Homeowners Association: Veteran Can’t Build Furniture For Military Families In Need � CBS Sacramento

Homeowners Association: Veteran Can’t Build Furniture For Military Families In Need  CBS Sacramento:

"Even as a nonprofit, the Vietnam veteran was told he had to get a business permit, which he did in 2012. But this March, the Lake of the Pines Homeowners Association took it away.
“Now they’ve come back to me and said I’m producing odors and noxious fumes,” he said.
Such complaints typically come from neighbors, but those who live nearby have written letters supporting Dennis Kocher and his work.
We tried getting answers from the association’s general manager, but he would not comment."

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Homeowners Association: Veteran Can’t Build Furniture For Military Families In Need CBS Sacramento

Homeowners Association: Veteran Can’t Build Furniture For Military Families In Need CBS Sacramento: NEVADA COUNTY (CBS13) — A war veteran who builds furniture in his garage and gives it to military families in need could be forced to shut down the saws.

A homeowners association is telling Dennis Kocher he needs to close up shop after years of doing business, or he could be fined between $100 and $1,000.

“I may not paint, sand, cut wood or screw on the property at anytime,” he said.

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More bad press for Privatopia, California sector. Film at 10 on CBS13, Sacramento.

Despite recovery, fewer Americans identify as middle class | Pew Research Center

Despite recovery, fewer Americans identify as middle class | Pew Research Center:

'The nationally representative survey of 1,504 adults conducted Jan. 15-19 found that the share of Americans who identify with the middle class has never been lower, dropping to 44% in the latest survey from 53% in 2008 during the first months of the Great Recession.

At the same time, the share of the public who says they are in the lower or lower-middle classes rose by 15 percentage points, from 25% in 2008 to 40% today."

-------------

Much of this change has taken place in the last two years.  One would expect a political backlash aimed at changing the rules of the bipartisan Reaganomics system that is so flagrantly rigged in favor of the rich at the expense of the middle class. But instead we see people obsessed with sports, celebrities, guns, and bizarre conspiracy theories. Young people are getting savaged by this economy: "In 2008, a quarter of all young adults identified as being in the lower or lower-middle class; today about twice as many do (49%), a 24-point increase."  And those who venture into college are being placed in lifelong debt servitude. But just wait--on election day in November they will stay home in droves.

A deep divide over new condo foreclosure bill - chicagotribune.com

A deep divide over new condo foreclosure bill - chicagotribune.com:

"The Illinois Condominium Property Act allows associations, in case of a judicial foreclosure sale, to recoup up to six months of unpaid common expenses from the next owner of the unit.

These expenses may include special assessments, late fees, fines and attorney fees. Lenders are exempt from making this payment.

The bill would amend the condo act by capping an association's claim to nine months of regular assessments. Attorney and court costs can be recovered as long as the total doesn't exceed the cap.

The Illinois Association of Realtors, which supports the legislation, said the current law is an affordability barrier for buyers.

The extra costs, which can reach several thousand dollars, typically cannot be financed. Buyers often are stunned to discover at closing that they owe sizable sums."

-------------------------

So under the proposed law, which is sitting on Governor Quinn's desk awaiting signature or veto, the association could receive an amount equal to nine months of back assessments instead of six months, but the tradeoff is that the maximum amount would include the attorney fees and other charges that are always tacked onto the association's claim against the owner.  Realtors are in favor of the bill, saying, "We think the way the current law is written has fostered an atmosphere that has allowed outrageous attorney fees to run up and for associations to throw in anything having to do with the prior owner just because they knew they could stick the buyer with it."  But association attorneys are not happy with having their meal ticket trimmed.

The Twin Insurgency - The American Interest

The Twin Insurgency - The American Interest:

"Rights within such spaces accrue to dollars rather than to citizenship. The vision of the future here is of a global archipelago of what Evan McKenzie has called “privatopias”, essentially gated enclaves linked by air and internet to other such spaces, protected by high ramparts from the roiling dystopian ocean of the hoi polloi."

Housing dispute leaves 97-year-old man homeless

Housing dispute leaves 97-year-old man homeless:

"Each morning, a variety of men and women pass through the doors of Napa’s Hope Resource Center in search for a place in a local homeless shelter that night. On Wednesday morning, one visitor looked no more or less weathered or beaten-down than the others – only more diminutive and older, decades older.

James Farrell arrived at 8:30 a.m., his 5-foot-tall frame arm in arm with a woman who had helped him find an interim place to sleep since a dispute with management cost the ukulele-playing 97-year-old his place at a local retirement home."

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Redwood Retirement Center in Napa, CA, evicted this veteran of three wars. Apparently they didn't appreciate his singing and ukelele playing, and they said his room wasn't clean enough.

Maryland Homeowners' Association, Inc.

E-Communicator
For Homeowners in Condominiums, Cooperatives, and Homeowner Associations in Maryland

 

July 22, 2014
 

Celebrating the Life of Patricia Wigginton

Patricia Wigginton passed away on July 11, 2014. She was a Board member of the Maryland Homeowners Association (MHA) since 1992 and editor of MHA’s Communicator newsletter. She served as MHA’s president and executive director 1995-1999 and as such shepherded successful passage of the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights in the Maryland legislature and the successful transition of the organization upon the retirement of the founder and executive director, Dorothy Sager. A Celebration of her Life will be held:
 

Sunday, July 27^th at 3 pm at the
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
9601 Cedar Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-493-8300

For directions, go to http://www.cedarlane.org/directions.html

For 22 years in board positions including president, secretary, treasurer, & general officer, Pat offered information and support to individuals and boards of directors by phone and in person. She organized workshops and attended individual association meetings, CCOC hearings, including running and overseeing individual association elections. She testified for homeowner legislation on behalf of MHA. In 2006 she testified before the COC Task Force. In February 2008, as president of her condo association, she supported the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition’s (MCRC’s) agenda testifying in favor of several energy bills---as well as organizing a write-in campaign among her neighbors to the Public Service Commission on “Fair Utility Rates.” She represented MHA at MCRC workshops and coalition meetings in Annapolis during the legislative sessions. During her many years of service she met with both politicians and government bureaucrats to advocate go od governance issues.

Patricia Wigginton served as president of her condominium association and had 25 years of board experience in her condo and its umbrella HOA and MTA organizations. In addition to advocating good government issues in condos and HOA’s, she was a long-time activist and advocate for children and the elderly---volunteering with Montgomery County schools, police and as a nursing home ombudsman.

As a volunteer in the Montgomery County schools, Pat was an early proponent in the fight against childhood obesity. Beginning in 2000, she advocated for more exercise and physical education in the schools and served on the county’s curriculum advisory committee, working with the county’s PTA, helping draft a county Wellness Policy and organizing “Walk to School Day” in the local elementary school. Her legislative efforts in this area included lobbying and testifying in favor of State Health and Fitness Acts supporting walking as the Maryland State Exercise. She also supported safety restrictions in teen driving legislation.

In 1996 Ms. Wigginton organized her son’s elementary school community to participate in the Stand For Children March on Washington, D.C. In 1997, as a way to continue awareness of children’s needs, she organized a “Stand for Children Book Drive” which has become an annual event for Ashburton Elementary and North Bethesda Middle schools. For the past decade, the “Reach Out and Read” program at Upper Cardoza Health Care Center in D.C. has been the recipient of the children’s book donations. More than 25,000 books were collected and donated to support literacy efforts since 1997.

