Wealthy NYC suburb makes it illegal to hang laundry outside since it looks 'low class' | Mail Online: Residents of a wealthy village near New York have been ordered not to hang their laundry outside their homes as it makes them look 'low class.'
The board of Great Neck on Long Island has passed a law which makes it a criminal offense to use a clothesline in front of your home.
The punishment if they are caught is a fine of up to $1,000 or, in severe cases, 15 days in jail.
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Too much like Appalachia for a rich suburb on Long Island?
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Friday, December 07, 2012
What's ahead for community associations in 2013 - chicagotribune.com
What's ahead for community associations in 2013 - chicagotribune.com:
"Owner aggression. Owners are increasingly vocal about their rights and wants. Some are well-informed about association operations and expect boards to act properly. Others promote personal agendas or disregard the rules. Be prepared for complaints, challenges and even lawsuits.
"Board members need to make sure they are operating in accordance with the law and governing documents," said Arlington Heights-based association attorney Charles VanderVennet. "They also need to maintain ongoing communication with owners to let them know what they are doing and why, and to draw lines of responsibility. An association is not a democracy, and some owners don't accept that."
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I agree with the basic idea of this paragraphs, but in what sense is this "owner aggression"? They are "increasingly vocal about their rights and wants"? They are "well-informed about association operations and expect boards to act properly"? That is aggression?
"Owner aggression. Owners are increasingly vocal about their rights and wants. Some are well-informed about association operations and expect boards to act properly. Others promote personal agendas or disregard the rules. Be prepared for complaints, challenges and even lawsuits.
"Board members need to make sure they are operating in accordance with the law and governing documents," said Arlington Heights-based association attorney Charles VanderVennet. "They also need to maintain ongoing communication with owners to let them know what they are doing and why, and to draw lines of responsibility. An association is not a democracy, and some owners don't accept that."
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I agree with the basic idea of this paragraphs, but in what sense is this "owner aggression"? They are "increasingly vocal about their rights and wants"? They are "well-informed about association operations and expect boards to act properly"? That is aggression?
Obama supporters fear their rent will rise after manager makes threats | News - Home
Obama supporters fear their rent will rise after manager makes threats | News - Home:
"A Colorado Springs apartment manager threatens to raise the rent of anyone who voted to re-elect President Barack Obama."
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The right wing hissy fit continues.
"A Colorado Springs apartment manager threatens to raise the rent of anyone who voted to re-elect President Barack Obama."
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The right wing hissy fit continues.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
the Citadel : A Community of Liberty
the Citadel : A Community of Liberty
"The Citadel is a developing community of Patriots in the mountains of Idaho who believe in Jefferson's Rightful Liberty and have chosen to live amongst one another, who have sworn their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor to defend one another and Liberty."
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And who think..."Economic collapse is imminent. Disruptions of Just-in-Time supply lines will lead America into chaos. Violence along racial, ethnic, religious and economic class lines will bring forth famine, disease and a fundamental reset of life in America...The Citadel will have between 3,500 and 5,000 households within the walls, with a single gate permitting access. The Citadel is not to be a closed society, instead a refuge for genuine Patriots who wish to live without neighbors who are Liberals and Establishment political ideologues,"
So they have decided to make their own fortress community in the wilds of Idaho. Good riddance. And I suggest that they take along the following reading material:
The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allen Poe, which talks about some fictional people who tried that strategy.
"The Citadel is a developing community of Patriots in the mountains of Idaho who believe in Jefferson's Rightful Liberty and have chosen to live amongst one another, who have sworn their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor to defend one another and Liberty."
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And who think..."Economic collapse is imminent. Disruptions of Just-in-Time supply lines will lead America into chaos. Violence along racial, ethnic, religious and economic class lines will bring forth famine, disease and a fundamental reset of life in America...The Citadel will have between 3,500 and 5,000 households within the walls, with a single gate permitting access. The Citadel is not to be a closed society, instead a refuge for genuine Patriots who wish to live without neighbors who are Liberals and Establishment political ideologues,"
So they have decided to make their own fortress community in the wilds of Idaho. Good riddance. And I suggest that they take along the following reading material:
The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allen Poe, which talks about some fictional people who tried that strategy.
Threepers Creepers: On Far-Right Fringes, the Exodus to the Woods is Under Way | Crooks and Liars
Threepers Creepers: On Far-Right Fringes, the Exodus to the Woods is Under Way | Crooks and Liars
"Now that they've lost their election and are seeing their political future circling down the drain, a lot of folks on the political right are drowning in despair and retreating even further into the cocoon of non-reality they've created for themselves. And that response is especially acute on farthest fringes of the Right, where the militiamen are stocking up for the Obamacalypse."
