Taxation without representation! It had the early colonists so fired up, we went to war over it. Now some homeowners say it’s time once again to draw the battle lines, except this time the war will be fought in our own neighborhoods.

The problem, some homeowners say, is they’re paying thousands of dollars a year in dues to developers that don’t pay a dime or give them any say in how their communities are being managed.

In Georgia most developers craft the HOA covenants with the help of an attorney and continue to manage the HOA of the community until it’s finished being built. Covenants usually include a date when the community will be turned over to the homeowners to manage or a clause to transition it sooner if the development is built faster.

Most homeowners have no issue with that. The developer wants a thriving community so he can sell more homes.

But the intent of an HOA is to look out for the needs and home values of everyone. Homeowners in several subdivisions owned by the developer David Pearson, believe he’s only looking out for himself. According to the covenants written for Pearson, banks, investors and homeowners have to pay dues but he as the developer, does not. That part doesn’t make some homeowners happy, but it’s not unusual. What is unusual, is that depending on the community, Pearson has given himself 10 to 20 votes for every empty lot. Actual homeowners only get one vote. So Pearson, who doesn’t pay dues, just has to hold on to a few properties to control the outcome of any vote, even after all of the homes have been built and the community transferred on paper to local control. Read more: