Corrections Corporation Of America Sues Florida Town For Blocking New Detention Center

Corrections Corporation Of America Sues Florida Town For Blocking New Detention Center

The nation's largest private prison corporation sued a South Florida town this week, arguing that city officials are trying to "disrupt and derail" plans to build one of nation's largest immigrant-detention centers northwest of Miami.
Corrections Corporation of America's federal lawsuit claims that city officials in Pembroke Pines, Fla., are interfering with the company's "advantageous business relationship" with federal immigration authorities. Corrections Corp. reached a tentative deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last summer to build a 1,500-bed detention facility in Southwest Ranches, a quiet suburban enclave near the Everglades.
But residents and immigrant-rights groups have waged a battle against the company and elected officials who support construction of the jail.
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All must kneel before our privatizing overlords.  Apparently not everybody is falling in line, though. How inconvenient.

Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers | Reuters

Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers | Reuters

"Since 2010, 270 churches have been sold after defaulting on their loans, with 90 percent of those sales coming after a lender-triggered foreclosure, according to the real estate information company CoStar Group.
In 2011, 138 churches were sold by banks, an annual record, with no sign that these religious foreclosures are abating, according to CoStar. That compares to just 24 sales in 2008 and only a handful in the decade before.
The church foreclosures have hit all denominations across America, black and white, but with small to medium size houses of worship the worst. Most of these institutions have ended up being purchased by other churches.
The highest percentage have occurred in some of the states hardest hit by the home foreclosure crisis: California, Georgia, Florida and Michigan."
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Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Set to Default on $5.27 Million GO Bond Payments - Bloomberg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Set to Default on $5.27 Million GO Bond Payments - Bloomberg


"Harrisburg (9661MF), Pennsylvania’s insolvent capital, says it will miss general-obligation bond payments for the first time next week as its receiver seeks approval for a plan to sell assets.
The city, carrying a debt load of more than five times its general-fund budget, will miss $5.27 million in bond payments due March 15 on $51.5 million of bonds issued in 1997, according to a notice its receiver posted on the Electronic Municipal Market Access system, a database for filings by debt issuers."
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 Harrisburg was not allowed to go bankrupt under Chapter 9. Instead the city's finances were put in the hands of a receiver. And now all kinds of bad things loom on the horizon for the city and its employees.

Vietnam vet says he's being singled out; Local man fights HOA over soldier cut out

Eggleston also feels he's being a victim because there are other signs in the neighborhood—political signs that no one's asked for to be taken down.

Saahir said those homeowners have received similar letters to take down their signs, but short of police showing up or a court order, Eggleston said he won't be taking down his soldier.

"I'm going to leave it up until somebody of a higher authority than a homeowner's president tells me to take it down."
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Like I was saying a few months ago here, HOAs aren't viewed by some as legitimate forms of local government but rather nebbish neighbors with too much time on their hands. And more bad media coverage for Privatopia in this latest kerfuffle over patriotic displays. Film at 10.

The End of Ownership: Why Aren't Young People Buying More Houses? - Derek Thompson - Business - The Atlantic

The End of Ownership: Why Aren't Young People Buying More Houses? - Derek Thompson - Business - The Atlantic

Fewer young people are finding jobs. Fewer young people are getting married. Fewer young people are buying homes.
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A trillion dollars in student loan debt is one reason. Add in the unfolding disaster that is the housing market. How can anybody expect them to go out and get married, buy a house, and have kids? Rick Santorum would no doubt blame it on single mothers.

Mayor lists Montana town and its population of 681 for sale at $1.4M | Mail Online

Mayor lists Montana town and its population of 681 for sale at $1.4M | Mail Online
Slightly used, but still serviceable.

Real estate deflation, municipal anti-blight efforts delay foreclosures

In addition, states and municipalities have grown more aggressive in the last few months in trying to force banks to maintain foreclosed properties, which have become blights on neighborhoods from coast to coast. Last month, lawmakers in Florida and courts in New York considered new ways to require lenders to alter loans to keep people in their homes or complete foreclosures more quickly.

“Under normal circumstances, the banks would be able to cover the cost of maintenance, upkeep and property taxes by just reselling the property, but these are desperate times, and banks are resorting to somewhat desperate measures in some cases,” said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac, a real estate analysis firm. “It is more of a factor now because property values have come down and will not cover all these costs when the banks resell the property, if they can resell the property.
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Foreclosure loses its utility when lenders can't make the numbers pencil out and leaving the homeowner in place can stave off local governments targeting REOs that aren't being maintained.

Will HOAs become target of small claims suits?

You've paid your HOA assessments yet the common areas are unmaintained and the pool is closed, having turned into urban pond that's a mosquito breeding ground. It's not fair.

Might people who might feel that way toward their HOAs -- which as the perfessor and I have noted aren't winning popularity contests and continue to receive negative media attention -- take them to court and demand a refund or credit of their assessments?

If they do, the might become part of a fledgling trend to sue deep pocketed defendants who might otherwise have them legally outgunned in court in the no-lawyer courtroom: small claims. This story reports on how large companies such as Honda and AT&T are getting sued in small claims and facing judgments.

