[Washi]

I was in one where there was no common property & the homes were spread out. After 6 years of HOA fights, we voted to disband the HOA by an 85:15 margin.

Good for you.

I find myself in a disfunctional HOA with a tyrannical man and woman at the helm. Each with nothing to do all day but fret that somewhere, someone is doing something over which they have no control.

What is the most effective way to organize a movement to have it abolished?

Anyone with proven advice, please chime in.

[Alberta's Child]

The way I see it, the easiest course of action is to organize a group of owners and elect a new board. Basically, just throw the tyrants out of office.

Check your organizing documents (master deed and bylaws) to see how many people need to be on your board, and get enough of them to get control of the board.

[driftdiver]

It’s difficult and varies by state. The hoa is essentially a non profit corporation. The property owners are the ones who control it. Basically a majority vote by the members can be enough but common property is frequently an issue.

[Albion Wilde]

What is the most effective way to organize a movement to have it abolished? Anyone with proven advice, please chime in.

There is just no substitute for forming a coalition of like-minded neighbors and either running for the board yourself or going door-to-door to get like-minded people to go to the meetings and voice an opinion or vote on an issue. You would have to be tactful until you are sure you have adequate backing. Go with a cheerful attitude of wanting to meet the neighbors — fair weather is often the best time because people are outdoors — and just say you are wondering how people feel about this or that issue because some of your other neighbors are complaining, and you are thinking of running for the board. Be sure you use those opportunities to find out what others think instead of putting your own complaints forward, so that you don't inadvertantly cause a backlash against yourself. Just ask questions about issues and find out where people stand.

Most times the problem in these communities is apathy, which is what allows the popinjays to take over. By the time people get aroused, it's often too late. If your community is amenable, a system of "block captains" often works -- each block has its own meetings and discussions, and the block captains agree to do it for a year and attend all the meetings or send in a substitute. This way, more people get involved, and unless you have criminals in your community, most people do want to make good choices for their property values.