In 1988 Pat organized a Neighborhood Watch Program in her condominium community, which was featured in a Voice of America segment on life in the United States. She continued to support the safety of her community and the police department’s neighborhood policing policies by serving on a Police-Citizen Advisory Committee for her District of Montgomery County since 2002.

Pat Wigginton was a truly spectacular and generous woman. She will be missed by her family, friends and community.
 
 

76-year-old man is ARRESTED at Tennessee town hall meeting | Mail Online

76-year-old man is ARRESTED at Tennessee town hall meeting | Mail Online:



"Locals in a small Tennessee town are outraged after a 76-year-old man was arrested during a town hall hearing over a proposed pipeline because he asked board members to speak louder.

Eddie Overholt's arrest came Friday after asking town board members to speak louder during a hearing to determine whether a gas company would be allowed to build a pipeline to dump waste into a local river.

‘Okay, I’m arrested,’ Overholt can be heard saying in a baritone drawl as he is escorted out of the Greenville Town Hall during a hearing with U.S. Nitrogen, according to WATE. The company wants a pipeline to the Nolichucky River."

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Not an HOA.

City OKs UWS development with ‘poor door’ for residents | New York Post

City OKs UWS development with ‘poor door’ for residents | New York Post:

"The city approved a developer’s controversial plans for a “poor door” on the Upper West Side, The Post has learned.
Extell came under fire last year when it introduced plans for a 33-story luxury condo with a separate entrance for affordable-housing tenants."

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My good man, please step round to the back and use the servants' entrance. There's a good lad.

Iraq vet cited for owning 14 therapeutic pet ducks - Yahoo News

Iraq vet cited for owning 14 therapeutic pet ducks - Yahoo News: WEST LAFAYETTE, Ohio (AP) — An Army veteran who hurt his back during the Iraq War is worried a citation will result in him losing his 14 pet ducks, which he says are therapeutic.

Darin Welker said officials in the village of West Lafayette told him to get rid of the ducks in May and cited him for a minor misdemeanor on June 23 for failing to comply. Walker is scheduled to appear in Coshocton Municipal Court for a hearing Wednesday and could face a $150 fine.

Welker, 36, says the ducks help him with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and keep him more active.

West Lafayette, about 80 miles east of Columbus, banned residents from keeping fowl and other farm animals in 2010.

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It's only a matter of time before the quackdown on therapy ducks comes to Privatopia.

Did this booby trap set up in a Pevely yard go too far? | KMOV.com St. Louis

Did this booby trap set up in a Pevely yard go too far? | KMOV.com St. Louis

"(KMOV.com) – A homeowner in Pevely elected to set up booby traps on his lawn to prevent pranksters from driving onto it. The resident buried a board along the street with nails sticking out of the ground, the goal was to flatten the tires of cars driven by pranksters. Police told News 4 the trap was difficult to see “They were painted black and they were buried in the ground, and it made it very difficult to see,” said Pevely Police Chief Ron Weeks."

--------------

And now the town of Pevely is going to pass an ordinance banning booby traps on lawns. I suppose that will make everybody except the property rights fanatics.  

Subdivision’s paving woes highlight gray area in enforcement | The Courier-Tribune

Subdivision’s paving woes highlight gray area in enforcement | The Courier-Tribune: The developer owns the road up to the point where the state takes it over. The state will not take the road over, even if it is up to spec, until a certain threshold of habitation is reached — a minimum of two houses per one-tenth mile, according to Jeff Loflin, county N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) engineer. So, in the interim, the developer should be motivated to keep the road up, in theory.

The reality Stauffer is experiencing what happens when the theory breaks down. It breaks down, most often, when a developer goes bankrupt or leaves a subdivision uncompleted because he or she has moved on to a more lucrative project. Short of suing the developer, the homeowners typically have few options other than taking over road maintenance themselves.
------------

This is the point where the intergovernmental relationship as the perfessor termed it in his seminal 1994 book Privatopia reaches a dead end. NCDOT is using a similar formula that privately owned cable companies use in determining where they will build infrastructure -- a formula that creates winners (and lots of losers), leaving many without needed infrastructure.

White House opens door to tolls on interstate highways, removing long-standing prohibition - The Washington Post

White House opens door to tolls on interstate highways, removing long-standing prohibition - The Washington Post:



"With pressure mounting to avert a transportation funding crisis this summer, the Obama administration Tuesday opened the door for states to collect tolls on interstate highways to raise revenue for roadway repairs.

The proposal, contained in a four-year, $302 billion White House transportation bill, would reverse a long-standing federal prohibition on most interstate tolling.

Though some older segments of the network — notably the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes and Interstate 95 in Maryland and Interstate 495 in Virginia — are toll roads, most of the 46,876-mile system has been toll-free."

------------

The Republican strategy of refusing to let Obama fix any problem, under any circumstances, pays off again. Now they are turning the interstate highways into toll roads, which should make Rand Paul happy. Now if only they can figure out how to charge us for the air we breathe...



This decision will be a huge boon to the privatization industry, which will step forward and propose a big cash payment (that will turn out to be not so big) for the right to lease the interstate highways and run them as private toll roads.

To Water Or Not To Water? Residents Getting Mixed Messages Amid Drought --CBS Los Angeles

To Water Or Not To Water? Residents Getting Mixed Messages Amid Drought  CBS Los Angeles

The message from the state: overwater your lawn and you get fined. The message from the city of Glendora: underwater your  lawn and you get fined.  It's sort of a Goldilocks drought watering policy.

Income Inequality Has Spurred a Boom in Private Security | Mother Jones

Income Inequality Has Spurred a Boom in Private Security | Mother Jones:

"Perhaps this is our dystopian, Piketty-esque future: a small class of ultra-wealthy rentiers; a breakdown of public safety because the rich employ their own private security forces and don't feel like funding anything further; a retainer class of managerial drones; and then everyone else—sullen and resentful, but kept in line by the hard men in dark glasses toting automatic weapons and driving armored limos.

Actually, probably not. Eventually robots will provide better security services than fragile human beings, so the security forces will be out of jobs too."

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Actually, a lot of the private security features in CIDs are automated, such as card key gates and video cameras that are being sort-of semi-watched by some guy a hundred miles away with a hundred TV screens all around him. And a box of doughnuts.

AG sues state's largest foreclosure law firms alleging massive fraud - The Denver Post

AG sues state's largest foreclosure law firms alleging massive fraud - The Denver Post:

Is there no end to this sort of thing?



"Colorado's largest foreclosure law firms — The Castle Law Group and Aronowitz & Mecklenburg — were slapped with massive civil lawsuits Tuesday by attorney general investigators who say the lawyers operated a multi-million-dollar scheme that defrauded tens of thousands of homeowners, banks, investors and, ultimately, taxpayers.

Principals of the Aronowitz firm, which is second to Castle in the number of foreclosures handled in Colorado, immediately agreed to pay $10 million to settle the case, and will either sell or close its Denver-based law practice in the next six months, according to copies of the settlement filed in Denver district court."

