By Jessica Boehm

September 2, 2015

Many people think choosing a neighborhood with a homeowners association means your community will always be well pruned, your neighbor won’t paint his house purple and there will always be enough money in the bank to take care of homeowner issues.But it’s not “carefree living” at all, if you ask homeowner advocate Jill Schweitzer.

“When we buy into an HOA, we assume that they are licensed and regulated, we assume that they’re going to protect us,” Schweitzer said. “They don’t.”

More than 1.8 million Arizonans live in a community association, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research.

Many of them are unaware of the potential damage their HOA could be causing, Schweitzer said.

It’s a lesson some Valley homeowners have learned too well as they wage legal battles against their HOAs because they believe their association has mismanaged their responsibility or misspent millions.

Schweitzer said she is on a mission to educate homeowners about the lessons she had to learn the hard way when she bought a condo with a poorly managed HOA.

“That’s your money,” Schweitzer said. “You need to make sure it’s spent right.”  Read more: