A true story of how homeowners fight for their rights against the HOA board.

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Today, I want to share a crazy homeowners association story that highlights some of the challenges homeowners face. Recently, I dealt with a condo incident where a toilet overflowed, causing water damage to the unit below. Typically, in such situations, both homeowners file insurance claims, letting the insurance companies handle the dispute. However, things took an unexpected turn this time.

 

The HOA manager emailed me, instructing us to identify and stop the leak and file an insurance claim. We promptly did so. Almost a day later, the HOA manager accused us of not sending anyone to inspect the damage downstairs. I replied that I had asked for access hours ago and only just received it.

 

The situation escalated further when the HOA manager decided my owner was responsible for the damage downstairs, instructing the lower unit owners not to file an insurance claim. This was highly unprofessional and biased, as the HOA manager has no right to intervene in a private dispute between homeowners.

 

This led to our insurance denying the downstairs claim, and the HOA board decided to hold a hearing to impose a special assessment for the damages.

 

"Knowing your rights will help you stand against HOA conflicts."

 

Later on, we discovered that the downstairs owner was the HOA Board President. We realized they were using their position to target another homeowner, which is unethical and legally questionable. Eventually, we had to hire an attorney to attend the hearing which the HOA board had weeks to prepare but still failed to provide details on the special assessment amount.

 

Despite their unpreparedness, they sought a continuance, further driving up legal costs. We argued that this was an overreach of their authority and suggested dropping the matter and letting the insurance companies handle it. After weeks of back and forth, the HOA finally agreed to drop the special assessment, instructing the downstairs owners to file an insurance claim.

 

Even though this story ended well, it could have been disastrous without legal intervention. My role as a property manager is to protect my clients, and we stood firm against the HOA’s overreach.

 

In Nevada, there is a growing concern about HOAs not serving the community but instead acting against homeowners. We believe that legislative changes are needed to address these issues. If you have any questions about dealing with HOAs or need property management advice, feel free to reach out at 725-220-GRIP. I look forward to hearing from you!