Ridgeland may enforce neighborhood standards - The Clarion-Ledger
Fred Pilot found this piece about a city that is doing the bidding of HOA residents by becoming more like an HOA...
Parking your car in the front yard or encircling your back yard with cyclone fencing may become taboo in Ridgeland. And forget about plastering the front of your home with a mural or placing that portable wading pool in your front yard. The city of Ridgeland is considering creating overlay districts to preserve and protect its neighborhoods from these and other types of perceived offenses. If approved, the ordinance would offer a "laundry list" of items to be addressed in what will be called Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Districts. The ordinance will govern issues like parked vehicles, including recreational vehicles, fence sizes and types, house paint and shingle types. The Wheatley Ridge Neighborhood Association, comprised of Greenbrook, Brookfield, Squirrel Hill and Wheatley Place, championed the proposed ordinance after learning that covenants in their neighborhoods had expired, said Ward 3 Alderman Mike Crook, who lives in the Greenbrook subdivision.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Asbo family banned from borough
Take a look at these mug shots and see if you want them for neighbors. I think they are looking for a new place to live...and how about this "anti-social behavior order"? I can think of some HOAs that would love to have that power.
A family of five have been banned from harassing anyone in England and Wales and also banned from their home borough of Wirral. A court was told the Bridge family's neighbours in Grosvenor Road, New Brighton, had "lived in fear" of them. District Judge Nick Sanders issued the anti-social behaviour order on Thursday at Birkenhead Magistrates Court.
Take a look at these mug shots and see if you want them for neighbors. I think they are looking for a new place to live...and how about this "anti-social behavior order"? I can think of some HOAs that would love to have that power.
A family of five have been banned from harassing anyone in England and Wales and also banned from their home borough of Wirral. A court was told the Bridge family's neighbours in Grosvenor Road, New Brighton, had "lived in fear" of them. District Judge Nick Sanders issued the anti-social behaviour order on Thursday at Birkenhead Magistrates Court.
Township hiring is a family affair
While I'm on the topic of dysfunctional local government...
When Wayne Township Trustee Dan Gammon needed someone to manage the township's firefighter training center, he didn't recruit statewide or even take out a classified ad. He awarded a $30,000 contract to his wife. And when Decatur Township Assessor Charles Coleman filled his eight-person office, he didn't look far. His staff includes his wife, son and daughter -- and he pays them a total of more than $143,000 a year. A review of the hiring practices of Marion County's nine townships by The Indianapolis Star revealed that elected trustees and assessors have relied heavily on their family members as employees and contractors.
While I'm on the topic of dysfunctional local government...
When Wayne Township Trustee Dan Gammon needed someone to manage the township's firefighter training center, he didn't recruit statewide or even take out a classified ad. He awarded a $30,000 contract to his wife. And when Decatur Township Assessor Charles Coleman filled his eight-person office, he didn't look far. His staff includes his wife, son and daughter -- and he pays them a total of more than $143,000 a year. A review of the hiring practices of Marion County's nine townships by The Indianapolis Star revealed that elected trustees and assessors have relied heavily on their family members as employees and contractors.
"Best Living Argument for Privatization Award" goes to...
Sheriff Myron E. Freeman said Thursday that he expects to ask the Fulton County Commission for more money to provide security at the county's courthouse and jail.
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This is the brain-truster who delegated a 51 year old, five-foot-tall, grandmother to escort rapist/murderer Brian Nichols to court, all by herself. Here's another great line from the "sheriff":"You can't discriminate based on gender," Freeman said. "A deputy sheriff is a deputy sheriff."
No. You can't. But that isn't the point. The point is that this mini-deputy, alone, obviously was not physically capable of restraining the 200 pound defendant if he decided to resist while his hands were free. Which is what he did, leading to four deaths and injuries to others. And the point is also that the judge and prosecutor had already requested extra security because Nichols had been caught trying to smuggle two shanks into the courtroom in his shoes. And the sheriff's response is that he didn't do anything wrong. Just give us more money.
This is why people give up on government and decide that privatization, with virtual secession from the public realm, is the only way to live a sane existence. Public officials like this are just walking, talking ads for privatization.
Sheriff Myron E. Freeman said Thursday that he expects to ask the Fulton County Commission for more money to provide security at the county's courthouse and jail.
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This is the brain-truster who delegated a 51 year old, five-foot-tall, grandmother to escort rapist/murderer Brian Nichols to court, all by herself. Here's another great line from the "sheriff":"You can't discriminate based on gender," Freeman said. "A deputy sheriff is a deputy sheriff."
No. You can't. But that isn't the point. The point is that this mini-deputy, alone, obviously was not physically capable of restraining the 200 pound defendant if he decided to resist while his hands were free. Which is what he did, leading to four deaths and injuries to others. And the point is also that the judge and prosecutor had already requested extra security because Nichols had been caught trying to smuggle two shanks into the courtroom in his shoes. And the sheriff's response is that he didn't do anything wrong. Just give us more money.
This is why people give up on government and decide that privatization, with virtual secession from the public realm, is the only way to live a sane existence. Public officials like this are just walking, talking ads for privatization.
Legal Affairs: Home Is Where the Heart Is*
*Provided your dog's weight does not exceed 30 pounds, your shutters are painted a tasteful hue, and your lawn is in accordance with the standards mandated by the architectural-control committee
This is Ross Guberman's excellent article on HOAs. I don't think I linked to this when it first came out.
*Provided your dog's weight does not exceed 30 pounds, your shutters are painted a tasteful hue, and your lawn is in accordance with the standards mandated by the architectural-control committee
This is Ross Guberman's excellent article on HOAs. I don't think I linked to this when it first came out.
10 Things a Homeowners Association Won't Tell You
Here's a blast from the past--still a good piece that bears reading.
Here's a blast from the past--still a good piece that bears reading.
Times Community Newspapers - Top Stories - 03/22/2005 - HOAs turn to private security, request more deputies
As the Sheriff's Office struggles to keep up with the growing demands of Loudoun's ever-growing population, some homeowner associations are turning to volunteer neighborhood watch programs and even private security firms to supplement the sense of community presence they say overextended Sheriff's deputies cannot always provide. Representing more than 12,000 families in eastern Loudoun, the HOA presidents of Ashburn Farm, Ashburn Village and Broadlands recently appeared at a county budget public hearing to support full funding of the Sheriff's Office. The speakers named the hiring of more deputies as a top priority for the county, citing their private efforts to reduce vandalism as an indication that the Sheriff's Office needs more people to patrol the streets.
As the Sheriff's Office struggles to keep up with the growing demands of Loudoun's ever-growing population, some homeowner associations are turning to volunteer neighborhood watch programs and even private security firms to supplement the sense of community presence they say overextended Sheriff's deputies cannot always provide. Representing more than 12,000 families in eastern Loudoun, the HOA presidents of Ashburn Farm, Ashburn Village and Broadlands recently appeared at a county budget public hearing to support full funding of the Sheriff's Office. The speakers named the hiring of more deputies as a top priority for the county, citing their private efforts to reduce vandalism as an indication that the Sheriff's Office needs more people to patrol the streets.
Yahoo! News - Family Asked To Remove Giant Yellow Ribbon From Yard
Saul's brother constructed an 8-foot by 4-foot yellow ribbon sign just one month after he was deployed and put it in the front of the home. But, the managing agent for the Villas at Ingram Hills sent a notice to the family, stating that it was against homeowner violations and asked them to remove it.
Saul's brother constructed an 8-foot by 4-foot yellow ribbon sign just one month after he was deployed and put it in the front of the home. But, the managing agent for the Villas at Ingram Hills sent a notice to the family, stating that it was against homeowner violations and asked them to remove it.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Landslide victims get more bad news | The San Diego Union-Tribune
CARLSBAD – The view from the swimming pool at the Marbella condominiums in La Costa is a breathtaking sight of rolling hills with a lagoon in the distance. But the more than 35 residents who crowded the pool area in yesterday morning's drizzle and who had perhaps moved into their homes with the view in mind were paralyzed with grim news. The earth is still moving because of incessant rains, several of the condominiums are uninhabitable and the owners are likely to incur more costs than they can afford. "I don't know if you're going to have to take out a loan or borrow money from your mom," attorney David Peters told the group of worried faces. "At this moment in time, we're on our own."