THE KANGAROO STAYS! | Weird News - Y100 - Miami's Hit Music Station

THE KANGAROO STAYS! | Weird News - Y100 - Miami's Hit Music Station

A local family has won a battle with their HOA over an unusual pet.

The Dreis family has a 6-month-old kangaroo, Mike.

But they didn’t get Mike just for fun – he’s actually there to help the family’s 16-year-old special-needs daughter, Kala.

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Nice to hear that the HOA changed its mind. It seems that Mike will only be living in the HOA for a year or so and then he is off to a wild animal park. This article has some cute kangaroo photos. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.

Capitol Alert: Housing meltdown dropped California's home ownership rate

Capitol Alert: Housing meltdown dropped California's home ownership rate

The housing industry meltdown in California sharply reversed a trend of steadily increasing homeownership, a new statistical compilation by the Census Bureau reveals.

The result: The percentage of Californians who live in homes that they and their families own dipped to 55.3 percent in 2011, the second lowest rate of any state, just ahead of New York's 53.6 percent.

The current California level is just about where it was during the 1980s and 1990s before climbing to as high as 60.2 percent in 2006, just before the housing market implosion.

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Wow. This is a national trend, but a drop of almost five percentage points is huge. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/02/housing-meltdown-dropped-californias-home-ownership-rate.html#storylink=cpy

Condo Complex Walls Collapse In January, Still Not Fixed - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver

Condo Complex Walls Collapse In January, Still Not Fixed - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Gaping holes in walls, sunlight streaming in through electrical sockets, a bathtub exposed.This is the way it has been for almost two months now at the Snowbird Condos on Zang Street in Lakewood. Brick walls collapsed on two of the buildings during a wind storm at the beginning of January.
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link to yet another collapsing condo. In this case the word "collapse" is used literally.

Stockton's options nearly all bad - Bee Editorials - Modbee.com

Stockton's options nearly all bad - Bee Editorials - Modbee.com

"Every local elected official should be paying close attention to what is happening in the city of Stockton today. Our neighbor to the north, California's 13th largest city with a population of approaching 300,000 people, is flirting with bankruptcy. The City Council is expected to approve an eight-point plan this evening that calls for the city to suspend approximately $2 million in bond payments through the end of the current fiscal year. The plan also calls for the city to embark on two months of private discussions with its bond holders, city employee unions and any other creditors with at least $5 million in claims against the city to determine if parties can reach accommodations that will allow Stockton to avoid bankruptcy. If the council agrees — and it really has no other viable option — Stockton will become the first city in the state to undergo the AB 506 process, a formalized mediation period designed to help jurisdictions restructure their debts and avoid municipal bankruptcy."

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This is a grim situation, obviously. As the headline points out, Stockton's unemployment rate is almost 16% and they are second only to Las Vegas in their foreclosure rate. It is hard to see how this city can strike a deal that will hold off Chapter 9 proceedings for very long.

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2012/02/27/2088700/stocktons-options-are-nearly-all.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

Calculated Risk: New Home Sales: 2011 Still the Worst Year, "Distressing Gap" remains very wide

Calculated Risk: New Home Sales: 2011 Still the Worst Year, "Distressing Gap" remains very wide
"Even with the upward revisions to new home sales in October, November and December, 2011 was the worst year for new home sales since the Census Bureau started tracking sales in 1963. The three worst years were 2011, 2010, and 2009 with sales of 304, 323 and 375 thousand respectively."
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People keep trying to talk up the market by finding a single statistic here or there that looks like it is going up. But the unavoidable fact is that the new housing market is getting worse, year by year.

Rocklin Considering Banning Residents From Smoking Outside Their Own Homes « CBS Sacramento

Rocklin Considering Banning Residents From Smoking Outside Their Own Homes « CBS Sacramento

ROCKLIN (CBS13) – A Rocklin resident has asked the City Council to consider a ban on smoking that some say goes way too far.

The Rocklin City Council was asked to consider making it against the law for smokers to smoke anywhere outside on their property.

Rocklin City Manager Rick Horst said the city has “no intention of considering the matter.”

One homeowner complained about smoke coming from a neighbors’ backyard, saying it caused health problems for their kids.

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At last. A city official with common sense. There is hope.

Wyoming House advances doomsday bill

Wyoming House advances doomsday bill

"CHEYENNE — State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into what Wyoming should do in the event of a complete economic or political collapse in the United States. House Bill 85 passed on first reading by a voice vote. It would create a state-run government continuity task force, which would study and prepare Wyoming for potential catastrophes, from disruptions in food and energy supplies to a complete meltdown of the federal government. The task force would look at the feasibility of Wyoming issuing its own alternative currency, if needed. And House members approved an amendment Friday by state Rep. Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, to have the task force also examine conditions under which Wyoming would need to implement its own military draft, raise a standing army, and acquire strike aircraft and an aircraft carrier."

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Where to begin? First, note how far the craziness on the right has gone. Now we have elected Republicans legislating for the post-apocalypse. Second, they keep telling us how much they revere the US Constitution, but they can't wait to re-institute the Articles of Confederation when the states could act like nations. Third, if Wyoming had an aircraft carrier, where within the borders of the great nation of Wyoming would they put it? Fourth, if you want to see where these elected wing nuts got the idea, check this out.

