By Sylvia Powers
Residents of Westwind Condominiums, 5913 Lake Hubbard Parkway, Garland, Texas 75043, have been grappling with significant challenges related to their Homeowners Association (HOA), including trash accumulation, an inoperative pool, roofing concerns, and persistent water leakage. These issues have prompted residents to voice their frustrations and demand accountability from the management entities responsible for maintaining their community.
A Homeowners Association (HOA) is typically tasked with managing the upkeep of shared spaces, enforcing community rules, and providing essential services such as trash removal and landscaping. However, the experience of Westwind residents has highlighted shortcomings in these responsibilities.
Trash Troubles
Cheryl Goode, a condo owner since the summer of 2022, shared her experience with trash management that was so poor it prompted the city of Garland to intervene. “My realtor warned me about the trash pickup issues when I moved in. It was so bad that it spilled over into an assigned parking space of another owner,” Goode recalled. After city officials contacted the management company at the time, Alternative Management Group, some action was taken to address the situation.
Despite this resolution, Goode later discovered water seeping beneath her wood floors. “They had stripped my unit down to the studs and completely rebuilt it before I moved in. I knew the leak wasn’t from inside my unit, but an HOA issue,” she emphasized, citing the complexities of insurance coverage regarding external damage.
Management Changes and Continuing Problems
The ongoing issues led homeowners to vote out Alternative Management Group (which later rebranded to AMGI) and hire Junction Properties Management. However, this change did not bring the hoped-for improvements. Resident Goran Lukic reported additional concerns, stating that management companies often have unfiltered access to financial accounts, leading to unauthorized payments. “We found out that Junction Properties Management made a payment of about $6,000 without our authorization,” he noted.
Lukic also highlighted severe maintenance failures, including sewage backup affecting tenant units. “Residents were reaching out to the HOA, but the board never heard about it, which allowed the issue to fester for months,” he said. This lack of communication led to health risks due to exposure to sewage vapors. Only after transitioning to a new management company did residents realize these critical requests had been ignored.
New Management, Ongoing Concerns
Currently, Westwind has hired Accelerated Management based in Flower Mound, but challenges persist. Goode reported that the previous management company, Junction Properties, still owes the community $6,000 for not fulfilling their contract. Moreover, questions remain about AMGI’s incomplete roofing repairs—specifically, that three out of four roofs needing attention were fixed, leaving Building 5909 vulnerable.
Attempts to reach representatives from Junction City Management and AMGI for comments on these issues were unsuccessful.
In the last five months Accelerated Management has taken care of the sewage issue and got the pool up to code and we passed inspection by the City of Garland. They also have started the process of getting a bid to fix the roof issue.
A Call for Action
The residents of Westwind Condominiums are striving for better management practices and improved communication from their HOA. As they work with their current management company, they remain hopeful for effective resolutions to their ongoing concerns and a commitment to maintaining their community’s standards. However, path forward will require diligent oversight and a renewed focus on resident needs to restore trust and safety within the Westwind community.