Downtown L.A. is now driest since rain records started in 1877 - LA Times

Downtown L.A. is now driest since rain records started in 1877 - LA Times:

'Rainy seasons over the last two years were the driest in downtown Los Angeles since record-keeping began in 1877, and forecasters now say the El Nino that had been predicted to bring some relief may not materialize. According to the National Weather Service, the 2012 to 2014 rainy seasons -- which are measured every July 1 to June 30 -- only brought 11.93 inches of rainfall, which is 17.93 inches below normal.'

---------------------------
Global warming is causing extreme weather patterns that could make life in many US cities quite a challenge.  Las Vegas and Phoenix come to mind, but here we see Los Angeles experiencing the effects of severe drought. Contrary to what the article says,  NOOA is still predicting El Nino, with a likelihood of 70% in the summer and 80% in the fall, although they say it will be "weak to moderate," so there may be at least some increased rainfall in California.  But the main lesson here, which everybody involved insists on learning the hard way, is that cities and real estate developers will have to get more realistic about water availability as a pivotal issue in all new residential development.  On the demand side, so will all these snowbirds who think the arid southwest is retirement Eden.  Sorry, folks. The golf courses and outdoor fountains will have to be sacrificed at some point, or eventually people will be drinking their own pee like Bear Grylls.

Don’t Like Your Neighbors’ House? Sue Them. - NYTimes.com

Don’t Like Your Neighbors’ House? Sue Them. - NYTimes.com:

The case in question involves a historic district, not an HOA, but the author goes on a bit of a tangent about HOAs:



"But lawsuits like these fly in the face of American individuality and progress, which the American dream is meant to embody. With each passing year it seems that things like homeowner associations and the various codes, covenants and restrictions they tend to follow have become ever more proscriptive and often ridiculous. People have been sued for not mowing their lawns, or for using exterior paint colors that were not on a list of approved colors."

How Corporate America Shut the Courthouse Doors to Average People | Blog | BillMoyers.com

How Corporate America Shut the Courthouse Doors to Average People | Blog | BillMoyers.com:

It seems likely to me that within the next few years all standard HOA and condo CC&Rs will contain mandatory binding arbitration provisions for all lawsuits against the developer, the association, the BOD, and the property manager. The Republican majority on the US Supreme Court is perfectly happy to endorse contractual provisions that deprive the consumer of access to the courts.



"Two recent US Supreme Court rulings — AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion and American Express v. Italian Colors Restaurant have deeply undercut these centuries-old public rights, by empowering businesses to avoid any threat of private lawsuits or class actions. The decisions culminate a thirty-year trend during which the judiciary, including initially some prominent liberal jurists, has moved to eliminate courts as a means for ordinary Americans to uphold their rights against companies. The result is a world where corporations can evade accountability and effectively skirt swaths of law, pushing their growing power over their consumers and employees past a tipping point."

Cities With the Most Abandoned Homes - 24/7 Wall St.

Cities With the Most Abandoned Homes - 24/7 Wall St.:

"In Wichita, Kansas, nearly half of homes in foreclosure were abandoned as of the first quarter of 2014. In six of the nation’s most populous metro areas, at least a third of homes in foreclosure were vacant. Based on data provided by housing data website RealtyTrac for the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, these are the cities where residents are abandoning their homes.

Median housing prices in all but one of the metro areas with the most vacant homes were among the lowest in the country. In addition, housing prices fell during the last 12 months in four of the 10 cities: Boise, St. Louis, Syracuse, and Wichita. Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, explained that this drop in prices creates a problem for both banks and homeowners because neither wants to hold on to a depreciating asset. This increases the likelihood that homeowners will abandon their homes and banks may find that foreclosing on the home could be more expensive than writing it off."

------------------

21st century ghost towns?

Real Estate Developers Want To Evict 98-Year-Old Woman To Turn Her Apartment Into Condos

Real Estate Developers Want To Evict 98-Year-Old Woman To Turn Her Apartment Into Condos

"The company is using a 1986 state law called the Ellis Act to boot Phillips from her apartment in a building at 55 Dolores Street. That property was bought in late 2012 for about $2.5 million, according to Trulia.com, marking a nearly $1.2 million profit for the previous owners who had bought it in early 2011. In April, 2013, the new owners served Phillips with an eviction notice...The man behind the company has used the Ellis Act 43 times in the past 10 years, according to the group. Ellis Act evictions fell in the wake of the financial crisis, but have been on the rise again as the economy has recovered and San Francisco property values have spiked over the past two years.  The law was intended to protect landlords who wanted to get out of the business from being forced to continue renting properties they would prefer to sell. But the majority of Ellis Act evictions in recent years have been initiatedby speculators rather than landlords, according to Steve Collier of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. “What we’ve seen is groups of investors are banding together to buy property, usually it’s when a landlord dies and it’s sold as an estate sale, or when someone just wants to sell to retire and then the speculator buys the property [and] evicts the tenants by using the Ellis Act,” he told the local NBC News affiliate in October."

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That's just what San Francisco needs:  more overpriced condos.

Crony Capitalism Has No Place in the Supreme Court - NationalJournal.com

Crony Capitalism Has No Place in the Supreme Court - NationalJournal.com:

From Norman Ornstein, a different take on Hobby Lobby and other USSC decisions that expand the power of corporations over little people:  "But for the majority on the Roberts Court, through a series of rulings that favor corporations over labor or other interests, it is clear that corporations are king, superior to individual Americans—with all the special treatment in taxes and protection from legal liability that are unavailable to us individuals, and now all the extra benefits that come with individual citizenship. Call it the new Crony Capitalism."

Home equity lines due for reset may be looming financial disaster--Los Angeles Times

Home equity lines due for reset may be looming financial disaster--Los Angeles Times:

"Some mortgage and credit experts worry that billions of dollars of home equity credit lines that were extended a decade ago during the housing boom could be heading for big trouble soon, creating a new wave of defaults for banks and homeowners.  That's because these credit lines, which are second mortgages with floating rates and flexible withdrawal terms, carry mandatory "resets" requiring borrowers to begin paying both principal and interest on their balances after 10 years. During the initial 10-year draw period, only interest payments are required.  But the difference between the interest-only and reset payments on these credit lines can be substantial — $500 to $600 or more per month in some cases. If borrowers cannot afford or choose not to make the fully amortizing payments that reduce the principal debt, the bank that owns the note can demand full payment and foreclose on the house if there is sufficient equity.  According to federal financial regulators, about $30 billion in home equity lines dating to 2004 are due for resets next year, $53 billion the following year and a staggering $111 billion in 2018."

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Conventional wisdom says the foreclosure crisis is nearly over, but that doesn't take into account the second mortgages that are bumping up against their ten-year reset period.

Sun Valley woman fighting to fly American flag - KRXI - Reno NV Top Stories - News, Sports, Weather

Sun Valley woman fighting to fly American flag - KRXI - Reno NV Top Stories - News, Sports, Weather: After living in Sun Valley for nine years, Legere's home is complete. The Sparks woman has been eyeing a change to her front yard for quite some time: an American flag for the neighborhood to enjoy.

"I called the Homeowners' Assocation and mentioned what I was planning to do, and they said, 'Oh, how exciting.'"

