April 15, 2014

By Amy Napier Viteri

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County code enforcement officials have given a south Fulton County community 90 days to clear debris keeping an overflowing pond from draining. The pond sits behind several homes in the Regency Hills subdivision and is full of standing water, trash and debris, according to neighbors. The pond has debris blocking a retention wall, which is preventing drainage, according to code enforcement officials.

“Every time it rains, I’m thinking, ‘It’s going to flood because the water rises,’” said one neighbor who asked not to be identified.  Read more:

By Hudson Sangree – The Sacramento Bee

April 13, 2014

Sacramento, Calif., gets about as much annual rainfall as arid Flagstaff, Ariz., but its lush lawns are modeled on those of rain-soaked England.
The capital’s turf tradition is deeply rooted and is even enshrined in the bylaws of various homeowners associations. That may be starting to change, however. Nudged by local governments worried about water shortages, home builders and homeowners associations are showing increased willingness to embrace the drought-tolerant landscapes that more naturally suit California.A growing number of cities are paying homeowners to tear out their lawns. A few home builders are starting to plan development in a way that they say makes more sense for the region’s Mediterranean climate and regular droughts. “We’re on the cusp of change. It’s definitely here,” said Kevin Carson, northern California president for The New Home Company. The developer is building the first major subdivision in decades in the slow-growth university town of Davis, Calif. The Cannery project will feature drought-tolerant landscaping along its bike paths, and most of the front yards will be landscaped with low-water plants in place of grass.  Read more:

By Jayme Fraser

April 14, 2014

Houston – David Weede has not invited anyone to his house for more than a year because of the nose-stinging smell and the holes that rats have chewed through his walls and couch pillows. For nearly eight years, Weede called city officials, looking for someone, anyone, to help clean up his next-door neighbors’ townhome. “The city did nothing,” he said. “I went to the homeowners association, but they couldn’t do anything because their hands were pretty much tied.”

Now, he hopes City Council will pass an anti-hoarding ordinance at its meeting Wednesday, so others do not have to wait so long for help.  Read more:

By Andrew Pereira

April 11, 2014

HONOLULU —It may come as a shock to homeowners who don’t take the time to read the fine print, but if you fail to pay your homeowners association fees, title to your property can be sold at auction to the highest bidder.

CLEARWATER — The former president of a Clearwater condominium association has pleaded guilty to grand theft and fraud charges and has been sentenced to two years in prison. Barbara Lockett, 52, a real estate broker, convinced an investor to put money into Mission Hills Condominiums. But police said at the time of her arrest that she swindled nearly $300,000 by trying to sell condos that were in foreclosure or off the market.

Lockett had been president of the Mission Hills association’s board of directors, but after the complaint against her, the board asked her to resign.  Mission Hills, south of Coachman Road and east of U.S. 19, has more than 400 condos.  Read:

By Jan Bergemann

April 8, 2014

Honestly, if you read this proposed amendment you can only ask the question: “Why don’t these boards just ask the owners to hand over the deed to their homes and get it over with?” 

Since certain board members and their attorneys found out that Governor Scott and Speaker Weatherford killed a homeowner-friendly bill that would have finally created a regulatory agency to protect homeowners from abuses by dictatorial board members and their attorneys, these folks are getting even more brazen in their attempts to remove the given rights of homeowners.

The latest attempt of removing homeowners’ rights comes from the board of The Hammocks Homeowner’s Association of Orange County, Inc. Just read the proposed provisions of these planned amendments to the Declaration of Covenants and Notice of Restrictions on Real Estate for The Hammocks: Amending Article IV, Section 3 and adding Article IV, Section 9.5of the Declaration of Covenants and Notice of Restrictions on Real Estate for The Hammocks.  Read more:

April 10, 2014

By Lupita Murillo

TUCSON – A Tucson homeowner is under scrutiny from his home owners association after he complained about his neighbor’s yard overflowing with weeds. Gilbert Tellez claims he contacted the Mission Vista Homeowners Association two weeks to ask them to do something about the eyesore next door. He claims the house has been vacant for six months. He says he was told, “They couldn’t do anything, all they could do was enforce the rules.”

Two days ago he received a letter from the home owners association. It stated, “I needed to clean the weeds west of my driveway. That is not my property.” His property ends at the driveway and goes down the side of the house. The letter also states, “They’re planning on fining me $25.00 for each violation.”  Read more:

By Claire St. Amant

April 10, 2014

A Collin County judge has ruled against a North Texas homeowners association that was trying to prevent an Orthodox Jewish congregation from using the residential area as a place of worship. Judge Jill Willis’ ruling comes just days before the Jewish holiday of Passover.  The Highlands of McKamy homeowners association in Dallas filed an injunction on April 7 asking the court to halt religious services in the neighborhood, citing breach of use. The Congregation Toras Chaim says it has been meeting at homes in the neighborhood for about three years without incident. A neighbor’s lawsuit against the congregation is still pending.

The Orthodox Jewish organization consists of about 30 North Dallas families; its rabbi lives in the Highlands of McKamy. As Orthodox Jews are not permitted to drive on the Sabbath, members must live in walking distance of a synagogue. According to Congregation Toras Chaim, at most three cars are parked in front of the rabbi’s home for services. Read more: