I'm not sure what HOA stands for - I'm guessing Home Owner's Association? It sounds like the associations called factors in Scotland (and something completely different in England). I actually know of some very good factoring companies, but many factors are also housing associations, which were formerly semi-public bodies, but are now being privatised or turned into so-called "arm's length" organisations. Then they consolidate into huge companies, cut staff, and have MASSIVE budgets covering enormous housing areas. What could possibly go wrong?
The flat I rent out had a widely disliked firm as the factor - not a former housing association, but a private company. A man who I think is extremely sly and who owns two flats in the same development started a campaign to get a new factor in. Oh, and he just happens to own a small factoring firm, but it only had one small block of flats at the time. He teamed up with an elderly man who generally does a lot of campaigning for our block, and managed to get most of the flat owners to vote to ditch the existing factor and replace them with his company. He refused to let any other factoring firms bid for the tender.
There were about 10 flat owners who were really against this and thought it was a sneaky deal, but the majority just went along with it. Yes, my next property will be a standalone self-factored one.