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Homeowner fined thousands by HOA

Homeowner fined thousands by HOA

Homeowner fined thousands by HOA

By  and Catherine Chestnutt
The power of Homeowners Associations. They can tell you what color you can paint your house, where to park, even what you can have in your yard. They can also put a lien on your home or even more severe, foreclose on it.
Debra Blue learned the power of her HOA the hard way, but she didn’t just take what the HOA demanded, she fought back. It started when Debra got a letter from her HOA letting her know she did not follow her HOA covenants when it came to the plum color she just painted her shutters.
According to her HOA covenants, she was supposed to get prior approval of the color choice. “It was a complete shock to me, but I immediately apologized, and they asked me to go through the ARC approval process, and I did that within two days,” Debra said.
However, things didn’t go so well for Debra. Her HOA’s Architectural Committee denied the color change and asked her to pick another color.

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Is your Community having a Holiday Party? Five holiday party ideas

Is your Community having a Holiday Party? Five holiday party ideas

Holiday Parties Sure To Please Your Residents

Brought to you by State of Florida Property Management Association  –  https://www.SFPMA.com

The holidays provide the perfect opportunity to bring your neighbors together to celebrate the season. When you have community amenities such as a clubhouse, there’s no need for a neighbor to go through the hassle of hosting your HOA holiday party at his or her home.

Want to throw a holiday party that will bring residents of your community together for a fun-filled evening? Here are five holiday party ideas that are sure to please your residents:

  1. Tacky Sweater Party

While so cliché these days, hosting a tacky sweater party is a great way for residents to break the ice and start mingling with each other. The ugly holiday sweater that was once popular in the 80s is making a big come back, and residents can easily find this festive attire online or come up with their own creations. Encourage residents to channel their inner-tackiness by offering prizes for the ugliest sweaters. If hosting the party at your neighborhood clubhouse, you can spruce up your community amenities for the event with bright-colored lights, oversized holiday inflatables, and tinsel-filled trees.
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It’s time to begin thinking about and planning for summer.

It’s time to begin thinking about and planning for summer.

There are a few things that you can do as a property manager to prepare now for a smooth-running summer.

Now is a great time to begin formulating a newsletter for your tenants that describes all of the things that you will be doing for them as well as what they can do to make their summers as cool and uneventful as possible. Communication is key to setting expectations about what your tenant is expected to do. Open communication with your community is Key for solving problems, Tenants and Owners are your eyes and ears. They live in the buildings they see things that may need to be repaired before you. With this with everyone working together you can get things done and stay on top of repairs in your buildings.

Tenants can help you help themselves by notifying you of any maintenance issues that may best be taken care of now rather than later. Things such as leaky faucets, stuck windows, and appliances that seem to be working a little less effectively than before are key items to look for.

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What you can’t see is often more important than what you can.

What you can’t see is often more important than what you can.

When talking about people we often say it’s what is on the inside that counts, well the same can be said for condominiums. What you can’t see is often more important than what you can.

Many associations came about when developers converted apartment buildings into condos. Others in south Florida are just getting old and while it might not always be obvious on the outside a look inside the walls, under the slab or in the elevator equipment room will give you a better picture of the problems that lurk beneath the surface. All of these things have useful life’s and tend to wear out over time.

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