[lemoncircular]

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How do I file a complaint against my HOA? Which department do I go to?

[queenbeeth]

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That depends. Where are you located? Not all states have a dedicated body that governs homeowners associations. For instance, I am from Virginia. And here, we have the Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsman. As far as I’m aware, very few states have offices that govern HOAs.

[lemoncircular]

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I am not from Virginia. I am from Maryland.

[queenbeeth]

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I don’t think there’s a state office that oversees HOAs in Maryland, but there might be depending on your county. Montgomery County has the Office of Common Ownership Communities.

[wingercom4th]

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This is something that many states need to work on. Most of the time, there just isn’t a single governing body that homeowners can turn to when we have issues with our HOA. These states are just giving associations all the power and it’s ridiculous. It’s like living in a separate country altogether. My HOA does not allow me to keep chickens even though our city laws say we can. How does that make any sense??

[queenbeeth]

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While I agree that many states need to work on having an agency designed to oversee HOAs, I don’t think HOAs have unbridled power. Your city might allow chickens but that doesn’t automatically mean the city forbids HOAs from prohibiting them.

[leon029]

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Depending on the nature of your complaint, you may be able to turn to HUD, the Civil Rights Division of the US Dept. of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, your state’s real estate division, or your state’s attorney general. Other than that, you might need to file a private lawsuit against your HOA.

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