By Rebecca Lindstrom and Adrianne Haney, WXIA

October 31, 2016

Atlanta – For many, a house represents years of hard work. It’s an investment not only in your finances, but also your dreams.

While that money may buy you the walls, it doesn’t always buy you control over what you do with them. At least not if your house is part of a homeowner’s association – or HOA.

For years, 11Alive received a steady stream of tips from viewers, frustrated by the action of their HOA board. When our 11Alive Investigator Rebecca Lindstrom started digging, she found cases of favoritism, bullying, embezzlement – and very few checks and balances to make sure decisions came coupled with common sense.

More than two million people live in a neighborhood with an HOA and the numbers, with every new construction project around metro Atlanta, are growing.  Read more:

 http://www.11alive.com/news/local/investigations/hoa-horrors-few-checks-and-balances-puts-residents-at-whim-of-boards-covenants/341878224