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"Now that they've lost their election and are seeing their political future circling down the drain, a lot of folks on the political right are drowning in despair and retreating even further into the cocoon of non-reality they've created for themselves. And that response is especially acute on farthest fringes of the Right, where the militiamen are stocking up for the Obamacalypse."
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Bye. And thanks to Mystery Reader for the link.
Kane County Chronicle | Geneva homeowners association dispute yields progress
Kane County Chronicle | Geneva homeowners association dispute yields progress: GENEVA – Defendants in a court case between a Geneva homeowners association and a bank say they are hopeful that the two parties will reach a resolution with the help of a judge by mid-January.
The case between Old Second National Bank and the Prairie Ridge Townhome Owners Association was presented before a judge for the first time last week, and since then, both parties believe they have moved closer to a resolution.
The dispute is about which party – the bank’s third-party manager or an elected homeowners association that formed last year – is in control of managing fees from the subdivision’s homeowners association.
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Only in Privatopia can a case like this occur: where the jurisdiction's managers and vendors claim they and not the governing board are in control.
The case between Old Second National Bank and the Prairie Ridge Townhome Owners Association was presented before a judge for the first time last week, and since then, both parties believe they have moved closer to a resolution.
The dispute is about which party – the bank’s third-party manager or an elected homeowners association that formed last year – is in control of managing fees from the subdivision’s homeowners association.
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Only in Privatopia can a case like this occur: where the jurisdiction's managers and vendors claim they and not the governing board are in control.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Susan Reinhardt on tacky Christmas yard decor | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com
Susan Reinhardt on tacky Christmas yard decor | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com: I have some wonderful neighbors in my middle-class Fairview subdivision. I also have a homeowners association, a governing body I don’t consider human, but more like a Big Brother, watch-your-back organization that in the last couple of years has siphoned my savings like a decent vein at the Red Cross bloodmobile.
We needed a new road, our asphalt being pot-holed and raggedy. I have no reason to gripe about the “patchy” job done, since I did not attend one meeting.
Putting my current homeowners association into perspective, this group pales in comparison to the evil rulings of past experiences I’ve had while living as a single mother in a couple of condos.
One association even required us to use a certain type of vertical blinds, measuring a precise length and width, I kid you not. That was during the time I accidentally bought a patio home in a retirement village, my youngest neighbor in her 90s.
We needed a new road, our asphalt being pot-holed and raggedy. I have no reason to gripe about the “patchy” job done, since I did not attend one meeting.
Putting my current homeowners association into perspective, this group pales in comparison to the evil rulings of past experiences I’ve had while living as a single mother in a couple of condos.
One association even required us to use a certain type of vertical blinds, measuring a precise length and width, I kid you not. That was during the time I accidentally bought a patio home in a retirement village, my youngest neighbor in her 90s.
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Columbia residents propose new legislation - baltimoresun.com
Columbia residents propose new legislation - baltimoresun.com: According to the group of residents proposing the new bill, which includes two representatives from the Alliance for a Better Columbia and the president of the Maryland Homeowner's Association Jeanne Ketley, the purpose of the alternative legislation is to make CA more like traditional homeowners associations, of which all residential lien-payers are members.
"We are not asking for something that will make us stand out or different," said group representative and Oakland Mills resident Bill McCormack. "In fact, CA, as it is structured now, stands out and is different. In this case, we want to be like everybody else and adopt a structure that is tried, tested and true."
"When we are supporting CA through the lien fee, we need to have representation. That's critical, that is how we do things in America."
"We are not asking for something that will make us stand out or different," said group representative and Oakland Mills resident Bill McCormack. "In fact, CA, as it is structured now, stands out and is different. In this case, we want to be like everybody else and adopt a structure that is tried, tested and true."
"When we are supporting CA through the lien fee, we need to have representation. That's critical, that is how we do things in America."
Monday, December 03, 2012
The Occidental Weekly : Taitz loses court case to Occidental over Obama’s records
The Occidental Weekly : Taitz loses court case to Occidental over Obama’s records:
According to the court observer, Judge Marginis did comment on Taitz’s quality of evidence when she presented a folder of it to the judge.
“You should know that evidence is not stuff printed from the internet,” Marginis said, responding to Taitz’s continued argument after he made the decision to quash the subpoena and award $4,000 in sanctions to Occidental College.
