Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year!
This video might be a little old. But it’s never too late to say, “Merry Christmas!”
Category Archives: Humor
How to be a Renegade in your HOA
guest blog by Deborah Goonan
In the festive spirit of the season, I thought it was time for a little HOA Humor. Here’s my list of how to have a little fun, stir up a bit of conflict, and make yourself infamous in the eyes of your HOA Board. Warning: could be hazardous to your health and your bank account. In the comments section, feel free to add suggestions of your own!
Paint your front door purple, without getting approval from the architectural control committee.
Leave your garbage can out on the curb more than 24 hours after trash pick up.
A Nod To Robin Williams
I’ve frequently said on this blog that our fight against HOA abuse is not a liberal/conservative fight, or a Republican/Democrat fight. It’s a fight by any patriot who believes our Constitution is a document worthy of the utmost respect. So if I tip my hat here to a performer at the 1982 convention of People For The American Way, I am not endorsing the organization.
I do think the performance by Robin Williams should be watched by everyone, especially in view of the vulgar meanness of many HOAs toward homeowners who want to display the American flag. In the video linked below, Williams takes the stage to become The American Flag and shows once again the comic genius that we all will miss.
Balance of Power in U.S. Senate Based On HOA Chickens?!?
Some stories are just too weird to embellish, even for the sake of humor. But the U.S. Senate seat from Iowa may boil down to a neighborhood dispute over chickens.
Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley is running for Senate in a razor thin race. Braley has a vacation home in the ritzy Holiday Lake neighborhood in Brooklyn, Iowa. Covenants in the neighborhood say, “No animals or birds other than household pets can be kept in the subdivision.” But one of Braley’s neighbors (also a registered Democrat) keeps chickens on her property as ‘therapy animals’ for mentally handicapped youngsters.
How to Create Conflict & Drama in Your Community
guest blog by Deborah Goonan
A Tongue-in-Cheek Guide for HOA Boards & Managers
1. Create as many rules as you can, the pickier, the better.
a. Be sure to create rules in closed session rather than an open meeting.
b. Optional: provide an announcement of the new rules only AFTER you have put them in effect. Then ignore any objections.
c. Rules created hastily as a knee-jerk reaction are guaranteed to cause maximum conflict.
2. Be inconsistent about enforcing the rules.
a. Allow friends and family to break rules. They will help you stay in power.
