by Pamela Dittmer McKuen – Chicago Tribune – Community Living – April 26, 2013 Illinois homeowners at odds with their community association have little recourse. They can try to resolve the matter with the board, or they can pay an attorney to … Continue reading
A more than 5-year-old battle to strip homeowners associations of their authority to make and enforce parking rules on public streets has succeeded — at least in part. Gov. Jan Brewer this month signed a bill that forbids future HOAs … Continue reading
April 24, 2013 House Bill 1134 (HB 1134) and House Bill 1276 (HB 1276) just cleared the Senate Local Government Committee and will proceed to the full Senate for consideration. HB 1134, which is being sponsored in the Senate by … Continue reading
by Brentt Taylor — Posted April 24, 2013 The financial and housing crisis of 2008 has brought about many changes to the housing market. Some have been very good, while others have been bad. It has also brought about new opportunities … 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 Donna DiMaggio — April 22, 2013 Occasionally, I will hear from an older Florida homeowners’ association that is considering allowing its restrictive covenants to simply expire by application of law. In some of these communities, there is not much … 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 Matthew W. Gaines — April 18, 2013 The 2013/2014 Massachusetts legislative session is just getting underway, and while it is difficult to know where things may head, there is already a lot of action on the condominium front. MEEB … Continue reading
As we head into the last two weeks of the 2013 Legislative Session, it looks like there will be at least one major community association bill that will pass, and possibly a significant HOA bill. In addition, the mortgage foreclosure … 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
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
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
Evan McKenzie – March 27, 2013 I testified at the Maryland State Senate hearing yesterday in support of S.B. 1062. The hearing was long and emotional at times, as unit owners told how they have been subjected to foreclosure actions by association … Continue reading
By Cindy George — March 27, 2013 Charles Babineaux, whose tug-of-war with his Harris County HOA was the subject of the Chronicle’s March 16 Houston Advocate story, learned this week that he can keep his security door. According to a letter from … Continue reading
By Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel posted: March 25, 2013 The developer of the half-built Bimini Bay resort in Davenport withdrew more than $16,000 from the homeowner association’s accounts the same day he was arrested earlier this month and accused of stealing from … Continue reading
March 15, 2013 We’re smack dab in the middle of the Session that ends at midnight on May 27th. Still plenty of time for any bill to pass, and for any bill to morph into something different. We now have … Continue reading
Lauren Ritchie COMMENTARY March 17, 2013 Sixteen homes, 16 sets of panicked owners. The residents of a Leesburg subdivision that went belly up during the real-estate bust face a financial dilemma that’s the result of greedy investors, a failure by … Continue reading
Proposed Texas HOA/COA Laws – 2013 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE: Business & IndustryTIME & DATE: 1:30 PM or upon final adjourn./recess Tuesday, March 26, 2013 PLACE: E2.014 CHAIR: Rep. René Oliveira Condo Owners: HB 2075 listed for … Continue reading
By Cindy George – March 15, 2013 — Houston Chronicle Burglars, be forewarned. You’ll hurt yourselves trying to break through the doors on Charles Babineaux’s house. In 2007, he was among the first homeowners in Brunswick Meadows – a subdivision … Continue reading
By: George Staropoli As an alternate to making HOA governments a state entity, the creation and establishment of a bona fide, legitimate state agency established by an effective and meaningful enabling act will accomplish HOA reforms. Couple the clear and … Continue reading
Pamela Dittmer McKuen Community Living March 15, 2013 Chicago Tribune: It’s complicated evicting delinquent owners After months of trying to collect past-due assessments, your community association has a court order to evict the delinquent owner. Now what? You rent out … Continue reading
By Frank Cerabino Palm Beach Post Staff Writer If you think the shenanigans with Florida elections are bad at the state or county level, you’ll really be impressed with the major-league artistry of a shady condo election. Take the case … Continue reading
By: Evan Axelbank – March 16, 2013 BOCA RATON, Fla. – Every single home in the Boca Quay gated community got a letter saying that skateboards, roller blades, bicycles, scooters, toys and ball playing are not permitted in roadways, walkways … Continue reading
Orange County Register: Condo owners win secondhand smoke case Published: March 12, 2013 By Marilyn Kalfus An Orange County jury has found a homeowners association negligent for failing to resolve a secondhand smoke dispute between neighbors at a Trabuco Canyon … Continue reading
By Mary Shanklin — March 7, 2013 A standoff of sorts has occurred at the gates of one of the region’s most prestigious country clubs. Alaqua resident David Acosta owes as much as $100,000, possibly a record for the Orlando area, … Continue reading
March 2, 2013 By David M. Bendoff Q. I am a unit owner in a homeowner’s association. The association’s attorney attended a board meeting to discuss several issues with the board. During a homeowner’s forum, I asked … Continue reading
Mar. 1, 2013 11:33 PM By Trevor Hughes A Fort Collins property manager accused of stealing $75,000 in rents from her clients has been arrested. Sherry Jefcoat, also known as Sherry Eichman, was the owner of Legend Property Management Real … Continue reading
Posted: 5:59 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 Kissimmee police said a thief now has the bank account information for thousands of people who belong to a homeowners’ association. A property management company for six communities in Osceola, Orange and Polk … Continue reading
By Jim Sanders The Sacramento Bee Published: Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 Millions of Californians would not be able to smoke tobacco inside their own homes under new legislation that would raise the bar nationwide for fighting secondhand smoke. No state … Continue reading
February 27, 2013 Incoming Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino brings a very personal perspective on homeowners associations to the Colorado General Assembly when it convenes next week. He’s not a fan. In fact, when I mentioned HOAs to Ferrandino … Continue reading
By George K. Staropoli February 27, 2013 The following is my comment to a post by Evan McKenzie on his Privatopia Papers blog, Las Vegas HOA corruption probe continues. In his post, Prof. McKenzie raised the question of federal congressional … Continue reading
I was on Nevada Public Radio the other day with the state ombudsperson, an HOA lawyer, and an owner advocate. It was a good conversation. But there was something that kept going through my mind that I never got a … Continue reading