Services
Friends of Texas Property Owners Associations find many POA's are suffering financial difficulties. People are losing their homes due to the inability to pay assessment fees which also results in poor to no maintenance and worst of all, not being served by their respective Boards of Directors for various reasons.
While this is common across our Great State, and the Nation in fact, it is ever more so in the regions where the population has been small and where income tends to be lower than those who reside nearer a larger metropolitan area.
Subsequent to those means, FOTPOA's are working to formulate services that will benefit the smaller, lesser funded POA's in our region and increasingly grow the azimuth to eventually reach as many POA's as possible.
As a result of our intentions, we have established a "Go Fund Me" (as well as other fund raising activities) for the purpose of assisting those POA's around our area to achieve greater heights as small communities
Components of a typical Texas Property Owners Association
- Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs): This is the foundational document that outlines the rules and regulations for the community. It covers things like property use, architectural standards, landscaping requirements, and restrictions on certain activities.
- Bylaws: These documents detail the internal operations of the POA, including how the board of directors is elected, meeting procedures, voting rights, and financial management.
- Articles of Incorporation: If the POA is incorporated (which is common), these documents establish the POA as a legal entity under Texas law.
- Rules and Regulations: These are more specific rules created by the board to supplement the CC&Rs and address day-to-day issues, such as parking regulations or pool rules.
- This is the governing body of the POA, elected by the property owners. The board is responsible for:
- Enforcing the governing documents.
- Managing the association's finances.
- Maintaining common areas.
- Making decisions on behalf of the community.
- POAs often have committees to handle specific tasks, such as:
- Architectural review committee: Reviews homeowners' requests for modifications to their properties.
- Landscape committee: Oversees the maintenance of common areas.
- Finance committee: Assists with budget preparation and financial oversight.
- All property owners within the community are typically members of the POA and are bound by the governing documents. Members have rights, such as:
- Voting in elections.
- Attending meetings.
- Accessing association records.
- These are the shared spaces within the community that the POA is responsible for maintaining, such as:
- Parks
- Pools
- Landscaping
- Roads
- POAs collect regular assessments from property owners to fund the maintenance of common areas, enforcement of rules, and other operating expenses.
- These are funds set aside for major repairs and replacements of common elements, such as roofs or pools.
- Some POAs hire a professional management company to handle day-to-day operations, such a
- Collecting assessments.
- Maintaining records.
- Communicating with homeowners.
- Texas POAs are governed by state laws, including the Texas Property Code and the Texas Business Organizations Code. These laws provide a framework for how POAs operate and protect the rights of homeowners.