Pay assessments first, challenge them later!

Homeowners association: Homeowners association bill proposed - OrlandoSentinel.com

"Homeowners behind on their community-association dues would have to make good on the full amount before fighting the charges, under proposed legislation that would also bring state oversight to Florida's homeowner associations. Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, filed a bill this week that would essentially fast-track community associations' ability to foreclose on houses or condo units with unpaid dues. If a homeowner did not deposit the unpaid balance in a special registry as directed by a court, the association could foreclose immediately on the house. Currently, owners can contest associations' charges in a process that can stretch out for years."

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With condo associations becoming insolvent, the industry wants to keep them from going under. The solution? Make the owners pay first, challenge assessments later. Making life harder for owners is the default solution for most problems, it seems. 

Fairfax homeowners group humbled by court battle with residents - The Washington Post

Fairfax homeowners group humbled by court battle with residents - The Washington Post:
The feud that consumed Fairfax County’s Olde Belhaven would span four years and cost the community as much as $400,000, and it was ignited by one of the smallest of sparks: an Obama for President sign. The modest placard Sam and Maria Farran planted in their yard during the 2008 election put them on a collision course with the neighborhood homeowners association. It was four inches taller than the association’s covenants allowed....“Their growth means there are a lot of people in HOAs who haven’t necessarily bought into the lifestyle,” said Evan McKenzie, a University of Illinois professor who has written two books on HOAs. “Some like the higher level of rulemaking, but others don’t like the fines and control. You have conflict when these groups come together.”
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Good story from the Washington Post on this horribly expensive lawsuit.

How A Homeowners Association Went Bankrupt Because Of One Obama Yard Sign – The Consumerist

How A Homeowners Association Went Bankrupt Because Of One Obama Yard Sign – The Consumerist: Back in 2008, a couple in Olde Fairhaven, Virginia put up a sign in their lawn showing their support for a presidential candidate. This simple action led to a feud that has raged for years and cost the neighborhood homeowners association hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now the HOA is broke, and the central “town square” that turns a clump of townhouses into something resembling a community is up for sale.
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Well played, HOA board of directors and law firm. Did you learn anything?  Did any other HOA board learn anything?

Honduras allows corporations to set up private cities

Inside Story - Al Jazeera English:
"Honduras revives the idea of the charter city - free-market enclaves where corporations can operate virtually under their own rules.

"Honduras is a place that has been devastated for literally centuries by the oligarchs. But now there are some laws that get in their way and they would like to get rid of those laws .... They simply see this as yet another way to increase their wealth at the expense of other folks."

- William Black, a professor of economics and law"
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Fairfax homeowners group humbled by court battle with residents - The Washington Post

Fairfax homeowners group humbled by court battle with residents - The Washington Post The feud that consumed Fairfax County’s Olde Belhaven would span four years and cost the community as much as $400,000, and it was ignited by one of the smallest of sparks: an Obama for President sign. The modest placard Sam and Maria Farran planted in their yard during the 2008 election put them on a collision course with the neighborhood homeowners association. It was four inches taller than the association’s covenants allowed. “Need I say more! This would lead to chaos,” a neighbor fretted in an e-mail about the precedent that would be set if the sign wasn’t removed. “Our property values would be put at risk.”
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The horror!  The horror!  HOA Apocalypse Now!  (The perfessor is quoted)