Ask the Site

I'm addressing HOATALK but anyone else who knows. Can an HOA turn over serious outstanding assessments to a collection agency? Any commercial entity is allowed to do this, why not HOAS? As it is now we are limited to hiring an attorney, placing a lien, etc which doesn't really seem to have much impact on hard core delinquents. Sometimes it does other times not.

If a delinquent owner knew this would place a bad mark on his credit score which he would have to deal with if he wanted to buy a car, refi or whatever else I believe the old attitude "they can't do anything" would change.

Ellen, yes you can use a collection agency however because of the fees involved (charged by the collection agency) I don't know how practicable it would be. We use an attorney who specializes in collections who adds all of his fees to the amount owed, he gets paid when we get paid.