One of the most despicable and abusive practices that has become an acceptable part of the American culture recently is that of fining by residential associations. Why is the HOA industry so enamored with the power to fine? Is it … Continue reading
By Evan McKenzie — June 2, 2013 A new bill limiting foreclosures and attorney fees passed the Senate 46-0 (SB 161) and the House 134-4 (HB 286) and has been signed by the Governor. The law will be effective October 1, 2013. Basically, HB 286 and … Continue reading
By Katie Kustura —- June 1, 2013 A Port Orange man, frustrated over a disagreement with his homeowners association, fired shots into two occupied homes in the Countryside neighborhood, police said. No one suffered injuries in two separate incidents in which … Continue reading
By DANIEL NASH May 22, 2013 Bonney Lake woman Jeanette Kay Sturtz, 57, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days community service and 15 days house arrest after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $35,000 from her homeowners association and a Puyallup … Continue reading
May 7, 2013 Randy Key Dee Griffin Evans, GA – Nestled neatly along a country road, the Stratford neighborhood is relatively quiet and peaceful. But, the news of an arrest in the case of stolen homeowners association money has punctured … Continue reading
May 14, 2013 By JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL The accused mastermind of a massive scheme to take over homeowners associations was indicted by a Las Vegas federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of evading roughly $1.2 million in personal … Continue reading
May 21, 2013 By JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Leon Benzer, the accused mastermind of a massive scheme to take over homeowners associations in the Las Vegas Valley, told federal authorities nearly two years ago that he once consulted with … Continue reading
kmov.com: Residents wait more than 10 months to return after fire, say repair work shoddy and incomplete Calls to HOA for interview are not returned by KMOV.com Staff Posted on May 17, 2013 St. Louis — More than 10 months after … Continue reading
by Jay Root — posted May 21, 2013 INDIO, Calif. — The slick brochure advertising homes in the Sun City Shadow Hills neighborhood near Palm Springs has escapist senior fantasy written all over it. “Get Ready For The Next Great Chapter Of Your Life,” … Continue reading
By Anna Merlan Published Mon., May 20 2013 at 10:44 AM Carona John Carona, our Republican state senator from Dallas, learned some hard lessons this session about how his fellow lawmakers’ business interests tend to dominate the doings in … Continue reading
by Jay Root — May 20, 2013 This is one in a series of occasional storiesabout ethics and transparency in the part-time Texas Legislature. It was produced in partnership with Texas Monthly and appears in print in the June issue of the magazine. … Continue reading
May 13, 2013 Belle Isle, Fla. – There are plans to turn a house in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood into an assisted living facility. The house is in a subdivision in Belle Isle. On a quiet cul-de-sac … Continue reading
by Dennis Ferrier — March 27, 2013 NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Foreclosures have always been an ugly, heartbreaking business. But now, instead of just feeling sorry for people who have lost their homes, Tennesseans might soon be paying money for … Continue reading
By Cindy George — May 18, 2013 The relationship between homeowner association boards and residents of the communities they oversee can be contentious. And then, there’s the legendary level of toxicity. Neighbors take sides. Camps form. Community bulletin boards and Facebook posts … Continue reading
The information in this document is current as of May 13, 2013, noon, and may change for various reasons at any time. The following bills are STILL MOVING: CSHB 3803 (McClendon) As presented, this bill relating to the municipal and county … Continue reading
By Tamara Sone — May 10, 2013 RANCHO MIRAGE — More than two months after a fight erupted during an HOA meeting at The Springs that sent one man to the hospital, that man has filed a lawsuit accusing the … Continue reading
Reporter: Patrick Price — May 7, 2013 EVANS, Ga. (WRDW) — Money is tight these days for Erica Passey. “We’re just careful about where every penny goes,” she said. Five months ago, she found out exactly where her pennies went. “We’re always … Continue reading
By JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL — Posted May 5, 2013 Edith Gillespie marveled at the way her half-brother, former construction company boss Leon Benzer, was spreading money around town. While sharing a bottle of wine at her home with a … Continue reading
By Drew Dixon — Posted May 4, 2013 A Green Cove Springs woman was arrested Thursday at a homeowners meeting over a dispute about her holiday lawn nativity scene, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Kathleen Sue Thomas, 61, was … Continue reading
by Phil Anaya / KENS 5 — May 3, 2013 A northwest San Antonio resident is being sued by his homeowners association for hundreds of thousands of dollars in violations he calls “ridiculous”. “We’ve lived in this community going on 18 … Continue reading
By Alex de Armas – Published April 24th, 2013 GAINESVILLE- The scandal involving homeowners’ associations being ripped off is growing. Today we learned at least four more associations are involved in the Sun Lu Properties investigation. Yesterday we told you that … Continue reading
By Rob Jenkins – April 26, 2013 The buzziest buzzword in education these days is “bullying.” Teachers and administrators constantly regale kids with anti-bullying mandates, speeches and slogans. Actually, to say that they “regale kids” might be an understatement. In some … Continue reading
TCAA in its late April 2013 newsletter stated:” It has not been demonstrated that embezzlement is a problem for POAs.” yet the link below lists just some of the fraud and embezzlement news stories. Homeowners in Texas have great difficulty proving fraud and … Continue reading
by Drew Karedes / KHOU 11 News – April 30, 2013 HOUSTON — A senior citizen who was ambushed in her garage and pistol whipped repeatedly is speaking out. Peggy Wood says she doesn’t want to see anyone else go through … Continue reading
