Tag Archives: HOA Neighborhood

Trustworthy and Tamper-Proof HOA/Condo Board Elections?

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guest blog by Bob Frank (Air Force Col. Retired)

 

It is a fact that CID board elections are the ONLY way that members can actually influence the management of their common properties and finances.  And, since candidates for boards and members of community management companies are not routinely cleared as trustworthy according to government standards, the election processes themselves MUST be provable as being “trustworthy/tamper-proof” by the association members.

Therefore, I submit it should be mandatory that secret ballot board elections implement (1) audit-trails, (2) use “tamper-proof” devices, (3) be certified as end-to-end trustworthy, and (4) be capable of independent auditing by licensed, trained professionals.

And, I claim that any board election that can not be auditable as trustworthy should be invalid.  Why would government officials and trade association professionals be allowed to tolerate potentially corrupt board elections?

Should the trade association adopt the following or similar terms and require that all HOA/Condo board elections follow such definitions and implement “trustworthy board elections” capable of being audited by 3rd party professionals?

Or, should board elections be taken away from CID boards and management companies and that there be a new licensed and bonded, “Independent Trusted Elections Professional” be required on a part time basis by state statutes as auditors and attorney are?

Am I on the right track for this topic?  Do you agree it is likely possible to conduct such improvements in CID elections at reasonable costs?  If you wish, I can explain how I would design such a system using hard-copy and/or electronic processes.

Bob Frank

Cohen The Bully Has Arrived At Two Midtown Miami

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guest blog by Nila Ridings
 
Seth Cohen arrived from New York with $1.5M to spend on a condo in South Florida.  He impressed his neighbors with his swagger which won him enough votes to sit on the board as their president.  
 
Looking around he decided Two Midtown Miami needed more of his “touch” in its decor.  Even though the building was only five years old the elevators got a facelift and the pool furniture was pitched for something more expensive. 
 
Next, on his list was the lobby renovation with some “Munsters” chairs and bookshelves that sent his neighbors out to the curb in protest.  In typical COA dictatorship style, he called the police only to learn his neighbors were smarter than he thought because they had obtained a protesters permit.  
 
Supporters started dropping like rocks and the “Fresh Prince of Two Midtown Miami” quickly earned the title of bully! His neighbors wanted to feed him lunch with their assessment letters. He was demanding $6,844.27 from each owner to cover the cost of his grandiose decorating plans until the uprising raised awareness to the point they were demanding he be removed from the board. I applaud them!!! based on my HOA experience, I’m wondering if seth Cohen is in the “decorating business?” Wash he slick enough to try and recoup his condo investment with some high-priced re-decorating?
This should be an eye-opener for all owners in HOAs or condos. Redecorating projects can quickly turn into an ATM for board members. If you don’t keep a close watch they will declare re-decorating as a “necessity” and use their power as president to funnel the money right into THEIR bank accounts. It’s called self-dealing and in most states it’s illegal. Take if from me, it’s also a “red flag” warning. Once accomplished they will try it again on something else. like selling advertising in the community newsletter and claiming to be in the publishing business!

Near Tragedy At Palms West Condominiums

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

This story sends chills down my spine. Shoddy electrical work that was done at this Hialeah, Florida condo complex swimming pool nearly cost some children and the adult rescuers their lives. City records indicate NO PERMITS WERE PULLED before this “electrical” work (should be called electrocution work) was done on the pool.

Once again, as we’ve heard thousands, probably tens of thousands of times, the HOA or condo board hired some “jack of all trades” (who actually knows little to nothing at all) to do a job that only a licensed contractor should have been performing. The risks are too high not to hire professionals! The consequences can be catastrophic and deadly.

Was the board trying to save a few bucks? There is no “savings” worth risking injury or death as these condo owners are about to find out. Who knows if these children will suffer life-long effects from this one event? It could take years to learn the extent of their injuries. Just wait until the personal injury attorneys start circling and offering their services for a contingency fee! I can see it now. The finger pointing and lies and cover-ups will be countless. The attorneys already know every resident of the condo or homeowners association can be forced to pay damages. It’s that minor detail that buyers are never told about when they are looking to buy a home or condo.

I must say, if I was in charge of electrical work on a community swimming pool not only would I hire a licensed electrician, but I would hire a second one to double check the work of the first one. And I would ask to see their license and proof of insurance. I would add their names and contact information on the work order.

Whoever hired the person that did the work on this swimming pool should be charged with negligence and be sentenced to jail right along with the person who made a mess of the wiring. And if that person is part of a CAI property management company they should be paying all of the lawsuit settlements.

I’ve personally observed this in my own HOA. Shoddy work by “carpenters” who don’t know which end of the hammer to use and a CAI property manager who instructed them to do things that should never be done. Risking the safety of everyone living in these units due to rotten frames which was caused by failed maintenance on the exterior siding.

It’s long past time to stop this dangerous and risky stupidity!

The only good thing that will come from this will be the exposure to the fallacies and massive risks that one takes when they buy in an HOA or Condo Association!!!

(link to Local10 news story on this tragedy)

 

Amazon Book Reviews

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Numbers on this website continue to grow each month. We have a ton of new people logging in based on recommendations by friends. I’m also aware of a pretty good spurt in book sales right now and I hope you’re enjoying Neighbors At War. As you know, I am more than passionate about this mission of waking all Americans up to what’s going on in this industry.

Along that line, I’m once again encouraging readers to submit book reviews for Neighbors At War. I don’t recall the exact figures, but each five-star review leads to several thousand new book sales.

If you enjoyed my book or you’re angry about the housing industry’s lie that’s been shoved down our throats for far too long, please help me spread the word. Go to my Neighbors At War page on Amazon and tell the world whether my book helped wake you up.

We’ve got momentum. More and more people are learning the truth each day. But I’m only a tiny part of that equation. You are the 99%ers. You’re like the lead bowling pin in the alley. Each bit of influence you exert then passes that momentum on to others.

We will win.

 

The Slow Creep Toward HOA Honesty

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Well, the state of New Mexico has finally taken an official action to force Homeowners Associations to disclose their rules and budgets to prospective homeowners. A story detailing the changes is linked below.
It looks like board members can be liable for civil damages if they refuse to disclose lawsuits in which the HOA is involved, unpaid judgments, boards must be elected by majority vote, not the sneaky tactic of a majority vote by a minority sub-group (tricky wording; a more accurate name is ‘outright election fraud.’)
There are lots of other traditional HOA scams that look like they could undergo tighter scrutiny by the state. But as you read the article below, ask yourself, “Why wasn’t this done many, many years ago?”
Does anyone get the sense that we’re finally seeing the beginning of a growing national backlash against decades of corruption and fascist corporate control over innocent private homeowners? Are we making some progress here?
“I love it when a plan comes together.” (line from the old Mission Impossible show)

(link to Albuquerque Journal article)