Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Owners can be problem, not board

Over the past two years I have read with interest the debate over the proposed homeowners' association bill. Each time The Sun News has an article it quotes people who have gripes against their HOA. What about the HOA that has a problem with its members?

Each year our HOA pays annually for mulching, sprinklers (water, rust inhibitor, pump electricity), termite inspection, pest control spraying. Two of our members take care of the lawn work (gratis) and trimming the trees (gratis). In addition to these costs there are some variables that come up that are not done on an annual basis - roofing repairs, pressure washing, pump replacement, etc.

We are a small (six-unit) townhouse HOA. We follow all the rules this new bill would supposedly establish. We hold annual meetings on a set date, I (the HOA president) send out meeting reminders, an update letter, the treasurer's financial report, and a proxy for those who cannot attend. Following the meeting I send out minutes. We vote each year on whether to increase our dues - well under $100 a month.

Our expenses are usually half of our dues each year - so when a member chooses not to pay those dues for the year it is a great burden. We not only have to pay his/her share of the annual expenses, we are not able to bank anything toward future needs. This is like stealing money from the paying members. Our recourse has been threatening letters, hiring an attorney, and filing for a lien. All of this cost the HOA money out of its very meager savings. I hope the bill's sponsors don't think we are going to pay a $10 fee for this noncontributing member.

What's in this bill for the HOA?

The writer lives in Surfside Beach.