By Stephen Thompson | Tribune Staff – April 21, 2013 PALM HARBOR – Her arms and legs left immobile by multiple sclerosis, Anne Kiekhofer doesn’t take advantage of many of the amenities offered by Highland Lakes, a 55-and-over community overlooking Lake Tarpon. Not … Continue reading
By Veronica Macias – April 28, 2013 – Plan to create one master homeowners association Las Cruces – Residents of Santa Teresa Country Club are creating one master homeowners association so they can demand changes from property owner Greg Collins. Homeowners in the area would like for Dona … Continue reading
Author: Mike Holfeld – April 26, 2013 TALLAHASSEE.Fla. – The Florida House unanimously approved new home owners association reform legislation by a vote of 37-0 Friday sending what advocates are calling “much needed consumer protection” to Governor Rick Scott’s desk for his signature. … Continue reading
By Jodie Fleischer – April 25, 2013 FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Channel 2 Action News investigation found private security guards pulling over drivers in several local neighborhoods. They use lights, sirens, and even write traffic tickets, but they aren’t real police officers. … Continue reading
By Michael A. Fletcher, — April 22, 2013 MIAMI — Big investors are pouring unprecedented amounts of money into real estate hard hit by the housing crash, bringing those moribund markets back to life but raising the prospect of another Wall … Continue reading
By George Staropoli — April 18, 2013 North Carolina is proud that it was the first state to vote for independence from Great Britain (Halifax Resolves, 1775). Today, some 238 years later, another battle for independence from oppressive government has commenced … Continue reading
By AISLING SWIFT — Naples Daily News — Posted April 15, 2013 at 6:15 a.m. EAST NAPLES — Pickup trucks parked in driveways are a no-no in many gated communities in Naples. But when the truck belongs to a paralyzed man and it’s rigged … Continue reading
By George K. Staropoli — April 17, 2013 Arizona Session Law Ch. 103 (2013), SB 1278, reaffirms local municipality control of public streets within an HOA. It is a groundbreaking bill because it relegates HOA private governments to a rightful … Continue reading
Park Ridge Herald-Advocate: Employee used condo association credit card for jewelry Updated: April 17, 2013 12:09PM MAINE TOWNSHIP — A northwest suburban woman who worked as the office manager of a condominium association used the company’s credit card to buy … Continue reading
CCHAL NewsBrief – April 15, 2013 Thanks to all who phoned/emailed the author of AB968, the California bill exempting 17,000 homeowner associations from complying with state laws governing associations. Today the author, Richard Gordon [D – 24th District; Menlo Park] “pulled” the bill, meaning that … Continue reading
Frank Askin is the Law Professor, who established the Constitutional Litigation Clinic at Rutgers University. His law students have worked on several HOA cases, including the ground-breaking New Jersey First Amendment case Committee for a Better Twin Rivers v. Twin Rivers Homeowners’ Association. His … Continue reading
by Melissa Moon – Posted on April 2, 2013, Memphis – A $30,000 outstanding water bill has put some Raleigh homeowners out in the cold. People who live at the GardenWalk Townhomes are being forced by the city to vacate because … Continue reading
by Jay Root — April 9, 2013 Texas Tribune: HOA Accountability Bill Stirs Debate at Capitol A bill aimed at making nonprofit homeowners associations more financially accountable and transparent pitted homeowner activists against people representing for-profit HOA contractors on Tuesday. House Bill 3803, by … Continue reading
Texas is considering a law that will begin some oversight to Property Associations in Texas. Property owners within these regulated communities need oversight of their Associations. If you support HB3803 you can use the form letter below to write your representative. … Continue reading
By Alexandra SeltzerPalm Beach Post Staff Writer – April 1, 2013 For years, acting as the president of a suburban West Palm Beach condo association, Harold Hart went to the treasurer of the association for her signature. While suffering from diabetes, obesity, … Continue reading
By AOL Real Estate Editors – Apr 5th 2013 A grieving widow in Port Orange, Fla., has a statue of an angel in her front yard, a token of the happy years she spent with her husband before she lost him. But her … Continue reading
By Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel April 5, 2013 SANFORD – Trayvon Martin‘s parents have settled a wrongful death claim for an amount believed to be more than $1 million against the homeowners association of the Sanford subdivision where their teenage son was killed. … Continue reading
It is commonly accepted that stress causes psychological, emotional and physical harm. The effects of stress and our reaction to stres s seems to be changing the world we live in. We encounter stress from morning till night. Getting up … Continue reading
By Anita Hassan — April 3, 2013 Lawbreaking motorists are not tolerated by the Copperfield Coalition. The watchdog group is committed to public safety and believes speeding and running through stop signs in its northwest Harris County community must end. As president … Continue reading
By Brittany Wallman — February 11, 2013 Condo board sees no reason to exempt her from its ban on motorcycles Had things gone her way, Larraine Best’s trike would be parked at her condo right now and she’d be living the … Continue reading
By John W. Davis, Reporter Sunday, March 31, 2013, WINTER GARDEN — A Winter Garden couple is fighting their homeowners association’s efforts to have them get rid of their pit bull after it chased a suspect out of their home. Chris … Continue reading
Cameron Steele — The Charlotte Observer Created: March 30, 2013 HARRISBURG, N.C. — A six-hour SWAT team standoff ended late Friday with a suspected shooter and two of his neighbors dead, police say. A Cabarrus County sheriff’s official said the suspect … Continue reading
By Ana M. Valdes — March 29, 2013 Hypoluxo – A retired U.S. Marine from Hypoluxo is the most recent Palm Beach County resident to face code violations while trying to fly the American flag on his property. For Greg Schaffer, … Continue reading
By Paul Bannister • Bankrate.com To many people it’s Shangri-La. Heaven. Paradise. Everybody’s lawn is manicured. No one’s gone to an electric chartreuse and fuchsia color scheme. No one’s got her granny panties — or thongs, for that matter — flapping on … Continue reading