By JEFF GERMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
March 17, 2015

By Cristin Severance

March 16, 2015

SAN DIEGO – UPDATE (March 17, 2015): Mira Mesa homeowners were furious after the doors to their HOA meeting were locked and only certain people were allowed in on Monday night.

A man who said he was hired by the board only let people in one at a time but they had to be on a list and have scheduled hearings. After the hearings, the man announced it was time for open session.

Team 10 tried to ask the HOA board president, attorney or board member to step outside to talk but the security guard ran and blocked both entrances.

Many homeowners told Team 10 they will fight to change the rules or the board members. Read more:

March 10, 2015

Here I present evidence of the explicit and implicit delegation of rulemaking powers to HOAs, which, if not unconstitutional, would alone establish HOAs as state actors.

In an earlier Commentary[1] I discussed the implied delegation of legislative functions to HOA private governments. Putting the issue in simple terms, I quoted Stephen Wermiel’s comments on a constitutional delegation case before the US Supreme Court,

The dispute before the [Supreme] Court . . . [involves] the even less well-known principle that Congress may not delegate legislative authority to private entities. . . .   Read more:

January 14, 2015

                      History dictates: Not knowing the truth is a road to social disaster.
Introduction
Many readers are familiar with my academic work related to Homeowners Associations(HOAs): HOA: Crisis in America, HOA Academy and HOA Syndrome the science behind stress related disorders in HOAs.
After six years of research the following memorializes my results; a bare bones outline identifying the actual reason for HOAs and the solution to the HOA Crisis.
Why Do HOA’s Exist?  Read more:

By Deborah Goonan

March 15, 2015

Some readers may be under the impression that embezzlement of HOA funds only happens to Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) with hundreds or thousands of units and elaborate amenities that translate to big operating budgets. I’ve talked to some people that think these cases are limited to certain parts of the country such as the Sunbelt states or major cities.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even modest HOA communities in small towns are at risk for theft of funds by rogue Board members, community managers, or Developers.

Take Skyview Estates, for example. Skyview is a relatively small townhouse community of a few dozen homes located in Richland, PA, a town with a population of less than 1600. The nearest city is Johnstown, PA, with a population of about 20,000. There are no amenities such as a pool, and houses are located on one street named after the company that developed the community.  Read more:

By Mark Douglas

March 13, 2015

Senior citizens who live on the two upper floors of building 71 at On Top of the World condominiums in Pinellas County say they are prisoners in their own homes.

That’s because the building’s only elevator caught fire March 3, and repairs haven’t even started. The condos are located at 2228 Swedish Dr.

“I can’t see the steps so I’ve got to go very slowly,” blind resident Dennis Babini said.”I’ve fallen down a couple times already.”

A week before the fire, Babini told 8 On Your Side he was trapped inside for about 20 minutes when the door wouldn’t open. Babini said the person who answered the elevator’s emergency phone told him to sit on the floor and wait for help.

Marjorie Meyer struggles with a heart problem.”I went down yesterday and when I came back I had to lay down for half an hour. I couldn’t breathe,” Meyer said. “I was almost ready to call the paramedics.”

“I have reported that elevator having trouble for the last five years,” said Gary Ordway, a resident who was going to get a stint installed the day after speaking to 8 On Your Side. He has a 90 percent blockage in his artery. Read more:

By Sarita Chourey

March 12, 2015

COLUMBIA — Neighborhood Nazi. Condo Commando. Bullies. The dictatorship.

Those were some of the terms property owners and officials used to describe bad actors in South Carolina’s thousands of community associations on Thursday, as lawmakers debate how to regulate them. “It has become my worst nightmare,” said Nadine Zacharie of Edgefield County’s Lake Trenton. She used to live in Augusta’s historic Hill section, but has spent the last 10 years in Lake Trenton, calling it “10 years of roughshod bullying.” Some problems come down to fairness, she said, arguing that she shouldn’t have to pay the same fees for her single lot as residents who own several lots. Other issues involve the community’s bizarre bylaws, she said, pointing to a fight between neighbors overfeeding birds that resulted in an amendment prohibiting it. “We’ve had people trespassing onto other people’s property to take pictures of them feeding a bird, and end up with a misdemeanor,” said Zacharie.

Communities on the coast have their problems, too. Maraide Sullivan, who owns a condominium on Johns Island with her husband, testified Thursday that homeowners need greater protections. She serves on her community association board, but said others refuse to follow the bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order and basic transparency practices. A few years ago, the community received a $5 million settlement to repair construction defects, but Sullivan said certain actions “didn’t pass the smell test.”  Read more:

The homeowner’s daughter says her mother is up to date with the monthly homeowner association assessment, but cannot afford to pay all the fines

By Tom Regan

March 12, 2015

ATLANTA — The family of a woman recovering from multiple surgeries, including a tracheotomy, is outraged a property management has cut off her water for unpaid fines, including parking violations accessed against nurses who came to provide care.

http://m.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/hoa-cuts-water-disabled-resident-unpaid-fines/nkTyy/#__federated=1=

By Kathryn Brenzel

March 11, 2015

JERSEY CITY – Three men allegedly stole at least $75,000 from a Jersey City condominium, pocketing money intended for repairs, loan repayments and other costs.Raymond Gonzalez and Raul Miranda, of Hackensack-based property management company, RPM Group, and Jose Astuto, owner of Queen Remodeling Corp., in North Bergen, have been charged with conspiring to steal between $75,000 and $500,000 from the Berkeley Carteret Condominium Association, according to an indictment provided on Wednesday by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. They allegedly stole money from residents of the Jersey City community–located at 53 Duncan Ave.–intended for general property maintenance, loan repayment and other purposes.

Representatives for the condominium could not immediately be reached for comment.  Read more:

March 12, 2015

Commentary by Sal DiCiccio Special to AFN

Many of you remember the very caustic campaign that the unions ran against me. The worst part was when they went after my family.

The Ahwatukee Board of Management, using our HOA monies, hired the very same political consultant to run a campaign against the Save The Lakes volunteers.

To add insult to injury, some on the board then raised our HOA dues

I don’t usually involve myself in homeowner association business; my work on the Phoenix City Council keeps me focused on the city. But I can’t let slide an item for which the board leadership of the Ahwatukee Board of Management HOA needs to answer, especially as homeowners start casting ballots by mail or bring them to the ABM annual meeting April 1. The item: Late last year, after it increased its budget by 5 percent and raised our assessment, ABM hired a political operative. You read that right — our HOA hired a political consultant who has a reputation as a political hit man. Read more: