Mandatory sterilization for pit bulls? Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com:
In the wake of recent brutal dog attacks, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services is proposing to mandate that owners of all pit bull purebreds and mixes in unincorporated communities sterilize the animals.
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Good idea. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Friday, April 05, 2013
Trayvon Martin wrongful death suit agains HOA settled
Trayvon Martin wrongful death claim more than $1 million - OrlandoSentinel.com:
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It appears that the HOA's insurer decided not to further dispute the coverage issue. As I understand the situation, Zimmerman was a volunteer, but the HOA more or less advised people to take their security concerns to him. The policy had a $1 million limit, and the story says the HOA paid at least that. Unfortunately there is a confidentiality provision so ascertaining the exact amount is impossible at this point. In any event, it will be interesting to see if HOA insurers take steps to distance themselves from this sort of liability.
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It appears that the HOA's insurer decided not to further dispute the coverage issue. As I understand the situation, Zimmerman was a volunteer, but the HOA more or less advised people to take their security concerns to him. The policy had a $1 million limit, and the story says the HOA paid at least that. Unfortunately there is a confidentiality provision so ascertaining the exact amount is impossible at this point. In any event, it will be interesting to see if HOA insurers take steps to distance themselves from this sort of liability.
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
BIDs the solution for teen mobs?
Chicago, youth mobs, Gold Coast - chicagotribune.com:
"Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, has a much better idea. He's introduced an ordinance that could put off-duty cops to work in commercial districts — in uniform and under the direction of the Police Department — paid for by local merchants through local chambers of commerce, business improvement districts or special taxing districts. That makes more sense than an earlier plan to expand police powers to private security guards.
Reilly says his proposal is a stopgap, not a solution. Chicago needs hundreds more full-time cops that it can't afford. In the meantime, his proposal would give businesses the option of hiring sworn officers to supplement the police presence in their neighborhoods. The plan isn't specific to downtown, he says. But that seems like an obvious place to start, and soon. Summer's coming."
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So--protection in the business districts through hiring the cops as security guards?
"Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, has a much better idea. He's introduced an ordinance that could put off-duty cops to work in commercial districts — in uniform and under the direction of the Police Department — paid for by local merchants through local chambers of commerce, business improvement districts or special taxing districts. That makes more sense than an earlier plan to expand police powers to private security guards.
Reilly says his proposal is a stopgap, not a solution. Chicago needs hundreds more full-time cops that it can't afford. In the meantime, his proposal would give businesses the option of hiring sworn officers to supplement the police presence in their neighborhoods. The plan isn't specific to downtown, he says. But that seems like an obvious place to start, and soon. Summer's coming."
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So--protection in the business districts through hiring the cops as security guards?
Stockton's bankruptcy approved - SFGate
Stockton's bankruptcy approved - SFGate:
"A federal judge on Monday granted Stockton's reluctant, nearly year-old request to become the largest city in U.S. history to go bankrupt, but not before lambasting bond creditors for stonewalling negotiations despite what he called "good-faith" efforts by the city to find a solution for its financial problems...Buoyed by tax income from the housing boom of the early 2000s, Stockton approved "overly generous" employment packages and ambitious projects, including a waterfront baseball stadium, Klein said. Then, he said, "what we now call the Great Recession" and foreclosures hit the city like a bomb. By 2011, unemployment reached 22 percent, property values plunged by more than half, and the city was in a "painful" hole, the judge said."
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The way I see it, many if not most state and local governments, special districts, and homeowner and condo associations are all facing major financial challenges. There are many reasons for this, but the most basic problem is simple: all of them have their hands in the pockets of the American middle class, and there is a finite and dwindling amount of money there.
"A federal judge on Monday granted Stockton's reluctant, nearly year-old request to become the largest city in U.S. history to go bankrupt, but not before lambasting bond creditors for stonewalling negotiations despite what he called "good-faith" efforts by the city to find a solution for its financial problems...Buoyed by tax income from the housing boom of the early 2000s, Stockton approved "overly generous" employment packages and ambitious projects, including a waterfront baseball stadium, Klein said. Then, he said, "what we now call the Great Recession" and foreclosures hit the city like a bomb. By 2011, unemployment reached 22 percent, property values plunged by more than half, and the city was in a "painful" hole, the judge said."
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The way I see it, many if not most state and local governments, special districts, and homeowner and condo associations are all facing major financial challenges. There are many reasons for this, but the most basic problem is simple: all of them have their hands in the pockets of the American middle class, and there is a finite and dwindling amount of money there.
Monday, April 01, 2013
Jim Hightower: Corporate Kangaroo Courts Supplant Our Seventh Amendment Rights
Corporate Kangaroo Courts Supplant Our Seventh Amendment Rights:
Jim Hightower on mandatory arbitration agreements inserted in consumer contracts:
"All you really need to know about today's process is that it's the product of years of conceptual monkey-wrenching by corporate lobbyists, Congress, the Supreme Court and hired-gun lobbying firms looking to milk the system for steady profits. First and foremost, these fixers have turned a voluntary process into the exact opposite: mandatory."
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American judges are indoctrinated to believe in the sanctity of "contract" even when there was no negotiation and the party that had all the power wrote an unchangeable "take it or leave it" agreement that contained an arbitration clause, and imposed it on the consumer. The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to jury trial in civil matters. May as well not have it, given the way contracts are being used to strip it away.
Jim Hightower on mandatory arbitration agreements inserted in consumer contracts:
"All you really need to know about today's process is that it's the product of years of conceptual monkey-wrenching by corporate lobbyists, Congress, the Supreme Court and hired-gun lobbying firms looking to milk the system for steady profits. First and foremost, these fixers have turned a voluntary process into the exact opposite: mandatory."
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American judges are indoctrinated to believe in the sanctity of "contract" even when there was no negotiation and the party that had all the power wrote an unchangeable "take it or leave it" agreement that contained an arbitration clause, and imposed it on the consumer. The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to jury trial in civil matters. May as well not have it, given the way contracts are being used to strip it away.
Housing market: Buyers frustrated over shortage of inventory - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Housing market: Buyers frustrated over shortage of inventory - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com:
"A few factors have contributed to the low inventory. New construction fell sharply during the housing bust, limiting the opportunities for resales now, said Walter Molony, a spokesman for the national Realtor group. When prices plunged, millions of homeowners lost equity, putting them "underwater" on their mortgages. Even though values are rebounding, many homeowners still can't sell without bringing thousands of dollars to the closing table. Meanwhile, a large contingent of homeowners who have equity are keeping their properties off the market, figuring they have weathered the downturn and now want to see prices keep rising before they consider selling."
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This has been going on for so long that it feels like the new normal. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
"A few factors have contributed to the low inventory. New construction fell sharply during the housing bust, limiting the opportunities for resales now, said Walter Molony, a spokesman for the national Realtor group. When prices plunged, millions of homeowners lost equity, putting them "underwater" on their mortgages. Even though values are rebounding, many homeowners still can't sell without bringing thousands of dollars to the closing table. Meanwhile, a large contingent of homeowners who have equity are keeping their properties off the market, figuring they have weathered the downturn and now want to see prices keep rising before they consider selling."
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This has been going on for so long that it feels like the new normal. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
One way to address the S.B. 1062 fee shifting issue
S.B. 1062, currently in the Maryland State Senate (see two posts on it below), deals with the problem of attorney fee shifting in covenant enforcement cases where the fees are grossly disproportionate to what is at stake in the case. Here is one way it could be amended, using the California approach. This is from California Civil Code Section 1354 b, c, d, and e, in the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Developments Act:
(f) In any action specified in subdivision (a) to enforce the
governing documents, the prevailing party shall be awarded reasonable
attorney's fees and costs. Upon motion by any party for attorney's
fees and costs to be awarded to the prevailing party in these
actions, the court, in determining the amount of the award, may
consider a party's refusal to participate in alternative dispute
resolution prior to the filing of the action.