The tree occupying the space was uprooted and a concrete base was built. Two days ago, she invited community board members to the flag-raising ceremony and the reaction changed.

"They said, 'You have to cease and desist, you can't do that. You don't...that hasn't been OK'd by the board and it probably won't be.'"
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Another Independence Day flag(pole) flap in Privatopia, Nevada sector.

Biz executives pay fines for Florida vet facing eviction over flower pot flag | Fox News

Biz executives pay fines for Florida vet facing eviction over flower pot flag | Fox News: “When we read his story it offended our sensibilities,” Scott Carter, CEO of Lear Capital said to FoxNews.com. “The thought of him losing his home, we felt it was wrong. We wanted to help.”

Along with Lear Capital founder Kevin DeMerritt, the executives paid the $8,000 plus another $2,500 for tax adjustments.

“They [homeowner’s association were using the strongarm of money to get him to get rid of the flag,” Carter said. “They were skimming the money from his [paid] dues to pay the fines which created a lien on his house.”
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The power of media coverage is shown as another national patriotic holiday HOA flag flap unfurls and TV satellite trucks roll into Privatopia.

The Great Disinvestment - NYTimes.com

The Great Disinvestment - NYTimes.com

Paul Krugman on the craziness behind Republicans blocking highway spending: "So the highway issue should be seen as part of the larger craziness of infrastructure policy, in which spending has crashed at a time when by any reasonable criterion we should have been building much more."

Here is some context on this, from Alternet:  "The federal highway trust fund, which pays for a large part of American road construction and maintenance, is almost exhausted. Unless Congress agrees to top up the fund somehow, road work all across the country will have to be scaled back just a few weeks from now. If this were to happen, it would quickly cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs, which might derail  the employment recovery that finally seems to be gaining steam. And it would also reduce long-run economic potential."

Homebuyers Avoiding Chores Fuel U.S. Condo-Hotel Revival - Bloomberg

"Homebuyers Avoiding Chores Fuel U.S. Condo-Hotel Revival - Bloomberg:

"Developers across the U.S. are reviving a concept that collapsed with the real estate crash in 2008: combining condominiums and hotels. In cities including Miami, New York and Los Angeles, a rebounding hospitality market is joining with rising demand for luxury homes, spurring developers to construct new full-service hotels and ask premium prices for residential units associated with a high-end brand."

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Many middle class home buyers don't understand what condos are all about until after they move in.  Rich people, however, generally know exactly what they are getting into, and apparently there is a renewed demand for amenities such as "...a restaurant that can provide room service, a concierge, maintenance, a person that can clean your place, valet parking,” and somebody to slowly lower a bunch of grapes into their mouths while they recline on a divan.

Florida Veteran May Lose Home Over Displayed American Flag, Fined $8,000

Florida Veteran May Lose Home Over Displayed American Flag, Fined $8,000

------------
There's the offending flag stuck in the flower pot in the latest national HOA flag flap that was literally a federal case until it was removed to the Florida courts. Pettiness seems to know no bounds in Privatopia.

Tempers Flare at Annexation Open House - The Missourian: Washington

Tempers Flare at Annexation Open House - The Missourian: Washington:

"A meeting Wednesday between Meadowlake Farm subdivision residents and city staff to discuss annexation became contentious.
Accusations of lying and intimidation were thrown around and one meeting attendee walked out before City Administrator Jim Briggs finished answering a question...Things got heated nearly 10 minutes into the meeting when Meadowlake resident Dale Volmert called Briggs a “lying son of a buck.” The comment came after Briggs said some Meadowlake residents 20 years ago requested annexation. Briggs said a mention of a petition appeared in a historical article recently in The Missourian."

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Local disputes over annexation can be intense.

Absurd Neighbor Dispute Becomes Front-Page News -- NYMag

Absurd Neighbor Dispute Becomes Front-Page News -- NYMag: According to one neighbor — who was granted anonymity “because she is worried about federal-government reprisals” — “we have this group, overweight, wearing the most ridiculous blue uniforms with the most ridiculous blue caps, and they have guns that are visible.” Meanwhile, their vehicles idle for “approximately 22 minutes daily,” according to an official complaint, and then pull out “speedily … all the while spilling fluid onto the street, which has now left a permanent stain,” against the neighborhood’s explicit “no car fluid stain” rule (seriously).
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Federal Reserve Bank Chair Janet Yellen's security detail gets crosswise with the chief's HOA.

Florida vet says 'Bring it on,' as he faces eviction over flower pot flag | Fox News

Florida vet says 'Bring it on,' as he faces eviction over flower pot flag | Fox News: A Florida veteran who isfacing foreclosure for insisting on displaying a small American flag in a flower pot on his front stoop is telling his homeowner's association to "bring it on."

“The flag is worth fighting for,” 73-year-old Larry Murphree, of Jacksonville, told FoxNews.com Friday. “If they want to foreclose, bring it on. I’m getting calls from all over the county to stand up. That’s what I'm going to do.”

Murphree's homeowners association at Tides Condominium at Sweetwater began hitting him with fines of $100 a day last year for violating his homeowners association’s flag display rules. But instead of paying the fines, Murphree let them pile up - and kept his flag on display. Now he owes more than $8,000, and neither side will budge.
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The latest dispatch in this HOA national flag flap sending TV satellite trucks to Privatopia, Florida sector.

Veteran fights condo homeowners association | News - Home

Veteran fights condo homeowners association | News - Home: Murphree, a veteran, filed a suit last year after the HOA said he couldn't put a small American flag inside a potted plant on his front stoop.

He said the case was settled, and he agreed to display the flag in compliance with the “association documents.”

The flag remained in the flower pot until a few months ago, when Murphree said the HOA came knocking again, telling him the rules had changed.

According to the HOA, homeowners can fly a flag inside a flag pole on the side of the building, but they can't place the flag elsewhere, like inside a potted plant.

Murphree said the association told him to pay $100 a day or take it out.

“They left us no choice,” Murphree said. “We had a federal judge look at it, and he ruled that it should be in state court instead of federal court. We waited to see what they were going to do. (The HOA) put a foreclosure on my house for not paying the dues.”
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Didn't Deep Throat use a flag in a flower pot to signal Bob Woodward to meet him in the parking garage for a Watergate scoop?

Supreme Court Issues Bold Decision On Cell Phone Privacy | ThinkProgress

Supreme Court Issues Bold Decision On Cell Phone Privacy | ThinkProgress:



"[W]hen police arrest someone carrying a cell phone, does that arrest give law enforcement license to cull through the device and access whatever information they choose?
The answer, according to a nearly unanimous opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, is no. “Cell phones,” Roberts explained, “place vast quantities of personal information literally in the hands of individuals. A search of the information on a cell phone bears little resemblance to the type of brief physical search” authorized by previous cases.
As Roberts lays out, few of the traditional justifications for a search incident to arrest authorize a full search of a suspect’s cell phone."

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Police across the nation routinely do this as part of their "search incident to arrest." It is a bogus justification, and the Supreme Court just shut them down.  Establish probable cause, go to a judge, and get a warrant if you want to do a search!

