Category Archives: lawsuit

HOA Ballot Tampering In Pennsylvania

Ah, the peaceful Poconos. As I recall, the old ads used to call it, “A place for lovers.” The ad executives could easily begin calling it, “A place for liars.” But who would guess the amount of rank corruption that gives a special kind of identity to that part of the country?

On the HOA front, two board members of the Wild Acres Community Association are currently charged with ballot tampering, forgery and a number of other crimes.

State Police were listening when the board members discussed mishandling 200 ballots to make sure the ‘correct’ board members were elected.

Yes, we can point to the Poconos and Monroe County, PA as hotbeds of corruption. Sadly, this kind of thing goes on everywhere. This coming October a roomful of prominent lawyers and businessmen will go on trial in Nevada for rigging board elections in a number of Homeowners Associations, and then stealing them blind. If you look closely, you’ll see this kind of corruption in every state that allows Homeowners Associations to exist. By my count that’s about 50, although a past Presidential candidate said there were 57.

In any event, when board members and board members’ wives are the only ones allowed to count the ballots in unaudited elections why wouldn’t you think the entire HOA system is profoundly corrupt?

In at least two states, federal and state police agencies are discovering that the homeowners really aren’t just crying “Wolf!”

(link to ballot tampering in Pocono Record)

 

Avoid HOAs…Live In A Cave!

guest blog by Nila Ridings
This could be a once in a lifetime chance to never have to worry about the headaches of HOA living again!
 
17,000 square feet of natural climate control keeps it 70 degrees all year.  The latest addition of a “man cave!”  Oh yes, literally a cave of comfort away from nosy neighbors and the spying eyes of an HOA board.  
 
Definitely, one-of-a-kind!
 

(Link to KMBC story of man cave)

 

Hang On To Your Flag For This One!

I have sworn not to do more HOA flag stories because there are just too many of them. Tonight, I once again break that vow just because the latest flag nonsense is just so far beyond belief.

A tenant, a paying renter, is being told by his property manager to take down his American flag or they won’t renew his apartment lease. That’s no dog-bites-man news story. It’s way more bizarre than that.

Steve Roberts, who lives at The Oaks in Santee California is displaying his American flag INSIDE his home! The only way anyone can see it is if he opens the blinds inside his house.

How far will the lawn Nazis go to screw up the life of an individual resident? Apparently, there really aren’t any limits.  How much money in legal bills will they run up to demonstrate their disgusting lust for power? Again, no limits.

Folks, I usually don’t encourage you to send out stories to everyone you know, but on this one I am! From our top leaders to people trying to storm our country’s borders, the hate for the American flag is palpable.

(Link to KGTV in Santee)

 

Listen, As Never Before!

guest blog by Robert E. Frank, Colonel, USAF (Ret.)
Founder, HomeOwnersCoalition.org & Veterans Advocate

On American Independence Day 2014, is it time to implement “Equal Justice Under The Laws” For HOA & Condo Owners?” Are legislatures willfully violating our citizen rights? If so, why?

Are the following not true?

– Federal Laws require all states to comply with the US Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land.

– States are required to support and defend the US Constitution when passing statutes and implementing regulations.

– States, counties and cities are required to support and defend the US Constitution in their statutes, regulations, rules, codes, etc. that bind all citizens.

– Local government rules, regulations, codes, etc. establish the controlling concepts and limitations in CC&Rs for when, how and by whom Homeowner and Condo Associations are established, maintained and how the property owners are governed in addition to standard government restrictions.

– So, why can the state and local government authorities legally allow developers to implement CC&Rs that violate the Constitutional rights and protections of HOA and Condo property owners? Is this not morally deficient, if not exactly illegal?

– Is this not a clear case where the government is violating its own agreements and mandates to “EQUALLY” support and defend the Supreme Law of this Land for all citizens?

– Does claiming that because HOAs and Condos are created as special, quasi-governmental corporations there is no moral or legal obligation to protect all citizens equally under our Supreme Laws stand up to even plain old common sense arguments?

– How can state government authorities, on one hand, rigidly control the creation of property and the associated governance regulations and rules of HOAs and Condos; but, on the other hand, (much like the Pontius Pilate of the Bible) ignore the fact that they are directly aiding and abetting the conscious denial of equal justice under the laws for HOA and Condo owners?

On American Independence Day, please explain why such crass injustice can be tolerated and ignored by so many in this industry?

Why won’t every single one of you Americans reading this topic stand up and demand “equal justice under our laws” for HOA and Condo owners?

What’s A Developer To Do?

A massive monkey wrench has been thrown into the field of real estate development with a 55 million dollar verdict against developers of a condo conversion project in South Carolina.

Developers are the people we homeowners all love to hate. They’re the bane of our existence. Their rotten reconstruction work has led to the financial ruin of hundreds of thousands, even millions of American homeowners. So we generally stand and cheer when a jury hands down a huge verdict against a developer.

Well, let’s stand back and give this one a little reflection.

There are about 200 residents of the East Bridge Town Lofts in Charleston, South Carolina. They all bought into the idea of buying an apartment that was converted to a condominium. Sloppy work. Unlicensed building inspector, all the usual jazz. But including all the legal costs, each of these property owners will theoretically get about 300 to 400 thousand dollars. So far, so good.

But…

…when the bankruptcy filings start filling the courts like an overflowing sugar bowl, where will those homeowners all be? When the delays and appeals to higher courts start piling up even higher costs, where will those homeowners be?

The American legal system was originally meant to provide justice for the injured. Sadly, that’s not the way things turned out. Oh, the lawyers on both sides will claim victory, of course. But the homeowners? The ones who’ve had to declare personal bankruptcy? The ones who’ve died or divorced or moved on to try to repair their lives elsewhere, what happens to them? Will they look back with great fondness on how the legal system treated them?

(South Carolina verdict)