A condo association in Snowmass Village, just outside of Aspen, Colorado, is filing a lawsuit against the town. Owners in the Sonnenblick Condominiums complain that the town council illegally approved the placement of two cell phone antennas on top of the Westin Hotel.
Sprint says it needs the antennas to improve cell phone reception in the Aspen area. These things are not exactly cell phone towers. One of the two antennas will extend beyond the roof line by about three feet. But the condo association says those three extra feet will ruin their view of the mountains.
These kinds of lawsuits sometimes backfire against the plaintiffs who get hit with huge special assessments to pay off all the lawyers.
But these homeowners can afford a frivolous lawsuit here and there. Just to live in a ski town like Snowmass you’ve got to have a mass of money. And all the lawyers involved in this case will take a good-sized chunk of that cash.
I wrote about this subject in my book, Neighbors At War, but now that the court cases are before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, it’s worth discussing again.
At issue is an ordinance in the college town of Winona, Minnesota, which prohibits some property owners from renting out their properties. Landlords have to register their properties with the city. But once a ratio of renters to homeowners is approached, property owners are prohibited from leasing their properties to others. That means that in some neighborhoods, owners are prohibited from leasing their properties, while people on the adjacent block are allowed to lease. It’s apparently the first case in the nation where property owners are prohibited from exercising their historic rights.
If this law is ruled constitutional, the implications are enormous.
It wasn’t cash in a bank bag. Nope, these crooks just sawed the hoofs off a bronze deer, stole the deer and a dozen maple leaf light covers from the Rockwood Falls community entrance. It’s the second time they’ve done that!
Who would think it’s a good idea to place tens of thousands of dollars worth of art out in the open alongside the road? If it was to provide a visual indication of the prosperous residents that reside within, it did not serve them well. However, it did make them a target for thieves.
It’s undecided if the board will be replacing the sculptures. Really? Call in some common sense here folks! The news is broadcasting daily about the theft of copper from air conditioning units at schools, churches, light poles, and more. And bronze statues have been stolen before around Kansas City. Shall we hope the HOA members will stop the madness of their money going to the scrap-metal yards?
And since this happened in the city where I live, my tax dollars are now being spent to find and arrest the culprits. So that makes us all losers in the expense of the missing bronze deer.
The rat traps are empty and the board is running from Las Vegas reporter Darcy Spears’ investigative trap!
Forget about sleep, says Kevin Ellis. The scratching and chewing between the walls is so loud you can’t even hear yourself count sheep. He’s been fighting this problem for years! Now, he’s cussing because his $200 monthly dues are going to the HOA arbitrator to fight against him while the rats’ feasts are coming closer to his flesh.
Geez! Imagine what could happen if they chew through the electrical wiring? Or the platter of grandma’s homemade holiday cookies disappear in the dark of night right off the kitchen counter? Where is the health department???
Just another thing to think about with HOA living. If your neighbors have bugs, silverfish, termites, roaches, mice, or rats they can all become unwanted visitors to your unit via the common walls.
