Live in a home governed by a condominium, co-op or homeowner’s association? Have questions about what they can and cannot do? Ryan Poliakoff , an attorney and author based in Boca Raton, has answers.
Question: I have resided in my HOA neighborhood for over 31 years. We have a new board and therefore we are facing new rules. Among other things, the board has passed a rule stating that we need to clean our roofs. I have a 2-story home and I don’t want anyone on my roof.
What can I do about this? The cost alone to send out 300 violations letters is crazy! They have done nothing but spend money and make new rules. Signed, R.G.
Dear R.G. ,
The vast majority of homeowner’s association covenants provide that owners are obligated to keep their homes in a neat and well-maintained condition. Further, the board usually has the power to promulgate more specific rules regarding the use of the property, including the manner in which homes are maintained.
Rules requiring owners to keep their roofs clean are commonplace. Frankly, I can’t offhand recall an HOA community where that wasn’t the case. You say that you don’t want anyone on your roof because you have a 2-story home, but roof cleaning is an extremely common activity — there are scores of companies that specialize in cleaning roofs, and most of them do go up on your roof to do the cleaning (usually by pressure washing the roof, sometimes with an added chemical that resists mold and mildew). However, there are even companies that are able to clean your roof from the ground, and so that is going to solve your primary concern. A quick web search turned up multiple companies that are able to clean your roof without ever setting foot on it.