Nearly Half Of Detroit Water Customers Can’t Pay Their Bill CBS Detroit

Nearly Half Of Detroit Water Customers Can’t Pay Their Bill  CBS Detroit:



"It’s a basic human right: water. But could the United Nations soon help the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department provide the service to struggling customers?
Water department spokeswoman Curtrise Garner says it’s a possibility — but for now, the water bills must be paid."

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I agree that access to clean water should be a basic human right, but the huge corporations, such as Nestle, that are gobbling up the world's drinkable water sources and privatizing them don't see it that way. They see water as just another consumer product that people should have to pay for at a rate several hundred times higher than what they are currently paying to regulated utilities and government water companies. It's a natural for the privatization industry.  What could be more profitable than a monopoly stranglehold on a necessity?

Vietnam Airlines proposes privatization plan | Business | Thanh Nien Daily

Vietnam Airlines proposes privatization plan | Business | Thanh Nien Daily:



"State-owned Vietnam Airlines plans to sell 25 percent of its share capital this year, according to the privatization plan it recently submitted to the Ministry of Transport."

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Remember Vietnam?  The country that we were going to save from communism by destroying it, killing a million of its people, and losing almost 60,000 of our own soldiers in the process?  Well, after they kicked us out, they eventually found their own way to a mixed economy.  As the CIA Factbook explains,



"Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy since 1986. Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic modernization in recent years. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007, which has promoted more competitive, export-driven industries. Vietnam became an official negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2013, while industry's share increased from 36% to more than 42% in the same period. State-owned enterprises account for about 40% of GDP. Poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year." 



What does this mean?  The US invasion of Vietnam was the worst foreign policy blunder of the Cold War.  The only worse foreign policy decision in the last 150 years was the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The people who bullied us into the Vietnam war with their "domino theory" lies were horribly wrong, as were the criminals who sent us into Iraq based on lies about terrorism and WMDs.  And now we are hearing the same sort of people, and in some cases the very same people, making the same insane arguments to attack, bomb, invade, and occupy -- again, and again, and again.  There will always be a substantial minority of the population that is susceptible to being scared into sending our young people off to die or be maimed in a foreign country--ultimately, for nothing.  But is there a point where the majority decide that they have had enough, and won't be fooled again?

A new book on Maryland HOA and condo law

Dear Friend:

My masterpiece is finished. Check it out at Happy Homes: A Consumer's Guide to Maryland Condo and HOA Law and Best Practices for Homeowners and Boards

			Happy Homes: A Consumer's Guide to Maryland Condo a... Happy Homes: A Consumer's Guide to Maryland Condo and HOA Law and Best Practices for Homeowners and Boards [Jeanne N. Ketley Ph.D.] on Amazon.com. *FRE...
			View on www.amazon.com	Preview by Yahoo

Even though it focuses on Maryland law, most state laws are similar. It's a quick read; only 92 large print pages.

xxx,

Jeanne

 

Jeanne N. Ketley

Author of Happy Homes, A Consumer's Guide to Maryland Condo and HOA Law and Best Practices for Homeowners and Boards, now available onAmazon.com

Revealed: the biggest fears of the super-rich - Telegraph

Revealed: the biggest fears of the super-rich - Telegraph:

"One in seven multimillionaires or billionaires is worried their wealth could be depriving their children of drive and ambition, says a study which affords a rare glimpse into the minds of the ultra-rich."

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Whereas the rest of us are worried that our lack of wealth could be depriving our children of a chance to get an education, a career, a home, and a family of their own. And we are worried about these things because the rich have bought our government and turned our economy into their ATM.

These 5 charts show why the world is still failing on climate change - Vox

These 5 charts show why the world is still failing on climate change - Vox

Appeals court panel ends L.A. ban on homeless living in vehicles--Los Angeles Times

Appeals court panel ends L.A. ban on homeless living in vehicles--Los Angeles Times



"A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided unanimously Thursday that a city ordinance prohibiting people from living in vehicles was unconstitutionally vague. That ruling followed a 9th Circuit decision in 2012 that prevented Los Angeles from confiscating and destroying possessions that homeless people leave temporarily on sidewalks. Both ordinances had been enforced, along with other policies, to help the city cope with a homeless population now estimated at 36,000 to 54,000...Unlike cities that bar overnight parking or sleeping in vehicles, Los Angeles prohibited people from using a vehicle parked on a city street or in a parking lot owned by the city or the county Department of Beaches and Harbors as "living quarters" — both overnight and "day-by-day, or otherwise." The 9th Circuit said the law failed to define "living quarters" or specify what "otherwise" meant."

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Where does LA think the homeless should live?  I think the answer is "somewhere else." The NIMBY mentality is especially repellent when it comes to homelessness, because public policies have a lot to do with homelessness.  The three main causes of homelessness are lack of affordable housing, unemployment, and poverty.  All of these are directly influenced by public policies. Local governments are more concerned about their property tax base than about making sure there is a range of affordable housing. There are few options for people with low income who experience that one last misfortune and end up out on the street.  Often they have no place to sleep except in a car.

Tenants caught in quagmire of homeowners association foreclosures | Tampa Bay Times

Tenants caught in quagmire of homeowners association foreclosures | Tampa Bay Times: During the recession, many Floridians fell behind on their payments not only to the banks but also to their homeowners associations. The HOAs, many of them struggling to keep up with maintenance and other expenses, foreclosed on thousands of homes to limit their losses. That created a lucrative opportunity for investors.

Here's how it works: After the homeowners association forecloses, the property is put up for auction. The property title goes to the highest bidder, usually for the amount of fees owed, often just a few thousand dollars. The winning bidders don't really own the houses but can rent them out until the banks finally foreclose and take the homes. The whole process is enabled by the glacially slow Florida foreclosure system, which takes an average of 935 days from start to finish.

While the investors rake in big profits, many of the homes languish in disrepair, causing more problems for the HOAs and discomfort for the tenants.
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This story illustrates a major downside of allowing HOAs for foreclose for delinquent assessment sums orders of magnitude below the typical mortgage arrearage. Here it works like the pitch of those real estate infomercials: get in for little money and make big profits.

Tow-truck driver gets 26 years in death over parking boot - Post and Courier

Tow-truck driver gets 26 years in death over parking boot - Post and Courier:



"Olivera was dropping off Christmas presents at his brother's house in Bluffton and parked on the street because the driveway was full. The homeowners' association doesn't allow parking on the street, and Oates put a boot on the minivan.

Olivera and his brother pleaded with Oates to remove the boot and let them move the van. Olivera showed that he was carrying a handgun but put it away after his older brother told him that it wasn't necessary, according to his brother's testimony.

While Olivera's brother tried to remove the boot, Oates shot Olivera six times, including five times in the back, according to prosecutors."

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So here we have HOA craziness combined with gun craziness. An awful combination.

Mayo: Elias Konwufine tragedy — parking at home shouldn't bring tow, or death - Sun Sentinel

Mayo: Elias Konwufine tragedy — parking at home shouldn't bring tow, or death - Sun Sentinel:



I don't know how he ended up under the wheels of the car, but the dispute is one of these absurd things that happens all the time in associations.  You can't park in front of your own home without getting towed, even for a short time, even if nobody complains.  Ridiculous.



"After a dispute with the tow driver, Konwufine apparently was run over by his Mercedes as it was being hauled away.