So the court can adjust the amount of fees downward if the losing party refused to participate in ADR prior to filing of the action. Why not do the same thing with the problem addressed by S.B. 1062?--fees that are excessive not because they fail the test of the "lodestar method," (i.e., can't be justified on time and effort and ability grounds), but because the fees are ridiculous in view of how little was at stake.
Just specify in S.B. 1062 what kinds of cases it applies to, which would be covenant enforcement actions involving nonmonetary violations; define nonmonetary violations; say that this section is in addition to the factors that already apply under existing law and court rules; and then add "the court, in determining the amount of the award, may consider the degree to which the amount of the attorney's fees is reasonable in relation to the amount in controversy or the nature of the nonmonetary violation." Perhaps the language could be changed to read "the nature and seriousness" of the nonmonetary violation.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Couple fighting HOA over removal of pit bull that chased suspect
Couple fighting HOA over removal of pit bull that chased suspect: WINTER GARDEN --�
A Winter Garden couple is fighting their homeowners association's efforts to have them get rid of their pit bull after it chased a suspect out of their home. Chris Barrella’s homeowners association says the dog is aggressive and a danger to other people in the neighborhood. Barrella says his dog was protecting his family from a suspected kidnapper in an incident that sparked the HOA’s accusation.
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I'm not a pit bull fan. I think all of them should be sterilized tomorrow. But maybe this one deserves a little leniency? Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
A Winter Garden couple is fighting their homeowners association's efforts to have them get rid of their pit bull after it chased a suspect out of their home. Chris Barrella’s homeowners association says the dog is aggressive and a danger to other people in the neighborhood. Barrella says his dog was protecting his family from a suspected kidnapper in an incident that sparked the HOA’s accusation.
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I'm not a pit bull fan. I think all of them should be sterilized tomorrow. But maybe this one deserves a little leniency? Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Foreclosed 'Zombie' Homes Exceed 300,000 Properties: Study
Foreclosed 'Zombie' Homes Exceed 300,000 Properties: Study
"ORLANDO, Fla., March 28 (Reuters) - A national survey found 301,874 "zombie" properties dotting the U.S. landscape in which homeowners in foreclosure have moved out, leaving vacant property susceptible to vandalism and degradation. Florida tops the list of zombie properties with 90,556 vacant homes in foreclosure, according to a foreclosure inventory released on Thursday by RealtyTrac, a real estate information company in Irvine, California. Illinois and California ranked a distant second and third with 31,668 and 28,821 zombie properties respectively on the list...According to the Reuters special report, municipalities are left to deal with the mess when people move out after receiving a notice of a planned foreclosure sale that the bank then cancels. Some spend public funds on securing, cleaning and stabilizing houses that generate no tax revenue. Others let the houses rot."
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"ORLANDO, Fla., March 28 (Reuters) - A national survey found 301,874 "zombie" properties dotting the U.S. landscape in which homeowners in foreclosure have moved out, leaving vacant property susceptible to vandalism and degradation. Florida tops the list of zombie properties with 90,556 vacant homes in foreclosure, according to a foreclosure inventory released on Thursday by RealtyTrac, a real estate information company in Irvine, California. Illinois and California ranked a distant second and third with 31,668 and 28,821 zombie properties respectively on the list...According to the Reuters special report, municipalities are left to deal with the mess when people move out after receiving a notice of a planned foreclosure sale that the bank then cancels. Some spend public funds on securing, cleaning and stabilizing houses that generate no tax revenue. Others let the houses rot."
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A lot of these homes are in associations, and in many cases the associations are zombies, too. But look who is left to clean up (or not) behind the wreckage created by the housing market: municipalities. And they remain unprepared to do much of anything.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Former U.S. Marine told his flagpole violates Hypoluxo code | www.palmbeachpost.com
Former U.S. Marine told his flagpole violates Hypoluxo code | www.palmbeachpost.com: And it’s not the first time Palm Beach County residents have been told their American flags may have to come down because of code violations. Schaffer joins a group that includes a former Marine from Jupiter, a North Palm Beach businesswoman, a car dealer magnate and even Donald Trump, all who’ve had their run-ins with code violations over their American flags.
