Tag Archives: HOA Hell

HOA Sticks It To Pet Lovers!

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guest blog by Nila Ridings
 
Sandra Thomas bought a condo at the Wyckford Mews in 1997 and agreed to the by-laws, which include a pet clause. Only two pets per unit. But this board is fining her, claiming she was given the wrong CC&Rs SIXTEEN years ago and only one pet is allowed! 
 
Sandra pleaded her case for grandfathering. Oh no! They don’t do that at Wyckford Mews. So, pick your favorite; dog or cat, and take the other to a shelter or wherever…Wyckford Mews could care less!  Until you comply, the fines are $100 each.
 
Forget about calling your board members, Gerald Rowan or Josh Quinn. They don’t return calls.  (Since every HOA story seems to have board members who don’t answer phone calls or knocks at the door, I am wondering if that instruction is written in the CAI HOA-101 class syllabus?).
 
Running to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office won’t do you much good. You’ll no doubt get the same response as homeowners get in the other 49 states.  Expect to hear, “This is a civil matter! Go hire a lawyer!”
 
Some Wyckford Mews condo owners are fearful, but think they have figured this HOA scam out.  Absurd fines for things like parking your bicycle over time, (Have I been out to lunch? Do they have meters for that now, too?) leaving your shoes in the hallway, or for no reason at all, place the condo owner into the “not in good standing” classification.  Therefore, they cannot run for the board or vote in the board election. 
 
Sandra, vote with your feet and paws!  Pack up your dog and cat, and GET OUT while you still can!  The torture by the rogue HOA board members has just begun!  And it won’t get better with time!
 
P.S. With Halloween just around the corner, DO NOT BUY A PUMPKIN to display.  You could end up with another $100 fine.  Of course, in the language of HOAs that would be considered a “treat.” Compliments of your HOA board goblins!
 
 
 

What’s In The Box?

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guest blog by Nila Ridings 
 
Options for living in anything outside of an HOA always catch my eye!  This one is built to withstand a hurricane, can be made livable in one day, has a reduced carbon footprint, and a price tag affordable on a fast food income.
 
These Canadians are coming across the border with a new version of a concept that has been around for a few years.  This time with a basement option.
 
Looks like they truly have learned to think outside the box while making the inside quite attractive!
 
Just for fun, I’m wondering how would an HOA foreclose on a shipping container when it could disappear with a quick lift on the cable of a crane overnight?  That would give board members something new to sue over!
 
 
 

Latest On Blondie & The Bimbo

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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.

(click here for AZ Central news story)

http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/20130927homeowners-association-bills-expected.html

 

Dont’cha Just Love Our Legal System?

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The American legal system is the best, we’re told. Point out one that’s any better!

Well, I could certainly point out a number of other legal systems where the tort industry isn’t so rampantly out of control. The impossible cost of paying for medical malpractice suits, for example, has persuaded a lot of doctors to get out of their chosen profession. And it could very well be a driving force behind the move to Obamacare, a program which current polls say has only 12 percent support of the American public.

Ultimately, though, HOA tort lawyers are destined to kill the “goose with the golden eggs.” Rampant embezzling, harassment lawsuits and foreclosures can only lead to one thing: Mortgage companies will stop lending to homeowners in HOA Amerika. If U.S. Bank, Bank of America, or Wells Fargo are paying attention they’ll discover that loans are riskier inside Homeowners Associations. They’ll find that property values are not protected in the typical HOA. When that happens a lot of high-priced HOA lawyers are going to be looking for jobs at the local 7/11.

One can only hope.

Oh, How Sweet HOA Life Is!

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Shadowglen Homeowners Association, Austin, Texas. Homeowners are beginning to get hefty fines if any vehicle parks in front of their house. It doesn’t matter if the car belongs to the next door neighbor, a delivery company or just a friend dropping by, homeowners are getting slammed with fines of $500 and more.

Isn’t it strange how all these HOAs start off so benign, yet end up so fascist? All it takes is a couple of new board members who suddenly find themselves in the first position of power they’ve ever possessed.

In my new book Neighbors At War, I explain the chemical reaction that happens in the brains of those who get that first taste of raw power. And in Chapter 15 there’s a discussion of two of the most controversial sociological experiments ever conducted. Each experiment attempted to explore what goes on in the minds of people who suddenly feel the need to damage another human being. In one of the experiments, the scientist pondered why it was so easy to persuade German guards to mindlessly slaughter prisoners of war. What he discovered shocked and outraged the entire psychology community.

There’s a reason that board members and managers in a place like the Shadowglenn Homeowners Association are often referred to as the ‘lawn Nazis’ or the ‘HOA Nazis’. Power is an incredible aphrodisiac!

(click here for KXAN-TV story)

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/hoa-parking-rules-upsets-homeowners