August 26, 2026

Homeowners’ associations (HOAs) are usually led by several residents who are elected by their neighbors. However, those who are elected will decide who will act as President, Vice President, Treasurer, and any other existing role(s). Each will have their own responsibilities.

While most HOA leaders understand their obligations, things don’t always run smoothly. For example, some Texas homeowners were fined by their HOAs for brown lawns, even though county water rationing was in effect. A similar problem arose in Florida, but the HOA fines were overruled by a state statute that permits homeowners to replace water-guzzling lawns with native landscaping.

If you’re a member of an HOA or considering buying a home with an HOA, here are options for solving HOA-related problems.

Discuss your concerns with one or more HOA board members. There may be a good reason as to why the HOA isn’t maintaining the common areas or enforcing parking rules, such as problems with hiring workers to do these jobs.

During these talks, you may realize that a single board member is the source of one or more challenges. If you’re not able to get through to this person, you may want to work with other residents and discuss your options. As a last resort, you may want to research what steps are required to remove them from the board.

Review your county’s rules and statutes. Your board members may not be aware that a local statute prohibits HOA rules that aren’t environmentally friendly, or that these statutes will override their rules almost every time.

The previous options should be enough to solve an HOA problem, but if it isn’t, you can consider taking legal action. When this happens, you and any affected neighbors will need to gather valid evidence and consider hiring an attorney that specializes in these types of cases.

Source: cedarmanagementgroup.com