Tag Archives: Ridings

Cry Baby Cry

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Guest Blog by Nila Ridings

Long ago we learned it’s no secret that HOAs despise children. Especially kids who ride bicycles, throw balls, want purple swing sets and playhouses, and now…even babies who cry! Little Peter Ronnevik cries like all healthy babies. However, he was living in a condo where he was not allowed to cry according to Peter’s neighbor. (Who refuses to allow his name to be published!)

Jessica and Karl Ronnevik wised up and moved out of the condo. Their intolerant-of-crying neighbor suggested they buy some parenting books. I am suggesting they buy Neighbors At War by Ward Lucas. They very well might not have realized how close they came to a legal battle over Peter’s vocal cords, but they should not buy another roof over their heads without reading Ward’s book.

Nobody addresses the REAL PROBLEM here. So, I will. It’s the construction of the condos. Cheap, just like cereal boxes, cheap. No sound barriers, nothing more than some drywall boards for the sound barrier. For sound sensitive people,  As we all know, condos are not a good place to live, period. But the poor quality construction means if the neighbor coughs, blows his nose, or snores at a level that would compete with a freight train, you are going to hear all of it and sometimes in three-part harmony! If the dog barks, the phone rings, they play or practice their piano or saxophone, the TV is above whisper level, or their 5 AM wake-up alarm blares, you are going to hear it. It’s the end result of cheap construction!

There is an old saying: “Long after the sweetness of a low price is gone the bitterness of poor quality remains.” Everybody living in an condo or town house should post that on their refrigerator and nightstand. We need a constant reminder that cheap housing always comes with a higher price to pay in one form or another.

For Mr. Anonymous in Greensboro, Connecticut who despises crying children, I hope you never become a parent.

(link to story on crying baby)

 

Mr. Simmons, It Was Your Lucky Day!

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

Here’s a veteran who has no clue how lucky he was when the VA loan he was planning to use to purchase a condo did not pan out.

It’s a bit confusing, but it appears the Pheasant Run condo complex in Topeka, Kansas did not meet the criteria of the VA. Somehow, it is being reported that the HOA turned down the purchase due to a VA loan. I’m not exactly sure what went ‘wrong’ but I know this is the best ‘wrong’ Mr. Simmons will ever have in his life.

Being turned down to purchase a condo is like becoming an instant lottery winner! It’s the day you did not sign yourself into a prison of rules about your outdoor flowers or your window treatments, the size of your dog or whether you can have a dog, and when and where you can fly the flag of the United States of America to say the least. You will not be the guarantor for payment on the debts and liabilities of the HOA and you will keep your Constitutional Rights.

Mr. Simmons, you have been saved from a nightmare and you just do not know it yet.

I hope this man lives happily in his sister’s basement because he almost signed himself into a life of hell.

Live well, Mr. Simmons and THANK YOU for your service to our country.

On a side note: When the name of the association has the word “Run” in it, do exactly that, RUN like your hair is on fire!

http://ksnt.com/2016/03/22/homeowners-association-denies-topeka-veteran-a-home/

K I S S

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

Many will recognize the acronym KISS. It stands for Keep It Simple Stupid.

The question is asked: “How do we wake up the legislators so they will understand the extent of the abuse and destruction the modern day HOAs are inflicting on homeowners? Sending a KISS message such as the following is concise and a summary of the horrible HOA truth. As I see it, there will be a powerful message and a great deal of education in these paragraphs if they read like this:

Dear Legislator,

Let’s talk HOAs…

Did you know when someone buys into an HOA (Homeowners Association) they are signing away their Constitutional Rights? Did you know they were becoming business partners with all of their new neighbors in a non-profit corporation? Did you know they are becoming the guarantor for payment on all debts, loans, lawsuits, settlements, liabilities, construction defects, and disaster rebuilds for the HOA?

Guess what? The buyers do not know it either until it’s gotten to the point they have lost their money, health, happiness, and often times their homes to foreclosure.

