There are many Florida communities that operate under the governance and policies of Homeowner Associations. Similar organizations exist throughout the country. In fact, numerous community members in several other states have raised concerns about privacy issues that may wind up sparking a real estate dispute.
While separate incidents have taken place in multiple states, the central focus of the incidents is similar, namely, that HOAs have gone behind homeowners’ backs to sign deals with local law enforcement agencies. The deals enable them to set up surveillance in the form of license plate trackers in their communities. A mayor in one community blew the whistle after learning that a surveillance system was activated without informing homeowners or without any written policies or protections being put into place.
HOAs have granted law enforcement are gaining access to gated and private communities
The mayor spoke at a council meeting in Texas and voiced his concern that HOAs and law enforcement are invading people’s privacy. A county commissioner in a community in another state said that more than 100 surveillance cameras were installed for more than a year before homeowners found out about them. They had been installed as an agreement between HOA officials and local police departments. It seems that most, if not all, of the HOAs are using a system developed by the same company, which reportedly has a current market value of more than $3 billion.
Florida homeowners whose communities are operated under HOA policies will want to make sure they are aware of any surveillance systems being installed that can track their license plates. It is understandable how such issues might lead to a real estate dispute between private citizens and HOAs, especially if an HOA signs a deal to install surveillance without informing homeowners and gaining their approval. A real estate attorney who is well-versed in HOA issues can review a specific case and determine whether there are grounds for a lawsuit.
