HOA Nut House

Posted by Michael Mayo

The condo commando beat is a gold mine. Take too many people with too little to do, throw in complicated bylaws and lawyers, and you have never-ending conflict.

My Broward metro column predecessor, Gary Stein, used to make hay from the condo craziness, but I try to avoid it. Life’s too short.

Thankfully the newspaper has Joe Kollin now doing a condo column, and it’s always good for a laugh, or a blood-pressure spike.

Today’s piece is another beauty: A battle between Sunrise Lakes and a guy with a Segway .

I’ll spare you the details. What I want to know is this.

Why would anyone live in a condo, or anywhere with a homeowner’s association?

When I went looking to buy a house eight years ago, one of my requirements was no homeowner’s association. Why do I need to worry about more rules and aggravation, especially when it comes to my castle?

One of the goals I have for the rest of my life is to avoid living in a place where I’m at the mercy of others.

Are there others like me out there? Let me know.

I also want to hear the other side. If you live in a condo or a community with a homeowner’s association, let me know why. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? Do we in the media overhype the negatives? Write me a sales pitch on why my thinking is wrong.

I’ll be reading.

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