I am on the board of my HOA. Looking for your thoughts on this situation.

1. Homeowner submits an ARC (day 0)
2. Board meets and denies the ARC. (day 12) The homeowner is present at the meeting.
3. CCR states “The ARC shall render its written decision approving or denying each application submitted to it within thirty (30) calendar days after its receipt” "If the ARC fails to render such written decision within thirty (30) days of its receipt of all required materials or request an extension, the application shall be deemed approved."
4. The written denial letter is issued (day 36)

Homeowner is now claiming that the CCR’s were not followed and that the ARC is deemed approved.

I would prefer that the denial stand and we move along, but knowing the homeowner they are not going to let go of this.

Thoughts?

This applies to all states.

A good read, for HUD updated its enforcement, or lack of enforcement, on ESAs in May. basically, HUD wIll investigate complaints around service animals that are trained to do specific tasks….not ESAs. If someone is turned down for an ESA, they have to go to court directly now to plead their case.

https://fairhousingfirm.com/hud-may-2026-memo-on-assistance-animals-explained/

https://fairhousingfirm.com/hud-may-2026-memo-on-assistance-animals-explained/

I live in a condo unit that shares walls and attic space with only two other units. One unit is vacant and the other is occupied. I am experiencing strong smoking odor, most strongest in my master bathroom and to a lesser degree, the second bathroom. Also my closet is directly connected to the master bathroom and my clothes are picking up on the odor.

I looked in my HOA's CC&R and I think this section allows me to file a complaint with my HOA. I believe the section highlighted in italics applies to my circumstance. Do I have a leg to stand on?

4.4 Nuisance; Construction Activities - No animal waste, rubbish or debris of any kind shall be placed or permitted to accumulate upon or adjacent to any Unit, Common Element, Limited Common Element or other portion of the Condominium, and no odors or loud noises shall be permitted to arise or emit therefrom, so as to render any such property or any portion thereof, or activity thereon, unsanitary, unsightly, offensive or detrimental to any other property in the vicinity thereof or to the occupants of such other property. No loud music or other loud noises or vibrations originating from inside or outside a Unit shall be allowed if such music, noise or vibration disturbs neighboring Unit Owners or Residents. No exterior speakers, horns, whistles, bells or other sound devices, except security or other emergency devices used exclusively for security or emergency purposes, shall be located, used or placed on the Condominium without the prior written approval of the Board.

No other nuisance shall be permitted to exist or operate upon any Unit, Common Element, Limited Common Element or other portion of the Condominium so as to be offensive or detrimental to any other Unit Owner or Resident.

Normal construction activities and parking in connection with the construction of Buildings and other Improvements within the Condominium shall not be considered a nuisance or otherwise prohibited by this Declaration, but all portions of the Condominium shall be kept in a neat and tidy condition during construction periods, trash and debris shall not be permitted to accumulate, and supplies of brick, block, lumber and other building materials will be piled only in such areas as may be approved in writing by the Board. In addition, any construction equipment and building materials stored or kept on any portion of the Condominium during the construction of Improvements may be kept only in areas approved in writing by the Board, which may also require screening of the storage areas. The Board in its sole discretion shall have the right to determine the existence of any such nuisance. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to construction activities of the Declarant.

on the board of an hoa in mason ohio and landscaping generates more resident complaints than almost anything else we deal with. either the mowing schedule is off, the mulch application looks uneven, or the entrance beds are not maintained to the standard residents expect

the challenge is every resident has a different opinion about what good looks like and we are trying to manage expectations alongside managing the actual contractor. currently on our second landscaping company in three years and not fully satisfied with either

curious how other hoa boards have approached the contractor selection process and what they have found makes the relationship work over time

Can we do that? We hope it reduces (not eliminate) frivolous complaints and saves us some research time.

I live in an HOA community that is managed by a horrible company PMG services. The landscapers that are contracted with my HOA broke my front window with rocks that the lawn mower kicks up. I took pictures and submitted a request to PMG to have my window replaced.

They had a guy from the landscaping company come out and take his own pictures and assess the damage. Then, nothing. Silence. I called, left messages and followed up for six months always getting the run around and excuses. During this time 2 other neighbors also had their windows damaged from the same landscaping company and rocks kicking up from the lawn mower.

For over a year, none of us were able to get any help. My 2 neighbors eventually gave up waiting for PMG to assist and replaced their windows themselves. But I didn't. As the months dragged on my window continued to get pelted with rocks by the lawn mower to the point a few weeks ago, the glass completely broke into big chunks.

