Ask Amy: Can my HOA just raise my dues?
From fines and fees to unexplained expenses we commonly hear your complaints about issues some of you are having with your homeownerโs association. Investigator Amy Davis is getting answers to your HOA related questions with Attorney David Kahne. He represents homeowners in battles against their HOAโs.
HOAs vs neighborhood associations: Understanding the difference
If you live in the Houston area, youโve probably noticed some new developments in your neighborhood. Whether itโs remodeling updates on someoneโs home or developers breaking ground on a new project, construction is happening all over the city.
โDo somethingโ: Condo owner frustrated other perceived inaction by property management company
Trudy Allen has buyersโ remorse after dealing with what she describes as โissue after issue.โ The trombone player sold her home in 2020 and moved to the Sunridge Villas condominium on Westpark Drive in Southwest Houston.
โToday everyone wants our homes and our land:โ Sunnyside neighbors worry new development will erase history
Part of our mission for โOur Townโ is to look into what people are dealing with in their neighborhood. Just like other parts of Houston the Sunnyside area has caught the eye of developers. Older homes torn down and replaced. But some say their history is being erased they are worried builders are not following building codes. KPRCโs Rilwan Balogun looks into why this is happening and what to do if you have the same issue in your neighborhood.
โItโs a big dealโ: HOAโs persistence pays off as damaged cluster mailbox gets replaced
For nearly a year, some homeowners at the Windsong neighborhood in West Harris County had to drive roughly a mile to the post office to pick up their mail. The cluster mailbox they used was damaged and postal workers wouldnโt deliver their mail worried someone could steal it.
Residents living at SE Houston condominiums with mold, maintenance issues say they are being threatened, harassed by HOA
KPRC 2 first told you about the complex in February after residents spoke out about mold, increases in HOA fees, and issues with maintenance requests. Now residents say they are receiving letters from the HOAโs attorney about harassment and the residents are also faced with a temporary restraining order.
KPRC 2 Investigates years-long HOA debate over security guard gate
From the Woodlands to way down south in Pearland, new subdivisions and communities are popping up all over our area. But before you buy into a new neighborhood, you should read this story. One northeast Houston homeowner called our Investigates team when the plan she said was sold to her never materialized.
KPRC 2 Investigates: HOA vs Katy homeowners in concrete wall debate
Homeowners in one Katy neighborhood have hit a wall trying to work with their homeownerโs association. We are talking about a literal concrete wall that surrounds their subdivision. At issue: who is responsible for it. KPRC 2 Investigates has a story that could impact anyone with an HOA.
KPRC 2 Investigates: Homeowner vs. HOA in fence build debate
A new law allows homeowners in Texas to put up a perimeter fence around their property for added security. The law specifically states that homeowners associations can not restrict it. But some are trying. KPRC 2 Investigates team is looking into what your HOA can and can not do.
Can my HOA really do that? Here are the answers to your most pressing questions
We've received a flood of emails and phone calls from viewers with questions and concerns about HOA issues. We took some of your questions to Attorney David Kahne. He represents homeowners against abusive HOAs. The answers in this article are from his decades of experience dealing with HOA issues.
Residents discover 6-foot alligator in Richmond neighborhood pond
He is a six-foot alligator some neighbors in the Riverโs Edge subdivision in Richmond have recently become acquainted with. โJust a few days ago, my mom called me and said thereโs an alligator. โI mean a gator could have been right here three feet away from my mom last night,โ said Cortes. โNormally, if we had a four-footer or three-foot alligator, we would kind of ignore it, it would just go back. The HOA tells KPRC 2 the rescue group is expected to pick up the gator sometime this week.
