click2houston.com: Spring man says neighborhood civic association is discriminating against him By Samantha Ptashkin February 5, 2015 SPRING, Texas – The Texas Workforce Commission has issued a charge of discrimination against a Spring civic association on behalf of one of … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show T’s the season, … Continue reading
LIBERTYINSTITUTE.org: VICTORY! Congregation Toras Chaim Free to Continue Worship in Private Home Judge grants summary judgment upholding the religious liberty rights of Liberty Institute client to peacefully study tenets of faith February 4, 2015 Today, at a hearing on a … Continue reading
KOB.COM: HOA blindsides man with order to tear down part of his property Updated: 02/02/2015 10:23 PM | Created: 02/02/2015 9:26 PM By: Ryan Luby, KOB Eyewitness News 4 A Los Lunas man built an oasis for himself in his … Continue reading
This Week’s Show The American dream is often described as a house in the suburbs, surrounded by a white picket fence, where the kids and pets play safely on a privately owned lawn instead of having to trek across town … Continue reading
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Key defendant pleads guilty in HOA takeover scheme By Jeff German January 27, 2015 Another key defendant pleaded guilty Tuesday in the scheme to take over and defraud Las Vegas-area homeowners associations. Bail bondsman Charles McChesney, 49, … Continue reading
OpEdNews.com: The Trouble with HOAs By Kenneth G. Eade Januay 27, 2015 Homeowner’s Associations, created by deed provisions to serve homeowners in condominium developments, are often at odds with individual owners of units. Just last week, news out of New … Continue reading
boingboing.net: San Francisco ponders letting luxury property developers take away symbolic “public spaces” By Cory Doctorow January 25, 2015 Like many cities, SF asks fancy property developers to create “public spaces” in their buildings to make up for parks and … Continue reading
By Kim Miller January 14, 2015 A Miami lawyer is facing suspension from the Florida Bar after she pleaded guilty last month in connection with mortgage fraud at the Kensington of Royal Palm Beach condominium in Royal Palm Beach.Rashmi Airan-Pace, … Continue reading
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Benzer pleads guilty in massive Las Vegas Valley HOA scheme By Jeff German January 23, 2015 Former construction company boss Leon Benzer pleaded guilty Friday in the massive scheme to take over and defraud homeowners associations in … Continue reading
charlotteobserver.com: HOA boards should tread carefully on assistance animals By Michael Hunter January 24, 2015 Editor’s note: this week’s column was researched and written by Mr. Hunter’s associate attorney, Michael Tarwater Jr. We are often asked about pet restrictions in … Continue reading
OPPOSING VIEWS.COM: Homeowners Sued For Parking Truck In Their Own Driveway January 20, 2015 By Matiss Batarags David and Arna Orlando are being sued by their homeowners association for parking their pickup truck in their own driveway. The Kimry Moor … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show Words have power … Continue reading
CarolinaLive.com: State lawmakers file HOA regulation bill By Liz Cooper January 16, 2015 Homeowner’s Associations are meant to regulate neighborhoods, but they operate with few regulations for themselves. A proposed bill by state lawmakers would restrict Homeowner’s Associations. Right now … Continue reading
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Defense in HOA scheme trial missed its mark By John L. Smith January 13, 2015 Give credit where it’s due. Leon Benzer’s capable attorneys made a game effort. But despite recent attempts to have the federal criminal … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show Over the years … Continue reading
KRGV.com: Homeowner Wants HOA Dissolved January 13, 2015 By Shelley Childers BROWNSVILLE – A Brownsville man said his homeowners association is not working and wants the organization to shut down. Jack Jew wants his homeowners association to go away. He … Continue reading
MarketWatch.Com: Condo-fee foreclosures become headache for homeowners By Daniel Goldstein January 9, 2015 If you’ve fallen behind on your condo or homeowner association (HOA) fees, this might be a shocker for you: Your HOA or condo association might have the … Continue reading
WTSP.COM: Mother: Neighbor profiled, threatened my son … parents say it’s not what the sheriff’s office did, but what their homeowners association did that has them calling this a case of racial profiling. By Tammie Fields January 9, 2015 Riverview, Florida … Continue reading
LOCAL10.COM: Holly Lake residents accuse HOA treasurer of wrongful profit By Bob Norman January 7, 2015 Many South Floridians live under the rules of homeowners associations — non-profit organizations that govern neighborhoods. But what happens when a board member profits … Continue reading
WestportNOW.com: Westport Embezzlement Brings 10-Month Prison Term And a lawsuit filed by Community Association Underwriters of America Inc. said more than $1 million was missing from the bank accounts of eight condominium associations that Consolidated manages. January 7, 2015 A Milford … Continue reading
HOA Member Services: DE Court Says Architectural Restrictions Were Applied Arbitrarily & Unreasonably & Are Unenforceable By Larry Szabo January 2, 2015 Delaware Court of Chancery decision (December 22, 2014) Topic: Governing Documents / Dispute Resolution This case involved a … Continue reading
HOA Member Services: U.S. DOJ Sues HOA and Property Manager for Discrimination in Denying Playhouse for Disabled Child Notwithstanding the fact that the family has moved from the community, the DOJ has pursued the lawsuit against the HOA and the … Continue reading
WFAA.com: Frisco transitional living home reaches settlement with HOA Details of the agreement are sealed. By Jobin Panicker January 1, 2015 FRISCO — A transitional home for homeless women has come under much scrutiny in Frisco, but now a settlement … Continue reading
Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: Riverwalk Townes Residents Left with Unanswered Questions By Marie Albiges December 28, 2014 York County officials digging into the issue of an unfinished subdivision in Yorktown have yet to answer citizens’ questions about when their streets and … Continue reading