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Now muni officials are instigating flag flaps that are widespread in Privatopia.
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Now muni officials are instigating flag flaps that are widespread in Privatopia.
Security door fight swings in homeowner's favor - Houston Chronicle
Security door fight swings in homeowner's favor - Houston Chronicle: According to a letter from the HOA, the board of directors voted to allow any security door that was installed prior to July 1, 2010, the date AMI Houston assumed the association's management. (At least two other homeowners have installed burglar bars because of crime issues, HOA officials confirmed.)
"I appreciate the homeowners association and [developer and president] Mr. Michael Johnson for working with me. I am glad to see this matter is solved," said Babineaux, 57. "I just wanted them to leave me alone about my door."
The lesson here for homeowners and HOAs is that Texas law has a four-year statute of limitations on deed restrictions.
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I guess treating deed restrictions as giving rise to legal claims and subjecting them to a statute of limitations makes sense given the frequency of regime change in Privatopia.
"I appreciate the homeowners association and [developer and president] Mr. Michael Johnson for working with me. I am glad to see this matter is solved," said Babineaux, 57. "I just wanted them to leave me alone about my door."
The lesson here for homeowners and HOAs is that Texas law has a four-year statute of limitations on deed restrictions.
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I guess treating deed restrictions as giving rise to legal claims and subjecting them to a statute of limitations makes sense given the frequency of regime change in Privatopia.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
What is S.B. 1062 about?
I testified at the Maryland State Senate hearing yesterday in support of S.B. 1062. The hearing was long and emotional at times, as unit owners told how they have been subjected to foreclosure actions by association lawyers seeking up to $70,000 in fees on top of fines in the hundreds of dollars. The current draft of the bill was done in haste because of legislative scheduling issues, and it will be redrafted. As written, it doesn't clearly explain what is intended.
Senator Muse is the sponsor. The work to date has been done by attorney Larry Holzman, who represents Brian Hanrahan, a unit owner who has been through an incredible experience with his association and who testified at the hearing about his case.
Here it is in plain language, the way I understand it.
1. Association governing documents usually contain fee-shifting provisions that allow the association to recover its attorney fees from unit owners if the association prevails in an action to enforce the governing documents.
2. This would happen in two kinds of cases--either assessment collection, or enforcement of non-monetary provisions of the documents (pets, parking, architectural review, etc.)
3. Existing statutes and rules in Maryland already authorize judges to do a "reasonableness" review of these claims, but only concerning the amount of the fees. In other words, judges already have the power to refuse to shift the association's fees to the owner, if the fees are excessive. This is what the court did in the recent case of Monmouth Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc., v. Tiffany Hamilton, 416 Md. 325 (2010).
4. But what if the association lawyer is able to document that the amount of fees is reasonable, in the limited sense of satisfying the existing criteria--skill, hours billed, rate, and so forth--but the issue is whether the legal expenses are grossly disproportionate to the alleged offense? For example, the association runs up $70,000 in fees over a $250 charge for a (bogus) parking violation (as happened to Brian and Judith Hanrahan--Brian testified at the hearing; and see also Farran v. Olde Belhaven Townhome Association, where a political sign led to gazillions in fees).
5. As I understand it, the point of S.B. 1062 is to give judges the power to deny or reduce attorney fees to association lawyers who manage to win a case that never should have been brought in the first place. The court would assess not just the reasonableness of the amount of the fee, but the reasonableness of the action itself, when you compare the incredible cost to the nonexistent or trivial alleged benefit.
