HOA Nut House

What you are talking about is why eventually (may take decades), HOAs are doomed for extinction.

In this case, the board is taking abuse from the membership. Many cases the membership take abuse from the Board. Right now, the contract (CCRs) provide power to inflict misery on the membership with fines/foreclosures. The members have very little if any remedy for a rogue board. Most cases they have to spend thousands to sue the HOA to get releif.

I live in an HOA, they have caused a fair share of problems for me and others. Right now I have them reined in, but I will never live in a HOA again. I would rather have the cars on blocks next door.

"Right now I have them reined in, but I will never live in a HOA again. I would rather have the cars on blocks next door."

You speak for many, including me.

Ever wonder why many HOA lawyers do NOT live in associations? Read the post by the "board member" who jumped to conclusions and likened her/himself with a cop.

Scary.

As a recovering HOA board President and soon-to-be former resident (my condo is being sold "short" for about 35% less than I paid for it less than 7 years ago), I agree that the HOA form of living is doomed. However, the worst part for me has been the treatment my fellow 499 co-owners have received from our management company--rampant use of unlicensed contractors with direct relationships to the management company, employees hired without background checks (and with felony fraud convictions), and the sick suspicion that the HOA's management helped push our home values over a cliff. They may never recover, but I will.

Management companies. They are the worse. They make a bas situation even more unbearable. One has to have lots of time on their hands to check behind these folks. For instance you could have reported the unlicensed contractors to the State License Board for General Contractors (they would issue stop order and file criminal charges on them). But like I said, you have to have lots of time to stay behind them.

I am a pilot and use my laptop when when I am laid over at places away from home. Become quite the hobby for me, and this internet has revolutionized how anyone can look up laws and information even your neighbors deeds.

Flotilla,
Sadly, you are in good company. The housing market is in free fall, and isn't getting better anytime soon. I do not know if that is a direct result of HOAs, since it seems more to do with a failure to regulate mortgage lending, and the housing bubble that was a creation of bad economic policy. That said, I already have seen where the HOA propaganda is falling on deaf ears, as more and more people begin realizing just what they are getting themselves into. It would not surprise me if one day (not in the distant future) HOA properties will be discounted more than they already are. (HOA prices are discounted to a certain degree already, because an HOA is in effect an encumbrance.)

We love our house and our location, but I dearly wish we did not live in an HOA. When we bought our home many years ago, I did not realize just how risky HOAs are.

To anonymous dealing with juan carlos:

Sounds like your neighbors are fruit cakes. The best thing to do is distance yourself from them if possible (may be impossible because they will initiate problems...). Don't close their door or pick up trash from their yard (I smell a trap). When they send their kids around you....have reliable witnesses around (reliable). Witnessess that you don't know sometimes get amneasia when they are on the stand (either paid off or just don't want to be in court and will not help you....proven fact!).

As far as looking up things on them, Check the sex offender registry all 50 states for their names. If you find something on them then use it to embarrass them by placing a copy in everyones mailbox or under windsheild wipers.

Check their deed, it may show the last address where they lived, contact their old neighbors and inquire about them (may be suprised at what you find). Also yahoo people search is good at looking up folks old addresses.

Pay a visit to your court house and look up their names on the clerks computer, they have to let you under freedom of information act. If you find out the county where they used to live you can look there too, sometimes clerks have public records online. For instance if you found that they lived in "Manatee County Florida" just Google "manatee county clerk of court public records search", then you can search from the comfort of your home. If you see for instance on their new deed that it was mailed to "Clinton, PA" then you can find out the county name by google search.
"county chamber of commerce" "Better Business Beuru" "health Department" use your imagination.

With a name like Juan Carlos they may be illegal aliens, or maybe some relatives of theirs are illegal. If this is so, then you have him by the balls. Search newspaper archives, for old obituaries. Obituaries often list survivors, if he or his wife had a parent or grandparent die, if so then you know the names and locations of his brothers and sisters. Search archives for wedding announcements, they also list relatives.

Depending on what you will find you can use the information to discredit or embarrass them into submission. Lots of times people move to a new place to escape their past. This happens more than you know.

There are a couple of board members who used to be a problem for me, until they saw what i did to Rocco/Poston, now they want to be my friend (makes me wonder about their skeleton closet).

Good luck
Capt. Kirkman

Hello Captain-Thank you very, very much. I will pray for your peace (and my own) it is so sad what people can get up to in the name of...

"maintaining the integrity and homogeneity of OUR Community-you know the Mantra, "Property Values, Property values, Community Standards, Community Standards, blah, blah, blah... WE WILL Control YOU!"

I despise those sort of people.

Thanks again (from the depths of my being) I will take careful note of your information, and only go down the route if I have no options. Currently I AM praying for them and ignoring them in public.

