HOA Missmanagement Question

[Spencer King]

Hi Everyone ,

I am a new investor. I have recently purchased a new condo on the Eastside of Athens, GA. I have spent the summer renovating the inside, and I am really proud of how things have turned out. However, now that the inside of the place is taken care of, I am turning my attention to the exterior and complex.

The complex HOA is managed by a large property management company which is very big in Athens. The company has not been doing an adequate job of managing the outside of the buildings and complex in general. There are numerous problems: several deep potholes in the parking lots, soil erosion under several of the sidewalks, no land scaping whatsoever, half of the complex lighting is burnt out, and this list goes on. The HOA dues also have not been increased since the complex was built 20 years ago. So, part of the problem is there is a serious lack of funds to work with for complex upkeep anyway. I would love to take control of the HOA and work with the property management company or switch property management companies to improve the state of the complex.

The problem I am facing the fact that most of the other owners in the complex are absentee investors who either do not know or care about attending or being a part of the homeowners association. How can I take control or convince the other owner to be a part of the HOA to make some changes?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Spencer

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Spencer King:

The only way to "take control" is to join the HOA Board and work on it from the inside. Another option is to address the Board in writing, ask to attend a meeting and talk about your concerns. See if you can motivate them to look at the issue. The Board has to present major repairs to the membership, vote on it, raise the funds, get bids, and then they can do the work. It won't be quick or easy.

This is why many of us avoid HOAs. The value of your property is highly dependent on the skill of the Board.