Home Owner Associations

I think you are probably correct. I am getting nowhere with HLURB. Next step might be to call them . Or just give up in frustration now, and save my phone credits... and not upset my blood pressure, hahahh

 

I'm pretty sure you have it right. Last meeting I raised some issues with the HOA and the Board as to why they did things not in accordance with the Magna Carta and our By Laws.
Maybe foreigners are now blacklisted from attendance.

 

I am a rock in the sea that is the Philippines;
It washes over me but keeps me apart.
I can hear it as its waves crash over me;
But it hears nothing from me.

 

ok, I finally got a reply from HLURB, via my HOA admin, I copied and pasted it here for my friends to see. everyone was right, that foreigners are not catered for. One good outcome, see end of letter. All the info from HLURB is Notwithstanding,, :-) and I can attend, yippppeeeeee, even join a committee,,, unfortunately we didn't get enough members to attend to form a quorum this time, so better luck next time ,,

Thanks to all those who came to my assistance,, see you another day,
KindRegards,
tom


Dear Mr. Bolton, This is in reference to your request for clarification on item 3 of the FAQ provided to the members last April 27, 2018 stating that, "as a foreigner and spouse of a Filipina, you cannot participate in association meetings and elections because membership in the Homeowners Association (HOA) is reserved only to Filipino citizens."

Please take note of the legal opinion issued by the Legal Services Group of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) dated 26 March 2018 in answer to our query of whether or not foreigners are entitled to the privileges of members in the HOA.
According to the HLURB:
"from the spirit of the law as enunciated in it's a declared policy, the foreign spouses, authorized representatives or attorneys-in-fact of HOA members cannot be granted the rights and privileges of membership in a given HOA being afforded to our citizens. Pursuant to the declared policy of the law, the roles of the HOA are geared towards serving the needs and interests of our own [Filipino] communities, to complement the roles of the LGUs in providing basi(c) and vital services to the [Filipino] citizens and in helping to implement local and national policies, programs, rules and ordinances forthe developments of the nation. Clearly, from the foregoing objectives, membership in (the) HOA with its consequential rights and privileges is reserved to our citizens. For this reason, the foreign spouses, authorized representative or attorneys-in-fact of HOA members cannot inspect association books and records; they are not eligible to become Trustees of the HOA or to any other appointive office as they cannot participate and vote in association meetings, elections and referenda of the HOA, even if duly and/or specifically authorized for the purpose by the rFilioinol members."

 

This is good, you can attend the meeting and it sounds like you can ask questions.
Something in their response is interesting, Proxies are not allowed, full stop. I wonder why that would be?
I have visions of proxy buying like vote buying during an election.

Even more interesting;

For me that's a big red flag.
If I could join a committee, I would really want to be on the finance committee.

 

I would be interested to actually read the declared policy they refer to. I only find the Magna Carta which we have all read and there is nothing, that I can see, which states what they claim.

 

The last town i lived in here in the Philippines, a foreigner ( usa) homeowner , actually became the president of the HOA, and consequently raised the monthly fee from 200pesos to 500 pesos! I sold the house on the same day and got out. TRUE STORY.