Yes, it’s the old American Flag dispute again. Across the country homeowners have been winning disputes when the HOA lawyers decide flags are illegal. But states have begun passing laws to keep the HOA lawn Nazis from hassling patriotic homeowners.
The dispute in Forrest Lake Townhouse Association in Texas flag involved veteran Billy Martin. He complained to the board the community flag was looking tattered. They did nothing to improve things so he put up his own flag to display Old Glory.
I’ve predicted for several years that Homeowners Associations would eventually start using drones to increase their ability to spy on the tiniest infractions by HOA members.
Because HOAs are generally unrestricted by laws or ethics they get away with some really crude privacy invasions. With incredibly inexpensive flying nightscope cameras that means no outdoor hot tub or upstairs window is off limits to them.
California Senator Diane Feinstein is concerned. She’s involved in hearings on privacy invasion and had a personal experience with a drone peeking into her window during a demonstration outside her home.
The latest controversy in HOA Land: in Nevada – and by extension 21 other states with similar legal status – the HOA super priority lien can now extinguish an outstanding mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
It’s ironic, because when CAI was founded back in 1973, it was with cooperation from FHA. Their agreement to back mortgages in common interest developments was the glue that held disparate CAI interests together.
But after years of mortgage deregulation, followed by out-of-control real estate price increases, and the ensuing mortgage default crisis, things have certainly changed.
I’ve long predicted that Homeowners Associations would soon be using drones to intrusively invade the privacy of homeowners. The mesmerizing video linked below was taken over Niagara Falls and it shows the incredible capabilities of the new drones and digital video.
As you watch this, keep in mind that these cameras and drones are now well within the budgets of all HOA board members and management companies. With the massive amount of abuse that happens in HOAs across America, you don’t have to work too hard to imagine how this technology could be used.
I recently spent eight long days in Wichita at the federal courthouse observing the pre-trial hearing of an HOA lawsuit where a Homeowners Association board member attacked and severely beat a homeowner with a crow bar! These six photos, taken at the hospital, show the viciousness of the attack.
It seems the homeowner discovered work being done on a neighbor’s condo that also happens to belong to the mother of an HOA board member. While others had been on a long waiting list to have their work orders completed, the board member opted to make his mother’s condo top priority over everyone else. The homeowner took his camera and phone to the nearby common area and proceeded to document this “special treatment.”
