HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - March 8, 2019
Published: Fri, 03/08/19
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Smile, Your Condo/HOA Owners Are Filming Their Own Candid Camera Episodes
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Sing along: I always feel like somebody's watching me!
We can't help thinking of that tune as we write this week's tip on home security cams.
Maybe it would be easier today to ask homeowners to raise their hand if they don't have a camera installed somewhere around their home. With the explosion of DIY home camera systems, our experts say you should develop a camera policy earlier, rather than later.
"It's a big deal," says Matt D. Ober, senior partner at Richardson Harman Ober, a Pasadena, Calif., law firm with a significant community association practice. "The Ring doorbell is pretty popular, and it's essentially a doorbell with a camera attached. It's really hard to tell owners they can't put that in. If it's installed in their separate interest or front door, as long as it doesn't violate your community's architectural standards, you're going to have to allow it."
Todd J. Billy, an attorney at The Community Association Lawyers in St. Louis, who's a licensed attorney in Missouri and Illinois and has more than 1,000 active condo and HOA clients, believes it's wise to get in front of the issue. "It's unrealistic to think that some owners don't want to have access to security systems," he says. "But the aesthetics of making that work can be problematic. We encourage boards to be proactive about what they'd like to see."
One of our experts recently had a case involving an owner's cameras. It went all the way to court, where the owner finally backed down. But there was plenty of tension before that resolution.
"My case took place in Howard County, Md.," recalls Matthew J. Youssef, a partner at Niles, Barton & Wilmer in Baltimore, who represents about 80 community association at any given time. "It's a fully planned community with master association upon association and a much larger association for the whole county. Every association has at least two masters.
"A man started installing a series of exterior cameras," he explains. "At first, the cameras were hard to see. They were behind some firewood on the deck. The board said, 'People can't see them; they're fine.'"
The association then did deck renovations, requiring owners to remove everything on that limited common element; later, owners put their things back on the updated decks. "This is how an issue like this often comes up," says Youssef. "In this case, the owner put the cameras back, but in a different location. They were about 15-17 cameras around the exterior of his townhouse, and several members were uncomfortable."
That's because these weren't today's small, discreet cameras. "They were the big, 1970s cameras, the kind you see in Walmart on the ceiling," he explains. "They were obvious and a very clear violation in that he hadn't submitted a request to install them. This was open and shut. The bylaws required that he submit a request before altering the exterior of the unit, and he didn't do that."
Find out what happened in the case and get 5 Tips for Handling Condo/HOA Owners' Cameras in our new article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/3877.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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5 Tips for Handling Condo/HOA Owners' Cameras
Maybe it would be easier today to ask homeowners to raise their hand if they don't have a camera installed somewhere around their home. With the explosion of DIY home camera systems, our experts say you should develop a camera policy earlier, rather than later.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5-Tips-for-Handling-CondoHOA-Owners-Cameras.cfm
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Fight Fraud and Theft at Your HOA or Condo Association:
Steps to Take Today to Avoid Financial Catastrophe
The risk to condos and HOAs of fraud is very real, and it surrounds you. It's not just your manager who might steal from you and your neighbors. It could be a bookkeeper or a member of your board. It could be an employee. It takes a diligent HOA or condo board to ensure your association's funds aren't at risk of theft. Are you confident you are doing all you can? Would you like more help understanding the risks and knowing the steps you can, and should, take right away? We can help. An in-depth webinar on March 28 will walk you through concrete steps you can take to protect your condo or HOA's money.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/products/fight-fraud-theft-hoa-a.cfm
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Arizona Court Throws Condo/HOA Fining Processes Into Doubt
We report on a recent Arizona case that caused quite a stir among community association lawyers in the state in this week's tip. You've probably never heard of Turtle Rock 3 v. Fisher. But it landed like a ton of bricks in the community association world in Arizona.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/Arizona-Court-Throws-CondoHOA-Fining-Processes-Into-Doubt.cfm
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The Arizona Case on HOA Fining that Threw Community Association Lawyers for a Loop
You've probably never heard of Turtle Rock 3 v. Fisher. But it landed like a ton of bricks in the community association world in Arizona.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/Arizona-Case-on-HOA-Fining-that-Threw-Community-Association-Lawyers-for-Loop.cfm
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Is 2019 the Year Your Condo or HOA Does an Audit?
Audits are expensive! No argument from us. But they're also sometimes necessary. How often are they necessary? Here, our experts explain when they advise their clients to conduct an audit.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/2019-Year-Your-Condo-or-HOA-Does-Audit.cfm
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