How Can We React?

It has dawned on me several times over the past few years that HOA outrages are most often reversed when a rogue HOA gets a ton of phone calls and email from angry people across the country. If you know that you, as a board officer or manager, are being watched by the whole country, you might be a little less rotten to your neighbor. In a well publicized case where an HOA official’s viciousness is widely publicized, would that official be more willing to step back and mull over the action he or she is planning to take? Certainly, when you lift up a big rock the vermin tend to scatter in the light of day.

We currently have more than 31,000 people regularly reading this blog. That means an army of folks in every state. Should we begin publicizing home phone numbers, HOA phone numbers, email addresses and management phone numbers whenever we hear of the actions of a rogue HOA board?

I’d like to hear your thoughts publicly or privately. And if we ever began such a policy it would require your help to look up and verify any numbers or addresses of those we publicize.

Your thoughts?

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About

Ward Lucas is a longtime investigative journalist and television news anchor. He has won more than 70 national and regional awards for Excellence in Journalism, Creative Writing and community involvement. His new book, "Neighbors At War: the Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association," is now available for purchase. In it, he discusses the American homeowners association movement, from its racist origins, to its transformation into a lucrative money machine for the nation's legal industry. From scams to outright violence to foreclosures and neighborhood collapses across the country, the reader will find this book enormously compelling and a necessary read for every homeowner. Knowledge is self-defense. No homeowner contemplating life in an HOA should neglect reading this book. No HOA board officer should overlook this examination of the pitfalls in HOA management. And no lawyer representing either side in an HOA dispute should gloss over what homeowners are saying or believing about the lawsuit industry.

6 thoughts on “How Can We React?

  1. Nila Ridings

    There is always power in numbers whether seeking strength for a good cause or exposure for bad behavior.

    Reply
  2. Dave Russell

    Indeed! Every address, phone number and email address needs to be common knowledge of homeowners. Far to many times, managers and HOA board members hide out. I have actually seen HOA managers and board members cancel meetings, when they know a homeowner is coming to complain.

    I also belive, that when an HOA pulls a stupid stunt, that publicly slamming them with letters, emails and phone calls may just shock them back into reality.

    Reply
    1. Ward Lucas Post author

      Hi Dave. I’ve also talked to a few lawyers who happen to be board members. Some of them have gotten up and walked out of executive sessions because the boards were discussing illegal actions. It goes on. It’s endemic, and ugly. Those situations should also be publicized, but it just doesn’t happen.

      Reply
  3. D'Anne Hauschel

    It could help to have large numbers of outside homeowners support the few of us within our own gates, because those inside our gates are afraid to speak out against our board. I write a neighborhood newsletter, which the board has attempted to stop with a number of tactics, and I know my neighbors read it, yet no one speaks out. Currently my co-editor is being sued by our HOA for illegal AC unit & window replacements done over 10 years ago, but since the newsletter came out… now they are taking action against him. Cross fingers the statue of limitations save him from going to trial. Note the HOA architectual committee and the city approved these items, and the HOA didn’t even have a program in place for changes to windows or AC installations at the time.

    Reply
    1. Ward Lucas Post author

      I wish your neighbor luck on his lawsuit. But remind him that the HOA gets a freebie lawyer and the game is just to spend your neighbor out of existence so they can take his entire home equity. It’s a no-lose proposition for HOA bullies. And it’s full-employment for HOA connected lawyers. Read my book, Neighbors At War, and beware, beware, beware!

      Reply

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