Question for Florida storm hit communities that are run by a HOA.

[Baitball Blogger]

I know that in Florida we're having a problem with debris removal companies that are not measuring up to their contracts. Obviously, there is going to be a domino effect as the municipalities have to triage where to focus on the clean up. We're almost a month away from Irma and the yard trash that was not placed in yard bags is still sitting in people's driveways, especially for private communities where there isn't concern with public thoroughfare. So my question is, if you live in a private HOA, how many of you had to resort to private contracting for debris removal?

[MaryMagdaline]

1. Live in HOA

I live in an HOA in South Florida. I had to pay for debris to be hauled away. Hauling away of debris is covered under most insurance plans, but trying not to get noticed by insurance so I don't get canceled. I don't agree with our city's plan to bill FEMA. I believe in paying taxes and I believe in getting services from the government, but I don't think we should use FEMA money for debris removal except for clearance of electrical lines or other emergencies. We need to preserve FEMA for catastrophes like Maria, Harvey. We should pay for debris removal out of local funds and local taxes. I know others feel different on the subject.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. I think the debris clean-up should be covered by local funds and taxes.

And I also agree, that if you can't wait for these services to reach you, you should pay for your own debris removal, but it should not be a HOA cost. So we're in agreement.

I just wanted to get a survey from people in Florida to see how other private HOAs handle these situations. I live in a very shady community and keeping track of the backwater rebates is time consuming. Don't know if the same thing that happened with Charlie in 2004, will happen again. Back when Charlie hit us we had two of the cabal members in our Association that had forty foot plus trees that came down, probably by a tornado touchdown. I don't think there was any lot that wasn't covered by tree debris, because nothing like that had cleaned the trees out before.

We kept bagging debris and piled them on the edge of the vacant lot next to mine. Two other homes did the same thing, so it looked pretty massive. The city called for three pick up days, so I figured it would be taken care of, but my HOA said they were going to hire out for debris pickup. I always thought this was suspicious. One of the members on that board had one of the massive trees that had come down. She directly benefited from this decision. To justify the debris pickup she said it was to pick up yard trash like the one on MY property. She mentioned us by name even though she fully knew we were using the undeeded portion of a vacant lot, along the edge of the street.

It was two for one chicanery, not just because she was covering her own costs to the damage of her own property, but she was also seeking an adverse possession of HOA property. Claiming that the vacant lot was mine was just a lame attempt at projection.

Bottomline, I was wondering what fell under the category of fiduciary responsibility when it came down to HOA responsibility.

[rzemanfl]

3. Welcome to DU. n/t

[Baitball Blogger]

4. What he said.

[MaryMagdaline]

6. Thank you

Thank you. I have followed Democratic Underground since at least the 2004 election. First time posting.

[MaryMagdaline]

5. You have to watch your local government

Baitball Blogger, yes. There is a lot going on. This whole Garbage Politics thing has me going. A couple of things you will notice:

1. FEMA does not pick up in HOA areas, so some cities are making a decision not to pick up in HOAs. (I am fine with this since I don't think FEMA should pick up anywhere where the debris presents no danger)
2. Normal bulk garbage pick ups have not taken place in many, many cities. (Why not pick up the NORMAL amount of bulk garbage that has already been accounted for in our taxes?)
3. In answer to above, I suspect that the cities are capitalizing on FEMA. Why pay for normal bulk pick up when we can get FEMA to pick it all up? (Thereby charging US taxpayers for something that should be a local cost and has actually already been accounted for in the budget). Not blaming the victim (us) but I certainly knew when I planted a lot of trees on my property that I lived in a high storm part of the country and should not wait for FEMA to pay for the landscaping of my private property.
4. Landscapers (including mine) dragged a lot to the front of my house that was NOT hurricane - related. I have a large amount of trees and bushes and the landscaper thought it should be all be trimmed at taxpayer expense. He kept telling me that the county commissioners announced that ALL debris would eventually be picked up so there is no reason not to pile it up. It was so obvious to me and to everyone else, that he wanted me to get rid of excess bushes and tree limbs on the taxpayer's dime. I guess he was trying to look out for me, but I don't agree with adding a cost on to my neighbors that should belong to me.
5. Municipalities are complaining that landscapers are gouging them, but we all know that our cities hire undocumented people, pay them next to nothing and now that there is a shortage, they are angry about having to pay real wages. (If they had city workers instead of independent contractors, the price would be fixed, everyone doing the work would have on payroll and would have benefits).
6. If the landscapers are making money, go for it. Florida workers are underpaid. Let them enjoy a decent income for however long this goes on.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Great info.

Yes, there is some piling-on going on with routine maintenance of property and that is going to overload the process.

In my community, the homeowner with the largest amount of loose debris just happens to be on the lot where some shady things have transpired with the adjoining HOA property. Pretty obvious that it is emblematic of the good ole boy backwater deals that have been going on around here.

The city has been very good to those of us who have bagged the yard trash. But those who have left the tree cutting in piles, well, it seems obvious that those will require special equipment to pick up and public roads should get priority.

Where I live there isn't an issue of undocumented workers. Lots of mostly white male landscapers own their own business. They might hire minority workers - allegedly, called by the "N" word in the long past by one of the old guys in the community.

I haven't seen many minority workers on the private street clean-ups. I do have an issue if the HOA is paying the cost because I doubt that there was any bidding involved and it's time that it gets exposed that the HOA has been paying for clean-up for private property for too long, all the while that it keeps us from using HOA common areas, due to the good ole boy affiliations. This is exactly the kind of chaotic situation where good ole boys find a way to benefit at everyone's cost.

[MaryMagdaline]

8. One hand washes the other

Yes, seems that someone's brother-in-law always gets the no-bid work (never mine or yours, however).