6. The focus of this bill is not assessment collection, but covenant enforcement cases. The language in the bill about a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness is not (as I understand it) going to be in the next version (the Judicial Council opposed the bill because they think it tinkers with existing law on how courts review attorney fees, and this issue needs to be addressed). But the bill will still treat the two kinds of cases differently. This is because associations need their assessment stream in order to remain solvent. If they have to hire lawyers to collect assessments, they should be able to recover their collection costs and fees, but judges need to scrutinize the amount of the fees to make sure the lawyers aren't churning and the costs and fees are reasonable. Judges already have that power in Maryland (see Monmouth Meadows for the way they do that in Maryland). [note: I realize that some people who read this blog want to wreck all associations financially, so they think association shouldn't be able to collect fees in court, but I think that position is irresponsible and morally objectionable and I won't argue it with you.] But associations don't need the money they get from fines. They don't become insolvent because somebody doesn't pay a $50 fine for painting their mailbox the wrong shade of beige. And when a lawyer seizes on a case like this and runs up thousands of dollars in fees in the course of suing the owner, a judge should be able to say, "OK, you win on the paint job, but the association has to pay its own attorney." Why? Because fee shifting is an exception to the general rule that parties pay their own lawyers, and it should be allowed only when there is a real purpose to shifting the fee. Making lawyers wealthy isn't a good enough reason to shift the fees. As the court said in Monmouth Meadows, quoting the United States Supreme Court, “fee shifting statutes…are not intended as ‘a form of economic relief to improve the financial lot of attorneys[.]’” [416 Md. 336]
7. This would discourage associations from intimidating or persecuting unit owners, it would keep ridiculous cases that only enrich lawyers out of the courts, and it would force association boards to think for themselves and exercise some independent judgment instead of suing every time their lawyer tells them to, influenced by the promise that the association won't have to pay for it.
8. Predictably, CAI showed up and opposed the bill. They send a non-lawyer from the Maryland legislative action committee who claimed that she didn't know about any abusive cases, boards are responsible, CAI wants to be involved in the conversation, and so forth. The usual fare. It was not an effective performance, but you can expect them to roll in the big guns (i.e., the lawyers who have gotten rich using fee-shifting provisions) if this bill goes forward.
So that's the general idea. I think this is a good bill that focuses attention on a problem that I have been writing about for decades.
Senator Muse is the sponsor. The work to date has been done by attorney Larry Holzman, who represents Brian Hanrahan, a unit owner who has been through an incredible experience with his association and who testified at the hearing about his case.
Here it is in plain language, the way I understand it.
1. Association governing documents usually contain fee-shifting provisions that allow the association to recover its attorney fees from unit owners if the association prevails in an action to enforce the governing documents.
2. This would happen in two kinds of cases--either assessment collection, or enforcement of non-monetary provisions of the documents (pets, parking, architectural review, etc.)
3. Existing statutes and rules in Maryland already authorize judges to do a "reasonableness" review of these claims, but only concerning the amount of the fees. In other words, judges already have the power to refuse to shift the association's fees to the owner, if the fees are excessive. This is what the court did in the recent case of Monmouth Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc., v. Tiffany Hamilton, 416 Md. 325 (2010).
4. But what if the association lawyer is able to document that the amount of fees is reasonable, in the limited sense of satisfying the existing criteria--skill, hours billed, rate, and so forth--but the issue is whether the legal expenses are grossly disproportionate to the alleged offense? For example, the association runs up $70,000 in fees over a $250 charge for a (bogus) parking violation (as happened to Brian and Judith Hanrahan--Brian testified at the hearing; and see also Farran v. Olde Belhaven Townhome Association, where a political sign led to gazillions in fees).
5. As I understand it, the point of S.B. 1062 is to give judges the power to deny or reduce attorney fees to association lawyers who manage to win a case that never should have been brought in the first place. The court would assess not just the reasonableness of the amount of the fee, but the reasonableness of the action itself, when you compare the incredible cost to the nonexistent or trivial alleged benefit.