Konwufine was a married father of three, a professor and associate dean at Keiser University. When he came home Jan. 16, his autistic son's tutor was parked in the second spot in his driveway. So Konwufine pulled in behind, jutting onto the sidewalk and swale area.

Apparently, in the Sienna Greens community where he lived, that was a towable offense.

"He was going to be there, what, maybe an hour?" said Dean Freeman, attorney for the Konwufine family.

Konwufine wasn't blocking any neighbors. He wasn't bothering anybody. If someone was walking down the sidewalk, they'd maybe have to go 10 feet out of their way to get around his car...Freeman said the homeowners association had a contract with Superior Lock and Roadside Assistance to tow parking violators. The tow company apparently performed its job with relish, with residents saying trucks roamed the area looking for cars to tow – and revenue to generate. A woman who answered the phone at Superior on Wednesday said, "I'm not interested in talking."  Freeman said the deadly incident was a case of "surfing" by the tow driver, which is banned by the new county ordinance. He said nobody complained about Konwufine's parked car: "No one has stepped forward to say they called the tow yard.""

Man says apartment complex called his US flag a ‘threat to Muslim community’ | khou.com Houston

Man says apartment complex called his US flag a ‘threat to Muslim community’ | khou.com Houston:



But the manager says they already have a flag at the apartment complex.



"WEBSTER, Texas -- A Webster man says his apartment complex manager told him his American flag was a “threat to the Muslim community,” and that he has to take it down. But he’s not giving up without a fight.
Stepping onto Duy Tran's balcony in Webster, one thing is clear: "It means a lot to me," he said.
He's talking about his American flag that he proudly put up when he moved in just a few days ago. But then an apartment manager at the Lodge on El Dorado told him he had to take it down.
"What really stunned me is that she said it’s a threat towards the Muslim community,” said Tran. “I’m not a threat toward anybody." 

Condominium Ownership Is Becoming the American Nightmare

Condominium Ownership Is Becoming the American Nightmare:



"Many homeowners who have bought into the American dream by purchasing a condominium are now regretting that decision, as some find themselves unable to sell or rent their units, while others face court battles with investors trying to force them out of their homes."

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I don't think "is becoming" quite says it.  Some of us have been pointing out the problems for a long time.

Water Privatization: Coming to a Century Old System Near You?

Water Privatization: Coming to a Century Old System Near You?

From law professor Ellen Dannin--the privatization industry has plenty of clout in Washington these days.  We have crumbling infrastructure, governments that are unable either to raise taxes or issue bonds, and vast oceans of private capital.  

"The good news is that our more than a century old, dangerously deteriorating water and wastewater systems are about to get long overdue attention. Not only did Congress give the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA) a landslide vote - House (412-4) and Senate (91-7) - but on June 10, President Obama signed on. WRRDA is bringing joy to the financial industry, construction unions, environmentalists, legislators, the transportation industry and almost anyone or thing connected with water. The only thing that seems to be missing is holding hands and singing "Kumbaya." But, while WRRDA has many long-needed features, the reality is that some parts of the law are seriously problematic."

Sluggish Housing Market A Product Of Millions Of 'Missing Households' : NPR

Sluggish Housing Market A Product Of Millions Of 'Missing Households' : NPR:

"A year ago, the housing market looked like it was finally recovering. Sales and prices were picking up. But then home sales fizzled. Currently, they are down about 7 percent from last spring. A big part of why housing remains so stunted is that there are more than 2 million "missing households" in the U.S. That's how economists describe the fact that fewer people are striking out on their own to find places to live. Instead of renting an apartment or buying a home, a large number of Americans in their 20s and early 30s are living with family or tripling up with roommates. That's because younger Americans are having an especially tough time since the recession."



----------------

Young adults have been abandoned by our policy makers and left to the tender mercies of the worst economy since the 1930s.  The difference is that in the 1930s the federal government did everything possible to help working people, but this time around the feds are only concerned about health of big banks and insurance companies, oil companies, big box retailers and other practitioners of grifter capitalism.  It is a decision that will reverberate through our economy for the next fifty years.

Condo owners in showdown with HOA over plans for $15K charge for repairs | KDVR.com

Condo owners in showdown with HOA over plans for $15K charge for repairs | KDVR.com:

The condo death spiral strikes again.  I expect stories like this to become more common every year, as condo buildings (and HOA common elements) wear out and residents discover that (a) they don't have the money in reserves to repair/replace; (b) there is no insurance coverage for wear and tear; (c) they can't get a loan, or it would be prohibitively expensive; and (d) local government or a judge forces them to pay for the repair.



"NORTHGLENN, Colo. — An emergency community meeting in Northglenn Tuesday night pits condo owners against their homeowner’s association (HOA) in Westminster.

Owners of homes at Prospector’s Point are upset with their HOA, which they say has mismanaged their dues—and now they’re forced to pay the price.

CAP Management says homeowners will have to come up with between $5 to $7 million to pay for serious repairs that could affect residents’ and visitors’ health and safety.

There’s the peeling paint, the crumbling sidewalk and disintegrating drywall.

“The property has been neglected for the past 10 years. Partly because of the recession, partly because of poor construction, initially. But now the community is at a state where the city is requiring we do $5 million dollars of work,” says Chris Crigler, of CAP Management, which took over managing the HOA about a year-and-a-half ago."

Longwood HOA enacts strict anti-bear bylaws | Seminole County

Longwood HOA enacts strict anti-bear bylaws | Seminole County:



After a bear attack, an HOA responded:



"Wingfield North’s new policy states residents can be fined if they don’t use bear resistant trash cans, and if they don’t secure human food sources around their home, like grills and dog food. If residents don’t comply, they can be fined after an initial warning, up to $1,000. The policy also lays out numerous guidelines that it strongly suggests residents adhere to, but they can’t be fined if they don’t comply with those suggestions. But Kaleita says HOA’s in other communities he’s been in contact with are still hesitant to enact bylaws that allow fines for residents that don’t comply."

State Health Department A No-Show At Yuba County Mobile Home Park With Flammable Water � CBS Sacramento

State Health Department A No-Show At Yuba County Mobile Home Park With Flammable Water � CBS Sacramento:



But the manager said the water was safe to drink!



"Water from the hose at the Castlewood Mobile Home Park doesn’t look much different from one from any old tap, but after a closer look, you’ll think twice before taking a sip.
Rhonda Little demonstrated the methane levels in her water by pouring a glass and setting it on fire."

Ten women to every man, a black market in Viagra, and a 'thriving swingers scene': Welcome to The Villages, Florida, where the elderly residents down Sex on the Square cocktail in 'honor' of woman, 68, arrested for public sex with toyboy | Mail Online

Ten women to every man, a black market in Viagra, and a 'thriving swingers scene': Welcome to The Villages, Florida, where the elderly residents down Sex on the Square cocktail in 'honor' of woman, 68, arrested for public sex with toyboy | Mail Online:

The younger generation doesn't know what it's missing, apparently. It seems that retirement communities are the place to score.



"Surrounded by security gates, the self-styled Friendliest Place of Earth looks like a cross between the cult TV series 'The Prisoner' and Jim Carey’s comedy 'The Truman Show.'

There are dozens of mini estates containing row after row of identical bungalows, all with perfectly manicured lawns. Grandchildren can stay no longer than 30 days a year and there are even rules governing garden ornaments and holiday decorations.

