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Michael S. Hunter, Esq.

Horack Talley
2600 One Wachovia Center
301 South College Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Tel. (704) 377-2500

Mike Hunter is a Shareholder at Horack Talley. His background includes real restate and litigation, with a concentration in the area of creditors' rights, including debt collection, bankruptcy, foreclosure, lien enforcement, and collateral recovery. He chairs the Horack Talley Creditors' Rights Practice Group.

His practice focuses on community and condominium association law. He represents more than 500 homeowners' associations in western North Carolina.

Mike is licensed to practice in all North Carolina state courts, all three districts of the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

He is a requested speaker on community association law, and is frequently sought out by the press both locally and nationally.

Mike Hunter is the co-author of How to Get Results in the Collection of Delinquent Debts in North Carolina (1996), and has written numerous manuscripts for various presentations and seminars on community association law.

You can view his full bio on the firm's website.

Mike has contributed his expert opinion and experience to the HOAleader.com articles below.

Are You Pursuing "Vengeance" Foreclosures?
June 2012
Had this scenario at one of your HOA board meetings? The topic of delinquent owners comes up. Then emotions rise as owners get frustrated that, to maintain services, they're going to have to pay more to shoulder the burden of owners who aren't paying. . . . keep reading

Reader Argues HOA Shouldn't Make Unit Owner Repairs. Is He Right?
June 22, 2012
n this week's tip, we answer a reader's question about whether his board is wasting money on repairs to owners' units. . . . keep reading

How to Differentiate Between HOA Repairs and Home Owner Repairs
June 2012
An HOAleader.com reader writes, "What policies can a board implement to ensure the association is paying for common element maintenance only? Our association has a lot of exterior leaks, which hopefully for the most part has been resolved. Unit owners claim the damage is from an exterior leak. The HOA pays for the repairs, but there seem to be additional repairs performed that are unrelated to the exterior leak. This has been going on for years and has become a great expense to the association." Here we provide guidance on policies and procedures you should implement to determine which repairs your HOA should cover and which home owners must pay. . . . keep reading

Should HOA or Owner Pay for These Sidewalk Repairs?
June 2012
An HOAleader.com reader writes, "One of our owners planted a tree several years ago, and it just recently caused damage to a sidewalk in our common area. Our CC&Rs define the sidewalk as part of the major components and therefore the HOA's responsibility to repair. But I'm wondering if the fact that the owner planted the tree that caused the damage means the owner's responsible for the repair cost?" Here, our experts offer opinions on whether this is an obvious problem for the owner to cover. . . . keep reading

Lawsuits Against HOA Board Members: Do You Have the Right Level of D&O Insurance?
June 2012
As condominium and home owner association management becomes more complex--and more and more board members are sued--it's critical to monitor your directors and officers coverage to ensure you're fully protected for your actions as a member of your condominium or homeowners association board of directors. . . . keep reading

What to Do When Your HOA's Manager Falls Down on the Job
June 2012
Two different HOAleader.com readers have asked if their managers can refuse to perform certain duties even though the management contract specifically states that those duties will be performed by management. One writer says his HOA has written emails to the management company about the lack of performance, and the emails have gone unanswered. What's your remedy when your manager fails to perform? . . . keep reading

When Can You Waive Your HOA's Rules? Discussion Forum Follow-Up
June 2012
An HOAleader.com reader writes, "A homeowner replaced his roof and chose a color that isn't in compliance with our replacement standards. It's not even close to the existing colors. The board stated at the community annual meeting that the owner didn't follow the procedure of obtaining approval through our architectural request process. The board chose to ignore the homeowner's negligence and opted to have each of the adjoining townhomes in his section match his noncompliant color when the time comes for them to replace their roofs. Their reasoning is that the homeowner can't afford to replace the new roof, and they don't believe it will affect the property value. . . . keep reading

HOA Management Companies: A Practical Guide for Homeowners Association Boards
In this exclusive HOA management special report, we offer insight and guidance on finding a good HOA manager and determining whether you need an onsite manager, must-have and must-not-have contract language, and tips for responding when your management company isn't doing its job, including guidance on when to cut ties or work toward a better relationship. We also educate going-it-alone boards on best practices for self-managed homeowners associations, and much, much more. . . . keep reading

What Your HOA Should Know About the Foreclosure-to-Rent Strategy
March 2011
The takeover of foreclosed units by condominium and homeowners associations to rent them out and recoup delinquent fees has been one of the fastest-growing solutions to the rise in foreclosures. But it's not without cost. Here we explain what your HOA board needs to know about the risk when acquiring a unit for rental and the expense involved in foreclosing on a property to rent it out. . . . keep reading

HOA Governing Documents Explained
March 2011
HOA gurus freely banter about the terms "CC&Rs," "bylaws," "rules and regs," and "governing documents." But what exactly are those documents, and which are the most and least powerful? In this article, we lay out what constitutes each governing document and sort out which ones have more authority than others. . . . keep reading

Seven Rules for Avoiding HOA Litigation
March 2011
Lawsuits often end up siphoning off money from your homeowners association that perhaps never needed to be spent. Here, our legal experts offer up seven rules for implementing policies and procedures and dispute-resolution practices that reduce the number of lawsuits your HOA is involved in. . . . keep reading

Guard Your HOA's Membership List Carefully
August 2010
If an owner or someone else asks to see your association's member list, can you say no? If your state requires that you provide members your list, can you redact some information? Are there restrictions on how members can use the list? . . . keep reading

Who Can Attend Your HOA Meetings?
July 2010
Does your state or homeowners association have rules covering who can attend owners' and board meetings? Here we explain potential restrictions and whether your board can and should allow exceptions. . . . keep reading

Can You Use Small Claims Court to Collect Unpaid HOA Fees?
July 2010
One California small claims judge's opinion has caused confusion over homeowners associations' ability to use small claims court to collect unpaid fees. Here, we explain the California brouhaha and offer insights about using small claims court in other states as well. . . . keep reading

Does Your HOA's Method of Determining Assessments Pass Muster?
July 2, 2010
Riddle me this: Does the formula you use to calculate owners' assessments match the method spelled out in your HOA's governing documents? This week's tip explains that sometimes there's a disconnect between the two--and that can spell trouble for your homeowners association. . . . keep reading

The Wrong Way to Calculate HOA Assessments
July 2010
Homeowner and condo associations often come up with new ways to calculate assessments, but sometimes they later learn their methodology was simply wrong, unfair, or in violation of their governing documents. Here's some guidance on identifying whether a proposed method of determining HOA assessments passes muster. . . . keep reading

More Headlines

HOA Finances:
Best Practices for Getting Your Homeowners Association through Difficult Economic Times

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