WHY MUST WE HAVE AN HOA?
Some homeowners come into the neighborhood and wonder why we have an HOA and is it really necessary. Hopefully here we can explain how it happened and why it is legally necessary.
Your Homeowners Association rules are described by the "Articles Of Incorporation" or "Bylaws" that was established with the state of Florida when Grant Station was turned over to the home owners from Babcock Homes in 1983. These Bylaws can only be changed by a majority vote of the all Homeowners. These rules that we abide by, were put into place to maintain the neighborhood and help keep home values high by avoiding asset deterioration.
COPY OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OR BYLAWS
To govern the business of the HOA there is a Board of Directors that have responsibility to uphold the Associations rules. The board must be Grant Station homeowners like you that volunteer their time to govern the HOA. They cannot, by law, be paid in any way for their services as board members. They are elected by a majority vote of the homeowners at the Annual Homeowners Association meeting. Vacancies on the board of which we have three, can be appointed by a majority vote of the board until the following Annual Meeting of Homeowners. If you are interested in being a board member you are welcome to contact the Board at CONTACT THE BOARD
WHO IS ON YOUR BOARD?
THE MOST ASKED QUESTION; WHY IS THERE A MONTHLY FEE?
All public space inside our property is owned by you the home owner together with all of the other home owners. The park, the road itself, the street lights, street signs, the fence, the grass, landscaping, the retention pond, the entrance sign, its lights and Insurance on all of the above are the responsibility of you the homeowner. None of it is owned or maintained by the city of Orlando. Maintaining these assets is why there is a mandatory monthly HOA fee. Right now the fee is $59.00 every month. A special assessment can be made for big projects. The last one was for repaving the road and replacing our outside fence. Some homeowners have trouble paying these fees due to their lack of money. We have all been through hard times. Contact us and we will try and work with you. On the other hand some homeowners feel that this fee is not mandatory and refuse to pay their fair share even though they could. This creates a burden on the rest of us that must make up for this lack of money. On behalf of all the paying homeowners we will take legal action against them up to and including liens and foreclosures. We do not like to do this and it breaks our hearts every time it is necessary.
HOW IS YOUR MONEY SPENT?
All homeowners can get a copy of our annual budget by contacting Empire Management Group. We would publish it here but it is not a secure site. Perhaps we will if enough homeowners request that we do.
WHY AM I HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING A BUILDING PERMIT FROM THE CITY?
Part of the board's responsibilities mandated by our laws is to approve any plans to the outside of your homes so we have a consistent quality of home. You will find that when you go to the city for a building permit you must first get an ARB (Architectural Review Board) form first signed by the HOA. We try very hard to make this as quick as possible if the changes are reasonable. A Form is available below. Doing work on your home without a building permit may affect the future valuation of your home.
ARB FORM
Running the HOA and maintaining all of our assets is a really big job! Too big for volunteers. So the board has hired "EMPIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP" to handle the day to day running of the Homeowner's Association under the direction of the board. They do all the nuts and bolts of everything.
CONTACT EMPIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP
We sincerely hope that this has answered some of your questions and if you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Or come to a board meeting. All are welcomed to come and participate. We are your neighbors.
CONTACT THE BOARD