Tag Archives: Realtor

‘Diverted’ Money in Colorado Management Company

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This one happened right under my nose here in the Denver area. The Denver vicinity, as some of you know, is home to one of the biggest HOA embezzling cases in the country. A management company stole homeowners blind in a largely minority community. But these homeowners were smart enough to catch this jerk. The bitterness, though, never really goes away.

Now there’s another incident, this one in the same part of town. David W. Martin, PMG Enterprises Inc., has had to surrender his state license to manage Homeowners Associations. He may be the first to do so under Colorado’s new licensing law. The law isn’t perfect. It has very few teeth and some appointed state officials who are really out of their league.

For the record, here’s a link to the story in the Denver Business Journal.

(story on David W. Martin allegedly ‘misdirecting’ a few tens of thousands of dollars)

 

Clothesline Craziness in Florida

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Florida is choked with Homeowners Associations and their regulations can sometimes be draconian, such as no drying of clothing on the backyard clothes line. Here we are facing a worldwide energy crisis, we’re supposedly facing global warming. Yet HOAs threaten to fine, lien and foreclose on homes where somebody tries to save energy by hanging some towels out on the line.

Florida actually passed a law prohibiting HOAs from enforcing such prohibitions. HOAs and property managers should know the law. But they’re more comfortable bullying than in recognizing homeowners’ rights. The story linked below is about a Fort Myers homeowner who did know the law. But she’s now being targeted by the Cross Creek Estates Homeowners Association.

She’s going to lose, of course, because HOAs know that by the time a controversy has been settled the homeowners who try to stand up for their rights have to spend a fortune on legal bills. That’s why I frequently refer to the ‘national HOA scam.’ It’s all about funneling money into the pockets of lawyers, all the while claiming to protect property values.

At least this lady is getting a little emotional support from the news media. If you have friends in Florida just let them know about that state’s Right-To-Dry law. And drop this lady a note thanking her for her courage.

(link to laundry controversy in Fort Myers)

HOA Racism

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Deborah Goonan, one of the nation’s most articulate homeowners rights advocates, has posted on her website an important story about racial discrimination by a Homeowners Association. It’s blatant. It’s actionable. And it’s a story that should be read by everyone who respects all races, ethnicities and religions.

by Deborah Goonan (IndependentAmericanCommunities.com)

According to DNAInfo (article linked below), after ending a relationship with her fiance (a white man and a Wall Street executive), Hanying Liu says the cooperative board refused to transfer her fiance’s shares to Liu.

Liu is the only non-white resident of Spice Lofthouse, and alleges cooperative members have made disparaging and discriminatory statements related to her race. She says that the board has not provided a valid reason for denying her full ownership. Liu also alleges that Chinese friends and family have been interrogated by cooperative members, and her daughter, who resides with her, has been mistreated.

NY State Division of Human Rights has investigated Liu’s complaints, and recently filed a discrimination lawsuit against the 15-unit, multi-million dollar cooperative association.

TriBeCa Co-Op Board Discriminates Against Chinese Resident, State Says

(link to article on discrimination lawsuit)

Quote from Ms. Liu, in reference to her cooperative association:

“They are trying to push me and my daughter from our home,” she said.

“They only want you here if you are white — they only tolerated me before because my fiance was white and he worked on Wall Street.

“They are worse than the communists in China — they police me and my friends.”

Las Vegas HOA Horror Show

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Las Vegas TV reporter Darcy Spears is the First Lady of HOA exposures and she’s got another great one. This time it’s not a crooked board. It’s an HOA management company that’s doing its level best to ruin a little old lady. Phony dues, phony charges, threats of liens and foreclosures. Even the HOA board which fired this company says it’s all bogus.

This has to be seen to be believed.

(link to the latest HOA Hall of Shame)

 

Sometimes, The Good Guy Wins

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A few days ago, I wrote of a Homeowners Association in Hayden, Idaho that threatened to sue a homeowner who put up excessive Christmas lights and decorations. HOA officials were upset because the display attracted lots of traffic to the neighborhood.

But isn’t that what we all do at Christmas? We drive around looking for the most beautiful light displays. It’s a time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. I know plenty of Jews, atheists and agnostics who drive around admiring all the wonderful decorations. “Peace on Earth, good will to men,” is how the song goes. And that message resounds through all religious barriers.

In any event, the national backlash against the West Hayden Estates Homeowners Association had an impact. The HOA now says it doesn’t plan to sue the homeowner after all. Some stories have happy endings. I really like this one.

(link to KREM-TV story on Christmas dispute)