6. The focus of this bill is not assessment collection, but covenant enforcement cases. The language in the bill about a rebuttable presumption of reasonableness is not (as I understand it) going to be in the next version (the Judicial Council opposed the bill because they think it tinkers with existing law on how courts review attorney fees, and this issue needs to be addressed). But the bill will still treat the two kinds of cases differently. This is because associations need their assessment stream in order to remain solvent. If they have to hire lawyers to collect assessments, they should be able to recover their collection costs and fees, but judges need to scrutinize the amount of the fees to make sure the lawyers aren't churning and the costs and fees are reasonable. Judges already have that power in Maryland (see Monmouth Meadows for the way they do that in Maryland). [note: I realize that some people who read this blog want to wreck all associations financially, so they think association shouldn't be able to collect fees in court, but I think that position is irresponsible and morally objectionable and I won't argue it with you.] But associations don't need the money they get from fines. They don't become insolvent because somebody doesn't pay a $50 fine for painting their mailbox the wrong shade of beige. And when a lawyer seizes on a case like this and runs up thousands of dollars in fees in the course of suing the owner, a judge should be able to say, "OK, you win on the paint job, but the association has to pay its own attorney." Why? Because fee shifting is an exception to the general rule that parties pay their own lawyers, and it should be allowed only when there is a real purpose to shifting the fee. Making lawyers wealthy isn't a good enough reason to shift the fees. As the court said in Monmouth Meadows, quoting the United States Supreme Court, “fee shifting statutes…are not intended as ‘a form of economic relief to improve the financial lot of attorneys[.]’” [416 Md. 336]
7. This would discourage associations from intimidating or persecuting unit owners, it would keep ridiculous cases that only enrich lawyers out of the courts, and it would force association boards to think for themselves and exercise some independent judgment instead of suing every time their lawyer tells them to, influenced by the promise that the association won't have to pay for it.
8. Predictably, CAI showed up and opposed the bill. They send a non-lawyer from the Maryland legislative action committee who claimed that she didn't know about any abusive cases, boards are responsible, CAI wants to be involved in the conversation, and so forth. The usual fare. It was not an effective performance, but you can expect them to roll in the big guns (i.e., the lawyers who have gotten rich using fee-shifting provisions) if this bill goes forward.
So that's the general idea. I think this is a good bill that focuses attention on a problem that I have been writing about for decades.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
About to testify in support of S.B. 1062
So here I am in Maryland, getting ready to testify before the Judicial Proceedings Committee of the Maryland State Senate in support of S.B. 1062, summarizes as follows:
"Prohibiting a governing body of a homeowners association or council of unit owners of a condominium from demanding, collecting, or seeking to recover attorney's fees from a lot owner or unit owner unless the amount of the attorney's fees is reasonable in relation to the amount in controversy or the nature of a specified violation; establishing that, in a specified action against a lot owner or unit owner, there is a specified rebuttable presumption that attorney's fees sought are reasonable; etc."
The bill is sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse, whose district is in Prince George's County.
"Prohibiting a governing body of a homeowners association or council of unit owners of a condominium from demanding, collecting, or seeking to recover attorney's fees from a lot owner or unit owner unless the amount of the attorney's fees is reasonable in relation to the amount in controversy or the nature of a specified violation; establishing that, in a specified action against a lot owner or unit owner, there is a specified rebuttable presumption that attorney's fees sought are reasonable; etc."
The bill is sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse, whose district is in Prince George's County.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Bimini bay: arrested bimini bay developer taps HOA funds - OrlandoSentinel.com
Bimini bay: arrested bimini bay developer taps HOA funds - OrlandoSentinel.com: The developer of the half-built Bimini Bay resort in Davenport withdrew more than $16,000 from the homeowner association's accounts the same day he was arrested earlier this month and accused of stealing from homeowners' utility payments, according to association records.
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Privatopia sometimes resembles a company town -- the developer's.
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Privatopia sometimes resembles a company town -- the developer's.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
15 Mid-Century Modern Dream Homes that will Kill Your Children | projectophile
15 Mid-Century Modern Dream Homes that will Kill Your Children | projectophile
"The clean lines, the geometric decorative elements, the seamless blending of indoor and outdoor space… I sure do love mid-century modern architecture. Do you know what I love more? My children. And that is why I will never live in my MCM dream home. Because mid-century modern architecture is designed to KILL YOUR CHILDREN. (Also, moderately clumsy or drunk adults)."
