DALLAS – A homeowners association with a history of conflicts with residents is under fire again. This time a young couple says they’ve been fined because their toddler is too noisy.

Peter and Abbey Ure own a condo in Woodlands II on the Creek. Life there has taken an unexpected turn after the addition of their son, Sawyer.

The couple said in October their downstairs neighbor began complaining about Sawyer.

“We can hear you chasing him. It’s really loud,” Abbey Ure said. “They could hear his balls bouncing, his wheeled toys, anything that was loud.”

Since then, the Ures have tried to keep it quiet by moving Sawyer’s toys to the second floor and putting rugs and a mattress top down on the first floor.

But in January their HOA sent them a warning stating there were complaints about their child running, jumping and bouncing a ball which was disturbing other residents. The letter said if the complaints continued they would get a $50 fine.

“Woodlands II was built many years ago as an adult development and we do not have any play areas for children,” the letter said. “It’s possible that your child could play on the second story of your unit without causing complaints, but not the first floor. However, any activity on the second floor must not disturb other residents.”

The HOA is the same one that in 2009 told disabled veteran Frank Larison he could not display military decals on his vehicle because they are advertisements that violate HOA rules. (story here)

The Ures said they’ve walked on pins and needles, disciplining their son any time he starts jumping or running. They’ve also tried working with their downstairs neighbor, but he won’t talk to them.

“We’ve made a big investment. You know, this is our dream. We love our apartment,” Peter Ure said. “We are doing our very, very best to mitigate the sound and try to make it as quiet and peaceful for our downstairs neighbor as possible. I don’t know what else to do”.

The Ures had a hearing before the HOA board in February to address 33 complaints against them. They were fined more than $1,600, which was later reduced to $250.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/031411-homeowners-fined-for-noisy-toddler

The debate over how much power should be given to neighborhood homeowners associations is heating up again at the Texas state capitol.

On Tuesday, Houston-area groups, both for and against HOA reform, traveled to Austin to give lawmakers an earful.

It’s part of a national push to regulate HOAs, which critics say have way too much power.

To read the entire article, click here.

Activists seeking to retool the way homeowner associations operate in the state headed to Austin today to do their thing like so many other special interests do.

But this group is particularly cohesive and adamant about current state laws that allow associations or lenders to repossess a home for infractions of association rules.