Apollo Beach man fatally shot in confrontation often riled neighbors - Tampa Bay Times
According to the court filing, Gallik wore a sign around his neck that read, "Death to Southshore Falls." He bathed outside, ran a generator, hung wet clothes in the front yard, solicited donations of food from neighbors and threatened a neighbor to get electricity for his computer, records show.
The filing also paints a tense picture of Gallik's relationship with his neighbors.
He threatened them, posted "foul and offensive" signs, allowed his dog to defecate on the street and verbally abused neighbors to the point that they called the sheriff's office.
In the filing, the association sought to make Gallik comply with HOA rules and pay fees to bring his home up to code.
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Another fatal shooting in Privatopia involving an HOA resident at odds with the HOA.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
California city bans smoking in multi-family homes | Reuters
California city bans smoking in multi-family homes | Reuters:
A San Francisco suburb on Monday banned smoking in duplexes, condominiums and other multi-family homes, with city leaders saying they hoped to lead a wave of such regulations across California and ultimately the country.
The City Council in San Rafael, a community of 57,000 people about 15 miles north of San Francisco, voted unanimously for the ban, following a handful of other California municipalities that have outlawed smoking in buildings with as few as two units.
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this link. Lawsuits over infiltration of second hand smoke from one unit into others are becoming common. Then came condo and apartment rules banning smoking, and now municipal ordinances.
A San Francisco suburb on Monday banned smoking in duplexes, condominiums and other multi-family homes, with city leaders saying they hoped to lead a wave of such regulations across California and ultimately the country.
The City Council in San Rafael, a community of 57,000 people about 15 miles north of San Francisco, voted unanimously for the ban, following a handful of other California municipalities that have outlawed smoking in buildings with as few as two units.
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this link. Lawsuits over infiltration of second hand smoke from one unit into others are becoming common. Then came condo and apartment rules banning smoking, and now municipal ordinances.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Pink Playhouse Owner Ecstatic after Learning Lawsuit was Dismissed | NBC Augusta 26
Pink Playhouse Owner Ecstatic after Learning Lawsuit was Dismissed | NBC Augusta 26: COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. --
It's a lawsuit that received national attention after our first story aired.
A grandmother was being sued by her neighborhood Homeowners Association over the color of her granddaughter's playhouse.
The HOA said it was an out building and she had to have permission.
Becky Rogers Peck tells us she was excited and shocked to find out the lawsuit had been dismissed and one of the first things she did was tell her grand-daughter Aubree.
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Pink prevails in this privatopian enclave.
A grandmother was being sued by her neighborhood Homeowners Association over the color of her granddaughter's playhouse.
The HOA said it was an out building and she had to have permission.
Becky Rogers Peck tells us she was excited and shocked to find out the lawsuit had been dismissed and one of the first things she did was tell her grand-daughter Aubree.
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Pink prevails in this privatopian enclave.
HOA battle: Pine Village North homeowner's association fight moves to downtown Houston courthouse | abc13.com
HOA battle: Pine Village North homeowner's association fight moves to downtown Houston courthouse | abc13.com: HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A group of neighbors is taking their homeowner's association to court. They say residents are paying up but not seeing results, and now they want to know what happened to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Trouble in Privatopia. Film at 10.
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Trouble in Privatopia. Film at 10.
Fed actions to reduce mortgage rates may be helping banks more than borrowers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/booming-banks-say-consumers-may-not-see-lower-mortgage-rates/2012/10/12/21b86456-1473-11e2-bf18-a8a596df4bee_story.html?socialreader_check=0&denied=1
JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, said Friday they won’t make home loans much cheaper for consumers, even as they reported booming profits from that business.
Those bottom lines have been padded by federal initiatives to stimulate the economy. The Federal Reserve is spending $40 billion a month to reduce mortgage rates to encourage Americans to buy homes. Instead, its policies may be generating more benefits for banks than borrowers...The reason why mortgage bankers are seeing so much green is that the gap has widened between what banks charge a homeowner in interest rates and what they must pay those who finance mortgage lending. The latter has dropped significantly, largely as a result of the Fed’s actions, analysts said.
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Take, take, take. And after all this kid glove treatment, all they do is complain about over-regulation.
JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, said Friday they won’t make home loans much cheaper for consumers, even as they reported booming profits from that business.
Those bottom lines have been padded by federal initiatives to stimulate the economy. The Federal Reserve is spending $40 billion a month to reduce mortgage rates to encourage Americans to buy homes. Instead, its policies may be generating more benefits for banks than borrowers...The reason why mortgage bankers are seeing so much green is that the gap has widened between what banks charge a homeowner in interest rates and what they must pay those who finance mortgage lending. The latter has dropped significantly, largely as a result of the Fed’s actions, analysts said.