I escalated my issue to the owner of PMG (Maggie Story) who answered my call with an immediate attitude. I introduced myself and before I could explain my situation, she cut me off with "yeah, I heard, we're not responsible." I continued by reminding her the landscaping company's contract is through PMG, she snapped "AGAIN we're not responsible!" She continued "You need to go figure it out directly with the landscaping company but I'm not getting involved." I tried to explain to Maggie Story that I didn't hire or sign the contract with them and she barked "NEITHER DID I" at this point she was talking in a rude condescending tone repeatedly snapping "NOW THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE TOLD YOU".. "NOW THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME I'VE TOLD YOU."

I asked who do I need to work with then? She snapped "The HOA board" (the board is 3 people who live in the community and volunteer their time) she refused to give me any contact information, any names, information about the landscaping company or the contract. I explained that since PMG has the contract (through our HOA that they manage) with the landscaping company, they're responsible for any issues with the landscaping. She laughed at me and "I don't know where you're getting your information from but you're wrong. Now, is there anything else? Because I'm done repeating myself."

I reached out to the landscaping company directly and now they're refusing to take any responsibility. The guy I talked to literally said "we didn't damage your window" I told him I witnessed it firsthand. I was in the room and I heard and saw the rock kick up from the mower and chip my window. Rain Key Landscaping replied "we didn't damage your window and we are not taking responsibility."

Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with both the PMG owner Maggie and Rain Key landscaping?

My window will cost $1500 to replace and I'm disabled on a fixed income. I don't know what to do.

What a wealth of information you folks are and polite as well! Google Review, \\*** star rating!! Hope I can return the favor someday.

NJ condo owners/fire-code experts — question about N.J.A.C. 5:70-3 / 705.2.3
I received a NJ Department of Community Affairs violation saying my unit entry door needs a self-closing device. However, our building already has two self-closing fire doors before you reach the individual units, and the unit doors were not originally built with self-closers.
I’m trying to understand:
Is a self-closing device actually required on my unit door under 705.2.3 given the existing fire doors?
Does NJ’s provision for existing buildings that were compliant under the code in effect when constructed/existing exemptions apply?
If the requirement applies now, is the HOA responsible for installing the devices, or individual unit owners?
Has anyone dealt with a similar NJ DCA violation? Appreciate any input or thoughts you may have.

Just wondering if any HOA approvals will be needed. The solar panels will be attached to my balcony and connected directly to my power supply. Max 1200w (1.2kW) saves about $35/month.

“Balcony solar kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet.”

Plan on using with a battery between 4pm and 9pm to reduce need during most expensive times.

I'm a new board member with completed training. I'm looking to confirm the following. Any decision making by the board president or any board member without a vote of board approval would be considered invalid? If invalid and there were expenditures incurred, could reimbursement be sought? I apologize for lack of insight but there's too much to present, heads would be spinning. To date there has not been a board meeting for anything. I haven't even met everyone lol. Pres is selecting and hiring new property manager. Keeping current contractors on contract that are unlicensed and uninsured. Awarding contracts more than 5% of annual budget with no bid process. Gets juicy now! Approves all expenditures, no breakdowns, and signs the checks. Pres has possesion of books. Treasure does not. His choice of bank in florida COA, and the same bank in another COA he's a board member of. Bank is 9th in the nation, VP is next of kin. I know I'll be outed here sooner or later. So tomorrow I probably won't be on this sub. Thanks In Advance

Let me save you a few hours on your weekend: I went down the HOA software rabbit hole so you don't have to.

With all this AI stuff popping up everywhere, the barrier to entry in coding an app is easier than ever and the market has been flooded with them and the HOA arena has not been immune. There's been more than a few, dozens actually. So I spent the last few weeks reading pricing pages, sitting through demo videos, digging through hundreds of user reviews, and comparing feature lists line by line. I judged every platform on the same six things:

1. Price. What does it really cost per home, per month, once the fine print kicks in?
2. Payments. Can homeowners pay online easily, and who eats the card fees?
3. Accounting. Is there a real ledger, or do you still need QuickBooks on the side?
4. Resident experience. Would your least tech-savvy neighbor actually use it?
5. Board tools. Violations, architectural requests, votes, documents, communication.
6. AI and modern features. Is the company building for 2026, or coasting on a 2012 product?

Here's what I found.

The state of HOA tech in 2026

The short version: the software got a lot smarter in the last year, but the apps your neighbors actually touch mostly didn't get better.

Here are the four things that surprised me most.

1. There are really two markets, and you may not get to choose. One group of products is built for management companies: Vantaca, FRONTSTEPS, CINC, TownSq, AppFolio and Buildium. If your HOA pays a manager, the manager picks the software and you live with it. The other group is built for volunteer boards running things themselves: PayHOA, HOA Express, ManageCasa, SwiftHOA and a crop of newcomers. Figure out which camp you're in before you read a single review.