[more]
CARLSBAD – The view from the swimming pool at the Marbella condominiums in La Costa is a breathtaking sight of rolling hills with a lagoon in the distance. But the more than 35 residents who crowded the pool area in yesterday morning's drizzle and who had perhaps moved into their homes with the view in mind were paralyzed with grim news. The earth is still moving because of incessant rains, several of the condominiums are uninhabitable and the owners are likely to incur more costs than they can afford. "I don't know if you're going to have to take out a loan or borrow money from your mom," attorney David Peters told the group of worried faces. "At this moment in time, we're on our own."
[more]
Friday, March 18, 2005
Huge fee hike sought for new S.D. homes | The San Diego Union-Tribune
Note that this would come on top of already astronomical housing prices. The median home in San Diego now sells for $580,000, as I noted in a previous post.
San Diego officials are calling for a nearly tenfold average increase in a fee for new-home construction to keep pace with park and recreation needs. The proposal faces opposition from builders, affordable-housing advocates and the city's advisory Park and Recreation Board, which rejected the idea 4-1 yesterday. The average city park impact fee would increase from $2,637 per unit to $24,755 as outlined in a March 9 report by a deputy director of the Park and Recreation Department. In the report, April Penera said no waiver should be granted for the proposed increase in areas targeted for affordable housing.
Note that this would come on top of already astronomical housing prices. The median home in San Diego now sells for $580,000, as I noted in a previous post.
San Diego officials are calling for a nearly tenfold average increase in a fee for new-home construction to keep pace with park and recreation needs. The proposal faces opposition from builders, affordable-housing advocates and the city's advisory Park and Recreation Board, which rejected the idea 4-1 yesterday. The average city park impact fee would increase from $2,637 per unit to $24,755 as outlined in a March 9 report by a deputy director of the Park and Recreation Department. In the report, April Penera said no waiver should be granted for the proposed increase in areas targeted for affordable housing.
Feds' antitrust inquiry targets Ariz. builders, telecom firms
Fred Pilot has been sending me links to great stories, but I've been sick and if that weren't bad enough somebody hacked the UIC webmail system and I couldn't get access to my mail. When it rains it pours.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether exclusive agreements between Arizona developers and communications companies, such as Cox and Qwest, violate antitrust laws... In a so-called preferred-provider agreement, a developer grants a firm, such as Cox or Qwest, exclusive rights to market its services inside a subdivision's model-home offices and gives it other advantages that may discourage competitors.In some cases, home buyers are locked into paying for Internet or telephone service through homeowners association dues, so if they want a competitor's service, they have to pay on top of the dues or, in effect, pay twice.
[more]
Fred Pilot has been sending me links to great stories, but I've been sick and if that weren't bad enough somebody hacked the UIC webmail system and I couldn't get access to my mail. When it rains it pours.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether exclusive agreements between Arizona developers and communications companies, such as Cox and Qwest, violate antitrust laws... In a so-called preferred-provider agreement, a developer grants a firm, such as Cox or Qwest, exclusive rights to market its services inside a subdivision's model-home offices and gives it other advantages that may discourage competitors.In some cases, home buyers are locked into paying for Internet or telephone service through homeowners association dues, so if they want a competitor's service, they have to pay on top of the dues or, in effect, pay twice.
[more]
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Suburbia Takes Shape in Imperial Valley
EL CENTRO, Calif. — A big indoor mall opens Wednesday, eight months after the area's first stand-alone Starbucks hit town. Several national homebuilders have staked ground as bulldozers prepare more farmland for construction. The Imperial Valley — a desert region of 160,000 people and a notoriously high unemployment rate — is witnessing a surge in new homes and stores for middle-income families. Homebuilders are betting that the Imperial Valley will become San Diego's next bedroom community, another example of how California's climbing home prices are forcing people to live farther from work. The 230-mile round trip to San Diego and back takes about four hours, but here it's easy to find a new home for less than $300,000. In San Diego, the median price of a resale home hit $580,000 in January.
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I have three words for you: this is madness.
