After settling in to my new digs and meeting new neighbors, some of which were pretty cool for neighbors, the new condo started to feel like home. It wasn't shortly after move in that one of the builders started to come around and collect HOA dues. But he wasn't collecting them regularly, or intermittently, or even periodically. I just kept a check by the door and if I happened to be home and he happened to knock on my front door then I paid my dues. If he didn't, then I didn't. I always paid for each month even if I was paying for 3 months at one time.
Then meeting started. OOOHHHH the fun of HOA meetings. We learned how to make a motion, and then second it and then vote on it...except there was never enough owners at a meeting to vote on anything. The meetings were mostly discussion and tying up loose ends as the builders transitioned to other projects and the condos transitioned to the HOA members. Eventually enough units were sold that a officer's election meeting was to be held. Now this is some real live HOA action!! Except only 4 people showed up. The builders were not able to be a part of the HOA board as they were not unit owners, not in the capacity that the real unit owners were unit owners. By dumb luck and process of elimination I became the HOA President, because I thought it would be the easiest job. I could not have been more wrong if I thought Borax would have been a great anal cleanser. And yes I said anal.
The beginning was not that bad. I led meetings, the treasurer showed us a pie chart of the money from dues and the expenses and the secretary took notes. Then the dues went up...hmmm. The dues went up because the expenses of the condos was not calculated correctly. We were using more water than the builders expected. I guess I was supposed to bathe in Lake Vancouver twice a week?. The dues remained under $100. Not bad being that some HOAs had dues in the hundreds. The adjustment was minimal and I was glad to pay it if it meant we could keep the HOA afloat and pay our bills on time.
A few months later the builders were gathered around the courtyard near my unit. I'm a nosy prick so I walked out there and poked my nose in their beeswax. Turns out the loan they took out had reached its limits. I had no idea what that meant. What it meant was the builders, all 4 of them were now the proud owners of 2-3 units each. Over night my quiet little condo complex acquired 9 rentals. That was the beginning of the end.
Renters came and went, I never once saw a rental application.
Oh...and there was a fire in 2 units that displaced 2 owners for 6 months. One of the builders' workers caught the insulation on fire underneath a unit while repairing plumbing. He was not a licensed/insured/bonded plumber and the builder's insurance had expired the previous day. But I digress. The builder whose worker was negligent stopped coming to HOA meetings, and so did another builder. Then the 3rd builder stopped coming to HOA meetings...you get the idea.
Renters came and went, some were good. They were great neighbors and some were bad...real bad. The biggest issue was the builders themselves. They were late on dues each month, sometimes for several months. All the while their renters were using water, throwing away trash, and parking in visitor parking. I reached an apex where we are now. Two builders are being sued by the HOA for past dues/ late fees that amount to over $12,000. Those sons of bitches.
Fast forward to 20 minutes ago and 3 of the 4 builders have lost their units. 7 units were acquired by West Coast Bank. Two units have already been updated and sold to owner occupied buyers, but the next 5 are almost ready for listings. I keep my fingers crossed that they are sold to owner occupied buyers as investment property owners pose more of a financial peril to the HOA.
The lawsuits are still in the legal machine for 2 of the builders and just because I was pissed I also sued one of my "cool" neighbors as I have not seen that owner for 3 years and that owner has not paid dues in 3 years. I've paid my dues every month for 4 years. In essence as an HOA president I've paid my dues.
Tune in next week when I become the parking enforcer and the bad guy for letting a unit owner know their pay-stubs were in the trash.
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