Category Archives: Fraud

Midwest Residents Latest to be Hit by Embezzlers

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People in Kansas and Missouri Homeowner Associations must have wondered why they weren’t being hit by embezzlers.  Were they just more honest, maybe luckier?  Maybe people in the Midwest just respect each other a little more?

But then, maybe not.  The feds in Las Vegas have learned how the corrupt HOA system is bleeding dollars away from homeowners across the nation. Now U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips theft has released info that should shock a lot more homeowners.

She has arrested the owner of a Kansas City business for stealing more than 750,000 dollars of money from his neighbors.  And he has pleaded guilty. Dozens of homeowners associations were hit while 53 year old Dale Palmar of Kansas City, Missouri just raked it in.

I’ve argued at length that wherever you look in this country, you’ll see the signs; homeowners being excessively fined for minor infractions, insurance money that’s supposedly paid, but just doesn’t quite lead to the expected repairs.

The message is crystal clear: the HOA movement is one of the most corrupt institutions this country has ever witnessed.  The loss of money through the HOA system is massive and almost unprecedented. When you sign those CC&Rs just remember you’re putting your retirement savings, your equity into the hands of all your neighbors.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

A Trip through Hell in a West Palm Beach HOA

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The Summit Run, West Palm Beach.  It used to a heavenly place to live. But all of a sudden we had a little economic burp that sent a number of homeowners flying elsewhere. Adam Sinclair’s job is to fix up what’s wrong at Summit Creek, keep the water running and the trash picked up among its 254 residents.

He’s also supposed to collect HOA fees among the residents, and what a thankless job that is.  The residents see the trash and the unkempt grounds and the leaky faucets and they say, “Why should I pay dues? My neighbors aren’t!”  And they’d be right.  A quarter of Summit Run residents are late on their dues. And when they don’t pay, management has to go hire lawyers to kick in the heads of the recalcitrant owners.

I’m surprised no one has used this analogy before.  But if you train a dog with gentle praise, rewards and love you can train that dog to do almost anything.  If you yell at it, berate it, hit it with sticks, you can never again get that dog to love and respect you.

Our communities are dying, not because of the housing bubble, not because there weren’t enough owners vs. rentals, not because we didn’t try our hardest to keep our communities clean.  No, we lost the trust of homeowners who comprise the very thin veneer of a residential cell.  We beat them, we sued them, we screamed at them and slipped hate mail under their doors.

The HOA movement wasn’t prepared.  And it should have been.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

Only Way To Battle Embezzlers is Use Their Names

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Shawn Marie Bianco, of 109 Georgetowne Court was arrested by the Sheriff for embezzling from three organizations in Virginia. Two were Parent-Teacher Organizations. One was the Georgetown Court Homeowners Association.

She said she needed the money for several things, including braces for the kids’ teeth.

Oh yes.

She asked her friends not to mention her name anywhere.

IT’S SHAWN MARIE BIANCO!

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

God Bless George Staropoli!

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George Staropoli, better known as “Starman,” one of the heroes of the American anti-HOA movement, has posted an amazing debate in the Arizona Legislature about abuses in the typical HOA.  The relevant portion begins at 39 minutes into the hearing.  It’s a perfect examination of some of the unconstitutional horrors that occur in today’s HOA.  Please watch. It’ll help you understand some of the idiocy that dominates some of the nation’s HOA madness.

My apologies for dropping this link earlier. Here it is:

http://azleg.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=13&clip_id=9887

Again, the apropos portion is about 38 or 39 minutes into the hearing. And again, thank you George for keeping us all informed.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

Justice Department Fights for Homeowners. Feel better?

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The big news this week is that the U.S. Department of Justice, Eric Holder & Co., has reached a mass settlement in the housing bubble scandal.

It’s a settlement of more than $25 billion dollars. That’s to pay for all the phony loans, the robo-signing deals by phony bank officials who never ever looked at your real estate closing documents. Attorneys General across the country are hailing it as a landmark settlement, a massive achievement,  to help cash-strapped and bankrupted homeowners. They’re holding news conferences and talking about how hard they fight for the average consumer.

Hmm, let’s see. You got crushed in the Fannie/Freddie housing debacle. You lost your house in the mortgage slamdown. Your wife left you and went back to her parents in New Jersey. Your credit is crap. You’ll get to see your kids maybe one time a year. The settlement is for 25 billion dollars. That means at some point in the future, you might… you might, get a check say, for $2000.

That means IF you qualify for a settlement payoff, you COULD get a reimbursement of $2000.

Gosh, I suddenly feel all warm and fuzzy… just warm. And fuzzy.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association