Tag Archives: HOA Hell

Fury Building in Arizona Over Sneaky HOA Bill

      2 Comments on Fury Building in Arizona Over Sneaky HOA Bill

Steam is rising from the ears of homeowners rights advocates in Arizona over a supposed ‘jam-down’ of a last minute bill controlling Homeowners Associations. At first glance it looked as if there was a little for everybody in the bill, but analysts are saying a lot of people got hoodwinked. Either Governor Jan Brewer, herself, was hoodwinked…..or more likely, she was the Hoodwinker-in Chief because she signed it into law.

More to come as we count the wood ticks in the picnic basket.

 

Chicago Lawyers? Phew!

      2 Comments on Chicago Lawyers? Phew!

Oh how a little power over your neighbors turns people into freaks! The neighbor battle linked below looks like fiction, but it really is happening in a Chicago condominium.

Ellis Levin is a lawyer who’s represented several condominium associations. He’s also been fired by a couple of them. But the bitterness that goes on in the Thorndale Beach North high-rise is beyond belief.

Sigrid Ingold is the president of the board, a position she’s held for 19 years. She and Lawyer Levin are pretty tight, and condo owners say the bullying by Ingold and Levin is crazy.

Catherine McCarty got herself elected to the board in an effort to thwart the ongoing threats and fines liberally handed out to other condo owners. But now McCarty, herself, is being bullied by this pair of ‘nut jobs’. When a contractor suddenly appeared in the building to do some very costly repairs, McCarty questioned the board president about why other board members were never asked to approve or oversee the contract or the charges.

Suddenly, Lawyer Levin hit her with a notice of a $150 fine for harassing his good buddy, board president Ingold.

It happened again, when McCarty tried to talk to yet another contractor. This time it was a $450 fine plus more than 1500 bucks for legal fees. She refused to pay and is now facing a lien and possible confiscation of her home.

McCarty is demanding financial transparency. She’s demanding to know why president Ingold pays herself a $43,000 salary as a property manager. She wants to know why her association’s legal budget suddenly doubled after Levin was hired.  She’s demanding an audit (there’s been only one audit on the building and that was eighteen years ago). Other condo owners are furious because it’s impossible to sell a unit if a buyer can’t see an audit of the association’s finances. Most are afraid to speak out for fear of getting a ‘Levin letter’.

Lawyer Levin used to be in the state legislature.

Now he’s is in the running to be elected as a Cook County Judge.

As I said in my headline…Phew!

http://tinyurl.com/lsuyecm

original source:

http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/levin0112.htm

People Are Learning

      2 Comments on People Are Learning

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the country are getting educated about Homeowners Associations. They’re not doing it by reading my book, or any of the others on the market. They’re learning by cold, hard, first-hand experience.

A lady in Houston, Texas named Crystal Stemberger is an author, a successful personal finance blogger, and a fulltime blog advertising manager. Her business and blog are called Budgeting the Fun Stuff. And it really is a fun site for browsing.

But the reason I’m mentioning her is an excellent blog she wrote about her experience as a new member of a Texas Homeowners Association, where she’s discovering the unnecessary and demeaning bullying which is targeting her. A weed, a wrong-headed claim that her car was parked on the street for longer than the mandated six hours. Threats of fines. Not only is her column good, the many comments below it are also informative. And it shows that the word is spreading about the vulgarity of rogue Homeowners Associations. The national HOA movement is slowly killing itself.

Here’s the link to Crystal’s column:

http://tinyurl.com/pxdkgnv

original source:

http://www.budgetinginthefunstuff.com/home-owners-association-bullies/

 

 

 

 

My Book’s Declining Price

      No Comments on My Book’s Declining Price

LOL! I have no idea how Amazon used book sellers work. But it’s only fair to note that TSC books apparently feels my book isn’t as saleable as it was a few weeks ago. Initially, TSC said a used copy of my book (in perfect condition) was available for 735 dollars.  That made me laugh, of course. Sadly, they’ve downgraded the price of a used copy of Neighbors At War to just 555 dollars.

Funny. For that price I’d still fly to your city, drive to your home, and personally autograph the book!

Ah yes, I’d also personally feed your dog and water your lawn!

Have a great Father’s Day!

Bieber Bashing!

      1 Comment on Bieber Bashing!

This one is actually kind of funny. Justin Bieber is apparently not well-liked by many of his neighbors. The singing sensation lives in the ritzy neighborhood of Calabasas, California, where homeowners pay $1000 a month in HOA dues.

But the teenager’s antics, including loud and late parties, driving like a maniac and threatening other homeowners are causing  a neighborhood revolt. Neighbors have repeatedly demanded that HOA officials take some kind of action.  Even Sheriff’s deputies are demanding that the D.A. charge Bieber with assault and battery.

Now, the revolt has escalated to the point that a number of homeowners are refusing to pay their thousand-buck-a-month dues until the HOA takes action.

It’s amusing. Not paying your HOA dues is a serious crime in HOA Amerika, even more serious than late parties, speeding and assault. So these neighbors have all decided to become even worse criminals than Bieber is.

Hypocrisy?

Yup.

http://tinyurl.com/lvcfc8t

original source:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/entertainment/neighbours-want-home-owners-association-to-act-against-bieber-596428.html