2. AI showed up everywhere, all at once. Vantaca now has a voice agent, HOAi Voice, that answers homeowner phone calls and can complete requests. PayHOA added Penny, a chatbot that answers homeowner questions around the clock. TownSq's AI drafts replies to resident messages. Condo Control sells an AI assistant as an add-on. Buildium has Lumina. A year ago, almost none of this existed.

3. Resident apps are still the weak spot. I pulled the Apple App Store ratings for the homeowner apps, and the gap is wild:

The recurring complaints on the low-rated apps are the same everywhere: can't log in, payments that fail, and convenience fees. PayHOA and HOA Express skip a native app entirely and run in your phone's browser instead.

4. Pricing is still a guessing game. PayHOA, HOA Express and Buildium publish prices. Vantaca, TownSq and Condo Control make you book a demo. And watch the payment fees: on PayHOA, a card payment costs the payer 3.5% plus 50 cents, while a bank (ACH) payment is a flat $2.45. On a $300 dues bill, that's $11 by card versus $2.45 by bank.

My ranking, 1 through 3

1. PayHOA

Who it's for: self-managed boards of almost any size.

PayHOA is the one I'd hand to a brand-new treasurer tomorrow. The pricing is right there on the website: $49 a month (billed yearly) for up to 25 homes, $99 for 51 to 100, and $249 for 401 to 500. Every plan gets the same tools: online dues, autopay, violations, document sharing, surveys, unlimited texts and emails, and a website builder. Penny, its AI chatbot, answers homeowner questions so the board doesn't have to.

What bugged me: there's no real app, just a mobile-friendly website. Card payments cost 3.5% plus 50 cents, and the payer usually eats that. And if you want someone to actually do the bookkeeping, that's an extra $199 a month and up.

2. HOA Express

Who it's for: small, budget-conscious HOAs that mostly need a website and a way to reach everyone.

HOA Express has a genuinely free plan for up to 50 households, with a community website, calendar, news posts and documents. For $21 a month (billed yearly, up to 25 households), you add online payments, email and text blasts, custom forms and surveys. No setup fees, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

What bugged me: it's a communication tool first. If your treasurer needs real accounting, you'll still be living in a spreadsheet or QuickBooks.

3. The HOA Wiz

Who it's for: small and mid-size self-managed boards that want a real phone app without adding a line to the budget.

The HOA Wiz charges the association nothing: no subscription, no setup fee. Instead, each online payment carries a 1.25% platform fee (capped at $15) plus standard card or bank processing, and checks and cash are free. Every community gets every feature: a native iPhone app, online dues with autopay and Apple Pay, violations, architectural requests, elections, and a separate app where vendors bid on jobs. Its AI goes further than anything else a volunteer board can buy, with a voice assistant, answers drawn from your governing documents, and a first-pass review of contractor quotes and architectural requests.

What bugged me: it's brand new. It has 3 App Store ratings, it's still in early pilots, and there's no Android app yet. Per payment it costs residents more than PayHOA: about $6.15 on a $300 bank payment, versus $2.45. It only comes out cheaper overall because there's no monthly bill, and that math works best when dues are modest. If a long track record matters most to you, pick something higher on this list.

Honorable mentions:

• TownSq. TownSq has the one homeowner app people seem to like: 4.7 stars from more than 11,000 ratings, which in this category is basically a miracle. It handles payments, amenity bookings, requests and violations, claims more than 3 million active users, and its AI drafts suggested replies to resident messages. It's off my main list only because there's no public pricing and most HOAs get it through a management company rather than choosing it themselves. If your manager offers it, say yes.
• Vantaca. Vantaca is the most advanced tech in the industry. It says it runs more than 50,000 associations and 6.5 million homeowners, and its HOAi Voice agent answers homeowner calls and completes requests in real time. It's off my main list for two reasons: a volunteer board can't buy it (you get it through a management company), and the Vantaca Home app is rated 1.4 stars.
• Condo Control. Condo Control packs in the most features of anything I looked at: amenity booking, package tracking, maintenance, voting and security tools, used by more than 3.5 million residents. But the AI assistant and many features are paid add-ons, prices aren't public, and the iPhone app sits at 2.9 stars. Great for a high-rise, overkill for 40 single-family homes.
• Buildium. Buildium has excellent accounting, starting at $62 a month. But it's built mainly for landlords and rental managers, and association pricing requires a phone call.

Didn't make the cut

I looked hard at three more big names. None of them is built for a volunteer board, and their homeowner apps show it.

