Castlegate Community

First, there is no state law or HOA bylaw that requires an explenation to raise rates.  The rules say the board can raise rates whenever they feel it is necesary.  Second, the board did explain why rates were being raised.  It was discussed at a meeting a few months ago.  When enough people feel it is important enough to attend the anual meeting and ask these questions, the DIRE financial situation will be fully explained.  But we cannot discuss this without a quorum (only 1/10th of the voting population!).  It's amazing how people complain in blogs and here on the link but yet we can't get 130 people to attend a meeting.  Not to say that anyone posting here does not go to the meeting, but really, all we need is 130 people to hold the anual meeting.  Part of the reason our financial situation is so dire is because people arent paying, and the last management company blindly spent too much money on legal fees for those who did not pay their dues, and of course, never received any money in return.  The bottom line is this:  without raising rates, it is a good posibility that the HOA would not be around much longer.  If you care to know why this matters (ie, not living in a managed community, no more HOA), you need to attend the anual meeting.

I've never paid for trash service where I've lived, but I imagine it would be at least $30-$50 a month for trash pickup if it was individualized.  I'd much rather pay that to the HOA a month to keep up the common areas.

I understand living on a budget, we do as well, but I think as well that some reasons may not be that others aren't paying and the ones that do are picking up the slack, but that there are so many vacant homes that the money simply isn't there because the homes are owned by the banks who do not pay.  It's unfortunate, but I'd much rather have the HOA than not.  JMO.

You seem to know quite a bit about the rules of a HOA board may I ask where you are getting your information? 

  I was at that meeting when the raise came up and no board member really explain why it had to go up just that they were having problem with Kacaina and couldn't talk about it. And I read your post telling me what was going on may I ask who you are talking to? was it a board member who told you this but seem to not what to talk about it at the meeting. But back to the meeting we were told that they hired a lawyer to audit the book to see where the money was, and until then they could not discuss anything. And to this day we have no idea what became of that, and yes I do think we have the right to know what is going on with the financial situation, but the last financial  report on the neighborhood link was July of 08 so how are we to know what is going on? And the last full meeting if you what to call it a full meeting was in November and that is when we find out about Kacaina.

 You are very quick at berate those that don't attend the annual meeting or any meeting at all, when was the last time you attend? I don't think you will have a problem of getting 130 people or 1/10th at the next meeting.

The last meeting was in early December, not November, at least according to the card I received in the mail.  I was on vacation when it happened so I am not 100% sure that it went through, but it was supposed to and I'm pretty sure it did.  Around the 6th, 8th, 10th, something along those lines.