Category Archives: Animals

Swing Set Stupidity

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Some things in life are just common sense. But some of life’s biggest losers specialize in perfecting the cruel art of having no common sense. In Los Altos, California, the Toyon Farm Homeowners Association is showing the world the finely honed cruelty it can inflict on a dying child.

Five year old Weston was diagnosed with terminal lymphoma. But the little guy was determined to fight back against the disease and live. His dad told Weston if he could just get well, he would give Weston whatever he wanted as a coming home present. Young Weston said he’d really like a swing set. Weston’s dad had it installed and waiting for the child’s miracle homecoming.

But the geezers who run the Toyon Farm Owners Association decided in their infinite wisdom that no accommodations could be made for a child, even one with a terminal disease. They told Weston’s dad the swing set was illegal and had to be removed immediately. Otherwise they would assess fines, lawsuits, a foreclosure and seizure of the boy’s home.

Nice work.

Classy.

The lawn Nazis at the Toyon Farm Owners Association were unrelenting. They wouldn’t even give the family a hearing. There was no middle ground, no court of last appeal. Get rid of the swingset or join the ranks of the homeless.

What do these geezers talk about during dinner after the board meeting? “Well, Honey, I kept another gimp out of the neighborhood today.”

Those of you keeping track, add one more HOA to your DO NOT BUY list. The Toyon Farm Owners Association.

It’s just market forces at work.

(click here for ABC story on the family)

 

Will That Be Cash, Check, or Foreclosure?

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guest blog by Nila Ridings
 
$70,000 to $90,000 per condo owner is what’s needed to repair major structural problems since the reserve account is bone dry.
 
Victor Salcana and his wife saved to purchase in Colina Condominium Complex in South San Francisco. She’s joined the board hoping to become a miracle worker and keep all 144 unit owners from having to write these checks…or go into foreclosure, if they don’t.
 
Richard Munson, President of the California Association of Homeowners Associations says, “Mismanagement of HOAs is widespread.”  And since boards are generally lay people and property managers aren’t required to be licensed it’s the blind leading the blind.  Who couldn’t have guessed that?  
 
Once again, listen to the adage…the best day in an HOA is the day you move out!
 

Another Good One by CalHomeLaw.org

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CalHomeLaw is a subscription-paid site only, and that’s a shame. But I’ll send as many people their direction as I can.

Their latest offering is about SLAPP lawsuits, or Strategic Lawsuits to Stop Public Participation. Thousands, even tens of thousands of these lawsuits are filed each year to intimidate people from exercising their First Amendment rights. People in Homeowners Associations are primary targets.

If you ask to see the HOA’s financial budgets, you’re liable to get SLAPPED.
If you question the legality of a board or management company’s actions, believe me, you’ll get SLAPPED.

If you say, “Hey, that’s not fair!” You’ll get SLAPPED. You’ve got to hire a lawyer and go to court. 

There’s a California law against SLAPP suits. The law should be federal. And it should have huge sanctions against lawyers who take part. 

There’s zero chance of that happening, since most people in Congress are lawyers who benefit from filing SLAPP suits.

Still, there is a God. And we can pray for such a miracle.

 

Texas Ain’t No Rain Forest

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guest blog by Nila Ridings 

Effective September 1, 2013.  No more wasting the H2O!
 
The votes have been counted and the legislators of Texas have made it clear.  No more water is to be used on flowers from Japan or the Netherlands.  Plant what grows naturally and be happy with it! 
 
Across America billions of gallons of potable water is used for landscaping every single day!  Are we really this stupid?
 
It doesn’t make sense to process water through a water treatment plant and run it back out to the golf course sprinklers.  
 
“Don’t Mess With Texas!” And don’t run up the HOA legal bills fighting those who comply.  Ya hear?
 
 
BTW, this bill was sponsored by State Senator Kirk Watson and State Representative Dawnna Dukes (both of Austin).
 
 

Frickin’ FEMA

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A Hurricane? And You’re Not Covered?

A recent issue of Realty Times discusses what thousands of victims of Hurricane Sandy already know: Homeowners in HOAs Co-ops and Community Associations aren’t eligible for storm coverage.

Huh? What’s that again?

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says Homeowners Associations are private businesses. As such, a homeowner who’s damaged in a major disaster can’t get federal grants. If they’re lucky they might qualify for loans, but by buying into a Homeowners Association a homeowner is actually just a shareholder in a business enterprise, not a real homeowner.

So, all you great people who bought into a condo, townhome, co-op, or Homeowners Association don’t wait for that check from the feds. It’s probably not coming!

(click here for FEMA nightmare)

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20130821_condostormrelief.htm