Utah's new HOA ombudsman to help resolve disputes between HOAs and homeowners

LEHI — Jared Hadley installed landscaping that uses little or no water. But within days, his HOA told him he needed to rip it out. His choices didn’t jive with its bylaws. “I would not purchase a home through an HOA,” Hadley answered when asked if there was something he would do differently about his situation. That is a common sentiment. From free speech and parking to aesthetics and unexpected assessments for community repairs, KSL has reported on friction between homeowners and their homeowners associations many times. That friction has become so common that it has spurred the State of Utah to launch a new office within the Utah Department of Commerce — the HOA Ombudsman Office. Erin Rider is the state’s first HOA Ombudsman.“What do you think of HOAs?” I asked Rider. “The jury is still out,” she laughed. The office, which just opened last week, aims to help resolve some of the disputes between HOAs and their members. “It is increasingly abundant that people need help in this space,” Rider said. Sometimes that will mean giving opinions about who is right and who is wrong. Other times it will be trying to avoid disputes in the first place by helping both homeowners and their HOAs understand the ‘dos and don’ts’ under the law. “These are private contracts at heart,” said Rider. “These are contracts between neighbors.” While Utah’s HOA Ombudsman is a new office, it promises to start out busy. Especially, with most new housing in Utah all-but-certain to be in an HOA community. “The pace of development continues to grow in Utah,” Rider said. “HOAs are part of our ecosystem right now and we are going to have to learn how to live and thrive in them.” The State of Utah has administered an HOA registry for several years now, but if you run an HOA, know this: HOAs are now required to re-register on the HOA Ombudsman website and renew their registration annually.

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