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Take, take, take. And after all this kid glove treatment, all they do is complain about over-regulation.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
New Fannie Mae rules make it tougher to qualify for mortgage - Chicago Tribune
Andrew J. Wilson, Fannie Mae's
director
of media and external relations, explained some of the changes:
of media and external relations, explained some of the changes:Q: What's happening for condo buyers?
A: We're bringing out a new version of our automated underwriting system, called Desktop Underwriter. These rules apply to lenders who use that system to qualify borrowers for loans under Fannie Mae guidelines. Currently, if you're buying a condo with less than 10 percent down, you'll have to fill out a questionnaire about the homeowners association's financials and provide information about its reserves. In the new rules, you'll have to do this if you're putting less than 20 percent down.
Q: What's Fannie Mae looking for from the homeowners association (HOA)?
A: It's asking these things to have greater confidence in the stability of the homeowners association. The lender would be expected to review the (HOA's) budget, including individual line items, income and expenses. This full review is to determine whether or not replacement reserves and can be funded and if insurance deductiblesinsurance deductibles are funded. (The broader requirement) speaks to making sure the homeowner's association has the ability to maintain and insure the property — and whether or not we would want to be buying the loans.
insurance deductibles are funded. (The broader requirement) speaks to making sure the homeowner's association has the ability to maintain and insure the property — and whether or not we would want to be buying the loans.-------------------------
Dale McFeatters: Millennials, the cheapest generation � Abilene Reporter-News
Dale McFeatters: Millennials, the cheapest generation � Abilene Reporter-News: And the Millennials seemed to have inherited their ancestors' philosophy of consumption: Mend it; make do; or do without. Worse yet, some Millennials who went astray are moving back to the cities.
This is so un-American. Our economy depends on people moving into the suburbs and deciding to move up to a riding mower.
An entire cohort of our countrymen cannot identify the terms "Turf Builder," "homeowners' association" and "allow extra time for your commute."
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HOAs (except the condo variety) appear slated to be a victim of socio-economic change.
This is so un-American. Our economy depends on people moving into the suburbs and deciding to move up to a riding mower.
An entire cohort of our countrymen cannot identify the terms "Turf Builder," "homeowners' association" and "allow extra time for your commute."
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HOAs (except the condo variety) appear slated to be a victim of socio-economic change.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The hidden cost of government settlements - The Washington Post
The hidden cost of government settlements - The Washington Post: When Bank of America agreed in December to pay $335 million to resolve federal charges that its mortgage-lending arm discriminated against black and Hispanic borrowers, government officials hailed it as the largest fair-lending settlement in history. But, in fact, the banking giant has the right to a massive discount on the payout. Thirty-five percent of the settlement is deductible. That means Bank of America could wind up saving $117 million on its tax bill.
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Nice. We, the taxpayers, get to subsidize the settlements paid by banks for their bogus lending practices. Thanks to Mystery Reader for this engine-starter.
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Nice. We, the taxpayers, get to subsidize the settlements paid by banks for their bogus lending practices. Thanks to Mystery Reader for this engine-starter.
Thousands of families could be caught by church repair bills as archaic rights revived - Telegraph
Thousands of families could be caught by church repair bills as archaic rights revived - Telegraph: "Thousands of families are set to receive warnings that they could face large bills to repair their local church, even if they have never attended it, after parishes were ordered to enforce a 500-year-old land law...People living in more than 5,000 parishes in England are subject to the historic “chancel repair liabilities”, which affect properties built on former monastic land.:
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this mind-boggling evidence that, no matter how bad you think your HOA is, things could always be worse.
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this mind-boggling evidence that, no matter how bad you think your HOA is, things could always be worse.
Number of low-price homes plummets in state - latimes.com
Number of low-price homes plummets in state - latimes.com:
"Competition for lower-priced homes in California is so hot that the number of cheaper homes available for sale has sunk more than 40% in the last year, pushing out many would-be buyers. Homes that sold for $313,200 or less were the most competitive type of home nationally, but nowhere did inventory in that price range drop more than in the Golden State, according to a report released Thursday by real estate website Zillow."
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So in California, a $312,000 home is "lower-priced," even in a post-housing bubble market. How are middle class Americans supposed to buy these palaces with their stagnant wages, assuming they aren't already reduced to selling oranges at freeway on-ramps and living in a tent in their mother-in-law's back yard? The problem now, in post-bust America, is that investors (colloquially known to some as "vulture capitalists") have taken over the low end of the housing market: "First-time home buyers are being squeezed out of the market by falling inventory and the rapid influx of investors looking to buy basic homes to rent out," Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries said. "Investors are paying in cash and can close sooner, which is more favorable to banks and homeowners looking to sell."
"Competition for lower-priced homes in California is so hot that the number of cheaper homes available for sale has sunk more than 40% in the last year, pushing out many would-be buyers. Homes that sold for $313,200 or less were the most competitive type of home nationally, but nowhere did inventory in that price range drop more than in the Golden State, according to a report released Thursday by real estate website Zillow."
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So in California, a $312,000 home is "lower-priced," even in a post-housing bubble market. How are middle class Americans supposed to buy these palaces with their stagnant wages, assuming they aren't already reduced to selling oranges at freeway on-ramps and living in a tent in their mother-in-law's back yard? The problem now, in post-bust America, is that investors (colloquially known to some as "vulture capitalists") have taken over the low end of the housing market: "First-time home buyers are being squeezed out of the market by falling inventory and the rapid influx of investors looking to buy basic homes to rent out," Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries said. "Investors are paying in cash and can close sooner, which is more favorable to banks and homeowners looking to sell."
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Florida homeowner association: florida homeowner association fight banks - OrlandoSentinel.com
Florida homeowner association: florida homeowner association fight banks - OrlandoSentinel.com: Jan Bergemann, president of the Cyber Citizens for Justice association watchdog group, said this week that law firms should not represent both groups.
"That should be a conflict of interest,'' Bergemann said. "Banks normally like to postpone as long as possible the moment they are the deeded owner. The homeowner association, meanwhile, has an interest to foreclose as soon as possible.'
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Conflicts of interest are determined on a case by case basis. That said, law firms that play both sides of the street are making some denizens of Privatopia uncomfortable.
"That should be a conflict of interest,'' Bergemann said. "Banks normally like to postpone as long as possible the moment they are the deeded owner. The homeowner association, meanwhile, has an interest to foreclose as soon as possible.'
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Conflicts of interest are determined on a case by case basis. That said, law firms that play both sides of the street are making some denizens of Privatopia uncomfortable.
Political lawn signs: Free speech or an eyesore? | News - Home
Political lawn signs: Free speech or an eyesore? | News - Home: Calderon says despite the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, in almost all sign disputes, the HOA will prevail. While courts typically rule against local or state governments that restrict political signs, HOAs are private entities and can create their own rules.
"And the thing is that they're not discriminating on the grounds of what kind of speech it is," said Calderon. "You can restrict speech on time, manner and place."
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And watch those flags and flagpoles, too.
"And the thing is that they're not discriminating on the grounds of what kind of speech it is," said Calderon. "You can restrict speech on time, manner and place."
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And watch those flags and flagpoles, too.
Lake County homeowners form anti-HOA group | www.wftv.com
Lake County homeowners form anti-HOA group | www.wftv.com: LAKE COUNTY, Fla. —The leaders of more than 200 Lake County homeowners turned to WFTV in hopes of solving a problem with what they say is an out-of-control Homeowners Association.
Homeowners insist they have no say in what happens in their community, partly because Yale University owns Harbor Hills in Lady Lake.
Homeowners sent a binder full of complaints about Harbor Hills to the Ivy League school. But so far, they've gotten no response.
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Yale? Paging the perfessor...
Homeowners insist they have no say in what happens in their community, partly because Yale University owns Harbor Hills in Lady Lake.
Homeowners sent a binder full of complaints about Harbor Hills to the Ivy League school. But so far, they've gotten no response.
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Yale? Paging the perfessor...
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Suburban poverty Kabul style: One million residents populate the steep hills around the Afghan capital... but it's a long way from the high life | Mail Online
Poverty i Kabul style: One million residents populate the steep hills around the Afghan capital... but it's a long way from the high life | Mail Online
"Low-income housing has spread high into the hills and, while running water has been recently added to some of the luckier neighbourhoods, foul and disease-laden open sewers still run downhill through streets and putrid gutters.
In suburbs like Jamal Mina, home to construction worker Ahmad Tazim and his family, residents are almost literally on top of each other - living a hand-to-mouth existence made even wore brutal by the seemingly endless conflict in the country.
But life is to become even worse for Tazim and other construction workers like him - the booming construction industry is about to bust. And it's not just disastrous news for the poor in the country: the emerging upper class in Kabul alsoface losing their new mansions and high-rise apartments in a much-feared economic freefall."
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Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Residents at Orlando condo complex face eviction due to unpaid... | www.wftv.com
Residents at Orlando condo complex face eviction due to unpaid... | www.wftv.com: ORLANDO, Fla. —People who live in an Orlando condo complex could soon be kicked out of their own homes.
The Orlando Utility Commission is about to shut off water to The Village on Crayrich Circle because the complex isn't paying its bills. And if the water is shut off, no one will be allowed to live there.
The Orlando Utility Commission is about to shut off water to The Village on Crayrich Circle because the complex isn't paying its bills. And if the water is shut off, no one will be allowed to live there.
Moody's targets Calif. cities for downgrades | Money - KCRA Home
Moody's targets Calif. cities for downgrades | Money - KCRA Home: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the nation's top credit rating agencies will review dozens of California cities for possible credit downgrades amid mounting concern over municipal bankruptcies and bond defaults.
