You’re supposed to do your due-diligence before buying that first home. Sure, the place looks great. Yes, it’s a sexy North Miami Beach high rise condo.
But, good grief, take a look at what’s happening around you. One family in the building can’t access their six-story balcony because it’s hazardous. Walking onto the balcony could mean sudden death. There are dozens of others inaccessible balconies. The building is full of mold. There are allegations of the embezzlement of more than a million dollars worth of dues paid by homeowners to the management company for parking fees.
Big cracks are appearing in the Jade Winds high rise. The condo association has filed for bankruptcy. It’s not an uncommon phenomenon in North Miami Beach and around the country, for that matter.
This continues to be a national scandal, the biggest one that state and federal legislators are NOT looking at. “Please go away from my office. Please don’t talk about HOAs. It’s too confusing and my mental capacities are not functioning at full speed right now.”
I love the readers of this blog, I just want to protect them from financial disaster.
As a former investigative reporter I always hated it when some nameless bureaucrat failed to obey federal law and turn over documents under the Freedom of Information Act. They ALWAYS stall. In doing so they ALWAYS break the law. Many times I went behind the bureaucrats’ back and asked a buddy to ‘leak’ the requested information to me. Then to mess with their heads I often sent a letter of demand to the agency in question asking for all documents related to how the agency had handled my first demand under the Freedom of Information Act. They’re bureaucrats. They’re arrogant. Some are lazy. Some just aren’t that bright. And sometimes they screw up and end up giving me the documents they were required by law to turn over in the first place.
That said, reporters and lawyers for the Las Vegas Review-Journal are doing their job at getting their hands on documents in the FBI’s long-running investigation into the slimy, organized crime ring involving HOA scammer Leon Benzer and his private Mafia of three dozen cops, lawyers, businessmen and HOA management companies who tried to take over Homeowners Associations in The Valley.
Now, Federal Judge Mahan has seen the light and has unsealed quite a number of documents in the FBI’s biggest Las Vegas scam in the state’s history. It’ll take the reporters a long time to sift through the millions of documents. But this is the only news agency in the country that has taken HOA crime seriously and has doggedly pursued these monsters.
I’m still a bit unsettled that out of forty or so cases of bald faced lying and swindling only one guy got significant time. And I still think he’s making travel arrangements to Mexico so he’ll never spend a day in prison. Trust me. This guy is working on it.
Something about the condo purchasing information in this newspaper column tells me she’s had some first-hand experience. She knows enough to wave the warning flag and sound the alarm, but not enough to know those items are the lesser of the worries in a condo purchase.
I’ve written her a paragraph about my perspective on condo living. If you feel so inclined to help add to her HOA education write her at: Heloise@Heloise.com
Perhaps it will be a newspaper columnist who impacts the most people in the shortest time period? I don’t know. What I do know is the vast knowledge about HOA and COAs among our readers must be shared far and wide.
Just today, I called an Attorney General’s office for some information as I was investigating another HOA nightmare. She asked me, “What makes you inquire about HOAs?” I proceeded to give her the shortest version I could of the past eight years of my HOA exploration and experience. She said, “You sure called me at the right time!” Our conversation continued with her telling me she is looking to buy her first home. All of her friends have purchased condos!!! She thanked me several times for the information I gave her. I hung up feeling like I had just saved a life! I feel 99.9% sure no real estate agent will get her signature on a contract for an HOA property. And I know she will do the research and read the things I suggested so her level of knowledge will most likely be greater than the Realtor trying to sell her a property.
My lifelong friend shared the video below with me.
The visual images put life into perspective in a way that makes a person think. Think, about what has been accomplished and what lies ahead.
Where is it we wish to be down the road? The young may be seeking the perfect mate, an exciting career, a dream car, or a luxury vacation. The older folks mostly set their focus on their health (and wish it had been their top priority decades before), hope they can hold onto their job until they can afford to retire, and they cherish calls from friends and family while clinging tightly to their beloved pets.
When it comes to the roof over all of our heads…I hope the young have learned to run from condos, POAs, and HOAs. I wish every senior would get out of them before they cannot make the move. And for those still able-bodied and know the risks I hope for them to find the motivation to pack up and drive right out the gate. I fall into the latter category and this video just helped me to stay focused on my goal.
If you find it interesting and motivating, please share it. I’m so thankful my dear friend shared it with me.