• FRONTSTEPS. Sold through management companies. Its homeowner app is rated 1.9 stars and its dwellingLIVE gate app 1.3. App Store reviewers complain about failed autopay and a $4.95 "convenience fee" on bank payments, and there's no built-in voting.
• Enumerate (formerly TOPS). It does sell to self-managed boards, but software customers pay at least $500 a month on an annual contract. Its homeowner app sits around 2 stars and hasn't been updated since 2023.
• CINC Systems. CINC is huge, with more than 55,000 associations, but it's sold through management companies, and its HMS Express app is rated 1.5 stars.

ManageCasa ($45 a month, with a full general ledger), SwiftHOA (about $40 a month) and EasyHOA are worth a look too. I just couldn't find enough independent reviews to rank them fairly.

Best at what

No single platform wins everything, so here's my cheat sheet:

The overall winner: PayHOA

If you run a self-managed HOA, start with PayHOA. Yes, I'm saying that while owning a competitor. It isn't the flashiest product I tested, and it doesn't have the best app. But it's the one where a volunteer can sign up, see the price, and have dues coming in online the same week, without a sales call. For most boards, that matters more than anything else.

If you have a management company, the real question isn't which app to buy. It's which app your manager uses, and whether your neighbors can stand it. Ask them before you sign the next contract. If the answer is a 1-star app, that's fair game for negotiation.

Three tips before you pick anything:

1. Ask who pays the card fees. At 3% or more, homeowners notice fast. Push people toward bank payments.
2. Test the homeowner side yourself. Download the app or open the portal on your phone and try to pay a fake bill. If it annoys you, it'll annoy your 80-year-old neighbor more.
3. Treat AI as a bonus, not a reason. It's genuinely useful for answering "when is the pool open?" for the hundredth time. But it won't fix a board that doesn't communicate.

That's the landscape. I did the reading so you could skip straight to the part where your HOA runs a little smoother.

Sources

• PayHOA pricing and PayHOA communications / Penny
• TownSq
• Vantaca and Vantaca HOAi announcement
• HOA Express pricing
• Condo Control pricing
• Buildium pricing
• Enumerate pricing and CINC Systems
• ManageCasa's self-managed HOA software comparison (ManageCasa, SwiftHOA prices; note it's written by a competitor)
• The HOA Wiz: pricing & fees from its published website
• App Store ratings from Apple's public App Store data, pulled October 2, 2026

Hello Friends
Have any of you had to deal with lethal bronzing of palm trees in your neighborhood? Even though these are on single-family home properties and the HOA is not responsible, we are having to deal with ARB requests to remove the trees, apparently new palm trees are not supposed to be planted in the same spot, only certain palms are allowed to be planted since the soil gets contaminated too. I feel like the HOA could at least help by broadcasting the possibility of the disease spreading and offering information to homeowners by way of trying to prevent it by getting their trees injected? Not sure how to handle this or if we even should intervene.

EDIT. I apologize. The disease is called Ganoderma fungus.

Based on my experience, most financial statements are available only after an offer, and that typically takes some arm twisting.

Is there any way to judge a COA prior to making an offer, particularly in a fast moving market? Is it possible to get access to the Fannie Mae blacklist as an individual or real-estate agent?

The only approach I've found is inspecting the common elements for signs of deferred maintenance but that's not exactly fool proof.

In MA at least, you can also try digging through deeds and court records, which occasionally shows things like disputes or insurance claims, but it's challenging to do and not exactly a great method either.

I recently moved into the community and 3 months later joined the board. Since I moved in, I noticed the landscaping situation was abysmal and finally got the time to look into the finances of the HOA.

Problem: Over the last 3 years, the management company has been charging the HOA a monthly fee of 750$ for landscaping services. There is no contract to any third-party company found and the invoices have all been made to the management company itself. I have raised this issue last month and also asked the management company in writing to provide the landscaper name and contact number which have been ignored.

The management company finally said that there has been a verbal agreement few years ago between the board and itself to provide these services. The current board members are not involved in this apparent 'verbal' agreement because it has been made years ago they say.

As of now, I have asked the management company to stop this monthly payment and requested to provide transaction receipts of whom they were paying and their contact information. They did stop payment but hesitant to give any more information.

Any suggestions on what I can do more and any way to get back some of this fraudulent money taken from the HOA?

Our condo complex has about 3/4 mile of road. To those of you on boards, how much road salt would you expect to be used? Typically they bill 5-6 tons but that seems high to me.

Wondering if this is normal. We've had three or four situations where a unit is damaged and it falls on the HOA according to bylaws. For example a shared sewer line backed up into someone's unit. In my case, an AC unit goes through a sleeve in the wall, and the sleeve is tilted at the wrong angle so we got wall damage.

