It's commonplace when you purchase a condo and sometimes even a home. I do prefer to have my building's fire alarms working.

The HOA for a condo generally covers building maintenance, insurance, and other necessary costs that are shared by all of the units in the complex. Thus, if you buy a condo, you do not have a choice about joining the HOA unless you buy the entire complex (meaning the building and all the units*).

Sounds like you bought a co-op, not a condo.

Condo = unit owners own fractional interests in the shared areas (including the building and land).

Co-op = the cooperative owns the shared areas; the members own shares in the coooperative entity.

Both = the entity (HOA/cooperative) pays for the maintenance/other costs of the shared areas. Co-ops collect the money for these expenses through monthly dues and yearly assessments. I do not know how co-ops collect for these expenses.

My unit is a condo; I fractionally own portions of the building and land. My condo pays for the expenses associated with the common areas through monthly dues and yearly assessments.

Great explanation. Thank you.

ever had a neighbor who suddenly decides to stop caring for their property? when you live eighteen inches away from them, it matters. this is the allure of an HOA for some - it enforces minimal standards. you are of course free to not live there if you think its too uptight