Civic Association vs Homeowner’s Association… what’s in a name?

Although many people use the terms interchangeably, there are quite a few differences between a Homeowner’s Association (HOA) and a Civic Association. The North Hills Civic Association (NHCA) is, just like it says in the name, a Civic Association.

The main difference

Most Homeowner’s Associations require mandatory participation by deed. Membership in the HOA is part of the deed when the home is purchased, and the annual dues owed to the HOA are legally enforceable. The dues are used for maintenance of open space and common facilities as well as for snow removal.

Civic associations, like the North Hills Civic Association, by contrast, are voluntary neighborhood groups. Membership is not mandatory. Civic associations, like NHCA have no power over their neighbors and no responsibility to provide any services to their members.

Other distinctions

The size of the HOA is constant since membership is mandatory. Although the number of homes in NHCA (approximately 208) remains constant, the size of the membership changes due to the number of households that choose to pay the annual dues.

NHCA and other Civic Associations provide a voice for the community to address common issues faced by homeowners, such as traffic safety and the need for infrastructure improvements (roads and sewer). They also voluntarily provide snow removal, funded by the dues.

HOAs have enforcement power over the community residents to maintain architectural standards and deed restrictions. In some cases, HOAs may impose fines or take legal action for violations.  Civic associations like NHCA have no such legal power and cannot impose fines against their residents for non-payment of dues or any other reason.

NHCA does not own  property and does not have legal responsibility for any property, unlike HOAs, which often own property, such as an entrance sign to the development or a common area.

Some similarities

Are there any similarities?  Yes; both HOAs and NHCA are governed by a board of directors. The ten board members of NHCA are volunteers. They do not receive a salary or any type of compensation. Both HOAs and the NHCA want to foster a sense of community among their neighbors for the betterment of the community.

So, what do your NHCA dues pay for?

NHCA sponsors social activities such as the coffee & donuts meet-and-greet, the fall picnic, and this year’s tour at the Brandywine Zoo. NHCA has also contracted with companies to provide snow removal on the streets not served by the state. We also established and maintain this very website you’re currently reading, in order to keep you informed and updated.

Because NHCA is a Civic Association, and not a HOA, these items can only be sponsored if the annual dues collected are sufficient to cover all of the annual expenses.

This, neighbors, is why paying your dues is so important! If we don’t have the funds, we can’t plan fun events and we can’t contract for snow removal to keep our interior streets safe in the winter.

New! Pay your dues online

Because dues are the lifeblood of our organization, and we’re way behind where we’d like to be in membership this year, we’ve set up Venmo and PayPal accounts to allow you to conveniently pay your dues online!

If you’re not sure whether you’ve paid dues for 2024, just reach out and we’ll let you know.