Electronic golf carts – often with personalized number plates and flags – are the vehicle of choice because there are no corner shops or supermarkets in walking distance. Special tunnels and bridges enable cart drivers to trundle safely over busy main roads."

Ten women to every man, a black market in Viagra, and a 'thriving swingers scene': Welcome to The Villages, Florida, where the elderly residents down Sex on the Square cocktail in 'honor' of woman, 68, arrested for public sex with toyboy | Mail Online

Ten women to every man, a black market in Viagra, and a 'thriving swingers scene': Welcome to The Villages, Florida, where the elderly residents down Sex on the Square cocktail in 'honor' of woman, 68, arrested for public sex with toyboy | Mail Online:

The younger generation doesn't know what it's missing, apparently. It seems that retirement communities are the place to score.



"Surrounded by security gates, the self-styled Friendliest Place of Earth looks like a cross between the cult TV series 'The Prisoner' and Jim Carey’s comedy 'The Truman Show.'

There are dozens of mini estates containing row after row of identical bungalows, all with perfectly manicured lawns. Grandchildren can stay no longer than 30 days a year and there are even rules governing garden ornaments and holiday decorations.

Electronic golf carts – often with personalized number plates and flags – are the vehicle of choice because there are no corner shops or supermarkets in walking distance. Special tunnels and bridges enable cart drivers to trundle safely over busy main roads."

IMF sounds global housing alarm - FT.com

IMF sounds global housing alarm - FT.com: "The world must act to contain the risk of another devastating housing crash, the International Monetary Fund warned on Wednesday, as it published new data showing house prices are well above their historical average in many countries."

--------------

This is not a repost from 2007.  It seems that low interest rates are contributing to what some economists think is a bubble in some countries.

MEOW NIX: Homeowners want ‘crazy cat lady’ to quit feeding strays - NY Daily News

MEOW NIX: Homeowners want ‘crazy cat lady’ to quit feeding strays - NY Daily News: Frustrated homeowners reached out to Community Board 8 and the Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association seeking help to rid the area of the feral cats earlier this month. But because feeding strays is legal up until they become a “nuisance,” the city’s Health Department has yet to act.

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Tabbies and tuxedos running amok in Privatopia, New York sector. Better call the HOA!

Caught on Camera: San Marino Mayor Tosses Bag of "Dog Doo" on Neighbor's Walkway | NBC Southern California

Caught on Camera: San Marino Mayor Tosses Bag of "Dog Doo" on Neighbor's Walkway | NBC Southern California:

"Homeowner Philip Lao says that surveillance footage shows Kneier and his wife walking. In the video, Kneier’s wife is seen pointing to Lao’s walkway, and then Kneier is seen tossing the bag onto it.

Lao believes that Kneier was seeking revenge for his opposition to the mayor’s dog park proposal. Lao is against the dog park because he believes dogs are left there for hours as their owners run errands, and the dogs tend to fight when left unattended.

Lao lives a block away from Lacy Park, and as such, has "no poop zone" signs in his front lawn. According to Lao, Kneier does not like him posting signs like that, but Lao believes it is his right as a homeowner. Lao told the city council that when people take down their USC and UCLA signs, he’ll take down his "no poop zone" signs."

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Well, of course. USC and UCLA signs---"no poop zone" signs--whatever, dude. It is astonishing how petty these neighborhood disputes become, but the evidence mounts up.

Woman, 68, And Male Partner Busted For Public Sex At Florida Retirement Community | The Smoking Gun

Woman, 68, And Male Partner Busted For Public Sex At Florida Retirement Community | The Smoking Gun

Perhaps this was just a case of misunderstanding the advertising:



The Villages, which describes itself as “Florida’s Friendliest Retirement Hometown,” has more than 50,000 residents. The community’s three old-fashioned town squares offer a variety of shopping, dining, and theater options. Additionally, free nightly entertainment--which ends at 9 PM--is offered in the squares, where the official performers are clothed.

Anti-homeless studs at London residential block prompt uproar | Society | theguardian.com

Anti-homeless studs at London residential block prompt uproar | Society | theguardian.com

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan would have been proud of this innovation from the private sector:

No cartwheels at government meetings!

News from The Associated Press:

"Sixty-five-year-old Dianne Barker told KSAZ-TV this week ( HTTP://BIT.LY/UI1V4J ) that she's been banned from doing cartwheels at meetings held by the Maricopa Association of Governments.

An attorney for the association that oversees regional transportation projects said in a letter to Barker last month that she must "immediately cease performing cartwheels.""

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The jackboot of tyranny stomps on her vibe.  Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link.

Father-of-seven paints home with stars and stripes after officials tried to force him to make minor alterations to his home | Mail Online

Father-of-seven paints home with stars and stripes after officials tried to force him to make minor alterations to his home | Mail Online

Proving that this doesn't only happen in HOAs:  "Brent Greer, 43, was angry when a code enforcement officer visited his home in Bradenton, Florida after someone complained that he had left an old Christmas tree on a balcony - and slapped him with even more complaints. Among the gripes were missing window screens, peeling paint and the need for pressure washing, the Bradenton Herald reported."

VIDEO: To Prison For Poverty | MyFDL

VIDEO: To Prison For Poverty | MyFDL

Sometimes I hear from HOA residents that they feel like they are in prison. But there are some people who actually have been incarcerated because of privatization.  Private probation companies are getting people locked up for not paying--a modern reincarnation of debtor's prison.  And there's a video that tells their story, with a writeup by one of the directors at the link:



"If someone gets a traffic ticket and can’t pay, the judge puts them on “probation,” which really means walking down the hall and signing up for a payment plan with a private probation company who has a contract with the court. If they can’t pay, they go to jail. (Which is somehow supposed to make paying the ticket easier for someone who can’t afford it in the first place.) Like payday lenders, these for-profit companies seek out neighborhoods where they know the population will, on average, have a tougher time paying traffic tickets out right. Then they charge exorbitant fees. Hali Wood was hit with a $41 seat belt ticket. Her payment plan charged a monthly fee of $35. That’s 85% interest! This is unlike any other probation programs we’ve run across in almost two years of producing documentaries about the criminal justice system. Probation is supposed to help people avoid jail or prison. These companies are simply collections agencies on steroids."

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: "Land and the City"

I just returned from a conference at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, MA. The topic: "Land and the City."  It was an outstanding conference in every way.  The link goes to a summary of the papers.  Mine was on the relationship between CID housing and the increase in segregation by income that we have experienced in this country.

Plano HOA: Letters asking for greener lawns 'mistake' in face of water restrictions | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth

Plano HOA: Letters asking for greener lawns 'mistake' in face of water restrictions | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth: PLANO -- It is a delicate balance that some North Texas homeowners are having to strike: to follow water-restrictions while keeping the lawn green.

Residents in one Plano neighborhood raised concerns after they received letters from their Home Owners Association asking them to comply with certain “aesthetic” rules. When News 8 pressed the issue with the HOA, SBB Management, we were told the letters that were sent out were a mistake.

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An HOA evergreen story that repeats year after year; only the HOA involved changes.

