A bill that homeowners rights advocates say is one of the worst, most dangerous in the history of HOA law has just been approved by the California State Assembly by a 73 to 1 vote!
The bill, which is inevitably going to become law, has incredible implications for people living in smaller HOAs. It essentially wipes out the right of many California homeowners to vote on board officers, assessments, or changes in neighborhood covenants. Oh, they’ll get to vote. But the ballots won’t be secret. HOA elections won’t be overseen by any investigative office. Every vote will have to be cast in person. No longer do you have a say on your vacation home in the Golden State unless you fly there and personally cast your ballot. The vote totals can and will be manipulated at will by HOA board members because that’s what board members do when no one is looking.
There are so many people who embezzle from their Homeowners Associations, that you just can’t keep up. I could probably do ten stories a day on these horrific crimes and not cover them all. But I will occasionally cover some of them just to give a few of these creeps a little extra face time.
This couple stole $200,000 from the timeshare group they managed. At least they’re going to get some quiet time…behind bars. But do you think that’ll stop other embezzlers? Not in a million years will these cheap little jail sentences create any deterrence factor for others. As long as the current HOA structure exists, board members, presidents and treasurers will continue stealing what usually is easy money.
Former Playboy Bunny Holly Madison thought it would be a fun idea to build a doghouse perfectly designed to match her own home in Las Vegas. She even hired a contractor to make sure it was perfectly built.
Well, someone in the HOA was upset with the way something was built. And Holly is losing a Ben Franklin each month in HOA fines. Apparently, it wasn’t the doghouse that upset the local HOA. It was just the fact that it’s painted pink.
In any event, Holly is moving and taking her perfectly built doghouse with her. She may have trouble finding another home in Las Vegas, though. The only new housing there is under HOA control. And Las Vegas HOAs have a horrible reputation.
An HOA in Port Orange, Florida, has suddenly decided that yard art or statuary of any kind must be removed. Homeowners who don’t comply face fines, liens, and possible foreclosure of their homes.
Mrs. Freiji is one of many in the Ashton Lakes Homeowners Association. She loves the angel statue in her yard because it reminds her of her recently deceased husband. But she’s been told either the statue goes, or she does.
That’s the decision of the neighborhood lawn Nazi. The angel has to go.
And that basketball hoop at the end of a cul-de-sac? If that’s not taken down, the owner of that home gets fined a hundred bucks a month.
BTW, the neighborhood lawn Nazi is OK with making widows cry while passing out fines. However, an inspection of his own lawn shows just as many violations as the neighbors he’s harassing. He’s exempt, apparently, from his own mandates. Not surprisingly, he’s yet another lawn Nazi who won’t open his door when reporters start asking questions.
Is it any wonder that homeowners across the country are beginning to get angry?
Not too many years ago you couldn’t get any reporter anywhere to take a critical look at the national HOA mess. Even when the U.S. Attorney started getting guilty pleas in the Las Vegas organized crime/HOA scandal, you couldn’t find many news stories outside of Nevada, itself. And there was almost ZERO coverage by the national networks. (BTW, as a long-time reporter I plead guilty of neglecting the subject)
But these days it’s not uncommon to find several probing stories a day. Some in the news media, like the one linked below, are slowly beginning to realize there really is some dirt under these HOA sheets. Someday they might even begin recognizing how deep this dirt really is.