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"The clean lines, the geometric decorative elements, the seamless blending of indoor and outdoor space… I sure do love mid-century modern architecture. Do you know what I love more? My children. And that is why I will never live in my MCM dream home. Because mid-century modern architecture is designed to KILL YOUR CHILDREN. (Also, moderately clumsy or drunk adults)."
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HOA, homeowner at odds over security door - Houston Chronicle
HOA, homeowner at odds over security door - Houston Chronicle
Babineaux said he appealed to the homeowners association, which, at that time, told him to take whatever precautions he deemed necessary to protect his home. So, the METRO bus driver had wrought-iron security doors installed on the front and rear entrances of his house. The metal barrier facing the street also has a tinted background panel.
"When I found out they were breaking in and doing things, I hurried up and had these doors built," Babineaux said, adding that the job cost him about $1,200. "These two doors have saved me. I love these doors. I can sleep good at night."
But recently, a new regime at the HOA has told him to remove the fortification from the front of his home.
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Regime change has come to this corner of Privatopia. And the new regime has a different take on the CC&Rs when it comes to this inmate's cell door.
Babineaux said he appealed to the homeowners association, which, at that time, told him to take whatever precautions he deemed necessary to protect his home. So, the METRO bus driver had wrought-iron security doors installed on the front and rear entrances of his house. The metal barrier facing the street also has a tinted background panel.
"When I found out they were breaking in and doing things, I hurried up and had these doors built," Babineaux said, adding that the job cost him about $1,200. "These two doors have saved me. I love these doors. I can sleep good at night."
But recently, a new regime at the HOA has told him to remove the fortification from the front of his home.
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Regime change has come to this corner of Privatopia. And the new regime has a different take on the CC&Rs when it comes to this inmate's cell door.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now | TPM News
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now | TPM News
Ordinarily I don't think much of people who paint their houses so as to annoy the neighbors, but in this case I love it.
Ordinarily I don't think much of people who paint their houses so as to annoy the neighbors, but in this case I love it.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Haunting images of abandoned 'ghost' towns from across the world | Mail Online
Haunting images of abandoned 'ghost' towns from across the world | Mail Online
Amazing photos, and a good reminder of the impermanence of things. In 50 years, how many CIDs will be ghost towns? The construction quality of many new developments is so poor that in years past it would have been acceptable only for a movie set.
Amazing photos, and a good reminder of the impermanence of things. In 50 years, how many CIDs will be ghost towns? The construction quality of many new developments is so poor that in years past it would have been acceptable only for a movie set.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Boca Quay's HOA bans skateboards, scoooters, kids outraged over lack of places to play
Boca Quay's HOA bans skateboards, scoooters, kids outraged over lack of places to play: BOCA RATON, Fla. - Every single home in the Boca Quay gated community got a letter saying that skateboards, roller blades, bicycles, scooters, toys and ball playing are not permitted in roadways, walkways or common grounds.
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The grinch has struck again, and it isn't even Christmas.
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The grinch has struck again, and it isn't even Christmas.
Friday, March 15, 2013
It's complicated evicting delinquent owners - chicagotribune.com
It's complicated evicting delinquent owners - chicagotribune.com:
"Illinois is the only state that gives associations the remedy of temporary possession to satisfy judgments against owners who are in arrears. Associations in other states typically initiate foreclosure proceedings and are awarded permanent possession of the unit. "We have a more humane way of doing things," Fullett said. "It's also a faster, less-expensive procedure than a foreclosure."
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As Sean Connery said in The Untouchables, "It's the Chicago way."
"Illinois is the only state that gives associations the remedy of temporary possession to satisfy judgments against owners who are in arrears. Associations in other states typically initiate foreclosure proceedings and are awarded permanent possession of the unit. "We have a more humane way of doing things," Fullett said. "It's also a faster, less-expensive procedure than a foreclosure."
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As Sean Connery said in The Untouchables, "It's the Chicago way."
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