MIAMI HERALD: Two agree to testify against executives in Cay Clubs fraud case Cay Clubs …sought to sell individual units to investors as condo-hotels. By Kevin Wadlow December 25, 2014 Plea agreements signed by two top sales executives with the … Continue reading
THE SACRAMENTO BEE: West Sacramento council OKs development – without gated entry By Darrell Smith 12/30/2014 West Sacramento leaders at year’s end were faced with a simple question: Gates or no gates. Rocklin-based Mandarich Developments wants to build 222 single-family … Continue reading
FLATHEAD BEACON: Whitefish Subdivision Seeks Intervention in Lawsuit Over Gated Communities Permanent gates on Mountainside Drive put on hold while groups resolve lawsuit against city By Tristan Scott December 31, 2014 A group of homeowners who oppose gated communities in … Continue reading
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas HOA corruption trial stays in Las Vegas December 24, 2014 By JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL A federal magistrate judge issued a decision Wednesday denying a defense bid to move the homeowners association corruption trial … Continue reading
Lexington Herald-Leader: U.S. Department of Justice sues Andover Forest neighborhood association in playhouse dispute By Beth Musgrave December 26, 2014 The U.S. Department of Justice has sued a Lexington neighborhood association, alleging it discriminated and retaliated against a family who built … Continue reading
HOUSING WIRE: FHFA issues warning on “super priority” liens By Ben Lane December 22, 2014 The Federal Housing Finance Agency has issued a warning to homeowners, financial institutions and state authorities, citing its concern with super-priority liens created by either … Continue reading
PVTGOV.WORDPRESS.COM: From NJ Supreme Court Twin Rivers to Dublirer: HOAs are Separate but Unequal Governments By George K. Staropoli December 15, 2014 In a parallel that can be made with Plessy v. Ferguson (163 U.S. 537,1896) and its enlightened reversal … Continue reading
The Baltimore Sun: City says ‘forged or altered’ document resulted in $2 million tax break for condos As a result, two dozen condo owners face higher property tax bills of roughly $10,000 a year. By Luke Broadwater December 12, 2014 … Continue reading
Reno Gazette-Journal: Letter: HOAs are callous busybodies By Elizabeth Beck December 14, 2014 As I drive through my Ridgeview neighborhood, I reflect on the HOA. I admire the beautiful lights because this year we will have none. The hypocrisy is … Continue reading
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Woman charged with lying to authorities in HOA case By Jeff German December 10, 2014 Justice Department lawyers are not finished bringing criminal charges in the massive scheme to take over Las Vegas area homeowners associations. Stephanie … Continue reading
KVVU-TV: Homeowners, HOA to rumble over street strips By Elizabeth Watts December 16, 2014 LAS VEGAS (FOX5) – It’s a case of homeowners versus a homeownerassociation. The association recently installed rumble strips inside the gated Providence neighborhood in northwest Las … Continue reading
Waltham News Tribune: Waltham woman pleads guilty to embezzling $350K from condo complex By Ryan Grannan-Doll December 19, 2014 A Waltham woman admitted over the summer to embezzling about $350,000 from a condominium complex, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s … Continue reading
Star Advertiser: Former condo management head indicted on theft charges By Rob Shikina December 5, 2014 The fired CEO of one of the largest condominium association management companies in Hawaii is accused of allegedly stealing more than $125,000 from three … Continue reading
Summit Daily: Keystone HOA’s financial admin charged with embezzlement By Ben Trollinger December 5, 2014 Robert Dwight Polich, 62, the longtime financial administrator for a Keystone homeowners association, was arrested on Dec. 2 and charged with embezzling about $160,000 from … Continue reading
By Ken Amaro December 1, 2014 ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Oakleaf Plantation is a community where property owners pay homeowners association dues. But what if the property owner rents his home and fails to pay those dues? “I’m kind of … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show Before the internet, … Continue reading
MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL AMERICA: Federal district court bars HOA foreclosure sale of first lien HUD-insured mortgages By MPA December 2, 2014 Recently, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada held that a homeowners association (HOA) foreclosure sale is not valid … Continue reading
Neighbors at War: HOA War in North Carolina By Ward Lucas November 28, 2014 North Carolina is certainly a state where the HOA system has gotten way out of control. Fortunately, outspoken advocates like Ole Madsen (HEAR4NC.org) are articulating the … Continue reading
WWAYTV3.COM: Townhome Owners: ‘It’s just not adding up’ By Makenzi Henderson November 25, 2014 WINNABOW, NC (WWAY) — If you move into a neighborhood in the Cape Fear, you’ll probably be part of a homeowners association. While there are benefits, like … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show HappyThanksgiving from On … Continue reading
HOUSINGWIRE.COM: Court rulings in unpaid HOA fees raise risk in RMBS, SFR deals Moody’s: Newer deals have provisions to mitigate risk By Trey Garrison November 24, 2014 A new report from Moody’s Investors Service spotlights how recent rulings by the … Continue reading
ORLANDO SENTINEL: Another golf course closes, leaving residents wondering what’s next By Beth Kassab November 13, 2014 Seems like this is starting to become an every day occurrence. Another golf course closed. This time Rock Springs Ridge in Apopka. Residents in … Continue reading
Orlando Sentinel: Legal fights drag on over environmentally friendly landscaping By Kevin Spear November 15, 2014 An Orange County family sued in 2012 by a neighborhood association for planting environmentally friendly landscaping is still fighting the civil action. “It’s ridiculous … Continue reading
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. This Week’s Show An attorney representing … Continue reading
HUNTINGTONNEWS.NET: Book Review: ‘Escaping Condo Jail’: Comprehensive Book Explores Pitfalls of Condominium, Home Owner Association Real Estate with Research, Wit Reviewed by David M. Kinchen November 18, 2014 If you have your heart set on buying a condo, cooperative apartment … Continue reading