HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - February 7, 2014
Published: Fri, 02/07/14
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Barnyard Animals Beginning to Rule Your HOA Roost? Bah!
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In this week's tip, we go whole hog on the issue of whether to ban barnyard
animals in your HOA.
Jose Canseco's recent tweet about his HOA's complaint against him for
excessive goat noises is funny-and a sign of what may be a growing problem at
HOAs. As more home owners turn to raising their own chickens and other
animals that used to be exclusively farm animals, you may need to be on the
ready.
There's lots of talk about barnyard animals taking up residency at HOAs. How
common is it?
"I've seen it occasionally, mostly with chickens and goats," says Andrew
Schlegel, CCAM, executive vice president of community management for
Orange County and Los Angeles at FirstService Residential in Aliso Viejo,
Calif. "We have some HOAs that are all custom homes with big lots. Usually,
that's allowed in those communities. But where that gets dicey is when
someone's putting a chicken coop in their backyard, and it's not that far
away from their neighbor."
Brad van Rooyen, a partner at Home Encounter, a Tampa, Fla., company that
manages 15 community associations totaling about 3,000 owners, hasn't
personally seen the issue in his HOAs. But there was an unusual pet in one of
the rental properties his company manages. "We had a tenant who had a pygmy
goat, and as I'd walk by, it would keep biting me on the leg," recalls van
Rooyen. "It acted like a dog, including sitting like one. The tenant
provided proof it went to the vet and had its shots. The property didn't have a
barnyard animal smell. So we treated it just like a pet. We requested a
deposit, which the tenant happily paid, and when she left there was no damage
or smell. Overall, there was no 'Oh, my gosh, why did we allow this?'"
If you're not facing the issue now, van Rooyen suggests not ducking it. "It's
just a matter of time before an owner goes to a state fair and comes back with a
trunkful of baby chickens to get organic eggs," he says. "The owner's not
thinking of the coyotes or bobcats it might attract, where a regular
domestic pet might not attract those things."
Let's stop clucking and start acting! Find out how in our new article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/948.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Is There a Mooooo-vement Toward Barnyard Animals in Your HOA?
Jose Canseco's recent tweet about his HOA's complaint against him for
excessive goat noises is funny--and a sign of what may be a growing problem at
HOAs. As more home owners turn to raising their own chickens and other
animals that used to be exclusively farm animals, you may need to be on the
ready. Here we discuss the growing trend and ideas to address it without
relying only on your animal instincts.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Is-There-a-Mooooovement-Toward-Barnyard-Animals-in-Your-HOA.cfm
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One HOA's Feral Cat Dilemma; Discussion Forum Follow Up
An HOAleader.com reader asks, "In our community we've had some problems
with feral cats. The board over a number of years provided some funding to
operate a trap, neuter, and release program. There are some very strong
feelings on both sides of the issue. Anyone else been through a similar
situation and found a successful solution?"
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/One-HOAs-Feral-Cat-Dilemma-Discussion-Forum-Follow-Up.cfm
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Can You Recommend or Ban HOA Owners from Using Certain Contractors?
Ever run into a contractor who was utterly incompetent and then found one of
your owners had hired the schmoe to do renovations in their unit? Awkward!
Here we discuss why you might consider providing guidance to your HOA's
owners on which contractors to use for in-unit projects. Is it ever worth the
HOA's trouble--or within the HOA's authority--to ban contractors who've
performed in a way that's harmed owners or the association?
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Can-You-Recommend-or-Ban-HOA-Owners-from-Using-Certain-Contractors.cfm
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What HOAs are Really Saying with Security Deposits from Renters
In this week's tip, we discuss whether you can, and should, require owners'
renters to leave a security deposit with your HOA in case renters do some HOA
damage during their tenancy. But the real issue is how welcoming you want to
be toward renters in the first place.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/What-HOAs-are-Really-Saying-with-Security-Deposits-from-Renters.cfm
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The Real Motives Behind Asking for Security Deposits from Unit Owners'
Renters
If your HOA allows owners to rent units, should you require a security
deposit to be held in case the tenant damages common areas or fails to pay fees
required by the association? Here we discuss the pros and cons--and the true
reasons behind such deposits.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/The-Real-Motives-Behind-Asking-for-Security-Deposits-from-Unit-Owners-Renters.cfm
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