In his poem "Mending Wall," Robert Frost says that "Good fences make good neighbors." Frost's narrator displays contempt for walls erected between people, but sadly accepts the expression's truth. As a San Antonio lawyer who handles lawsuits involving homeowners associations (HOA) and disputes among neighbors, Trey Wilson has also found unfortunate wisdom in the maxim. This blog is a chronicle of one Texas attorney's observations about HOAs.
Representing Texas Homeowners Associations & those aggrieved by them
Attorney Trey Wilson handles lawsuits and pre-litigation disputes involving enforcement of restrictive covenants/deed restrictions, Homeowner Association member voting/ballot/proxy issues, HOA Board elections, collection of assessments/dues, placement and removal of liens, CCR/Declaration disputes, developer HOA control/turnover, ACC approval, HOA Board governance, Abuses by Homeowners Associations and drafting/amendment of HOA documents including By-laws.
11.03.2011
SOME HOAs SUBJECT TO TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT
Sec. 552.0036. CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATIONS SUBJECT TO LAW. A property owners' association is subject to Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code in the same manner as a governmental body:
(1) if:
(A) membership in the property owners' association is mandatory for owners or for a defined class of owners of private real property in a defined geographic area in a county with a population of 2.8 million or more or in a county adjacent to a county with a population of 2.8 million or more;
(B) the property owners' association has the power to make mandatory special assessments for capital improvements or mandatory regular assessments; and
(C) the amount of the mandatory special or regular assessments is or has ever been based in whole or in part on the value at which the state or a local governmental body assesses the property for purposes of ad valorem taxation under Section 20, Article VIII, Texas Constitution;
or
(2) if the property owners' association:
(A) provides maintenance, preservation, and architectural control of residential and commercial property within a defined geographic area in a county with a population of 2.8 million or more or in a county adjacent to a county with a population of 2.8 million or more; and
(B) is a corporation that:
(i) is governed by a board of trustees who may employ a general manager to execute the association's bylaws and administer the business of the corporation;
(ii) does not require membership in the corporation by the owners of the property within the defined area; and
(iii) was incorporated before January 1, 2006.
Notably, as of the 2010 census, only Harris County exceeded the threshold population of $2.8 million people