I just call him "KING Juan Carlos" because he's Mexican (no insult to them in general meant) and she's an Anglicized Puerto Rican. HE sasses around the "hood telling people new to HIS kingdom what to do BEFORE (he gets on his Horse to run them through )you know drive around in his DODGE RAM writing VIOLATIONS up for all the minions to quiver in abject fear from. Ha-seriously they freaked out when I REARED UP on them and went door to door pointing out WHO was writing the flurry of violation CITATIONS, HIM! He got so freaked out he quit driving around and started riding on a BIKE so he could look all INNOCENT and inconspicuous. I was wishing for a while some one would drive badly-then I got a hold on my dislike and just started praying for him. He's a puffed up arrogant, pissant, windbag. And yes, he's what they call a Corporate Psychopath. Dangerous when thwarted and exposed, so I know I am in for it regardless, I hope to just sell and move, however I will have to tell the next unlucky person what's in store. (Woman Warrior)

Boy oh Boy do I hate articles like this!!! I am a board member and I work SO HARD!! Give me a break. Why not try to 'fix' the system instead of playing into the pathology.

How about contracting a collection agency rather than using dirtball association attorneys...Everyone loses when they get involved! (Except them of course)

If you had any business experience, you would know that a small percentage of receivables will always go bad...Deal with it.

As far as 'complaints’ are concerned, why not institute a policy that necessitates the whole community’s involvement when deciding what action to take, especially punitive. If you had any public service experience you would know that the accused always has the right to know who their accusers are! This would make those accusers give pause before deciding to 'inform' on their neighbor...Or God forbid...Actually talk to their neighbor about it first!

You should do your homework and read some of the brilliant essays by Madison, Hamilton, Jay and others (concentrate on Madison) when they took on creating this American democracy. You’re whining here just shows your ignorance of the principles of what a 'real' democracy looks like. HINT: Your HOA is not one of them...

I'm not sure why a collections agency is better than an association lawyer. Collection agencies cost just as much, and an attorney ultimately will be involved, anyway.

Better to have the Board review and sign every single collections that goes to the attorney.

It is amazing to me to see property managers send people to the attorney for collections, without even notifying the board!
And often, property managers are cozy with the association attorneys.

The Board - and if you are on the Board Mike, then you can help control this - should be supervising any work that is done, including that by property managers and association attorneys.
Insist on the signature of an officer for ALL collections requests.

I see Mike was being sarcastic about being on the board. If you live in an HOA and are not on the board, you should be demanding that the board know what is going on with the property managers and attorneys. I am not at all sure why collections attorneys are any less "dirtball" than association lawyers.

The problem with most board members (including those of our HOA) is that they can just turn everything over to the property managers and lawyers without ever knowing what is going on. THAT Is a problem.

AND THAT is why HOAs as they are now - structured as corporations - do not work.

If you have ever been in business, you know that receivables sent to collection agencies better damn well be right - or the business gets into a lot of trouble. That doesn't happen with HOAs. These idiots are seemingly immune from any accountability and will be until laws are changed, and homeowners find out what the hell is going on.

As to complaints - or fining over alleged violations of the governing documents -- that is properly a POLICE power, by GOVERNMENTS and NOT by private corporations.

Again, that is why HOAs do not work. They act like governments but do not have the same accountability.

A collection agency is preferable to association attorneys because collection agencys MUST abide by the FAIR DEBT COLLECTION ACTS...Association lawyers (especialy the sleezy ones) could care less about the laws that are designed to protect us (and make their income streams less reliable).

Most HOA board members don't like having to abide by these or any laws. A common complaint against board members is that they DON'T FOLLOW THE GENERAL LAWS OF THE STATE, OR EVEN THEIR OWN GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

The law should strip association boards of any rule making or puntitive powers. These powers should instead be given to the association membership and the judical system respectively.

Amateur volunteer idiots cry havoc when this is attempted, not knowing that by observing a seperation of powers scheme, associations would begin to move in the right direction of providing a pleasant and financialy predictable place to live.

I agree the whole hoa concept is in trouble. I am on the board of a condominium and find that most of the homeowners prefer to act like tenannts of the association expecting everything to be done for them but yet complain about the cost. They don't want to lift a finger to help with anything but complain the dues are too high That is how I deal with a lot of complainers. We are a small complex 34 units and struggling to fund badly needed repairs after years of neglect When I get someone complaing about minor things I tell them if they want it done right away I will take care of it but they will have to help me with it such as carry a ladder for me or something The mere idea of them having to expend energy to do something more than complain will usually shut them up and I don't here from them again and every once in a while they actually help

I have actually gone to the State House to testify for more State oversight and protections to residents of HOAs.
There was a group of lawyers who represent thousands of associations there to lobby against these bills!

They were on a first name basis with all the members of the Committee on Housing!

My wife and I are selling our HOA property before we can't give it away.

We will NEVER buy into one of these scams again!