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True. And that is a general lesson not just for birthers, but for the many other people who like to make up their own wackadoodle legal theories and head off to court with them. That sort of thing can become expensive when the judge throws out the case. There is a lot of room to be creative with the law, and that is a good thing. We need to have people exploring the outer limits of civil liberties and rights, for example. But making up your own law and then trying to live by it is a dangerous thing. People who claim they don't have to pay taxes and refuse to recognize the federal government, or people who keep insisting that the president was born in Kenya, need to wake up and join the real world.
According to the court observer, Judge Marginis did comment on Taitz’s quality of evidence when she presented a folder of it to the judge.
“You should know that evidence is not stuff printed from the internet,” Marginis said, responding to Taitz’s continued argument after he made the decision to quash the subpoena and award $4,000 in sanctions to Occidental College.
---------------
True. And that is a general lesson not just for birthers, but for the many other people who like to make up their own wackadoodle legal theories and head off to court with them. That sort of thing can become expensive when the judge throws out the case. There is a lot of room to be creative with the law, and that is a good thing. We need to have people exploring the outer limits of civil liberties and rights, for example. But making up your own law and then trying to live by it is a dangerous thing. People who claim they don't have to pay taxes and refuse to recognize the federal government, or people who keep insisting that the president was born in Kenya, need to wake up and join the real world.
Saturday, December 01, 2012
200 square foot homes prop up in DC as aspiring homeowners look for their piece of the American dream after the housing crisis | Mail Online
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Rich, lonely woman Betty Harris, who died aged 95, leaves $12.5 million estate to neighbour | News.com.au
Rich, lonely woman Betty Harris, who died aged 95, leaves $12.5 million estate to neighbour | News.com.au:
A rich but lonely old lady has left her entire estate, worth $12.5 million to her neighbour, who bought her bread and milk and helped her manage her daily chores.
Betty Harris, who died aged 95 in 2009, chose to leave her estate to her neighbour in the millionaires enclave of Point Piper in Sydney after she felt her niece was trying to force her into a nursing home.
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Proving once again that being nice to your neighbors pays off. The lady in the post below should read this.
A rich but lonely old lady has left her entire estate, worth $12.5 million to her neighbour, who bought her bread and milk and helped her manage her daily chores.
Betty Harris, who died aged 95 in 2009, chose to leave her estate to her neighbour in the millionaires enclave of Point Piper in Sydney after she felt her niece was trying to force her into a nursing home.
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Proving once again that being nice to your neighbors pays off. The lady in the post below should read this.
WWL - AM870 | FM105.3 | News | Talk | Sports - Cops Tell D. Springs Woman To Take Down ''offensive'' Christmas Lights
WWL - AM870 | FM105.3 | News | Talk | Sports - Cops Tell D. Springs Woman To Take Down ''offensive'' Christmas Lights
A Denham Springs woman got a visit from the cops after nearby residents were offended by her somewhat unorthodox Christmas lights display. Homeowner Sarah Henderson intentionally fashioned the lights on her roof (photo, above) to look like a human hand "flipping the bird." Neighbors called police to complain, and Denham Springs Police Corporal Shawn Perkins paid her a visit. Corporal Perkins said the woman told him she put the display as a direct message to her neighbors. "It was a message to an ongoing dispute she was having with other homeowners on that same street," Perkins told WWL First News. Perkins says he informed Henderson that the display was in violation of obscenity laws and that it must come down, or else.
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A Denham Springs woman got a visit from the cops after nearby residents were offended by her somewhat unorthodox Christmas lights display. Homeowner Sarah Henderson intentionally fashioned the lights on her roof (photo, above) to look like a human hand "flipping the bird." Neighbors called police to complain, and Denham Springs Police Corporal Shawn Perkins paid her a visit. Corporal Perkins said the woman told him she put the display as a direct message to her neighbors. "It was a message to an ongoing dispute she was having with other homeowners on that same street," Perkins told WWL First News. Perkins says he informed Henderson that the display was in violation of obscenity laws and that it must come down, or else.
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And a Merry Christmas to all!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Backyard camping about to go legal in Superior - Boulder Daily Camera
Backyard camping about to go legal in Superior - Boulder Daily Camera:
Magley said the anti-camping language in the code evolved from the town's desire not to see itinerant housing popping up willy-nilly in residents' yards.
"We don't want someone renting out their backyard to someone to camp," he said. "But we also wouldn't want to prevent kids enjoying camping in their backyards over the weekend."
Ian Elverson, president of the 2,804-home Rock Creek Homeowners Association, said there are no official statistics on how many families in Superior engage in the time-honored practice of backyard camping. But he said there's been no shortage of anecdotal evidence that it happens on a regular basis.
