Got any ideas or suggestions on what I should do next about mold problems in my

[Guest guest]

Got any ideas or suggestions on what I should do next about mold

problems in my unit?

Please write me - I live in a homeowners association in Austin,

Texas

September 23, 2006

AHRC News Services - San Capistrano,CA

American Homeowners Resource Center (AHRC)

By F B

http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/news/sub/qa/action/ShowMedia/id

/3146

Austin, Texas -

I have been fighting my Homeowners Association for over a decade. I

hired a lawyer and licensed mold inspector a year and a half ago, it

seems they are out for themselves.

The last comment I got from my mold guy, while waiting for a

rebuttal report from the other side... he stated, " Why should I

write the report, if you are not going to sue! "

After the shock wore off and looking back at the work that has been

done by both of these men... I know I've been set up. They have

essentially done as little as possible to cover themselves, but also

have stated, " Look, we've done the work... the other side hasn't

responded properly, you just need to sue. "

Of course if I sue, they get more money...

Do any of you have any suggestions on what I should do next on these

mold problems?

Many close friends think I should clear out of my unit, get an

appartment, then sell at a loss to an investor (with of course full

disclosure). Got any ideas or suggestions?

Please write me back. Thank you.

The following is my experience whith homeowner association

management companies:

The Scourge

Management companies are the scourge of the Homeowner Association

corporations, especially the ones involved with the Community

Associations Institute CAI and/or any other factions related to the

CAI.

Yes, they can take care of some things, but there should be a law

about the specifics that they are and are not allowed to do.

Manager's Preferred Vendors

Here at the complex I live in, our manager's motto (sales pitch!)

is, " I'll save the complex money! " . He then uses his own venders to

do maintenance and repairs (if you want to call what they actually

do, termed as " repairs " !

Using the HOA Board to cover liabilities

If you confront the venders about their patch jobs, they in turn

say, " We don't do what we know is right, we do as we are told by

your board! " .

In my situation, those " repairs " have been nothing but

continuous " patch jobs " (confirmation was given to me by an engineer

I was forced to hire), which has resulted in repeated leaks from

storms into my unit (for over a decade!) and now certified black

mold has been found .

HOA Board shifts responsibilites to the Manager

Each and every board through the years that I have approached about

either the complexes and/or my problems, has literally given their

power away to the manager. He states to them that they don't have

to " worry " about certain matters, that he's " an expert " . What

happens in far too many cases, is the boards essentially give their

power away and only listen to the manager (I have seen it too many

times where they will defer their comments and major decisions to

the manager!).

Require Board Training

I feel that if any HOA boards are going to hire a management company

because they are either naive and/or too complacent to do the work

themselves, then I feel there should be some type of federal law in

effect that requires anyone who wants to be a board member be

required to go through comprehensive training for that privilege

(not be allowed as a board member for the prestige only!.

The training should cover; all the HOA laws, insurance, their duties

and responsibilities for choosing to be on a board, people skills,

how to seek out venders, insurance companies, etc., investments,

what they should and should not do to protect not only " their "

homes, but especially the homes of the community that they

are " suppose " to be concerned about, not " just " protecting

themselves and the interests of the manager, his venders, his

lawyer, his insurance company, etc. The sales pitch that gets people

in HOA's are a twisted lie.

They tell you that when you buy into a " community " and pay a monthly

dues, that you don't have to worry about maintenance, repairs and

other things. The truth is, the board and hired manager has all of

the control legally, whether or not things actually get " repaired "

properly... A non-suspecting person who believes the sales pitch,

completely gives up their right to have anything done properly, that

is considered by the bylaws " common areas " and is suppose to be the

association's responsibility.

I could go on... but frankly I'm disgusted, dazed and confused why

people who placed themselves in a position to supposedly " help "

others are more intent on helping themselves... That wasn't the way

I was raised... something has to change!