Do Homeowner Associations Make Good Neighbors?

"...[D]isputes are becoming more frequent as Americans increasingly move into houses or condominiums governed by associations of neighbors...

Favored by developers and local governments, community associations are also popular among home-buyers because they usually help keep up the neighborhood. But they can be nightmares for the unwary, who learn the hard way that their homes are not their castles. And politics in homeowner or condo groups can sometimes make the former Soviet Union seem democratic.

...While a recent survey for the Community Associations Institute found 71 percent of those governed by neighborhood groups are happy with the arrangement, stories abound of home- or condo owners being hauled into court for putting up fences, sheds or flagpoles and other violations. Other times, it's the owners suing the association for failing to keep the grass cut or make repairs."