Tag Archives: HOA corruption

Elder Abuse– Dr. Gary Solomon

Nevada psychologist and Homeowners Rights advocate Dr. Gary Solomon has an incredible way with words; cogent, insightful, powerful. His paper on ‘HOA Syndrome’ made headlines. His paper on elder abuse in Homeowners Associations is absolutely worth printing out, and possibly mailing out to some of your HOA neighbors.

Dr. Solomon believes that elderly homeowners are intentionally farmed by HOA management companies because they have trouble fighting back, and this 50 billion dollar a year lawsuit machine creates unbelievable financial and medical distress for hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of elderly homeowners across the country.

Do yourself a favor and read his elder abuse paper linked below. If HOA abuse of elderly homeowners is ever stemmed, Dr. Solomon will have been one of the three or four national leaders who made it happen.

http://www.texashoareform.org/Documents/HOA-Elder-Abuse.pdf

 

HOA Corruption In Las Vegas

As you read the Vegas Voice editorial linked below, please keep in mind the massive organized crime and racketeering indictments in Nevada. The Homeowners Association movement in this country is fundamentally corrupt. The basic HOA structure is flawed because it encourages embezzlement, extortion, bribery, and abuse of neighbors. It’s good to see a few public voices here and there expressing concern.

(click here for The Vegas Voice story)

http://www.thevegasvoice.net/articles/the-flip-side-of-hoa-wars-2-it-s-all-about-money-4104.aspx

HOA Halloween Jerks!

Crazy, how HOA Amerika has become so fascist.

This HOA in Silver Spring, Maryland has decided that one homeowner goes a little too far in her decorations. The kids in the neighborhood absolutely love it when this homeowner puts out her annual Halloween display. But this HOA does what HOAs do. They sue. They ‘farm’ certain homeowners to find cases to refer to their chosen law firms. They figure that ‘farmed’ homeowners will surrender, pay the fines, the jacked-up legal fees and excessive collection costs.

It’s all about money. Follow the money.

This kind of neighborhood retaliation should be illegal! It’s unconscionable.
But these lawn Nazis know no bounds.

(click here for Halloween story)

 

Celebrity Joan Rivers, Condo Board President, And A Courtroom Showdown Coming Soon!

guest blog by Nila Ridings 

Elizabeth Hazan, how do we thank you?  Ordinary people have been fighting, feuding, suing, and slugging it out in courtrooms across America because of HOA and Condo Association problems and bullies on the board.  You have now raised it to the celebrity level where more exposure will be given to the nightmares that exist in HOAs.
 
The accusations: Ripped wires and glued door locks.  Denied access to Ms. Hazan.  A claim that she hasn’t paid her condo dues.  Could this be a breach of contract on the part of the condo association?  Or is it a cat fight between two women with plenty of money who have chosen to beat each other up in the courtroom?
 
A court date in November.  A courtroom in New York City.  How I wish I could be there to watch this one!
 
 
 
 

Trash Can Craziness Crosses State Lines

guest blog by Nila Ridings

Bent Creek HOA in Nolensville, Tennessee is keeping a close watch on the outcome of the Turnberry Reserve trash can saga in Orlando. Remember that story? Where the board president may soon be sleeping and running the HOA business from a jail cell? Plus paying a hefty fine for ordering the theft of homeowners’ trash containers?

Up to this point, Bent Creek board members have chosen to use the legal system to fight their battle, but their covenants do not address the storage issue.  Andrea Barnes says, “Bent Creek residents are anxiously awaiting the decision by the Orange-Osceola State attorney’s office.” 

I have hoped these blogs would provide not only a resource for “who” “when” and “where” but also insight on “what” destroys an HOA.  It seems Bent Creek may have learned something here and taken a “wait and see” position.
 
The HOA where I live has this same trash container issue.  One day out of nowhere our driveways looked like the trash container stork made a massive green and yellow delivery: One for trash and one for recycling.  Combined, they take half the square footage of a compact car! Garages were not built to accommodate vehicles and trash containers at the same time.  It’s obvious this is one of those “not-so-well” thought out plans.  
 
There are many reasons these containers have become nightmares…and for the HOAs an eyesore.  And in my case, our city codes do not allow trash cans to be visible from the street.
 
Somebody, please do something to stop this insanity over trash cans before people start throwing their bags of trash in the ditches to avoid all this hassle! 
 
How do we solve this nationwide problem?  Perhaps somebody could start a “trash can home addition” that can be constructed on a Saturday afternoon and installed next to the garage? Be sure to paint it the basic HOA beige or make it look like an overgrown rose bush. Sounds like a “biz op” for some creative carpenters, doesn’t it?  Maybe they could generate some marketing by promoting it on “Shark Tank.”  
 
A special thank you to Mike Holfeld, the investigative reporter at Local 6 in Orlando for keeping us updated!
 
 
BTW, in accordance with our recent policy about re-posting public figure contact info, here’s a a list of all this HOA’s email and phone info which they’ve already published on the web:
 
Bent Creek Homeowners Association 
Board of Directors 
 
President: Bill Kottas 
Cates-Kottas Development, LLC 
 
Homeowner Representative: 
Jimmy W. Reaves 
E-Mail: JimmyReaves@Comcast.net 
 
Homeowner Representative: 
Steve Cody 
E-Mail: stevecody81@gmail.com 
 
Developer Representative: 
Cynthia Smith 
Email: cynthia_smith@rocketmail.com 
 
Elecia Lewis, CMCA 
Community 
Association Manager: 
elecia.lewis@ghertner.com 
 
Homeowner Service Center: 
615-277-0358 
 
Bent Creek Website: www.BentCreekHOA.org