Category Archives: Arizona

To All HOA Board Members

guest blog by Jill Schweitzer

Why state licensing for property management companies is good for you! 

In formal classes the HOA industry money makers (property management companies and attorneys) seem to smirk/smile when they say “but ultimately the Board is responsible for everything.” Note, the HOA attorney is in a lobby group with the property management companies which then work to keep themselves self-governed and unaccountable. This is not in the best interest for you or your fellow homeowners. It’s an obvious conflict-of-interest.

You are relying on self-proclaimed ‘professionals’ who are unlicensed and unregulated property managers. When they give their so-called ‘expert advice,’ should they not be required to follow the laws, and be held accountable for their actions?

Why should you allow management companies to demand indemnification clauses? HOA homeowners should NOT have to pay to defend management companies for their own negligence.

Another Day, Another Embezzlement (heavy sigh)

Kevin Costner said, “If you build it they will come.”

A new movie could have him saying, “If you create it (checking account), they will come (embezzlers).

Years ago there was a rash of stories about soccer-moms who were stealing from the soccer club checking accounts. Some people just can’t withstand temptation.

In the story linked below, owners of storage facility lockers in Lake Havasu City discovered their board president had skated off with about $300,000. They’d love to sue him to get it back. But he had the temerity to die. It’s happened before!

(link to story about embezzlement)

 

Arizona HOA Law Firms Are Whining

Anybody who’s seen the ugly insides of the national HOA scam knows that Homeowners Associations are lawsuit machines. In most lawsuits and criminal actions Americans have access to the Due Process clause of the U.S. Constitution. In the typical Homeowners Association each member unknowingly contracts away that access. Bam! In Pennsylvania Dutch, “there goes the egg money!”

Throw away your access to Due Process and every lawyer within spitting distance knows there’s money to be had. Free money. Your money. Paint your door the wrong color and you get fined, liened, sued and you pay all the HOA’s legal expenses. Lawsuit machines. No other possible description.

In Arizona, a prominent HOA law firm is all upset by a court ruling that says lawyers can’t tack on extra legal fees they rack up trying to garnish the wages of a losing homeowner.

Rest assured, though, this law firm has a number of sneaky plans to hijack this decision. The lawyers win. The lawyers always win.

(link to column by the HOA Institute)