Category Archives: Handicap

“Every HOA Should Be Worried”

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Yep, that’s the quotable quote emerging from an HOA scandal in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Residents of the Russett Community Association voted to throw out the top two board members who homeowners claimed were misusing HOA funds. True to form, the two board members voted that the recall elections weren’t valid because they weren’t approved by the board. Then they fought the recall election in court, and of course they spent neighborhood dues money to pay for their own defense. It happens in thousands of HOAs across the country!

Power play in Russett: But many residents unaffected by battle over community leadership

In this case, though, a judge ordered that the two board bullies step down from their positions. They’re not going easily, though. They’ve squandered anywhere from 80 to 100,000 bucks and more in dues money to fight the homeowners in court.

Those of us ‘in the know’ just shake our heads in wonder.

(link to HOA scandal in Capital Gazette)

 

 

The HOA Tsunami Is Coming!

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It’s all about the news media, folks. It’s all about publicity. P.T. Barnum was once rumored to have said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity, it’s all publicity.”

Five years ago I wouldn’t have believed it possible, but now anti-HOA stories have almost gone mainstream. Our misery as HOA homeowners really is getting out there and prospective home buyers are paying attention. Does a Homeowners Association really protect your property values?  Well, your property is only worth what someone is willing to pay. So if a growing number of people are saying they’ll never buy an HOA property, doesn’t that mean your HOA is actually hurting your property values?

Fantastic story on FOX-Network!

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/07/01/dont-get-owned-by-your-hoa/

Out Come The Checkbooks In Visalia, California

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

Oh, the tempers have started furiously flying at the sight of the assessment letters arriving in the mail!

The homeowners in the elite HOA of The Lakes in Visalia, in the Central San Joaquin Valley, are fuming because the private roads need paving (according the property manager and the board) and that requires an emergency assessment of $2,300 per lot. If a person owns three lots they need to triple that payment. Why the need for the emergency assessments? Quick answer: The reserves are underfunded. Which comes as no surprise to all of us who work daily on HOA issues.

The HOA attorney has informed the unhappy homeowners that the HOA board is within its legal rights to demand the assessments. And, if not paid, they will lien the properties until it is.

Our regular readers have heard me say this many times: Buying into an HOA comes with massive risks. When the ink dries on the purchase contract, you become the guarantor for all debts, loans, lawsuits, settlements, liabilities, construction defects and disaster rebuilds for the entire HOA. There is no way to escape it. The CC&Rs are never quite that clear and easily understood, but that’s what it boils down to.

The Lakes of Visalia has now joined the massive number of HOAs that are already war zones. Welcome to the REAL WORLD of HOA living!

(link to The Business Journal on paving fight)

 

 

 

“Damn the Disabled!” -Brookfield Farms HOA

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Discrimination has long been a hallmark of the modern HOA movement. The disabled, Negroes, Orientals, members of the Mongol race, gays, the handicapped, non-married adults. I’ve seen that in my own Colorado HOA, stories I relate in my book, Neighbors At War. I’ve seen it firsthand, but since starting this website I’ve been stunned at the number of blatantly racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic stories that are happening daily in American homeowner associations. There just aren’t enough courtrooms to handle all those cases, Ah, there are enough lawyers, to be sure. More than enough. Just not enough courtrooms.

In Lafayette, Indiana the Brookfield Farms Homeowners Association has made it clear they don’t want three handicapped people living in their neighborhood. “It’s a group home,” they’re screaming. “We don’t allow three unmarried handicapped people to live in a single home. And we’ll take it all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary!”

Stupid people. They’ll lose, of course. Federal law is pretty clear about abuse and discrimination against handicapped people. But in the meantime this idiot board will cost its homeowners tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands in legal fees.

Avoid HOA life like the plague. It looks good on paper. But when planning to buy into the HOA scam just remember you’re putting all of your personal assets into a common pool of money with people you don’t know and have never even met. All your assets including the equity of your house are being pledged to pay for moronic legal positions like the one being taken by Brookfield Farms in Indiana.

(link to Indianapolis Star article on discrimination against the disabled)

 

M-I-C…K-E-Y…….M-O-U-S-E!

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HOA neighborhoods are sometimes so sterile they look like Army Basic Training barracks. I’ve been there. I went to Basic. And I can just see military trainees in khaki walking through these bland neighborhoods picking up cigarette butts. Sometimes the best way to describe the actions of HOA lawn Nazis is the old Disney tune for the Mickey Mouse Club TV show. Here’s a case where it’s more than appropriate.

Timber Creek Homeowners Association, Yulee, Florida. When Rachael Dennis moved into her new home five years ago she started getting hammered with violation notices and fines by the board. Damaged mailbox. Trash cans in the wrong place.

Rachael, a big fan of Disney, put in some circular flower beds in her front yard. If you’re flying in a hot air balloon over her house you might notice that three of her flower beds have a vague resemblance to a certain cartoon character. The Timber Creek HOA bullies went ballistic. HOA Nazis hate it when  they’re made fun of.

So, they’ve hit Rachael with another violation. She can have circular flower beds. But they just can’t touch.

Folks, some of these things you just can’t make up.

(link to story on ‘Micky Mouse’ flower beds)