property owners associations,<\/a> 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.<\/p>\nArticle continues below this ad<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Too much power \u2014 or too little?<\/p>\n
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 \u201carbitrary rules\u201d that were not included in the community\u2019s governing documents.<\/p>\n
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Once on the board, Gould said he was surprised by how limited the HOA’s authority actually was.<\/p>\n
Vivianne D., a resident of Westside Preserve in Cedar Park, disagreed.<\/p>\n
She argued that HOAs have \u201ctoo much\u201d power, pointing to cases in which homeowners have lost their homes over unpaid HOA fees.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of power, just like a bank foreclosing because of unpaid mortgage,\u201d Vivianne wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
According to Shannon, homeowners facing those actions often have unpaid balances that have accumulated for months or years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen cases where owners are in default to\u00a0the tune of $3-5k on the low end and up to $60,000 on the high end,\u201d Shannon wrote.<\/p>\n
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She echoed\u00a0Gould, writing that associations don\u2019t have \u201cnearly the power people think they do,\u201d adding that joining her board made her realize how hard it was to enact changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly people who have never been on a board think HOAs are full of power-hungry individuals who strive to make everyone else\u2019s life difficult,\u201d Shannon wrote. \u201cWhile surely there are bad apples here and there, the vast majority of boards are comprised of owners who wish to make the community better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Susan H., a resident of Park Ridge in South Austin, said Texas Property Code protections help prevent HOA boards from overstepping their authority.<\/p>\n
Lawns too high, trash too visible\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had to dismiss all violations because we don\u2019t agree with the majority of them,\u201d Francel wrote. \u201cWe still hope that this company can adjust to what we want, which is to be as lenient as legally possible so homeowners aren\u2019t unfairly fined.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Others cited common complaints about HOA oversight.<\/p>\n
Vivianne said receiving \u201cmenacing letters\u201d about your lawn being too high was \u201coverdoing it,\u201d and Bettie, who lives in Round Rock’s\u00a0Westchester 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.<\/p>\n
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Not everyone saw a downside to avoiding HOA rules altogether.<\/p>\n
Rosewood resident Joy Ruth put it simply, saying she was \u201cso happy\u201d that her Central East Austin community did not have an HOA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy entire yard is mostly native plants, no lawn,\u201d Ruth wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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