Tag Archives: foreclosure

Bank Foreclosures Down, HOA Foreclosures Up!

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Regular readers of this blog have long known most of the material in the article linked below. But regular readers also know that I’ve long predicted a second massive housing bubble, this one larger than the one in 2009, this one directed squarely at the 63 million homes controlled by Homeowners Associations.

As you read the article below, keep in mind that most of these 63 million homeowners have loans backed by the now bankrupt Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac along with the FHA and various other agencies connected with the federal government.

You still want to move into a Homeowners Association?

(link to story from Naked Capitalism)

 

Court Rules That Bloggers ARE Journalists

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In my book, Neighbors At War, I encourage homeowners rights activists to keep track of the wrongdoing of HOA board members and shout those wrongs from the rooftops.

HOA board members are public figures because they sought election to a public position. They are therefore public figures and you as a critic have special protections against libel and slander lawsuits.

Now, yet another federal court has ruled the same thing. It’s a long string of court decisions that protect Freedom of Speech in America.

In the Oregon case linked below, a bankruptcy trustee sued a blogger who was critical of the trustee’s activities. Even though this trustee was not a public figure the court still ruled in favor of the blogger. Because the trustee’s activities were of public concern, he could not win his slander lawsuit unless he was able to prove negligence on the part of the blogger.

If you’re trying to correct problems in your corrupt or negligent HOA you have all the Free Speech protections that any journalist in America has. If you’re trying to correct bad behavior by out-of-control, fascist-like actions in your HOA, do it courageously!

(link to Associated Press story)

Homeowners Associations Could Learn From Baboons!

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guest blog by Nila Ridings
 
30 years of studying how baboons were able to change their culture could be the clue to what will change the culture of homeowners associations.  Wouldn’t the results be interesting if Dr. Robert Sapolsky spent three decades studying behaviors in HOAs?
 
Do we have to wait until the selfish, narcissistic, abusive, bullying, self-serving, and power-hungry board members die off?  Can we legislate these people to respectable conduct or do we have to sit back and watch them self-destruct?  Keeping in mind, they only self-destruct when they run out of our money.
 
We’ve learned a lot from animals.  Mostly, that they are more than companions.  They guide those without sight.  They alert those who cannot hear.  They comfort those who have been severely traumatized.  They assist soldiers and law enforcement in doing their jobs.  And now, we learn they know more about co-existing together than we do.
 
As I see it, Sir Michael Marmot is correct when he says, “The conditions in which people live and work are absolutely vital for their health.”  It is no wonder there are so many unhealthy and depressed people living in HOAs.

(click here for video on baboon study)

 

2013 Neighbors At War Website Numbers

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Other homeowners rights advocates are far ahead of this newcomer, and I envy and admire every one of them. I only publish my own numbers to give you increased hope that Americans are indeed waking up to the nationwide scam perpetrated by the Homeowners Association Movement.

Over the past 12 months nearly 50,000 unique visitors have logged onto this website. They’ve visited often enough that they’ve racked up more than 234,000 visits and have read nearly  2.3 million pages of material.

Our message is reaching Americans. Together, you and I are having an impact. So it’s worth the fight.

Also, please grab a copy of Neighbors At War! The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association. For an autographed copy contact me here:  Ward@neighborsatwar.com

 

They Sure Wish They Could Shut Schutt’s Mouth

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guest blog by Nila Ridings
 
Bad actors in HOAs never want to be exposed.  They’re like termites, living in dark places, scurrying and hiding when light hits them.  The big difference is: Exterminators can get termites out of your life.  Board members and property managers…well, they’re not so easy.
 
With eighty-one years of life experiences, Jim Schutt feels he’s a pretty good judge of character.  And he has a keen sense of smell for all things rotten. When he openly expressed his concerns about his own HOA, the Fiddlers Creek Homeowners Association in Naples, Florida, he was hit with a SLAPP lawsuit. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. And some HOA officers are learning to use them against any homeowner who criticizes them.
 
Theoretically, Americans have the right of free expression and free speech. Yet, some HOAs and property managers use lawsuits to keep critics silent as if their mouths were wired shut and their tongues cut out.  Why not criticize your HOA, if your criticism is 100% true and provable in court? Being dragged through court should not cost you your life savings. 
 
81 year old Jim Schutt took that risk and got hit with a SLAPP lawsuit. So even if he wins the suit, he will lose. In Jim’s case, the HOA Developer is using neighborhood dues to shut Schutt up. 
 
If I were the judge and the law allowed me, I would level the playing field.  If Jim Schutt is found to be telling the truth I would reimburse him 100% of his legal fees plus double that amount for his pain and suffering.  And for his bravery.
 
And that my friends, could possibly put an end to HOA SLAPP lawsuits. Just one case with a ruling like that could set the precedent, at least in Florida. Maybe Jim Schutt’s case is the one?