However, as you might guess not everyone helps and it comes down to just two or three people doing this. One person thinks the solution is to buy a snowblower. We don't think this is the solution & a bad idea! The concern is who's going to store it, who's going to maintain it who's going to run it but mostly what if somebody gets hurt! Thoughts?

BillH10 (Texas)
Posts: 1,217

Posted:

You have described the major the pitfalls of what can take place if the Association performs the work. Others would include what happens if private property is damaged, and who knows what else.

The best solution will be to contract the work, include it in the budget, and adjust the assessments accordingly. Make certain the contractor is insured and has WC insurance if appropriate.

TimM11
Posts: 354

Posted:

Why not just have the company that plows your road clear the driveways, sidewalks, etc. too for additional cost? That would be much easier than trying to have a homeowner do it, to say nothing of the liability issues. Or do snow removal companies in your area not typically offer all of those services?

SamE2 (New Jersey)
Posts: 310

Posted:

Is the hope that with the snowblower others will help with the work or the work will be easier for the ones that do it? The snowblower will not get more people involved in doing the work. I would buy the snowblower if the ones that are doing the work now would continue or if I was trying to get everyone to pull their fair share I would increase the dues and pay someone.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

You covered the concerns.

Based on those concerns, I'd also check with your insurance company on any additional liability.

GeorgeS21 (Florida)
Posts: 3,808

Posted:

IMO, sharing equipment never ends well.

If it is required by county or city to keep the sidewalks in front plowed, the HOA should contract this done.

If the HOA is doing this for the benefit of those in the HOA, the HOA should contract this done.

If you don’t keep it simple, all sorts of things can happen or imagine to have happened: some will claim they didn’t get their fair share of the use of the equipment, or the engine wasn’t running right when it was their turn, or the blades needs to be replaced, or they cut their foot, or ran over their child’s leg, or someone failed to adjust something and the snow blower pullled them into the street and they were severely injured, etc, etc, etc.

In a previous HOA we rented a very large and powerful chipper two weekends a year to help the somewhat suburban neighborhood stay clear of trees and branches, etc ...while we never had any injuries, OMG the whining and whimpering and threats ... it was unbelievable ... even had a couple of folks who said things like, “I’m old and have paid dues a long time so you should clear my backyard first, but I won’t be here because I’ll be on vacation.”

KarenT (Washington)
Posts: 250

Posted:

Thank you all for your responses. Just wanted to share so this could be seen by all. As most of you all know, if the owners already whine and complain about how high our dues are so part of the solution was for everyone to shovel their own driveways and the sidewalks.

KellyM3 (North Carolina)
Posts: 2,239

Posted:

Hire it out, pay a little collectively, and everyone is happy.

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