Florida Homeowners Association Terror

Change is hard for most folks. That is why we have traditions. But traditions are not always good. Read Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Florida is one of the states with the highest amount of people living in an HOA-governed community. And 70% of the people want to get rid of HOAs.

If you moved to Florida for freedoms that other states did not have, you should be shocked that Homeowners Associations have so much power. Or maybe you should not be shocked because while some freedoms have been granted for Floridians, others have been removed for those other Floridians...in-group/out-group…exclusionary practices. Currently, HOAs are allowed to ruin people’s lives.

But what if we could get rid of HOAs.? Oh, the fear it would create in some. And that group of fearsome folks would try to convince the others to have the same fear. Then, the HOA organizations and their lobby would create a fear (and hate-based) campaign to make sure everyone was in opposition to their dissolution. You don’t want those people living in your neighborhood, right? This is how politics work.

A Florida lawmaker has proposed HB 657 to allow homeowners to abolish their HOAs. Interestingly, I read that that ability already exists on the books. Maybe this will be more feasible though I cannot image it happening without a big fight. But what’s one more fight added to the mix of current politics?