Category Archives: Uncategorized
FLORIDA – HOA spat gets nasty as meeting door slammed on owner
Published: February 13, 2015
No one was hurt or charged in the dustup at a meeting of the Sterling Ranch Master Association board in Brandon. A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy, who was called about the fracas, described it in his report as a “disturbance” and wrote that no further action was necessary.
The incident started when Sterling Ranch residents Randy Mitchell and Paula Walz tried to gain entry to an homeowners association board meeting at a nearby assisted living home. Walz, 62, has been battling the board for a year and a half over a requirement that homeowners mow common areas between their rear property lines and retention ponds.
The board, which was meeting with the association’s attorney Thursday, closed the meeting to other residents because potential lawsuits were being discussed.
Walz said she objected to closing the meeting and noted the presence of the subdivision’s property manager, John Calcagni. She cited a state law governing homeowner associations that prohibits anyone other than board members or the board’s attorney from attending such closed meetings. Read more:
FLORIDA – Orange County seeks solutions as golf courses fail
NATIONAL – Reform the Condominium
FROM New York to Miami, from South Padre Island, Tex., to Park City, Utah, the American condominium has become the hot new investment for global capital. In Manhattan, the trend is so pronounced that a whole new category of real estate has emerged around the southern edges of Central Park: supertall, ultraluxury buildings, with more than half of the homes being sold to anonymous buyers (some perhaps looking to stash ill-gotten gains) who rarely, if ever, occupy them. The city, meanwhile, struggles to produce sufficient housing for those who do live here.
As policy makers nationwide consider the consequences of this trend, they should keep in mind that it is a result not just of global market forces (and international crime), but also of deliberate local choices, especially about the operation and regulation of condominiums. Read more:
FLORIDA – Man Who Fought To Keep Emotional Support Dog Kills Himself
Sergey Peklun had a hearing at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach. The judge ended up granting a delay in the proceedings, upon hearing of Peklun’s death.
“Rather than be here again today, to be put under further questioning, he committed suicide this morning,” Peklun’s attorney Peter Wallis explained following the hearing.
“Where’s the justice?” asked Peklun’s son, Alex, as he battled tears.
The case revolves around Peklun’s dog Julia. Peklun lived with his wife Viktoria at Tierra del Mar in Boca Raton, a no pets condo.
But Peklun had a host of medical conditions, his family believes, due to his response to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, back in Peklun’s native Russia. Read more:
FLORIDA – Tampa Bay condos, townhomes that became rentals reconverting to condos
”That’s gonna go straight through, right back to the family room,” Carol Ackerman instructs a mover wrestling an armchair through the door.
Over the next three days Ackerman, who stages homes for sale, will work with Toni Donadio, a Back Bay sales assistant, to transform this vacant house into a tastefully decorated showplace they hope people will be itching to buy.
The ultimate goal: Make Back Bay a community of 55 individually owned homes instead of the rental project it was forced to become after the housing market crash.
With the market again perking up, Back Bay is part of a trend of converting, or in some case reconverting, rentals. Leading the way is New York City, where hundreds of rental apartments have gone condo as prices skyrocket. Read more:
FLORIDA – Residents allege condo leaders are cashing in on positions
The women are talking about condo President Haresh “John” Chatomal and past President Morton Kronenberg. They allege the two men have used their volunteer positions on the nonprofit board to reap big profits. Read more:
SOUTH CAROLINA – York County woman fed up with homeowners association
“We moved here from a really bad area in Fort Bragg so our kids could have a good life. And I’m not trying to cause problems, i’m just trying to hangout with my kids all day,” Lapore said.
Lapore tells WBTV it all started when she decided to paint her front door red, which instantly caught the attention of the HOA.
“They fined us 350 dollars. They threatened to put a lien on our house for that much,” Lapore said. Read more:
TEXAS – Church’s Restrictive Reserve “E” Not Subject to HOA Deed Restrictions
Excessive Attorney Fees?
$900 in back dues he owed, but he was also being billed for $15,000 in ‘attorney’s fees
TEXAS – Measure Would Limit Attorneys Fees
WOAI.com: Measure Would Limit HOA Attorneys Fees
By Jim Forsyth,
February 12th 2015
Members of the Texas Legislature are taking aim at a familiar target–Home Owners Associations.
News Radio 1200 WOAI reports State Rep Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) has filed a bill to prevent Home Owners Associations from engaging in a familiar practice…hiring a resident or one of the HOA board’s buddies as their ‘attorney,’ and then tacking huge ‘lawyers fees’ onto the bills of those whom, for whatever reason, have fallen behind on paying their dues.
Gutierrez’ bill is in response to Petty Officer Richard Miller’s lawsuit against the Monte Viejo Homeowners Association. Miller claims that when he returned from deployment to Japan, where he was helping that nation deal with the devastating earthquake and tsunami, he found among his stack of mail, a notice that the HOA had given him 11 days to vacate his property.
Miller was informed that he had fallen behind on his HOA dues, and in addition to the $900 in back dues he owed, he was also being billed for $15,000 in ‘attorney’s fees.’ Read more:
HOA Reform Coalition 