Why is this happening? BECAUSE THE LEGISLATORS ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE TRUTH!
IT IS HIGH TIME YOU LISTEN TO THE HOMEOWNERS, NOT THE INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS!

Please contact me. As your constituent I need your help!

Thank you for your willingness to be a public servant.

Your Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Email

Keep in mind that legislators are everyday people just like each of us. Similar to buyers and homeowners they have very limited, if any, knowledge about HOAs. In order to pass effective legislation they will need to know more than the average HOA homeowner because they must be able to predict the outcome of bills they pass. They must know the answer to the question “Will this have unintended consequences if it passes as written?”

During this session, I worked with the Kansas legislators on HB 2557. The bill was poorly written to begin with, but there was potential to make it much better. It was with that hope that I asked our readers to show your support. (It was written by a legislator with limited knowledge of HOAs.) In the last Local Government Committee meeting they added some amendments that jolted me out of my seat.

After the meeting, I stopped some of the representatives as they came out the door. I explained exactly what I foresee the unintended consequences being if they passed that bill as written. Ultimately, it was agreed they would pass over the bill in this session, we will work on it together over the summer, and it will be carried back when the session begins in January 2017. My goal is a piece of legislation that will enhance the Kansas Uniform Common Interest Owners Bill of Rights Act. I do not want to waste my time or the legislators’ time on something that is not going to benefit the homeowners. As disappointing as it was, delaying the action and placing it back on the drawing board was the best move to make because of our time limitations.

I’m offering the above as a door-opener between you and your legislators. I encourage you to be involved in the bill creation process by working with them. Amazing things can happen when everybody works together. The CAI lobbyists have big money and they are smooth with their presentations. You live the HOA nightmare and I encourage you to read, listen, and learn as much as you possibly can about HOAs before you begin efforts through your legislators. If you don’t, expect to be smashed like a fly at the family reunion picnic.

Rules for Radical HOAs

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Nila Ridings, the homeowners rights firebrand from Kansas, raises a question that deserves consideration.

Now, I’ve read Rules for Radicals a number of times over the years. Saul Alinsky was the Chicago activist who taught that sneaky underhanded rebellion was a way to take over society. But read a little more deeply into his writings. Forget the politics. Forget left and right, Democrat and Republican. Forget conservative and liberal. Just sink deeply into his rhetoric and his logic.

Finally, emerge from your voyage of discovery and analyze how the HOA movement has slowly and stealthily taken over the American real estate development and home building industry. Slowly, this industry has moved almost a quarter of all Americans into a political system which is completely outside the control of the U.S. Constitution.

Make no mistake, Homeowners Associations are absolutely a form of government. They control your roads, your sewer, your trash pickup, maintenance of your local water system, policing of your neighborhood. They even form your court system, since traditional courts have washed their hands of most HOA conflicts. And to an incredible degree they control your personal finances. Of course, just like in a traditional government you pay taxes. Your monthly dues and the sudden demand for a $10,000 or $20,000 special assessment are taxes.

What rights do you actually have in an HOA? Well, what rights do you have under facism, or marxism, or communism or any other kind of non-constitutional dictatorship?

Nila Ridings is right. We all need to read Rules for Radicals, just to see what we’re up against.

(link to wiki and Rules for Radicals)

 

Emergency Meeting!

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

I think this HOA should have called it a memorial service not an emergency meeting. The money is already gone.

The checks have been written to credit card companies, a mortgage lender, and relatives of the culprit. She’s lawyered up and ready to fight her neighbors after stealing their money! Will this be another case of the HOA members paying for the legal representation of the accused thief?

I’ve literally seen so many of these stories about HOA board members or property managers stealing the HOA funds, I’m not shocked anymore. I feel no sensitivity about it. I used to feel angry but no longer do. Proof that too much of one thing becomes ordinary and expected, I guess.

Get ready for some more of those severe court-ordered sentences of 20 hours of community service!