ArcaMax

Q: We have a new HOA board member who is very troublesome and off the wall with regard to rules and regulations. I am a board member along with one other person. The actions and language of the new board member with vendors and the other owners are offensive.

We are currently documenting everything he does. Do you have any recommendations for ...Read more

Q: I know you’ve answered a lot of questions about HOAs in the past. But I haven’t seen you address my particular situation: Would a lawsuit against our condo association, whether I won or lost, typically prohibit all future correspondence directly with the homeowner association board of directors?

I live in Virginia. I sued my HOA in small...Read more

Q: Just read your story where the writer said their mother wants to put her house into a living trust. Excellent article! I’d like to add one thing that I’m sure that you know, but many people likely don’t know.

I don’t know about other states, but in Illinois, when the trustee dies and the beneficiary becomes the successor trustee, the...Read more

Q: Fifty years ago I purchased a lot in a community in Maryland. I paid a higher price for this lot due to its better view. Several years after buying the lot, I built my house on it.

My lot is adjacent to a marina. The marina has gone through various owners and today’s owner has allowed the Leyland cypress trees to grow 30 plus feet tall, ...Read more

Q: I know this isn’t your usual type of question, but when on earth are people going to stop tearing down supporting walls in their houses in the quest for open floor plans? This trend turns a house into public space, robbing anybody of any privacy. Worse, it shrinks kitchens by taking away a whole wall of cupboard space, makes it impossible ...Read more

Q: My homeowners association (HOA) agreed to fix a leaky air conditioning drainage line that ran between floors. It causes flooding in my unit every summer. They set up a repair date but eventually canceled the work. Like clockwork, my place flooded again while I was out of town.

Turns out they didn’t do the work because of fear of asbestos. ...Read more

COMMENT: I read your interesting article recently about the homeowner being in a rough spot after moving to Sonoma County, California, and taking on debt. I assume the $30,000 debt the reader took on was all credit card debt.

One idea I had, that you did not mention, is for that person to see if she was eligible for a transfer of that debt to a...Read more

Q: After my husband’s death, my daughter went to pick up the deed to our house. There was a quitclaim deed that our old mortgage lender put in place with my signature on it. Also, I can’t find the transfer on death (TOD) instrument either. All records and insurance on the house are gone. Where should I start looking?

A: Oh, boy, do we have ...Read more

Q: My father passed away, and my stepmom said that I could have the house. My father and my stepmom were married when he died, but she left him over seven years ago.

The home was in both of their names with rights of survivorship. She hasn’t paid any expenses for the home for as long as I can remember. I now live in the home, and while my dad...Read more

Q: My mom has a condo in Delaware, but she and I both live in Maryland in our own separate homes. The home my mom lives in is in my sister’s name. Mom’s will says the house she lives in now is to go to my sister after her death. The condo in Delaware is only in my mom’s name. Her will leaves that home to me.

We’ve talked to various ...Read more

Q: I am on the board of directors of a homeowners association (HOA) in Evanston, Illinois. The board is gathering information about installing electrical vehicle (EV) chargers on our HOA property.

The board is particularly interested in the concept that was described in your article from last year. You said there is an option for an outside ...Read more

Q: The homeowners association (HOA) of our complex added language to the association’s rules and regulations that I believe is alarming and invalid. I read your column every week and wanted to get your take.

Our HOA has around 70 units. A section of the new rules was adopted without discussion and without consultation with the unit owners. ...Read more

Q: I’m curious. There are several abandoned homes in my area. They are/were beautiful, but year after year, they sit empty. Similarly, there are a number of empty storefronts in my area, all with substantially high, competitive rates.

Why leave these spaces empty? Why not lower the rates on the rents, rather than letting these properties sit,...Read more

Q: My mom’s home is in a trust. She passed away toward the end of last year. She lived in the home for over 20 years. Her trust lists her six grandchildren as the beneficiaries of the trust.

We’ve found a buyer for the home who is paying cash. As a trustee, am I required to open a separate bank account for the proceeds to be placed in that ...Read more

Is massive change coming to the real estate industry? It’s unlikely. Will sellers drop their listing price because they’re no longer responsible for paying the buyer’s side of the commission? Almost certainly not. Will it be cheaper for buyers to purchase a home? We doubt that, and it might even become more expensive.

Now that we have all...Read more

Q: My ex and I are thinking of selling our paid-off home to our two children. Then, both of us would purchase our own places. We would give them a much better deal than they could get on the open market. What are the pros and cons of doing this? Thanks in advance.

A: We wish you had included some additional information in your email. For ...Read more

Comment: You stated to a reader recently that it was unclear why the niece no longer had power of attorney (POA) over the aunt’s house — and a conservator stepped in.

As an advocate against guardianship abuse, a POA can be removed through the courts like a discarded traffic citation. Many family members are blindsided by the process — ...Read more

Q: Thanks for your financial newsletters. You helped me back in 2008 when the Great Recession hit, and I was able to save my townhouse from foreclosure.

Fast-forward. I moved to Sonoma County, California, about 10 years ago. I unfortunately sold that home in 2020 due to many reasons. One of them was that our income was not, and has not been, ...Read more

March 7 was National Slam the Scam Day, according to the Social Security Administration. While most people understand that there are many scams perpetrated by extremely clever bad actors, what is not well understood is just how easy it is to be taken in by these scams.

Phishing, vishing, and other cyber-security scams are terrifying. Losing ...Read more

Q: I have lived in the same 10-unit condo for over 20 years. It consists of several two- to four-unit buildings grouped together. The buildings surround a shared parking area. Some units face the parking area, while others don’t.

Many owners that face the parking area leave their garage light on to illuminate the parking area. Without these ...Read more