Some of the developments that real estate developers build are common interest developments, a category that includes planned–unit developments of single–family houses, condominiums, and cooperative apartments. Before the first unit is sold, of one of these developments, the developer records restrictive covenants — on all of the properties — that "run with the land," meaning that all successive buyers are bound by the same covenants as the original purchaser. These covenants, among other things, form a homeowners association.

A homeowners association is an organization comprised of all owners of units in the development. The vast majority of them are incorporated and, therefore, are governed by a board, which is a private government.

Homeowners associations collect fees from homeowners, maintain the common areas of the development, and enforce the association's governing documents. These may include detailed rules regarding construction and maintenance of individual homes.

Homeowners associations are common in the United States, exercising control over 19% of American homes, 20 million homes.

Although homeowners associations perform some of the functions of a local government, the constituency which elects them consists only of homeowners, who need not be residents, and excludes voting by residents of the community who are not homeowners, renters.

References

Evan McKenzie, Privatopia: Homeowner Associations and the Rise of Residential Private Governments, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-06638-4

External links

• New York Times article, "Homeowner Boards Blur Line of Who Rules Roost" by Motoko Rich July 27, 2003 (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/27/national/27HOME.html?ex=1060295374&ei=1&en=8f82e7d3efd5956b)

First published at http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Homeowners_association