HOMEOWNERS are furious after their HOA reportedly had workers climb onto roofs while prowling for any rule-breakers.
Neighbors insist the HOA has “no respect for privacy” over the extreme measures it reportedly took to spy on homes.
Residents of San Jose’s Garden Park Village condominium complex said the HOA has been practically spying on homeowners for a year.
“They’re charging us ridiculous fines and they have no respect for privacy,” Liliana Alvarez told NBC’s local Bay Area affiliate KNTV.
“I think those two are the main concerns that we as residents there have. And it’s not only homeowners, it’s something that also affects the renters here,” Alvarez added.
Alvarez has lived in the San Jose building complex for sixteen years now and is fed up with the board’s actions.
She is expected to pay over $1,800 to the HOA board.
About a year ago, Alvarez claims that the HOA installed unnecessary surveillance cameras around the complex to catch residents who violate HOA rules and regulations.
Alvarez also said the board has been sending workers up to rooftops to observe residents’ private patio areas, as reported by KNTV.
Many residents of the San Jose complex now owe thousands in fees to the Garden Park Village HOA.
Alvarez has been fined 10 times in total over the last year.
Most of her tickets were issued because of parking violations, which cost $175 each.
But she also received a violation because the HOA claimed her patio fence was too high.
Alvarez said the fence had been installed even before she started living in the apartment — but she’s still expected to pay.
Another resident, Alberto Hernandez, has been issued over $2,000 in parking violations alone, as reported by KNTV.
Although residents can contest the violations over Zoom hearings, the board never sides in their favor.
What is an HOA?
One in five Americans live in an area with a Homeowners' Association - or HOA. But what exactly is it that they do?
An HOA is a homeowner’s association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean and cohesive place to live for its residents. Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, family homes, or townhouses within “a planned development” will often make up an HOA. They also act as a governing body for tenants, who run and fund the HOA through monthly fees. Their principal aims are to keep the community functioning and visually appealing and to maintain property values. They primarily focus on common areas of a neighborhood, such as roads, parks, and pools – but may also stipulate what residents can do with their properties, such as yards and driveways. Often these restrictions enforce uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring most houses look the same and all driveways are clear of weeds. An HOA rulebook of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations. Breaking these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law. HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restricting, or that the leadership has too much power. But others like that HOAs give communities the power of self-governance, and can ensure a degree of harmony between residents.Or, even when the problem has resolved, the residents are still forced to pay up.
The residents claim the board has given out tens of thousands of dollars in fines within the last year.
“It outrages me because this is supposed to be our home,” Alvarez told KNTV.
“Some people are in the dilemma of either paying rent or paying thousands in fines,” she added.
As the situation worsens, several Garden Park residents have been looking for ways to fight back against the insane fees.
Many of the residents who have been issued HOA violations are immigrants who have left the complex due to the stress and overwhelming financial burden.
The HOA board declined KNTV’s interview request and said they would not be providing a written statement, either.
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