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Ward Lucas is a longtime investigative journalist and television news anchor. He has won more than 70 national and regional awards for Excellence in Journalism, Creative Writing and community involvement. His new book, "Neighbors At War: the Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association," is now available for purchase. In it, he discusses the American homeowners association movement, from its racist origins, to its transformation into a lucrative money machine for the nation's legal industry. From scams to outright violence to foreclosures and neighborhood collapses across the country, the reader will find this book enormously compelling and a necessary read for every homeowner. Knowledge is self-defense. No homeowner contemplating life in an HOA should neglect reading this book. No HOA board officer should overlook this examination of the pitfalls in HOA management. And no lawyer representing either side in an HOA dispute should gloss over what homeowners are saying or believing about the lawsuit industry.

Stupid Reporters, but They’ll Learn

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An amazingly ignorant story was posted by reporter Jeff Skrzypek of WPTV this month. It noted that Homeowner Associations in Florida were crippled by the housing crisis. He did have the class to acknowledge that developers were also impacted.

Then, the reporter interviewed whiny homeowners in Lake Worth, Florida who pay their dues each month but just don’t see the neighborhood improving because so many foreclosed homes are driving down prices, and those homes don’t contribute to maintainance of the common areas.

Besides, they complain, the developer can’t sell 9 of the 60 homes there, so he’s decided to rent them out instead of selling them and turning control of the HOA over to the residents.

The average thumb sucking dullard could figure a few things out, here. Housing prices have nose-dived in Homeowners Associations because home buyers are getting smart. They’re figuring out that the worst investment in the world is an HOA home where the dues aren’t being paid. Yes, the local swimming pool is covered with green grunge, but that won’t change until every home is occupied and all dues are being paid again. That could take years.

And that rotten developer! What if he just turned those homes over to the bank? That’s nine more foreclosures in a neighborhood that’s already going through its death throes. He’s actually keeping that housing development on life support, probably at enormous personal expense.

Then the idiot homeowner complained that she thought she was moving into an ownership community? Wake up and smell the coffee. Pass a state law that says no HOA resident is allowed to rent out his home. Then you’ll see how low housing prices really can go!

One more thing. Homes inside Homeowner Associations take a faster dive in value than any other kind of housing. So much for the promise of protecting the equity of your home.

I just had an idea. What if all those weepy homeowners quit talking to reporters and walked around the neighborhood voluntarily cleaning things up. Nah, come to think of it, that doesn’t happen in Homeowner Associations. They’ll wait until they can appoint a cleanup committee.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

Midwest Residents Latest to be Hit by Embezzlers

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People in Kansas and Missouri Homeowner Associations must have wondered why they weren’t being hit by embezzlers.  Were they just more honest, maybe luckier?  Maybe people in the Midwest just respect each other a little more?

But then, maybe not.  The feds in Las Vegas have learned how the corrupt HOA system is bleeding dollars away from homeowners across the nation. Now U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips theft has released info that should shock a lot more homeowners.

She has arrested the owner of a Kansas City business for stealing more than 750,000 dollars of money from his neighbors.  And he has pleaded guilty. Dozens of homeowners associations were hit while 53 year old Dale Palmar of Kansas City, Missouri just raked it in.

I’ve argued at length that wherever you look in this country, you’ll see the signs; homeowners being excessively fined for minor infractions, insurance money that’s supposedly paid, but just doesn’t quite lead to the expected repairs.

The message is crystal clear: the HOA movement is one of the most corrupt institutions this country has ever witnessed.  The loss of money through the HOA system is massive and almost unprecedented. When you sign those CC&Rs just remember you’re putting your retirement savings, your equity into the hands of all your neighbors.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

A Trip through Hell in a West Palm Beach HOA

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The Summit Run, West Palm Beach.  It used to a heavenly place to live. But all of a sudden we had a little economic burp that sent a number of homeowners flying elsewhere. Adam Sinclair’s job is to fix up what’s wrong at Summit Creek, keep the water running and the trash picked up among its 254 residents.

He’s also supposed to collect HOA fees among the residents, and what a thankless job that is.  The residents see the trash and the unkempt grounds and the leaky faucets and they say, “Why should I pay dues? My neighbors aren’t!”  And they’d be right.  A quarter of Summit Run residents are late on their dues. And when they don’t pay, management has to go hire lawyers to kick in the heads of the recalcitrant owners.

I’m surprised no one has used this analogy before.  But if you train a dog with gentle praise, rewards and love you can train that dog to do almost anything.  If you yell at it, berate it, hit it with sticks, you can never again get that dog to love and respect you.

Our communities are dying, not because of the housing bubble, not because there weren’t enough owners vs. rentals, not because we didn’t try our hardest to keep our communities clean.  No, we lost the trust of homeowners who comprise the very thin veneer of a residential cell.  We beat them, we sued them, we screamed at them and slipped hate mail under their doors.

The HOA movement wasn’t prepared.  And it should have been.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

Only Way To Battle Embezzlers is Use Their Names

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Shawn Marie Bianco, of 109 Georgetowne Court was arrested by the Sheriff for embezzling from three organizations in Virginia. Two were Parent-Teacher Organizations. One was the Georgetown Court Homeowners Association.

She said she needed the money for several things, including braces for the kids’ teeth.

Oh yes.

She asked her friends not to mention her name anywhere.

IT’S SHAWN MARIE BIANCO!

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association

God Bless George Staropoli!

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George Staropoli, better known as “Starman,” one of the heroes of the American anti-HOA movement, has posted an amazing debate in the Arizona Legislature about abuses in the typical HOA.  The relevant portion begins at 39 minutes into the hearing.  It’s a perfect examination of some of the unconstitutional horrors that occur in today’s HOA.  Please watch. It’ll help you understand some of the idiocy that dominates some of the nation’s HOA madness.

My apologies for dropping this link earlier. Here it is:

http://azleg.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=13&clip_id=9887

Again, the apropos portion is about 38 or 39 minutes into the hearing. And again, thank you George for keeping us all informed.

Ward Lucas
Author of
Neighbors At War: The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowners Association