Question: I live in a retirement community where each senior citizen owns his or her own home. I feel our homeowners' association is being overcharged by the property management company that does our repairs and yard work, and the quality and timeliness of its work leaves much to be desired also. Are there any organizations from which we might get information about how to tell if our homeowners' association, often called a community association, is being taken advantage of?

Answer: Senior associations may be hampered by some of the difficulties you mentioned, but the issues they face are probably the same issues that any homeowner's association faces, so I'll keep my comments general.

The first place I turn to for information on a potentially untrustworthy local business is the Better Business Bureau. They have resources to help you figure out if you're being cheated, and guidelines for reporting unfair treatment.

Also, there are at least two organizations that deal specifically with homeowners' issues and advocacy:

1. The American Homeowner's Resource Center keeps a list of on-going lawsuits involving homeowners. Their website also contains a very useful links page


2. The Community Associations Institute website has a lot of information on managing a homeowner's association. You have to pay to become a member, but membership comes with benefits like legal advice.