Austin-area residents took to Nextdoor, the neighborhood-based social media platform, to laud their HOAs, while in other cases to air their qualms about them. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Austin-area residents have mixed feelings about their homeowners’ associations, the power — or lack thereof — they wield and the rules and regulations they enforce.
HOAs, formally known in Texas law as property owners associations, are governed by boards made up of neighborhood property owners. They establish and enforce rules for homes and residents within a community, and homeowners are often required to join and pay dues.
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While HOAs are common across Texas, they are not regulated by the state. Their rules and enforcement practices can vary widely depending on board leadership and whether a management company oversees day-to-day operations.
The American-Statesman asked Austin-area residents on the neighborhood social media platform Nextdoor how they feel about their HOAs. Responses revealed a wide range of experiences.
Too much power — or too little?
Jonathan Gould, who lives in Cambridge Heights in Round Rock and serves on his HOA board, said he joined after becoming frustrated with what he viewed as “arbitrary rules” that were not included in the community’s governing documents.
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Once on the board, Gould said he was surprised by how limited the HOA’s authority actually was.
Vivianne D., a resident of Westside Preserve in Cedar Park, disagreed.
She argued that HOAs have “too much” power, pointing to cases in which homeowners have lost their homes over unpaid HOA fees.
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“That’s a lot of power, just like a bank foreclosing because of unpaid mortgage,” Vivianne wrote.
Shannon S.N., who lives in Northwest Austin’s Spicewood Point neighborhood, pushed back on that characterization. She said Texas law requires HOAs to follow specific legal procedures before placing a lien on a property or pursuing foreclosure.
According to Shannon, homeowners facing those actions often have unpaid balances that have accumulated for months or years.
“I’ve seen cases where owners are in default to the tune of $3-5k on the low end and up to $60,000 on the high end,” Shannon wrote.
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She echoed Gould, writing that associations don’t have “nearly the power people think they do,” adding that joining her board made her realize how hard it was to enact changes.
“Only people who have never been on a board think HOAs are full of power-hungry individuals who strive to make everyone else’s life difficult,” Shannon wrote. “While surely there are bad apples here and there, the vast majority of boards are comprised of owners who wish to make the community better.”
Susan H., a resident of Park Ridge in South Austin, said Texas Property Code protections help prevent HOA boards from overstepping their authority.
Lawns too high, trash too visible
For Laurel Francel, who has served on the HOA board in Los Arboles in Del Valle for two decades, the issue is not excessive enforcement but inconsistent enforcement.
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Francel said the community’s management company often flags violations that board members consider unnecessary. As a result, the board has sometimes dismissed violations rather than issue fines.
“We’ve had to dismiss all violations because we don’t agree with the majority of them,” Francel wrote. “We still hope that this company can adjust to what we want, which is to be as lenient as legally possible so homeowners aren’t unfairly fined.”
Others cited common complaints about HOA oversight.
Vivianne said receiving “menacing letters” about your lawn being too high was “overdoing it,” and Bettie, who lives in Round Rock’s Westchester Park, questioned why she was told not to keep trash and recycling bins visible from the street because it “looks trashy,” particularly when other residents appeared to do the same.
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Not everyone saw a downside to avoiding HOA rules altogether.
Rosewood resident Joy Ruth put it simply, saying she was “so happy” that her Central East Austin community did not have an HOA.
“My entire yard is mostly native plants, no lawn,” Ruth wrote.
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