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The town is out HOAing the HOA.
Magley said the anti-camping language in the code evolved from the town's desire not to see itinerant housing popping up willy-nilly in residents' yards.
"We don't want someone renting out their backyard to someone to camp," he said. "But we also wouldn't want to prevent kids enjoying camping in their backyards over the weekend."
Ian Elverson, president of the 2,804-home Rock Creek Homeowners Association, said there are no official statistics on how many families in Superior engage in the time-honored practice of backyard camping. But he said there's been no shortage of anecdotal evidence that it happens on a regular basis.
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The town is out HOAing the HOA.
Northwest Herald | Township road thieves: Letter to the editor
Northwest Herald | Township road thieves:
"Municipal and homeowners association property owners pay about 90 percent of the cost of maintaining township subdivision roads. Decade after decade, townships have filled their coffers at the expense of municipal and homeowners association taxpayers. Over the years, townships have benefited by millions of hard-earned tax dollars from these sources. Example: McHenry Township Road District revenue in 2011 was $2,924,321.77. Most of this amount was spent on township subdivision roads. Illinois township laws are unfair to McHenry County municipal taxpayers. Illinois township laws are unfair to McHenry County homeowners associations."
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As Fred Pilot would say, "so there!"
"Municipal and homeowners association property owners pay about 90 percent of the cost of maintaining township subdivision roads. Decade after decade, townships have filled their coffers at the expense of municipal and homeowners association taxpayers. Over the years, townships have benefited by millions of hard-earned tax dollars from these sources. Example: McHenry Township Road District revenue in 2011 was $2,924,321.77. Most of this amount was spent on township subdivision roads. Illinois township laws are unfair to McHenry County municipal taxpayers. Illinois township laws are unfair to McHenry County homeowners associations."
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As Fred Pilot would say, "so there!"
Homeowners in Katy neighborhood upset over vehicles towed from in front of their own homes | abc13.com
Homeowners in Katy neighborhood upset over vehicles towed from in front of their own homes | abc13.com: KATY, TX (KTRK) -- There's a battle brewing between homeowners and the association in charge of the neighborhood, all over where people are parking their cars.
Some homeowners in Katy are upset because they say their cars are being towed from in front of their own houses. The homeowners association says it's not where people are parking, but the way they are parking that's causing problems.
Sonia Azad will have more on this story this afternoon on ABC13 Eyewitness News.
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First come the tow trucks, then the TV news crews, followed by the lawyers. Good for the tow operators, good for TV news viewership and good for the CID bar. Privatopia. What a country!
Some homeowners in Katy are upset because they say their cars are being towed from in front of their own houses. The homeowners association says it's not where people are parking, but the way they are parking that's causing problems.
Sonia Azad will have more on this story this afternoon on ABC13 Eyewitness News.
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First come the tow trucks, then the TV news crews, followed by the lawyers. Good for the tow operators, good for TV news viewership and good for the CID bar. Privatopia. What a country!
Auxiliary players in Plymouth Hill Condo Association scheme plead guilty - The Times Herald
Auxiliary players in Plymouth Hill Condo Association scheme plead guilty - The Times Herald: COURTHOUSE — While they might have been on the sidelines — not quite in the spotlight like the scheme’s ringleaders — John Jurkofsky and Roosevelt Harris are doing time for their involvement in an operation that got them rich with other people’s money.
Last month, Jurkofsky and Harris pleaded guilty to theft by deception and criminal conspiracy in the case of the Plymouth Hill Condo Association, which resulted in the swindling of hundreds of thousands of dollars from condominium residents in the form of charging inflated prices for resident fees and contracted services.
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Most of the prosecutions of managers and board members to date have been for embezzlement, which is a relatively simple crime. People who have the right to touch the money decide to steal it. But the more sophisticated way to bilk CID residents is the "death of the thousand cuts" approach--set up a system of inflated or completely bogus charges that eventually add up to a fortune.
Last month, Jurkofsky and Harris pleaded guilty to theft by deception and criminal conspiracy in the case of the Plymouth Hill Condo Association, which resulted in the swindling of hundreds of thousands of dollars from condominium residents in the form of charging inflated prices for resident fees and contracted services.
-----------
Most of the prosecutions of managers and board members to date have been for embezzlement, which is a relatively simple crime. People who have the right to touch the money decide to steal it. But the more sophisticated way to bilk CID residents is the "death of the thousand cuts" approach--set up a system of inflated or completely bogus charges that eventually add up to a fortune.
