Category Archives: embezzle

Balls the Size of Texas!

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Our old buddies, the ethically-challenged Associa Companies are trying to bribe homeowners into ‘liking’ them on FaceBook. Associa is the massive HOA management company run by the infamous Texas state senator, John Carona. Billions of dollars flow through his fingers as he rams pro-HOA, anti-homeowner laws through his state legislature. But if a Georgia homeowner ‘likes’ his or her Associa-run neighborhood on FaceBook that homeowner just might win a 200 dollar prize.

Nah, I have to amend that: The neighborhood that racks up the most ‘likes’ can win a 200 dollar prize.

Oops! Let me amend that again: The neighborhood that wins, doesn’t get 200 dollars. It gets 200 dollars worth of ‘vendor services’. And it just so happens that Senator Carona and his Associa affiliates also own all the vendors which supply his own HOAs. It’s amazing the way this billionaire politician’s pockets are all connected with each other. 　

http://tinyurl.com/m8e9r5b

original source:

http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/06/17/4952620/associas-homeside-properties-launches.html

Hanging The Flag

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A neighborhood in Pendleton, Oregon is furious with a homeowner who’s begun flying his flag upside down as a protest against President Barack Obama. The upside down flag is recognized internationally as a symbol of distress.

Oregon has long been one of the most left-leaning states in the country and it’s full of Homeowners Associations. The surprising thing is that an Oregon neighborhood is protesting any display of the American flag at all, right side up or upside down. While this blogger takes no public position, left or right, on politics, he still believes that American citizens have a Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech. And historically that means freedom of expression, even if the way a belief is expressed nauseates others.

We’ll see what happens in this case. But this kind of display of the American flag usually ends up in lawsuits, liens, foreclosures, or even violence.

Our Supreme Court has recognized that citizens have a right to desecrate Old Glory. That couldn’t happen in some countries. I find it interesting that in certain totalitarian regimes like Cuba it’s impossible to fly the flag upside down. It looks the same either way. That has to have been an intentional design by a country that didn’t want its citizens putting out calls of distress.

If an official flag is ever designed to fly over HOA Amerika it will also have to have a design that can’t be flown upside down, sort of like the all-white flag of surrender.

Just a few random musings on a dull afternoon.

http://tinyurl.com/lf2eq8a

original source:

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2013/06/03/oregon-man-flying-american-flag-upside-down-to-protest-obama-presidency/

Chicago Lawyers? Phew!

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Oh how a little power over your neighbors turns people into freaks! The neighbor battle linked below looks like fiction, but it really is happening in a Chicago condominium.

Ellis Levin is a lawyer who’s represented several condominium associations. He’s also been fired by a couple of them. But the bitterness that goes on in the Thorndale Beach North high-rise is beyond belief.

Sigrid Ingold is the president of the board, a position she’s held for 19 years. She and Lawyer Levin are pretty tight, and condo owners say the bullying by Ingold and Levin is crazy.

Catherine McCarty got herself elected to the board in an effort to thwart the ongoing threats and fines liberally handed out to other condo owners. But now McCarty, herself, is being bullied by this pair of ‘nut jobs’. When a contractor suddenly appeared in the building to do some very costly repairs, McCarty questioned the board president about why other board members were never asked to approve or oversee the contract or the charges.

Suddenly, Lawyer Levin hit her with a notice of a $150 fine for harassing his good buddy, board president Ingold.

It happened again, when McCarty tried to talk to yet another contractor. This time it was a $450 fine plus more than 1500 bucks for legal fees. She refused to pay and is now facing a lien and possible confiscation of her home.

McCarty is demanding financial transparency. She’s demanding to know why president Ingold pays herself a $43,000 salary as a property manager. She wants to know why her association’s legal budget suddenly doubled after Levin was hired. She’s demanding an audit (there’s been only one audit on the building and that was eighteen years ago). Other condo owners are furious because it’s impossible to sell a unit if a buyer can’t see an audit of the association’s finances. Most are afraid to speak out for fear of getting a ‘Levin letter’.

Lawyer Levin used to be in the state legislature.

Now he’s is in the running to be elected as a Cook County Judge.

As I said in my headline…Phew!

http://tinyurl.com/lsuyecm

original source:

http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/levin0112.htm

Some Fun From Blog Fans

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guest blog by Nila Ridings

“If you wrote a blog post about your own HOA (or one you know about), what would the title be?”

That was the question Ward tossed out to his Facebook followers. In the same way he didn’t disappoint us with his book, we hope he isn’t disappointed with our bloggin’ titles. Sit back, relax, and enjoy YOUR FANS’ creativity, Ward!

Presenting the titles:

“Wake Me Up When This Nightmare Is Over!”

From the Board Of Directors: “Don’t Ask For Any Records, Or You Will Be Wearing Cement Shoes!”

“The Inmates Are Now In Charge Of The Asylum.”

“Do Not Threaten To Sue Me And Invite Me To Eat A Hamburger With You In The Same Sentence!”

“HOAs…The Gathering Place For People Of Short Stature Who Are In Need Of Being In Power!”

Board member to resident: “Crowbar Or Gavel; Either Way I’ll Win!”

“Share The Truth”

“What’s Mine Is Mine..And What’s Yours Is Mine!”

“How To Supplement Your Retirement Income By Skimming, Scamming, And Being On An HOA Board.”

“Elect Me To The Board! I Need One Accomplishment To Put In My Obituary!”

“Predator Lawyers: The Fallacy And Foolishness Of Thinking You Own Anything!”

“Watch Out For The Mink Creek HOA Board Of Directors – The GOOD OLD BOYS Are Up To Their Old Tricks!”

“Evil Behind These Gates!”

“I Will Never Buy In An HOA Again!”

“The Self Serving Board Of Directors At Mink Creek HOA”

One contributor even offered up the perfect HOA Board spy song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY

Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me

Now, who was it that said HOA members have lost their sense of humor? Pick your favorite and comment on it!

Colorado Fires

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This is a tough time of year for many Coloradans. Our summer skies are filled with flashes of lightning; a gorgeous sight from a distance, but dry lightning can play havoc when the vegetation is dry. Over the past few days more than 500 homes and a number of businesses have been destroyed here. One of the most devastating fires was in the Black Forest, a hilly, tree-filled area just north of Colorado Springs. At the time of this writing, the fire is still burning, only half controlled.

Over the next few months, I’ll be monitoring the news from there very closely. Many of these homes are in subdivisions controlled by a Homeowners Association. In recent years, storm and fire devastated HOAs have been completely unreasonable with homeowners who are trying desperately to rebuild. There are cases in Florida where homeowners have been slammed with fines because the tarps used to cover damaged roofs were not of a uniform blue color. No kidding! And in New Mexico, a homeowner was sued because he was living in a small trailer while trying to rebuild his burned-out home.

From a Constitutional standpoint Homeowners Associations are fundamentally flawed. They have nothing to do with democracy, and everything to do with fascist minority control over the majority. And when Nature, herself, demands that neighbors cooperate to recover from disaster, Homeowners Associations often go to extremes to make sure cooperation is impossible.

In my heart I hope that Colorado residents work together to recover from this nightmare of flames and ash. In my mind, I know I’ll be doing stories on those who are doing their best to increase the emotional and financial damage to their fellow neighbors.

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