Newspaper columnists who favor the Homeowners Association system are getting about as rare as hen’s teeth.
On the other hand, many many journalists are finally ‘getting it.’ Either they’ve been bitten themselves, or they’ve had a flood of complaints from bullied or cheated homeowners. The column linked below from the Capitol Gazette, in Maryland, is really, really good.
She uses the words, “no accountability.” Amen to that!
(link to column on HOAs in Capital Gazette)
The word ‘Christmas’ must be anathema to some people. In fact, any word containing the letters that spell C-h-r-i-s-t makes people spit nails. Oh, they’ll use the word, but only while slinging cuss words around.
In Arizona, Roger Walklin of the Velda Rose Estates Homeowners Association, says a bunch of little old ladies who stitch Christmas stockings each year in the clubhouse are no longer allowed.
“You’re a religious group,” he said. “It’s against the covenants to allow religious groups in.”
Each year, Ferne Skidmore and her friends stitch about 3000 Christmas stockings, stuff them with goodies and hand them out to less fortunate kids.
“We’re not a religious group. We have no religious affiliation at all. We donate stockings to anybody who wants them. Besides, there’s nothing in the covenants that says religious groups can’t use the clubhouse.” Ferne is now taking the money out of her air conditioner repair fund to take Walklin to court.
I’ve got a much better and cheaper solution for Ferne. Don’t call it the ‘Christmas Stockings Project.’ Call it the ‘L’il Hitler Stockings Project.’ It’s an HOA for gosh sakes. That one might slide right by and nobody would catch it.
BTW, Arizona property manager Dave Russell is outraged and he’s already offered his community clubhouse to the ladies for free. No hassles!
(link to story on KPHO/KTVK TV, Phoenix)
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It’s worth repeating that the only way I see changes for the future of HOAs is with the younger generations.
Younger people will listen and participate in discussions about things that could decimate their future. Many of them struggle to find jobs that allow them to live outside their parent’s basement, buy gas and insurance for their car, and still be able to stop at Dunkin’ Donuts for a latte and muffin.
The article and survey below show how the Millennial generation is carrying the burden of school loans that are causing a delay in their interest to buy a home, get married, and have children. It also addresses the fact a high percentage of these loan takers felt they were not given enough information prior to taking out the loans.
These same people will also not be told about the risks of buying a condo, loft, town house, or HOA restricted property if they depend on a Realtor, mortgage lender, or the HOA office to hand over the unvarnished truth. It won’t happen. In an effort to protect these young property buyers I will bare the truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth. Because I’ve spent a decade in HOA HELL I will do everything in my power to protect others from the same.
If buyers, of any age forget the sales pitch and remember the following they will be making an informed decision. You sign away your US Constitutional Rights when buying in an HOA. You become business partners with all of your neighbors in a non-profit corporation. You become the guarantor for money to pay on all debts, loans, lawsuits, settlements, liabilities, construction defects, and disaster rebuilds. And any other reason the HOA board of directors may decide an assessment shall be demanded from you.
Just like those college loans, you cannot escape the HOA payments and risks. One may be the ball and chain around your ankle while the other could be the noose around your neck.
I’m going to ask a favor of every reader. Please share this blog and the link below with every person you know between the ages of 18 and 30. We must save as many in the younger generation as possible. For each one we reach there will be countless others who will also receive this message via social networking and coffee shop discussions.
Thank you in advance for being a reader who tries to make a difference!
(link to article on student loan debt)
Arizona’s George Staropoli is one of the stalwarts in fighting the national HOA scam. He has some proposed legislation that should be enacted by every state legislature. It’s simple. It’s the exact wording of a law that would require all HOAs to give back to homeowners their rights to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Tell anyone and everyone running for public office that they won’t get your vote unless they read this, propose it, and enact it.
http://pvtgov.org/pvtgov/declaration-citizenship.pdf
I’m a painter, and painting a picture: Imagine living in a neighborhood where you can’t have a bench to sit on in your front yard. Imagine a Board member tries getting the board to fix a drainage issue multiple times, the Board and HOA property manager do nothing, and the condo eventually floods. Imagine having a leak for 11 months in your dining room, HOA still has not fixed it. Imagine an HOA trying to get the Board to agree to sign a Code of Conduct giving all control to the President and property manager, the rest of the Board does nothing in between meetings. Imagine a property manager that is so bad that 12% of the owners sell and move out in approximately six months, and note that the management company makes $4800 in transfer/disclosure fees as their reward for poor management?
Also note that most of those new buyers probably weren’t too happy this week to receive notice there may be a 3-5 thousand dollars special assessment. Imagine a property management company trying to charge for coupons, charging for printing because they think it’s different from copies, and trying to pay the old company a ridiculously high termite warranty renewal fee and then pretending the new termite company only gave a two year warranty, when it’s actually five years…all these situations have happened.
“Buying into an HOA with your eyes wide open” is a 22 page report about HOAs in Arizona, but basically applies everywhere. The situations above didn’t make it into the report. This week the report is being released to the world…if everyone gives it to five people, with the ‘give to five people’ message, the information could spread. Send to friends, realtors, legislators, Association of Realtors, Real Estate Commissioner, judges, news stations..even leave copies in your Doctor’s office. How refreshing to grab this report rather than your typical waiting room magazine.
One piece of material educating people on many aspects of HOA living, with a multitude of examples, written to help buyers know what they need to look for when buying into an HOA. A real eye opener…change occurs one buyer and one HOA at a time.
Legislators need to make substantial changes to the law and can’t ignore this. If they do, lets hold a rally. Most real estate agents I know are disgusted and want this changed. Today it was made available to 4700 of them. Please help by giving this report to 5 people and ask them to give it out to five people.
