Submitted
by T & M P on 08/24/2020
1 Star Testimonial by T & M P
HOA is supposed to mean Home Owners Association. For homeowners, by homeowners. But in our development, Metro doesn't want there to be any homeowners involved in the Association. They are constantly doing illegal things to silence homeowners, such as adding amendments allowing them to illegally maintain control over our association. They also have stolen money from our reserves to bolster their coffers. And homeowners get nothing in the way of benefits for their monthly dues. Shoddy security and landscaping, as well as a lack of a community insurance policy, are all part of their ways. Stay far, far away from any community where you have to pay any extra money to Metro to live.
UPDATE: Metro sold our neighborhood to another developer when we started pressuring them to return the money they took from our HOA reserves that their own audit shows they owe us. We’ve had to come together as a community to get a lawyer and try to force them to pay the tens of thousand of dollars their own audit admits they owe us. So, it feels like they sold our neighborhood when they realized they could not steal from us anymore.
As a resident of a Metro property for the past 6 months, I thought the property looked nice, but the more I live here, the more concerned I am by Metro's neglect. The big undeveloped parts of the neighborhood are overgrown and host mosquitoes and invasive plant species, the dog bags regularly run out, there is little parking, building and fire alarms go off for days and even weeks at a time.
There is also no say in how much the internet costs or if homeowners can build community assets to increase property value because METRO OWNS THE HOA and it will not give it to the actual homeowners. They have owned the HOA for over a decade and they just passed an amendment saying they will keep power for another 5 years. HOA meetings are not open to actual homeowners.
Most importantly, the HOA fees keep rising and the budget for emergency and maintenance projects keep shrinking. If we had a major storm come through, Metro would not have the funds in the HOA to repair roofs. This is the HOA 's responsibility to keep enough funding to repair the exterior of buildings. Since the HOA IS METRO, then why isn't Metro keeping enough in reserve? Where are our ever-rising HOA fees going???
Submitted by K Wyman on 08/08/2021
I have a close friend who moved into a metro community in Tampa. I loved the location, but upon hearing what metro is doing to the homeowners in his community, I would never consider doing business with them. It is true they refuse to allow homeowners on the board, and metro takes advantage of the homeowners by forcing them to pay for Metro’s lots that it still owns. Metro then “loans” the association money under terms of a separate contract that the homeowners have never been allowed to even review when they can’t afford to fund Metro’s lots. As a result, front gates are inoperable for months, the pool is shut down often, the landscape is unacceptable. I would be ashamed to call myself a metro employee.
Submitted by Maridalia Cedeno on 08/26/2020
I have been a homeowner of a metro property since 2007. While I had high hopes for the community at the time, Metro has acted unfairly and even corruptly in keeping homeowners out of the HOA and ANY decision making on how the HOA fees are spent. I recently looked at the public financials for our community with an accountant and there is a LOT of money from HOA fees that aren't present. There is no way to find out exactly how our money is being spent. Metro tried to build on land they have not yet developed with another builder for a different zoning project without the homeowner's prior knowledge or permission - because they have and will not let go of complete power of the HOA, even after 10 years. I understand that that would give them power over the HOA in perpetuity.
Furthermore, half of the community that was scheduled to be built never got built. There are empty, overgrown lots that host clouds of MOSQUITOES due to untended, standing water. Community members had to block off one of the roads because people were going way back there and dumping trash, ect. The pool was the only amenity built. It's nice to have, but it's often closed for maintenance that can take weeks.
While Metro has done some maintenance, such as mowing grassy areas and pressure washing roofs, they have also passed on the expense of a fee from the city for things the HOA (METRO) is responsible for to the homeowners, who had no power to take care of it. There is little parking in the area for guests. The gates will not respond to some clickers. There is no say in landscaping.
How is this all legal?
Submitted by Jeremiah Swoveland on 08/26/2020
I wish there was a negative rating-(Google can you please add negative ratings).
I too live in the community mis- managed and ripped off by Metro Development Group and their affiliates. As per Metro's appointed Board and attorney, the Florida State Laws do not apply to them. They have violated/broken the laws on many occasion and continue to do so with utter disdain.
They have controlled the board since 2007/2008 with not one single homeowner as a representative on the Board.
They amend the document controlling the board of HOA funded by resident without the permission or knowledge in many cases of the residents.
They do not contribute to HOA dues- as laws do not apply to them (as per Metro) and used the funds from Reserve to manage the operating costs.
They use retaliatory techniques for any complains.
Submitted by Raj Kool on 08/24/2020
