Where to get help? We need oversite:

Copies of all records for 5 years is a lot of paper and according to Maryland Law, they can charge you for the photocopying. You are about to get a huge bill. Better that you go to the management company office and copy documents yourself. For more information on your rights go to www.marylandhomeownersassociation.info

Joe,

The procedure should be defined in you Bylaws. Usually they have to be available for review and copying. At this point maybe you could clarify your request to “review and if necessary, copy” . . . This will probably greatly reduce the # of copying. Yes ask the President if you can go there or invite him to your house or schedule a meeting at a mutual place, a restaurant, the library, or some place near a photocopier.

Here’s a link to the MD Code (law) http://www.michie.com/maryland/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&2.0. Follow the Code to Real Property then the Homeowner’s Association Act (Section 11B). I’m not sure if a timeline is specified though. I think that bill was recently defeated.

Also, remember that because "Its just a group of residents who run our association" they really might not know generally accepted accounting pratices so go easy on them :-)

Good luck.
Tracy

In VA the property owners have the legal right to see the financial records. After 5 years of certified letters, etc. 2 property owners went to review the books. The books were loose pieces of paper..some numbers on a ledger paper..nothing up to date..and the check book. The BOD members were asked if copies could be made(the meeting of these property owners was a bank conference room)and the BOD said "absolutely NO" and so it goes..most of the info that was found...in the check book.
MaryN

Our Annual Meetings barely make quorum. The Treasurer has an annual financial report available for every HomeOwner to be distributed at the Annual Meeting. Those who attend, pick up a copy. Those who don't attend, don't get a copy...unless they request one and no one ever has.
Are the Annual Financial reports usually mailed to everyone? Our HOA has never done that.

Wow,

Yes our BOD is just as bad.

1. They complained about my shed saying it was too close to the road. Well it was well within the right of way in the covenants. It was legal by Washington County rules of no closer than 5 feet to any property line.
2. They complained about cutting trees when I built my house. Well the covenants say I can cut trees for house, driveway, septic and views. The county had this plan on file when I got my permit.
3. Then I thought I would be a nice guy and let them dump some rubble from a road project on my property. They promised to cover it up with fill dirt and repair my driveway. Nope, turns out that was all lies. But they did offer to help me get some fill dirt and said I could take what they had dumped across the road. Well that property owner came and chewed me out for taking his dirt!

All this happens while my neighbors across the road violate open burning bans, have several non-registered junk cars in their front yard.

They always try to force "volunteering" on road/culvert projects that are not only dangerous but requiring experienced people aka contractors to do. We ended up not having safe reliable access to our community for over a month while they dilly dallied on the project. They told us two weeks that turned into six.

They didn't even salt or plow the roads when we had ice storms this winter. I had to stay home a couple of days.

Then they complain about how they are volunteers on the board and they cannot wait around for contractors etc etc yada yada. But when you suggest they get a management company oh heaven forbid we spend money on that, forget the security of having CPA's review your books once a year and forget having someone else handle collecting dues etc. No leave it up to the "Marlboro" woman to personally approve expenditures.

The only thing this board understands is when I have my attorney send them letters. Several other neighbors have sued them and they settled out of court.

Michele,

Yes you are right, always two sides.

1. The covenants state no unregistered vehicles period.
2. The open burning was in reference to people burning trash. Where brush, limbs are fine as far as I'm concerned, however we joined this Fire Wise community program.
3. The board was sued because they harassed people without merit, did not provide speed bumps even though it was voted on and approved in meetings and awarding no bid contracts.
4. There are no rules about sheds in our covenants only houses with fixed foundations. In fact the set backs for buildings in our covenants are less than what the county requires. I should have clarified that, the shed is fine by county standards and no rules exist in the covenants regarding outbuildings/sheds.
5. During closing, my Realtor and title company repeatably tried to contact the association regarding HOA dues etc. No word from them at ALL. No Liens were registered on the property so the title company went froward. About two months in they contact me to pay a $400 special assessment for road work that had been done a year prior to me buying. This is was another reason they were sued by other property owners because they had a no-bid deal with the contractor and the president got his driveway paved. In the end the special assessment was waived and the money came out of the reserve because it was never voted on.
6. The community waives dues of some residents because they've provided some service such as access to equipment etc, in particular last winter they waived the dues of one gentleman because he was supposed to plow and spread salt. Well he didn't, so how do we collect his dues now? I don't even think they had a contract, I asked to see it, but they haven't provided that to me. I also asked to see liability insurance, nope none there either so I guess if his skid loader hits my car while plowing or damages my property my insurance has to pay for it?

I'm not complaining because I got my hand slapped, not by the least. I came into the community knowing they were poorly run and I offered my help, I didn't say you guys are doing a poor job, I said hey I just came from another association, this is how they did it, maybe there is something to learn. But when I suggested common sense approaches I got lazy answers back. I suggested they take an HOA class at the community college, nope they didn't do that. I even had my attorney research costs for a management company. I didn't just complain I provided suggestions and solutions only to be shot down without explanation.

I gave up, and just decided to pay my dues and keep quiet. Let them do what they want. But then the nit picking started without reason. Board members harassing my contractors when they were tying to work. That got my ire up. I just want to come home and enjoy my land and home. I'm not interested in volunteering on half baked poorly planed projects. If the BOD cannot find the time to do things right, then hire a management company who can. I'll gladly pay the the increased costs to have things done right and to hold someone accountable!

If it costs $Xxxx more to do get something accomplished then make a budget and present it to the community to vote on and access the additional costs. I've got no problem paying assessments if it is properly bid out to multiple contractors (sealed bids). All our community does now is show a ledge of expenses. They don't budget anything.

Joe,

I must ask, what specifically is wrong with a h/o treasurer handling the finances of the assn.? Do you know for a fact this person is not qualified? Or do you just think a mgmt co would do a better job? BTW, you don't know what the qualifications of their hired bookkeepers are. I'm a past treasurer of a self-managed HOA. Although I do have a background in accounting (at a CPA firm, no less) I believe there are many, many qualified "lowly" homeowners who could handle the job, especially for a small HOA. Perhaps I missed it, but I don't recall you mentioning anything specific that the treasurer was or wasn't doing that was wrong. BTW, what are your plans for the 5 years worth of financial records?