Those of us who follow such things know that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t protect people in Homeowners Associations. The one exception, of course, is if you’re ‘colored,’ whatever that means. There actually is some case law to protect racial minorities and the handicapped. But other tenets of the Constitution? Forget it. Due process? Forget it. Free speech? Forget it.
This latest story comes from a Fort Collins, Colorado resident who put up a Bernie Sanders sign on her balcony. It was OK for a while. After all, it’s a college town and college kids are taught all about the Constitution. They just aren’t told that Homeowners Associations are private corporations in which residents don’t have access to the Bill of Rights.
It’s amazing how much kids improve our lives. And since the typical Homeowners Association has no interest in improving the lives of families it’s not impossible to imagine that some HOA boards will do everything in their power to drive families out.
Or another thousand dollars. A couple of Homeowners Associations in Southern California are still trying to figure out how much was stolen from them. Fortunately, at least one of them had insurance but it’ll be a while before they find another insurance company. HOAs are getting a stinky reputation in the insurance industry because embezzling is so rampant. The seemingly massive theft linked below is just another average day of looting the HOA treasury.
The link below is from the Las Vegas Sun newspaper and the column is a so-so explanation of Homeowners Associations. For the completely ignorant it may have a couple of bits of knowledge. The major reason I’m linking it is not because of the column. It’s the comment by a reader about something happening in his own HOA. That single comment is more informative than a dozen Las Vegas Sun columns.
Yes, welcome to your new condo. You’re going to love living here. The neighbors all get along and we don’t seem to suffer the kinds of problems felt in many other Homeowners Associations. You’re buying into a little bit of Heaven, your own private home. Welcome, welcome, welcome!
Oh, we’re sorry we couldn’t give you copies of the covenants, the budget and insurance papers in time for your real estate closing. At the time you requested them, the paperwork was tied up in some minor snafu. But it’ll all get worked out soon.