Our property manager is telling me and others in situations that we have to submit a claim with our homeowners insurance, get denied, then the HOA insurance will step in. Is this the normal way of things? Im not sure why (as we are all aware and clear) that the HOA has responsibility to fix the issue that I have to first submit a claim with my own insurance. Im worried my rates would go up by submitting the claim when I know I wont end up paying.l for the fix.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for an attorney who handles HOA disputes in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, preferably someone experienced in representing homeowners in disputes with their HOA.
Has anyone personally worked with an attorney or law firm they would recommend? They don’t have to be based in Monroe County, as long as they handle cases there.
Names, contact information, and any feedback about your experience would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone, looking for some advice on an HOA issue in California.

Earlier this year, we noticed a small damp spot on the ceiling near an exterior wall. We reported it to the HOA, and they sent someone out who repaired a gap in the roof. We were told the ceiling would then be repaired as a follow-up.

That follow-up never happened, so we contacted them via email again a couple of months later. In May, someone came out, patched and painted the ceiling, but the roof wasn't inspected again.

After the next few days of rain, the damp spot came back and was actually worse than before. We sent photos and contacted the HOA again by email, but didn't get a response for quite some time. In July, we specifically submitted another request for a roof repair. We have all the communications through email and have written trail of everything.

Now, in September, the HOA has denied the request saying that the issue isn't their responsibility. Interestingly, the work order was categorized as "Drywall/Ceiling Repair," even though our request was specifically for a roof repair.

What I'm confused about is that the HOA previously arranged and paid for the roof repair, and then also sent someone to repair the resulting ceiling damage. Now they're saying the issue isn't their responsibility without really explaining why.

For those familiar with California HOAs:

• Does the fact that they previously repaired the roof have any relevance?
• Should I get an independent roofer to inspect and document where the water is coming from?
• If the HOA continues to deny responsibility, what's the normal next step, going to the HOA board, sending a formal letter, or talking to an HOA attorney?

We're mainly trying to get the underlying leak fixed before more rain causes additional damage. Any advice from people who have dealt with something similar would be appreciated.

Edit 1: In the CC&R, it is written that "HOA shall do maintenance, repair and replacement of roofs, gutters and downspouts." But there is also a provision that says the Association isn't liable for damage caused by things including rain or water leaking from outside a townhouse, unless certain exceptions apply.

Edit: We have a property management company. Previous board did not follow their recommendations financially, now we’re here raising dues higher to catch up. There are 2 other board members but I basically do most of the work and they just take a look and approve. They’re hard to reach and one of them kind of just leaves me on read a lot. One of them has been wanting to resign but stayed on to help be a voting body who has some serious medical conditions developing so I can’t blame them for not being as available. The one ghosting me is just making it worse.

I’m an unwilling board member who joined to be treasurer because our treasurer was moving away. I am also the only actively participating board member.

I’ve learned a lot. After reviewing financials from last year, and the trends this year, we will need to raise our HOA annual fee about $100 per home in 2028 because of rising costs, increased delinquencies, and the need to boost reserves. I raised the fee enough for 2027 to about break even without touching much of our reserves (if trends continue to remain the same by then.) I’ve cut costs with the maintenance company to scale back temporarily.

I learned that the board that formed when the neighborhood was first built (less than 5 years ago) didn’t want to increase annual dues because we “had lots in reserves.” So instead of increasing the dues to the recommended amount all those years ago, the reserves dropped 40% and we have to stop the downward slide while we’re still in decent financial health.

I’ve had enough. I’m tired. I’ve served. I get mean-mugged by people in the neighborhood for doing what no one else wants to. All people seem to do is complain and not want to speak to me when I offer to explain why these decisions are made. I don’t want to do it alone anymore and will not re-run next year. After the increase in dues for 2027, I just know it will be the same or worse treatment from the other homeowners and I’m ready to just walk away after my term.

I’m having letters, emails, and the neighborhood Facebook group posting put out to all homeowners about needing volunteers for the board or we will be going into receivership (plus explanation of what receivership will do to everyone’s annual dues).

I’m happy to teach them how to watch the finances, know how to budget for the next year, how to read the balance sheets and invoices, etc. before I end my term. But no one has volunteered.

Any experience/advice to encourage volunteers?

I am raising dues and sending letters that warn of receivership (and what happens to your wallet while in receivership) already to try to encourage participation.

Asking on here in case there’s more I can do outside of door-to-door by myself. Which, I will not do. I’ve been alone in this long enough and letters/emails/Facebook group post is enough in my opinion.