Moody's Investors Service announced Tuesday that it would scrutinize nearly 30 California cities for possible downgrades.
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Not just in Privatopia...things are tough all over. Five years of economic malaise are taking an accumulated toll despite some positive economic indicators in recent weeks.
Moody's Investors Service announced Tuesday that it would scrutinize nearly 30 California cities for possible downgrades.
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Not just in Privatopia...things are tough all over. Five years of economic malaise are taking an accumulated toll despite some positive economic indicators in recent weeks.
State of the association | ind.gmnews.com | Independent
State of the association | ind.gmnews.com | Independent: The housing bust battered home sales and prices while skyrocketing foreclosures. It also took its toll on homeowner associations, which govern and maintain condominiums, townhomes and single-family communities.
With unemployment hovering at 8 percent, many homeowners are struggling with mortgage payments, and assessments (which pay for HOA costs) are falling by the wayside. All this is happening as more and more people move to multi-unit housing and become HOA members.
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The fallout of the economic downturn continues to roil Privatopia.
With unemployment hovering at 8 percent, many homeowners are struggling with mortgage payments, and assessments (which pay for HOA costs) are falling by the wayside. All this is happening as more and more people move to multi-unit housing and become HOA members.
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The fallout of the economic downturn continues to roil Privatopia.
Notorious HOA Board Removed by State - 8 News NOW
Notorious HOA Board Removed by State - 8 News NOW: NORTH LAS VEGAS -- The state real estate division on Monday took what it termed "unprecedented action" by removing an infamous one-time HOA president and his entire board.
The Nevada Commission for Common-Interest Communities and Condominium Hotels (CICCH) ousted Joseph Bitsky, Barbara Bitsky and Hellen Murphy – the full three-person board of the Autumn Chase Homeowners Association in North Las Vegas – for hundreds of violations of state law governing HOA's.
The Nevada Commission for Common-Interest Communities and Condominium Hotels (CICCH) ousted Joseph Bitsky, Barbara Bitsky and Hellen Murphy – the full three-person board of the Autumn Chase Homeowners Association in North Las Vegas – for hundreds of violations of state law governing HOA's.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Treasurer accused of stealing $70,000 from west Toledo homeowner - ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather & Sports for Toledo, OH
Treasurer accused of stealing $70,000 from west Toledo homeowner - ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather & Sports for Toledo, OH: TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) -
Residents of west Toledo's Lincolnshire neighborhood are upset after a police report has surfaced alleging a member of the neighborhood association stole from its members.
A report filed by the association's board of trustees claims former association treasurer Peter Williamson stole more than $70,000 from the association's accounts between 2011 and August of 2012, when he resigned. Residents say just three days after Williamson's resignation they received a letter requesting they pay an additional $100 in neighborhood dues in order to pay for pool repairs. The cost of those repairs, residents say, was suspiciously similar to the amount missing.
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Innocent until proven guilty. But these kinds of stories are all too common in Privatopia.
Residents of west Toledo's Lincolnshire neighborhood are upset after a police report has surfaced alleging a member of the neighborhood association stole from its members.
A report filed by the association's board of trustees claims former association treasurer Peter Williamson stole more than $70,000 from the association's accounts between 2011 and August of 2012, when he resigned. Residents say just three days after Williamson's resignation they received a letter requesting they pay an additional $100 in neighborhood dues in order to pay for pool repairs. The cost of those repairs, residents say, was suspiciously similar to the amount missing.
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Innocent until proven guilty. But these kinds of stories are all too common in Privatopia.
‘World’s largest yacht’ headed to Eastport and other Maine ports of call — Down East — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
‘World’s largest yacht’ headed to Eastport and other Maine ports of call — Down East — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
EASTPORT, Maine — Billed as “the world’s largest privately owned yacht,” The World will tie up at Eastport’s downtown breakwater pier Tuesday morning, allowing those who live aboard the 12-deck, 644-foot vessel to enjoy a day of exploring the historic Washington County seaport.
The unique ship is a floating city, owned by 130 families from 19 different countries who occupy with their guests 165 private condominium residences. Launched in 2002, The World continuously circumnavigates the globe, and it has now visited 800 ports in 140 countries. The ship’s 2012 itinerary is taking those aboard to 31 different countries. Beyond Eastport, the ship is scheduled to stop in Bar Harbor, Rockland and Portland before heading on to Boston. Its last port of call before heading to Eastport was in Canada at St. Andrews, N.B.
The World is the only private residential community at sea.
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I've blogged about 'The World" before, but here she is, about to grace the state of my birth with her intensely private and opulent presence. I seem to remember that there were some interesting taxation advantages to be had by making this ship one's principal residence.
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