HOA Homeowners Insurance Limits Amy Garcia asked 1 year ago
HOA Homeowners Insurance Limits

Hello,

I am a homeowner in the Palms Nohl Ranch HOA neighborhood in Anaheim Hills, CA. Our HOA has been mismanaged and are now requiring us to pay for fire insurance for the surrounding hazardous land around us. Fire insurance is not the only issue, but the largest issue on our plates. We realize that this is not just a local issue, and a statewide political issue over climate change. Our HOA community is coming together for a community meeting to fight this HOA bullying and gouging. We feel that adding on an additional $3500-$4000 per year in HOA payments per condo is not fair. Apparently though, it’s legal since their lawyer wrote up the emergency demand for payment, and ongoing yearly payment from each of us in addition to our current payments, rather than the property owner that surrounds our association. We have no amenities, just a green belt. Our HOA is surrounded by a dangerous fire scenario in which no one knows who owns the property that is allowed to grow wild and unmanaged above our neighborhood association. Our HOA board claims they don’t know who owns the land, and many homeowners have tried to research without luck. They are hidden from public view. With that said the primary culprit in this fire hazard is unknown and costing all of the homeowners in Nohl Ranch the price of a fire hazard we are now unfairly paying for. Some believe the property may be owned Edison. Perhaps providing direction in how to identify the negligent property owner would help us moving forward.

We are holding a community meeting, and I would like to know some avenues that we can explore in fighting this community issue. I don’t feel like the state insurance office is helping condo homeowners, nor is the governor of California, nor is the condo association fight the HOA Bullying. Can you please advise us?

1 Answers
Denise Sze Denise Sze Expert answered 1 year ago
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Hi Amy,

Sorry to hear about your situation. If your HOA is purchasing insurance for the entire building (or HOA Structures), the price of insurance has gone up and your HOA is rightfully able to pass the cost to each of the unit holders through an assessment. It’s likely through your HOA documents that the HOA is required to purchase and make sure you have an active policy.

That being said, it sounds like the issue at hand is the neighboring property that has grown wild. From what you described, the price of insurance has gone up because they look at the neighboring property as a fire hazard as it is not maintained. I would have your HOA reach out to the local governmental authority in Anaheim Hills and make a complaint asking for the land to be maintained as it is a fire hazard. That looks to be your only option. Then when it is cleared and “maintained” then your HOA can request the fire risk to be revaluated and inspected by the carrier to reassess the risk.

Unfortunately, so many carriers are already pulling out of fire risk areas so obtaining insurance in California is already more difficult.