Many neighborhoods have a homeowners association, otherwise known as the HOA. Homeowners associations have their place, and can be useful. They can also be annoying and hard to deal with.

Lets start with useful. The HOA can put together community activities; such as a picnic, Christmas party, or Easter egg hunt. They may also put together garage sales, provide computer training, begin clubs, and take charge of other events.

Homeowners associations also take care of some or all of the maintenance to the buildings and landscape. For example, if you have a leaky pipe, you can call the association. If your air conditioner stops working, just call the HOA. The association also pays for the lawns to be mowed, flowers planted, road repair, sidewalk repair, etc.

Living in a neighborhood that has a homeowners association can be good because everything is well taken care of. The lawns are mowed, the streets are paved, trees are trimmed, and the homes look great.

How do they pay for all of this? Well, they dont, you do. Each month you pay a fee for belonging to the HOA. This isnt a choice. If you live in the neighborhood, you belong to the homeowners associationin most, but not all cases. This fee is usually included with your house payment.

Belonging to an HOA can have its problems. Sometimes you do not receive (by accident or otherwise) the notice that a homeowners association meeting is being held. Therefore, you are not included on important decisions. Other times the HOA isnt forthcoming with where the fees you, and the other homeowners pay, are going.

There are some things that you can do to avoid problems. Each HOA has a set of rules, or bylaws that they go by. Make sure that you know these bylaws, and have them listed in writingwith a date on the list.

These rules can be changed. You should know the procedure for adding to or eliminating from the bylaws, just in case something comes up. If you have a problem, each HOA has a board. Go to the board and see if you can get things resolved. If not, you have the option to take legal action. There are lawyers who specialize in dealing with homeowners associations.

Before you move into an area, you will want to consider whether or not the area has an HOA. If it does, you may want to consider whether or not you want to belong to it, if you have a choice. You should look at the bylaws and see whether or not they are rules you want to follow. For example, you may want to hang a flag in your yard, or put in a basketball hoop. Before doing either of these, you may have to get permission, or change the laws that say flags and basketball hoops are not allowed. You can find out the bylaws by asking someone in the homeowners association. Or, many associations have a website that has all the information you could want to know.