I’m so glad someone sent me this link. It’s a Skype discussion between some concerned HOA members in Minnesota and Dr. Gary Solomon. Solomon is one of the premiere experts on the national HOA scam and every second you spend watching this video will pay off many times over.
(link to Skype discussion between Dr. Solomon and Minnesota homeowners)
The link below has absolutely nothing to do with HOAs. It should. But it’s interesting nevertheless. It’s also a chance for me to tell another one of my weird personal stories.
It was the early 70s and we were three years into our marriage. We had our second baby son and we were living in relative poverty. Still, we went looking for a home and found one for sale on the Seattle Eastside. I think the original price was around $30,000 but I calculated that all we could afford was $23,000. I gave the owner 200 bucks cash for the earnest money deposit and since there was no Realtor involved and nothing to sign I wrote up my own contract on the only paper in the house: A paper napkin. What was I thinking? I was just 24 and still dumb about life.
The owner of the house signed the paper napkin, reluctantly of course. I know he had regrets about accepting my low-ball offer, but he still honored our agreement. And I carried that napkin into my bank to see if they would give me a loan. Based on the signatures on the napkin they gave me a full loan.
After getting the TV job in Denver a couple of years later we sold the house…and got $36,000. Had I kept that old house it would be worth more than a half million dollars today! You win some, you lose some.
Anyway, here’s a link to some interesting home buying tips:
I know nothing about this California broadcaster or podcaster, but I grew up in Seattle and know how crazy some of its legislators can be. This guy sounds fanatical, but with my Seattle background I think he definitely deserves to be listened to.
Yes, they do exist. Neighbors from Hell. And despite my anti-HOA angst I have to admit it when a certain neighbor should be hung from a yardarm.
Orange County, Florida, this woman even looks creepy. She set up a massive stereo speaker woofer system that intentionally blasted noise through her floors to drive her downstairs neighbor crazy. She could control the entire system from her smart phone.
Marianna Seachrist. What a piece of work!
It took a while, but the cops finally showed up. And now this attractive Florida beauty has a date with a judge.
(link to Marianna Seachrist facing criminal charges)
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/deputies-woman-set-elaborate-system-bother-neighbo/nmwKx/
In my book, Neighbors At War, I wrote about a nasty little piece of HOA theft called ‘transfer fees. ‘ They’re hidden deep within the text of your CC&Rs and the vast majority of home buyers never even see them. Sometimes they’re not even in the paperwork. But they can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars at closing time. What are transfer fees? They’re a scam. They probably refer to photocopying costs which at ten cents a page shouldn’t cost you more than about ten bucks. But the transfer fee is pure slush that pours into the pockets of the nearest property manager or lawyer.
Stan Hrincevich is the HOA Warrior in Colorado who’s long been trying to educate legislators about this scam. And Stan is Enemy #1 on the CAI’s list of really bad guys. To me he’s Colorado’s biggest hero. His battles against DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies) are legendary. The Colorado Legislature created an HOA Ombudsman’s Office to try to shut Stan up. Sadly, the Ombudsman has no budget, no power and is dumber than a box of rocks. The only thing this ‘Ombudsman’ ombuds for is his own salary.
That’s the background.
Knowing that this same kind of situation exists in almost every state in the union I’ve asked Stan for permission to reprint a recent news release he sent to homeowners around Colorado.
The HOA Manager licensing law requires disclosure of fees imposed by property management companies on home owners to be in their contracts with the HOA. If you know of anyone who has recently (after July 1, 2015) sold or bought into an HOA and paid an HOA Transfer Fee (this can be identified as a one liner on the closing documents) let us know. These home owners might be eligible for a refund and the management company fined. We will help in filing their complaint with DORA to pursue this issue.
The HOA Manager licensing rules are very weak for home owners and purposely left out specifics and justifications regarding fees imposed by management companies on home owners. However, there is still room for filing complaints and requiring HOA Boards and management companies to justify the imposition of the HOA Transfer Fees in HOA contracts and governing documents. Additionally, your HOA Board may also be required to inform home owners if they endorse such fees and to change the HOA governing documents/declaration to indicate the Transfer Fee is a financial obligation of the home owner upon the sale of their home (which may require a vote of home owners).
When someone buys a home in an HOA they are to be apprised of all financial obligations to the HOA as a home owner. This includes HOA dues and special assessments. The HOA Transfer Fee is rarely if ever disclosed as a legal obligation and therefore the property management company (and HOA) should be precluded from assessing this fee. The new licensing law precludes assessing fees unless it is in their contract with the HOA and/or supported by the HOA governing documents.
Filing a complaint costs zero and we will help as needed.
We will periodically issue this email requesting your cooperation on this topic.
