JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents in the community had mixed reactions to the idea of HOAs being eliminated across Florida.
Rep. Juan Porras sparked widespread discussion with a social media post announcing he is “seriously considering legislation to repeal Homeowner Associations.”
The post, which garnered over a million views, emphasized his belief that such organizations don’t align with Florida’s values of freedom.
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Some residents, like Gabby Noreika, strongly support the idea of banning HOAs, citing frustrations with what they view as excessive oversight of minor issues.
“I think that we should definitely ban HOA’s, because they’re very picky about minute issues instead of going to the root issues,” Noreika said. She described a personal experience where her HOA complained about unmowed grass during a three-week period of continuous rain, when mowing could have damaged the lawn.
However, not all residents support the proposed ban. Darnell Jackson, while acknowledging that living in an HOA community has both advantages and disadvantages, appreciates having a governing body to address neighborhood concerns.
“You’ve got somebody that you can go to if there’s a problem, if the neighbors are doing something you don’t agree with,” Jackson said.
Scott Lara, HOA president of Mill Creek at Kendall Town, defended the role of homeowners’ associations in maintaining community standards.
“The HOA makes sure the neighborhood looks good, it’s safe for all the residents,” Lara said. He expressed disbelief at the representative’s proposal and suggested that better communication between residents and management companies could resolve many HOA-related issues.
“Open communication is number one,” Lara said, adding that this approach would be more effective than eliminating HOAs entirely.
While no legislation has been filed yet, Lara plans to collaborate with other HOA leaders to present their perspective on the issue.
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