Foreclosure settlement a failure of law, a triumph for bank attorneys - The Washington Post

Foreclosure settlement a failure of law, a triumph for bank attorneys - The Washington Post
We never want to see an innocent party “accidentally” evicted from a home. The legal system has evolved so this has become a “legal impossibility.” Imagine returning home from work or vacation to find the front door padlocked, the belongings strewn all over the block, a big orange sticker screaming “FORECLOSED” on the garage door, with an auction sign in the front lawn. Now imagine that this occurred even though you are not in default or even delinquent on payments. Thanks to the robosigning banks, this legal impossibility has happened repeatedly, even to homeowners who paid cash for their houses and had no mortgages. Imagine that — foreclosed with no mortgage.
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Barry Ritholtz nails it. Here's the #1 reason why the foreclosure settlement (the "terms" of which are still a secret) is so awful.

The "robo-signing" settlement won’t help homeowners, and it doesn’t hurt the banks. - Slate Magazine

The "robo-signing" settlement won’t help homeowners, and it doesn’t hurt the banks. - Slate Magazine
The main motivation behind the administration’s indulgence of serious criminality evidently is fear of the consequences of taking tough action on individual bankers. And maybe officials are right to be afraid, given the massive size of the banks in question relative to the economy...The message to bank executives today is simple: build your bank to be as big as possible—and then keep growing. If you manage to become big enough, you and your employees are not just too big to fail, but also too big to jail.
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This explanation makes sense to me. These big banking corporations are above the law.

Insider Says Wells Fargo’s Independent Foreclosure Review for OCC is “a Sham” - Mandelman Matters

Insider Says Wells Fargo’s Independent Foreclosure Review for OCC is “a Sham” - Mandelman Matters
"“I was hired as one of those “Independent File Review Specialist” at a company called Promontory working on Wells Fargo Bank. I have 15 years industry experience in all facets of the mortgage & title industry, and just needed a job at the moment. I must say the whole project is a mess, and a terrible joke on the victims of foreclosure and the American people. It’s a total sham.”
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Case shines light on how much power private security has when policing neighborhoods - chicagotribune.com

Case shines light on how much power private security has when policing neighborhoods - chicagotribune.com
"It's a massive, ad hoc privatization of government services," said Evan McKenzie, a University of Illinois at Chicago associate professor of political science and critic who has written two books on the topic. "That's why you get these weird situations.

"It makes sense to (homeowners groups) from a property-management perspective," he said. "But if you view it another way, the actions of any government are supposed to be limited by concepts of civil liberties. Civil liberties don't always apply here."

An Illinois appeals court in a strongly worded ruling last month found that Lake Holiday's practice of stopping and detaining drivers for violating homeowners association rules was unlawful. The court also found that the association's use of amber-colored flashing lights on its vehicles was unlawful and that the association could be held liable for Poris' false imprisonment claim.

A LaSalle County judge had previously ruled in favor of the homeowners association.
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Indeed. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Here's the meat of the opinion:

 "As set forth above, the Association's security department's practices of stopping and detaining drivers for violating Association rules and using amber flashing and oscillating lights on its security vehicles are unlawful. Thus, the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to the Association on those issues. We affirm the court's grant of summary judgment to the Association on plaintiff's claims that the Association's use of recording equipment and radar violate Illinois law. However, we reverse and remand for the trial court to grant summary judgment to plaintiff on his claims that the Association's practices of stopping and detaining drivers for rule violations and of using amber lights on their security vehicles are unlawful...Because Podnar restrained plaintiff for violating an Association rule, not a criminal law, plaintiff established the elements necessary for his false imprisonment claim. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment to the Association on that count. We reverse and remand to the trial court to enter summary judgment in favor of plaintiff on the liability portion of his false imprisonment cause of action and to determine plaintiff's damages."
The case is:

2012 Ill. App. LEXIS 42, *; 2012 IL App (3d) 110131, **

KENNETH E. PORIS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. LAKE HOLIDAY PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., GEORGE LEIDOLF, JAMES MORAN, STEVEN CONDON, DOROTHY FLEMING, JAMES BYRNE, MICHAEL IVANAUSKAS, CINDY KAMINKY and MATTHEW CLIFFORD, Defendants-Appellees.
No. 3-11-0131
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS, THIRD DISTRICT
2012 Ill. App. LEXIS 42; 2012 IL App (3d) 110131

January 24, 2012, Opinion Filed--------------- 

Man admits embezzling from Wisconsin, other homeowner groups - TODAY'S TMJ4

Man admits embezzling from Wisconsin, other homeowner groups - TODAY'S TMJ4

Palmer owned and operated Home Owner Association Services, which provided management services and managed accounts for homeowner associations in Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Prosecutors say when Palmer closed the company's Kansas City office in March 2011, $751,302 was missing from the accounts of 32 homeowner associations.

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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link to yet another of the dozens and dozens of HOA/condo manager frauds that have taken place in recent years. But remember: all of them are isolated instances that do not point to the need for government oversight of this industry.