HOA now required by law to be transparent with property owners following passing of HB 614

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC13 has done plenty of stories on residents who dislike their homeowner's association after they were fined for random violations they were unaware existed.

For example, Kathleen Lowe was fined $250,000 by her HOA in 2022 for feeding ducks in the neighborhood.

"Have a heart," she begged at the time. "Just have a little heart."

RELATED: 'Unprecedented': Property tax bills have reached double value for Texas homeowners

It might not be heart, but Texas House Bill 614 went into effect on Jan. 1, and is intended to make HOAs more transparent.

A local real estate attorney, Richard Weaver, spoke with ABC13.

"HOAs have a history and reputation of surprising homeowners with big fines," he said. "But now everybody can be on the same page without future surprises."

13 INVESTIGATES: Homeowners flys 'Defund the HOA' after 'petty' notice


The law requires HOAs to provide property owners with a list of what is not allowed, a schedule of fines, and information on what a hearing would look like.

That information must be posted to their website and given annually to residents via delivery, first-class mail, or email.

For news updates, follow Chaz Miller on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.