Well, just a couple of weeks ago, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a family’s right to post a ‘for sale’ sign had more support from the law than an HOA’s right to pull them down.
Some tyrannical HOAs forbid sales signs altogether. Some say ‘for sale’ signs are OK, just as long as they’re brown and tan and are not easily seen by potential buyers. Egads, the warped minds of these control freaks!
At least there’s hope for the future. A rogue HOA in Northern Virginia told a couple their Obama sign was four inches too big and the HOA thugs destroyed it for them. But the last laugh was with the couple. They sued the HOA, the judge ordered the HOA to pay the couples’ legal costs which forced the whole neighborhood to declare bankruptcy.
It’s so nice to stroll through a peaceful neighborhood where the lawns are all cared for and no pink, polka-dotted homes. I just came from visiting someone in such a nice and caring neighborhood, and not surprisingly, there was no HOA. They were just neighbors who respected each other and worked together to keep the place nice.
And of course, no annual meeting where people are screaming at each other.
This story has been batted about for a few months but It’s a fascinating look at abuse of homeowners by their Associations. It took place in Celina, Texas.
Dozens of homeowners had to replace their roofs after last year’s big hailstorm. But four or five homeowners are being fined up to $500 per day because their roof tiles are a slightly different shade from the rest of the neighborhood. The Carter Ranch Homeowners Association demands that all roofs be “weathered wood.” But there’s no single shade that goes by such a name. There are multiple colors of weathered wood. So the HOA is threatening to lien and foreclose on the homes that the HOA board deemed were the wrong shade.
The kicker to the story, though, is video of a home whose owner painted his driveway and the sidewalks past his home bright white. It’s an obvious violation of the Carter Ranch covenants. But this homeowner doesn’t get fined, liened or foreclosed.
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.
Ah yes, we need an update on this one. These ‘gal pals’ in Arizona pulled a fast one a number of months back. Governor Jan Brewer signed into law an anti-homeowner law which had been introduced twice in the Legislature, and had failed twice. So Representative Michelle Ugenti (no fan of homeowners rights) introduced it a third time. But the third attempt was as disgusting a move as you could expect from a well-recognized Bimbo.
It was introduced at 12:59 AM just as the Legislature was closing out it’s last day of the session. Even worse, the bill permitted HOA management companies (professionals at appearing in court) to represent Homeowners Associations whenever a homeowner tried to take a dispute into Small Claims Court. It was a maddeningly putrid move against all homeowners.
Longtime homeowners rights advocate George Staropoli filed a lawsuit. He pointed out that Arizona State Constitution law mandates that the contents of a bill must be reflected in its title. The purpose of the law is obvious. It’s to keep corrupt politicians from jamming corrupt legislation down the throats of citizens before anyone knows what’s it’s all about. In this case, the HOA secret was hidden inside a bill that pertained to state elections. Remember the line from a certain leader of Congress: “We have to pass the bill so we can all see what’s in it.”
Well, George Staropoli was right. Most of Bimbo Ugenti’s law was struck down in court and Staropoli was awarded legal expenses.
But Staropoli went further: He asked that Ugenti be officially sanctioned for sneaking in a patently illegal special interest amendment which had failed twice before. His request was denied. So all you Bimbo watchers be forewarned: She’s gonna do it again!
If you live in Arizona, please spread my blogsite far and wide.
Many people have been made homeless after HOA foreclosures. A degree in one hand, school loan in another, and living in a nightmare HOA with their parents has yet another age group seeking housing with no debt and no CC&R’s. Others find it’s time to downsize, keep only what’s necessary, and find a way to live without an HOA. Still others want to live in cooler summer and warmer winter climates…taking their house-on-wheels along with them. Housing is achievable for all of the above.
The Tiny House Movement is rapidly growing. The designs have gotten very creative. For some, the economic factors are thought-provoking for working less and living more. The obvious reduction in the carbon footprint tiny houses is also appealing.
Needless to say you can’t park one of these in the backyard of your HOA-restricted Granny’s house. But there are current efforts to start developing Tiny House Communities. Hopefully, they’ll keep the HOA concept out of their plans!
How about it, would you live in a custom-built Tiny House?