Riverside Woman Sues Over Her Arrest For Clapping � CBS Sacramento

Riverside Woman Sues Over Her Arrest For Clapping � CBS Sacramento:

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A woman who was arrested after she repeatedly clapped at a Riverside City Council meeting has filed a federal lawsuit.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that Letitia Pepper argues her constitutional rights were violated.
Pepper, a longtime critic of Riverside government, was taken away in handcuffs last June. Authorities say she disrupted the meeting by repeatedly applauding speakers even after being warned by the mayor.
However, she was never criminally charged.

---------------------

Interesting legal issue that would pertain to CIDs if their meetings were held to the same standard as those of local governments.  This could be seen as an example of "symbolic speech," as we call it in the field of constitutional law, which is protected by the First Amendment.  Here's the video of Pepper being hauled out of the meeting room.   She has had some choice words for the government of Riverside.  Also--a person by the same name happens to be an attorney who was recently cited for misconduct by refusing to leave a courtroom after being ordered to do so by a judge. Then there's this.  She appears also to be involved with the public debate over marijuana.  I would say we can safely conclude that she is a person who fights hard for what she believes to be right, even to the point of challenging people in positions of authority.  This federal case involving the clapping will be worth following.

Leaky condo crisis rears its head again in B.C.

Leaky condo crisis rears its head again in B.C.: Evidence of a second wave in British Columbia’s leaky-condo crisis is beginning to emerge, 15 years after the first one subsided.

It is becoming more apparent as condo strata corporations prepare mandated depreciation reports on their buildings. That process is forcing them to own up to the condition of their properties and the shortcomings of maintenance programs for structures that weren’t fixed in the first wave of repairs.

Some are buildings that haven’t started leaking until recently, or that owners patched over instead of repairing their underlying defects.

There are still potentially thousands of faulty units that were built during the so-called “leaky-condo” period — from 1982-99 — which were never repaired, but figures on how many have been fixed are difficult to come by.
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The quest for a waterproof condo continues in the rainy lands north of the border. This story like its counterpart in the U.S. has been playing out for decades, drip by drip, drop by drop.

Chuck Yeager, wife, must pay $43,150 in homeowner association dispute - Our Region - The Sacramento Bee

Chuck Yeager, wife, must pay $43,150 in homeowner association dispute - Our Region - The Sacramento Bee: A Sacramento judge has ordered retired Air Force Brigadier General Chuck Yeager and his wife to pay a homeowners association $43,150 in fees.

Superior Court Judge Judy H. Hersher issued her final decision on Monday after a court trial earlier this year in a lawsuit filed by the Park River Oak Estates Homeowners Association against the renowned test pilot.

The suit that was filed in 2008 charged that Yeager, 91, and his wife, Victoria, 55, hadn’t paid their association fees on two units they own in a townhouse complex near Garcia Bend Park.
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The general may have had the right stuff to safety navigate the early hazards of flying faster than sound. But like death and taxes, HOA assessments can't be avoided.

Lexington neighbors fight for right to help with one another's chores

http://tdn.com/news/local/lexington-neighbors-fight-for-right-to-help-with-one-another/article_4f703382-d57f-11e3-a9ba-001a4bcf887a.html

"Friendly neighbors at Lexington’s Tim Wa Estates scored a victory Tuesday afternoon after battling for months with local property managers. Kalama-based interim property managers of the mobile home park were demanding that a neighborhood volunteer group, Helping Hands, stop offering their free services to elderly and ailing neighbors. They claimed the group violated the park’s “no solicitation” rules. The rules left residents fearing even going next door to borrow a cup of sugar, let alone lending a hand on a neighbor’s yard work. They said they tried to resolve the dispute for months with no response. But late Tuesday, Amber Monte, president of California-based holding firm Investment Property Group, which owns Tim Wa and oversees the Kalama managers, said those managers are gone from the park. “We’ve removed the employees involved from any further involvement with the property,” Monte said in an email. “We’ve contacted Helping Hands directly to relay our complete support for their charitable services and good deeds.”
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I guess all's well that ends well, but it started as yet another example of property managers mindlessly ordering people around in some absurd effort to enforce rules for no good reason and in defiance of common sense.

Broomfield HOA Facing Controversy Over Plan To Kill Rabbits � CBS Denver

Broomfield HOA Facing Controversy Over Plan To Kill Rabbits � CBS Denver

“So they’re going to trap the rabbits in 60 cages and as we walk around our neighborhood we’re going to see these animals trapped awaiting their execution,” said Tasker.

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I don't believe I have ever heard the word "execution" applied to a rabbit. Why not have a community-building barbecue featuring something that tastes like chicken?  

Home buyers want new, but don't want to pay for it

In March, the median sale price for an existing home was $198,500, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median price for a newly built home was $290,000. While some of that premium can be attributed to the fact that builders are now focusing more on higher-end buyers, and therefore building more luxury homes, there is in general at least a 20 percent premium for new construction...Unfortunately for the builders, just 46 percent of the people who strongly prefer a new home are willing to pay the 20 percent premium that new homes typically cost. And even fewer of those who said they somewhat prefer a newly built home would pay the higher price. In total, just 17 percent of those who said they prefer new would actually pay for new.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-buyers-want-wont-pay-131356086.html
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link. Builders are catering increasingly to the affluent. The 1995-2006 housing boom was in part fueled by efforts to expand homeownership down the income distribution. That's all over now. The home ownership rate is falling, more people are renting, and the new housing market is for the wealthy. The rest of us can accept trickle down housing, as Anthony Downs described back in 1975

Return of 'mansionization' has some L.A. homeowners grumbling - latimes.com

Return of 'mansionization' has some L.A. homeowners grumbling - latimes.com: "Six years ago, Los Angeles politicians imposed new limits on the size of new and renovated houses, promising to rein in what they called "homes on steroids" dwarfing blocks of smaller buildings.

But as the housing market rebounds and construction picks up, many homeowners complain that "mansionization" has revved up — reigniting long-standing policy battles and sometimes bitter fence fights over the face and feel of L.A.'s neighborhoods.

Builders are snapping up smaller, older homes, razing them and replacing them with bigger dwellings. Increasingly, sleek, square structures are popping up along streets known for quaint bungalows."

---------------

Yuck. I lived for many years in and around LA, and the older neighborhoods do have a lot of charm. I'm not a huge fan of "sleek, square structures," as a general rule. But I'm writing a paper now on the increase in segregation by income that has hit many cities over the last three or four decades, and it is apparent that in today's economic and legal environment, the rich take over the neighborhoods they want, and they remake them in the image that suits them. And then they whine about being persecuted and invoke memories of the Third Reich if anybody complains about it.

Woman attacks HOA president after he nixes neighborhood watch program, deputies say - Sun Sentinel

Woman attacks HOA president after he nixes neighborhood watch program, deputies say - Sun Sentinel: Roberts told the president their Oakland Park Mobile Home Park, located in the 1100 block of Handy Oak Circle in unincorporated West Palm Beach, was experiencing an uptick in crime, deputies said.

But the president said the association didn't have the money to do that. He told deputies he raised his voice at Roberts when he told her the idea wouldn't work.

Roberts, who was calm when describing her idea outside the president's house, became enraged after the president raised his voice, according to the report. She started cursing and stood at his doorway, keeping him from shutting his front door, deputies said.