Courthouse News Service: Sex offender banned, sues condo association
Courthouse News Service:
AUSTIN (CN) - A sex offender sued his condo association for banning registered sex offenders from living there soon after he was released from prison. Theodore Whipple and his wife sued the Valley View Village Condominium Homeowners Association in Federal Court.
Whipple claims he was convicted of a sex offense 20 years ago and that he has lived with his wife at the condominium since 2008.
"On September 17, 2012, the husband was released from prison and returned to their condominium home after serving a 34-month sentence for failing to register correctly his residence in the sex offender registry," the complaint states.
"On September 18, 2012, the condominium association posted a notice on plaintiffs' door announcing for the first time that registered sex offenders are not allowed to live in the condominium."
Whipple says he is classified as a low-risk sex offender, and that Valley View has banned all registered sex offenders, regardless of their risk level.
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What limits should there be on the power of CIDs to exclude people?
AUSTIN (CN) - A sex offender sued his condo association for banning registered sex offenders from living there soon after he was released from prison. Theodore Whipple and his wife sued the Valley View Village Condominium Homeowners Association in Federal Court.
Whipple claims he was convicted of a sex offense 20 years ago and that he has lived with his wife at the condominium since 2008.
"On September 17, 2012, the husband was released from prison and returned to their condominium home after serving a 34-month sentence for failing to register correctly his residence in the sex offender registry," the complaint states.
"On September 18, 2012, the condominium association posted a notice on plaintiffs' door announcing for the first time that registered sex offenders are not allowed to live in the condominium."
Whipple says he is classified as a low-risk sex offender, and that Valley View has banned all registered sex offenders, regardless of their risk level.
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What limits should there be on the power of CIDs to exclude people?
Friday, November 23, 2012
Economists, Obama administration at odds over role of mortgage debt in recovery - The Washington Post
Economists, Obama administration at odds over role of mortgage debt in recovery - The Washington Post
“No one was in doubt that debt overhangs were an important problem,” Summers said recently at a conference. But despite exploring many proposals, the administration did not see a plan that did not have the potential to cause “effects worse than the cure,” he said, such as cratering the financial system by forcing banks to absorb huge losses.
At a more basic level, officials simply did not believe that a big program of debt forgiveness was a smart investment, costing hundreds of billions of dollars — money that it preferred to spend on a massive economic stimulus package that could much more quickly lift the economy. The administration also announced a more modest program designed to avert foreclosures by reducing mortgage payments but not the total debt balance.
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The underlying policy issue here is whether it's good policy and precedent to erase debt that fueled an asset bubble, in this case residential real estate. I don't believe it is. People all too easily forget the beating the economy takes when debt driven asset bubbles pop. The debt overhang is a harsh consequence but a necessary market object lesson for both lenders and borrowers.
“No one was in doubt that debt overhangs were an important problem,” Summers said recently at a conference. But despite exploring many proposals, the administration did not see a plan that did not have the potential to cause “effects worse than the cure,” he said, such as cratering the financial system by forcing banks to absorb huge losses.
At a more basic level, officials simply did not believe that a big program of debt forgiveness was a smart investment, costing hundreds of billions of dollars — money that it preferred to spend on a massive economic stimulus package that could much more quickly lift the economy. The administration also announced a more modest program designed to avert foreclosures by reducing mortgage payments but not the total debt balance.
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The underlying policy issue here is whether it's good policy and precedent to erase debt that fueled an asset bubble, in this case residential real estate. I don't believe it is. People all too easily forget the beating the economy takes when debt driven asset bubbles pop. The debt overhang is a harsh consequence but a necessary market object lesson for both lenders and borrowers.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Decorated vet stands his ground in dispute over American flag
Decorated vet stands his ground in dispute over American flag: SEVIERVILLE (WATE) - The deadline has passed for a retired Army sergeant to remove the American flag and flag pole from his front yard at a Sevierville condominium community.
The sergeant, Homer Hampton, has refused to obey the association's order.
"Good Lord willing, it's going to stay up," said Hampton "As long as I'm living, I will fight this thing."
The deadline for Hampton to remove the flag pole and lights from in front of his condo unit has come and gone.
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HOA flag flap No. 436,860. And more bad press for Privatopia. Film at 10.
The sergeant, Homer Hampton, has refused to obey the association's order.
"Good Lord willing, it's going to stay up," said Hampton "As long as I'm living, I will fight this thing."
The deadline for Hampton to remove the flag pole and lights from in front of his condo unit has come and gone.
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HOA flag flap No. 436,860. And more bad press for Privatopia. Film at 10.
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