EL CENTRO, Calif. — A big indoor mall opens Wednesday, eight months after the area's first stand-alone Starbucks hit town. Several national homebuilders have staked ground as bulldozers prepare more farmland for construction. The Imperial Valley — a desert region of 160,000 people and a notoriously high unemployment rate — is witnessing a surge in new homes and stores for middle-income families. Homebuilders are betting that the Imperial Valley will become San Diego's next bedroom community, another example of how California's climbing home prices are forcing people to live farther from work. The 230-mile round trip to San Diego and back takes about four hours, but here it's easy to find a new home for less than $300,000. In San Diego, the median price of a resale home hit $580,000 in January.
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I have three words for you: this is madness.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
SAN RAFAEL / Judge won't force woman out of hospital / 82-year-old served eviction notice, says she has nowhere to go
I say call an HOA collections lawyer. He'll have her out in no time. Thanks to Fred Pilot for sending this tale.
A Marin County judge refused Friday to order sheriff's officers to evict an 82-year-old woman who has refused to leave a bed at Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center for more than a year.
I say call an HOA collections lawyer. He'll have her out in no time. Thanks to Fred Pilot for sending this tale.
A Marin County judge refused Friday to order sheriff's officers to evict an 82-year-old woman who has refused to leave a bed at Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center for more than a year.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Pahrump Valley Times - The market will control growth (watch the skies...)
From the Kingdom of Nye, site of Art Bell's fortified compound, comes this, courtesy of Fred Pilot:
Nye County commissioners rejected the idea of a moratorium on residential developments in the Pahrump Valley that create higher densities - and greater profits for developers - placing their bets on market forces and developers' good will to solve Pahrump's future growth problems.
From the Kingdom of Nye, site of Art Bell's fortified compound, comes this, courtesy of Fred Pilot:
Nye County commissioners rejected the idea of a moratorium on residential developments in the Pahrump Valley that create higher densities - and greater profits for developers - placing their bets on market forces and developers' good will to solve Pahrump's future growth problems.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Condo owner says inquiries to board led to vandalism
All condo owner Jallele Praschnik did was ask to look at her condo association's records, as allowed by state law.
As a result, she says, her screen was cut, pesticide was thrown into her apartment, and eggs were thrown at her car. In addition, someone would periodically stand outside her window, looking in and listening to her conversations.
After 15 months of such intimidation, she said, she borrowed surveillance equipment and taped a neighbor committing the alleged crimes.
Police last week arrested John Losada, 59, a leader of the condo association at the South Grove Plaza, at 2690 SW 22nd Ave. in Miami. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 15 to answer charges of criminal mischief and stalking.
He faces five years on the vandalism charge and one year on the stalking charge if convicted. He is free on $6,000 bail.
[more]
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Here's the poster boy for why we need oversight of condo/hoa boards of directors. Yeah, yeah..."it's an isolated instance." One of about a gazillion.
All condo owner Jallele Praschnik did was ask to look at her condo association's records, as allowed by state law.
As a result, she says, her screen was cut, pesticide was thrown into her apartment, and eggs were thrown at her car. In addition, someone would periodically stand outside her window, looking in and listening to her conversations.
After 15 months of such intimidation, she said, she borrowed surveillance equipment and taped a neighbor committing the alleged crimes.
Police last week arrested John Losada, 59, a leader of the condo association at the South Grove Plaza, at 2690 SW 22nd Ave. in Miami. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 15 to answer charges of criminal mischief and stalking.
He faces five years on the vandalism charge and one year on the stalking charge if convicted. He is free on $6,000 bail.
[more]
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Here's the poster boy for why we need oversight of condo/hoa boards of directors. Yeah, yeah..."it's an isolated instance." One of about a gazillion.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Yahoo! News - San Diego median resale price up nearly 24% in January
The median price of an existing home in San Diego was $580,220 as of January 2005, a 23.9 percent increase over the average price of $468,450 in January of last year, the California Association of Realtors reported Friday.
Good grief. Median resale prices approaching $600K?
The median price of an existing home in San Diego was $580,220 as of January 2005, a 23.9 percent increase over the average price of $468,450 in January of last year, the California Association of Realtors reported Friday.
Good grief. Median resale prices approaching $600K?
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