Homeowners association drops legal action against Colonel -
This is a great day for everybody who has spoken out against violations of civil liberties by homeowners associations. This went all the way to the White House. Finally, at long last, the HOA bullies went up against the wrong guy--Col. Van T. Barfoot--and lost. Let's hope that the message went out to all the baskethead control freaks and file-churning lawyers who are tyrannizing home owners all over the nation that the country and its policy-makers finally, at long last, see the big picture.
5 comments:
Amen!
"Let's hope that the message went out to all the baskethead control freaks and file-churning lawyers who are tyrannizing home owners all over the nation that the country and its policy-makers finally, at long last, see the big picture."
Unfortunately, I doubt this will happen. I think a lot of the "conservative ire" was a result of the victim being a member of a protected class, at least in the conservative version of political correctness.
Now that this is over, most conservatives and libertarians will continue to approve of -- or at least ignore -- the way that H.O.A. corporations abuse home owners.
George Staropoli's "The Impact Of Party Ideologues On The HOA Legal Scheme" documents how the private-property free-marketeers have sold us out. The Institute for Justice will never get another dime from me.
The Independence Institute is a big proponent of free markets and property rights. Yet they only have one editorial about H.O.A.s on their web site -- www.google.com/search?q=hoa+site%3Ai2i.org -- and it's pro-HOA. "Free Market Zoning" will make anyone who knows anything about the issue laugh and/or cry.
What about the proponents of tort reform? One would think that an industry whose lawyers blatantly advertise using foreclosure as a collections method would draw the attention of Walter Olson's OverLawyered.com site. Nope -- only 3 stories in over 10 years: www.google.com/search?q=hoa+site%3Aoverlawyered.com .
That both the Left and Right agree that HOAs are a product of the free market is sad. It's enough to make me give up my beliefs in private property, free markets, conservatism, and libertarianism to become a Socialist.
The free/regulated market dynamic doesn't apply whatsoever.
HOAs are private corporations, not products or services and are creatures of current public policy strongly favoring the privatization of local government.
"The free/regulated market dynamic doesn't apply whatsoever."
I agree.
But tell that to the traditional proponents of the free-market: the Cato Institute, the Institute for Justice, the Independence Institute, the Goldwater Institute, etc.
As far as they're concerned, everyone living under an H.O.A. regime -- from gated mansion enclaves to middle-class suburban neighborhoods to town homes and condos -- signed a voluntary contract and are currently living in Libertarian Utopia.
And some of them think that H.O.A.s should be able to incorporate non-H.O.A. home owners!
Back in May 2000, the Onion published a point-counterpoint feature: "The Future Will Be A Totalitarian Government Dystopia" vs "The Future Will Be A Privatized Corporate Dystopia."
Under the current H.O.A. model, we'll live in the worst of both worlds!
From The Onion article I linked to above:
"When every inch of space is privatized, it will cost money to walk from your living room to the kitchen."
"the very walls of our apartments will teem with droning media messages. Tolerating such in-home advertising will be the only way the average citizen will be able to afford an apartment at all."
This sounds like the Community Association Institute's dream. I'm sure they'll also control the in-home media, blocking out web sites such as this one from their Common Interest Internet Gateway Filter.
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