Tag Archives: HOA Hell

Owner wants to know how to get rid of HOA

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guest blog by Deborah Goonan

An owner in Parkview HOA in Brownsville, TX was recently interviewed by KRGV television. He explains that several years ago their HOA “fizzled out” but then a new management company suddenly appeared on the scene, looking to collect assessments. But the HOA has a $46,000 deficit, and many owners are not paying their dues or paying attention to the HOA, despite collection letters tacking on a $250 attorney fee for delinquent account owners.

So what’s the story here? That’s a bit of a mystery. A quick Google search turns up minimal information on Parkview Homeowners Association LLC – address, phone number, and management agent. Attorney Bill Davis was consulted by KGRV, and, according to him, the first step is to locate the original HOA governing documents, and determine whether the HOA currently attempting to collect assessments is the Original HOA vs. a newly formed corporation masquerading as the once-defunct HOA. Got that?

The story leaves out many details, and calls to mind several questions. Was there a vote of owners to revive this inactive HOA? How long was it inactive? Were assessments being collected before the new management company started sending invoices? How many homes are involved, and what are the dues?

There are specific legal processes for dissolution, as well as reviving inactive HOAs, depending on state law. Looks like the homeowner, Mr. Jack Jew, will have to consult an attorney, and get together with his neighbors to see if they can rid themselves of the HOA that he claims most owners do NOT want.

Ironically, as demonstrated in Florida, a group of Bulk Buyers (investors) can quickly gain control of a Board, and then vote to dissolve the Association.  But ordinary owners of one measly home apiece have to play detective and jump through numerous legal hoops just to get rid of the HOA albatross, if possible.

Does that seem fair to you?

(link to story in Brownsville, TX)

The Viciousness Knows No Bounds!

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What is it about the ‘control’ issues many HOA board members have? And why is it that brand new Ford F-150 pickups are so hated?

The board of the Kimry Moor Homeowners Association in Fayetteville, New York has decided that homeowners David and Arna Orlando are scofflaws because they park their pickup in the driveway instead of in the garage.

Never mind that people all over this HOA park their trucks in their driveways.
No, I strongly suspect the issue isn’t the truck. It’s that somebody on the board thinks the Orlando family are of the wrong race, the wrong income level or because their kid might have smart-mouthed a board member’s kid at school.

I hope the Orlando’s attorney looks at an almost identical case in Texas where the owner of the Ford F-150 got sued for his truck…and he actually won the case against his power-mongering HOA. It’s too bad that HOA homeowners have to pay special assessments to support this kind of insanity.

(link to latest HOA lawsuit against an F-150 owner)

(for the Orlando’s attorney, this might save you a couple minutes of research time)

And yet another!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/28/florida-man-spends-k-right-park-driveway/

 

Driveway To HOA Hell

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

Here’s a homeowner who drives a pick-up truck and parks it at his home on his driveway.  Well actually it’s not his driveway according to his HOA.

This HOA board is dumber than a box of rocks, in my opinion.  A pick-up truck does not indicate a person operates the vehicle for commercial use!

How well I know.  One of my vehicles is a pick-up truck.  Thank goodness it has four-wheel drive.  My HOA owns my driveway, too. They are supposed to maintain it, but in ten years they have only sealed it once.  One time!  After it had cracked and fallen apart.  The worst issue I’ve had is when it dropped below the concrete floor in the garage.  I literally could not get my truck into my garage without using four-wheel drive every time!!!  In addition, every time it rained the water ran in under the garage floor and eventually into my finished basement.  The HOA made a very poor attempt to repair the driveway after I had professional contractors tell me it was not repairable. Now it has separated leaving a crack across the driveway that is 3″ deep allowing water to run under the driveway.  It has also started to drop again…back to four-wheeling into my garage I’ll go.

The HOA now claims it’s my responsibility to pay for the replacement of the driveway.  Yes, we are in another court battle because my HOA would rather spend $100,000 on a legal battle than to replace a $5,000 driveway.  As our readers know, you just can’t fix the incredible levels of stupid in an HOA!

A former board president told me that all driveways are common ground.  I asked if I had a party and needed extra parking spaces could my guests park on my neighbors’ driveways?  He said, “They sure can!”

As if we don’t already have at least a million reasons why not to buy in an HOA, this driveway issue is just more proof of it!

HOA Violence

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Yes, most of us would like to see the Homeowners Association Movement go extinct. But the kind of violence in the story linked below is unacceptable. Anyone who tries to take another’s life and property deserves a life sentence in prison.

This incident happened at the Pointer Ridge HOA in College Park, Georgia. If you can help identify this suspect, please call police.

(arson attempt at HOA president’s home)

 

Mexican Drug Cartels and the HOA Business?!?! Gwan, Ward!

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I don’t have to exaggerate this one since it’s coming out in next month’s federal HOA racketeering trial in Las Vegas. No, there are positive links between money laundering in American Homeowners Associations through Mexican drug cartels. As absolutely incredible and impossible it sounds, everything’s fair game when it makes its way into sworn federal court testimony.

Sound weird? Impossible? Just remember that when crime gets organized, organized crime becomes endemic.

And remember that the national news networks are totally avoiding any in-depth reporting on this story. Shame on the national media.

(link to connections between Mexican cartels and HOA business)