HOA Reform: Conservative? Liberal? Or Libertarian?
As discussed recently in this forum, it’s mystifying why neither the political left nor the political right has taken a stand on the state of “HOA America.” Sixty million homeowners live in one of the country’s 300,000 Homeowners Associations. The number of HOAs is exploding with government jurisdictions around the country turning over lower government responsibilities to the HOA Movement.
As a private non-profit corporation, a Homeowners Association has incredible power to harass, fine and foreclose. Housing discrimination is still common in many areas. Violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is ongoing. Free speech is restricted, religion is restricted. Due process is rarely, if ever, followed. Almost every one of the protections that Americans think they have in the Bill of Rights is trampled on daily.
Where’s the ACLU? Missing.
Where’s the outcry from conservatives and Consitutional originalists? Non-existent.
With such a large and growing population ending up in these private government corporations, a reasonable observer would think that some political faction ought to grab onto the anti-HOA issue as a cause celebre.
Well, here comes the Texas chapter of Eagle Forum, a very conservative group, with a strong editorial called “Legalized Extortion.”
http://texaseagle.org/april-2011/302-legalized-extortion.html
It’s an excellent look at an industry that passes out equal abuse to homeowners all over the political spectrum.
It took the illegal abuse of a Texas family (Michael and May Clauer) to generate this strong an outcry. But who knows? Maybe the various political factions in the country will wake up and finally recognize that the HOA Movement is helping the U.S. Constitution to pass into irrelevancy.
And that’s not a left or right issue.
It’s an American issue.
Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association
