Survey shows general satisfaction with HOAs

Contrary to a movement of anti-homeowner association sentiment at the Nevada Legislature, three-fourths of residents in HOA communities say association rules strongly or somewhat protect property values, a survey commissioned by RMI Management in Las Vegas showed.

Eighty percent of respondents rated their experience of living in an HOA community as very good, good or fair, the survey found.

The survey, conducted by research firm Strategic Solutions, follows contentious debate in the recent legislative session over issues such as HOA fees charged by collection agencies and liens placed on properties.

In recent years HOAs have been the subject of growing complaints from homeowners who became delinquent on a couple of hundred dollars in assessment fees only to be hit with thousands of dollars in collection fees, in some cases threatened with foreclosure action. Disgruntled residents have also complained about nitpicking HOA boards infringing on their constitutional rights to free speech and property.

Then there have been conflict-of-interest complaints against the Common Interest Community Commission, which governs HOAs under Nevada Revised Statute Chapter 116, and an ongoing federal investigation of widespread fraud involving HOA boards and lawyers specializing in construction defect lawsuits.

"HOAs have become an increasingly hot topic, especially here in Southern Nevada," said Kevin Wallace, president of RMI, which manages some 90,000 HOA homes in Nevada. "These issues got a lot of attention this past legislative session when we saw more news, more public meetings and more debate about HOA-related issues than ever before."

Rather than rely on anecdotal information, Wallace said he wanted to find out what people living in the HOA communities really think about these issues. The survey was taken among more than 400 residents who either own or rent a home within an HOA community in Clark County.

Over half (55 percent) of HOA residents believe the quality of life in their neighborhood would get worse if their HOA disbanded, while 60 percent said they would purchase or rent again in an HOA.

While people generally like living in homeowner associations, there are certainly things that can be improved, such as communicating with residents, Wallace said.

"That wasn't actually in the survey, but in general, it's a common complaint we get from homeowners in the industry as a whole," Wallace said.

HOAs are sending newsletters and posting information on websites to address some of those issues, Wallace said. RMI has set up a call center and is sharing the results of the survey with homeowners who serve on the HOA boards of directors, he said.

"We hear a lot from people who say their HOAs are too strict, but there's just as many who say it's not enough and want us to do more," Wallace said.

Strategic Solutions conducted a random telephone survey of 401 Clark County community association residents from June 2-7 to collect data.

Respondents were required to self-report living in an HOA to participate in the survey.

Surveys were conducted in English and Spanish, depending on the respondents' preference. The survey results are subject to a 5 percent margin of error.

Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.