HOA says homeowner must remove sign that reads โBotched Raid Sept. 1, 2020โฒ
While Rodriguez says the sign allows neighbors to know what happened, his HOA has given him roughly two weeks to remove it. The sign reads โBotched Raid Sept. 1, 2020.โ It refers to the day Harris County Sheriffโs Deputies charged through the front door of his home, claiming to have an arrest warrant. The Sheriffโs Office regrets the mistake and the incident is under review,โ the department wrote in a statement in September. READ: Retired HPD officer files complaint against Harris County Sheriffโs Office over raid at wrong houseAdItโs not the sheriffโs office, however, thatโs asked Rodriguez to remove the sign โ itโs his HOA. Itโs a sign, Rodriguez said, leaves a simple message โ what he said he learned after the ordeal left he and his family shaken.
About 100 Houston-area neighborhoods using license plate readers
HOUSTON โ In northwest Harris County, Westlake and Westlake Forest are among the newest neighborhoods in the Houston-area to use technology once only available to police: license plate readers. Westlake and Westlake Forest have a total of six cameras. The still frame generated from the camera allows those with access to see the time, date, car make and model and the license plate number. For Westlake and Westlake Forest, the Harris County Sheriffโs Office can see the same photos. โIt feels just too much like an invasion of privacy,โ Jennifer Marquardt, a Westlake Forest resident said.
Holiday light fight pits man against HOA
(KVOA) โ A Tucson, Arizona man is fighting to keep his Christmas light display up until Christmas. Frank Morales has staged the elaborate light show for the past four years with no problems. The HOAโs rules state any holiday display must be taken down 30 days after the initial start or performance. Morales says the HOA started his 30-day countdown too soon. โMe building a couple of props and little stuff is the day they started, which wasnโt up.
Chicken lawsuit: Fort Bend County HOA sues elderly woman for up to $10,000
MISSOURI CITY, Texas โ The Lake Olympia Homeownerโs Association in Missouri City sued an elderly resident recently for up to $10,000 in damages after she refused to get rid of her pet chickens. The Alveys thought chickens were allowed in the backyard of their home in Lake Olympia in Missouri City when they moved in 22 years ago. That year, the Alveys told KPRC 2 that an HOA member told them they could keep hens, but no roosters, as long as the animals didnโt disturb the neighbors. After initially resisting, Don Alvey told his wife they might have to give up. โThe matter is in litigation and we canโt comment,โ HOA attorney Terry Sears said over the phone on Wednesday night.
Mother killed, 4 children injured in north Harris County crash
HOUSTON โ A mother is dead and four children are recovering after a two-vehicle crash in north Harris County. One of the children -- a 9-year-old girl who was in the front passenger seat -- was wearing a seat belt and suffered minor injuries. A father and son, who heard the crash, ran to the scene and performed CPR on a boy who was unresponsive. The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. But we need a red light," Taylor said.
Homeowners want HOA dues refunds for amenities they canโt use
These are amenities most homeowners pay for in their HOA dues. Now, some of you want to know if you will get a break or a refund for the amenities you can not use. She pays $720 every quarter in HOA dues. Just like auto insurance companies are giving customers back some of their premiums, Kahne believes HOAโs should refund homeowners part of their dues. Homeowners have the right to see the HOA budget if you request it.
Neighbors sue over terminally ill boyโs playscape
Neighbors of a 3-year-old boy are filing a lawsuit over a backyard playscape which was pre-approved by HOA before being installed. When Colton Costa, 3, learned he could pick out which playscape his parents would buy for their Georgetown, Texas yard, he went for the largest one with the most slides. โWeโre trying to live in the now because the future is very scary with this kind of diagnosis,โ says Coltonโs mother, Kim Costa. Their next-door neighbors, Richard and Carole Gottleib, filed a lawsuit claiming the playscape cannot be properly be screened from view. The Gottleibs say the 14 feet high playscape violates HOA restrictions.
Playground Fight: Neighbors Sue Over Terminally Ill Boy's Playscape
Playground Fight: Neighbors Sue Over Terminally Ill Boy's PlayscapePublished: January 21, 2020, 7:15 pmTexas family says they secured HOA's approval before constructing slide-and-swing set for their terminally ill 3-year-old now at the center of a neighborhood lawsuit.