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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.

Another Crook Embezzles from Neighbors

I wonder if it’s hard for these people to sleep at night. Stealing from neighbors? The ones you say “hi” to on the street each day? Maybe it’s just me, but I could never get used to the guilt. Your neighbors are trying hard to pay their bills, to put the kids through college, some of them even struggling to pay HOA dues. Other neighbors have lost jobs in this economy, and are wondering where the next bag of groceries are coming from?

Then some runny-nosed, gambling-addicted, coke-head of an HOA treasurer grabs all the neighborhood’s money for a quick run to Vegas.

Dream Home Gone Bad | The Ultimate HOA Nightmare

Sometimes people get to own their dream home, complete with fine furnishings, a swimming pool, and a well-guarded community, where they believe they will live forever.  Unfortunately, neighborhood squabbles can make those dreams vanish. All too often, that moment of horror is delivered on a silver platter by a homeowners association.

Technically, a homeowners association is an organization of homeowners that looks out for the common good of all neighbors. But sometimes, the interpretation of “common good” turns into a nightmare. And a new resident finds the community is not so neighborly after all.

FBI INVESTIGATES BEATING OF SUSPECT IN HOA FRAUD CASE

Leave it to the Las Vegas crowd to figure out a way to intimidate a police informant!

David Amesbury, a lawyer, is one of ten suspects who’ve pleaded guilty in the Las Vegas HOA corruption case. His guilty plea means he’s going to be a star witness against a massive scheme to rig elections in Las Vegas Homeowners Associations, and steer hundreds of millions of dollars in construction defect litigation to certain attornies and building contractors.

Tenth Las Vegas HOA Crook Takes Guilty Plea

The FBI’s HOA investigation continues to fall into place with a tenth guilty plea. Denise Keser is the first suspect to publicly implicate two well-known targets of the federal investigation, attorney Nancy Quon and businessman Leon Benzer who runs a popular nightclub and several construction companies.

Keser pleaded guilty to one county of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. She admitted in federal court that she took part in s scheme to illegally gain control of HOA boards by rigging elections. The phony Homeowners Association boards would then steer construction defect litigation to attorney Quon, who would in turn steer construction work to Benzer’s construction companies.

Banning the Boy Scouts! (keep the snot-nosed little beggers out of MY HOA neighborhood!)

You stupid, stupid board members at the West Melbourn Homeowners Association in Florida. You know what you’ve done. You’ve told 4000 Boy Scouts that they may not collect for food donations at Brevard County Homes. for the less fortunate.
The Boy Scouts have collected these donations for years. Now you’ve apparently decided you’re just too good.  You’re just too special, too high class to have to stoop to help those less fortunate.
Shame on you, West Melbourn Homeownes Association.  It’s not just that you’re refusing help feed those with real needs.  It’s that you’re depriving a group of the most wonderful, gentlemenly, most decent young men in America from trying to do their part.  Organizations like the Boy Scouts represent the few good people this country has left. These are the young men who, years from now, will be your doctors, your lawyers, your advisers, your counselors, your friends! They will be the ones defending your country in the military.
I don’t care if you don’t want to donate. That’s your business and I have no criticism for that. But how dare you say the Boy Scouts may not collect emergency relief rations in your Homeowners Association? Are you really that arrogant that you just can’t allow someone to help other people less fortunate than you?
Frank Brunn, President of Hammock Lakes East and West, aren’t you a little ashamed when you turn out the lights at night? Aren’t you just a little conflicted? In your new position of power, you get to start unilaterally throwing scumbags out of the neighborhood, scumbags who just want to take advantage of the wealthy? But Mr. Brunn, the Boy Scouts?  Were you never a Scout? Were you never taught the Boy Scout Motto and the code of ethics?
Mr. Brunn, you’ve demonstrated to your neighbors that you’re not up to the job of making your neighborhood a better place than it was when you took office. That’s sad. But you can still fulfill your moral responsibility by just stepping aside, resigning, and letting some man or woman with a more compassionate heart teach you what the word ‘neighbor’ really is.  It’s actually not really a word. It’s a concept.  It’s a lifestyle.