Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.
 
“But you agreed”  is the mantra used by defenders of HOAs.  We’ve all heard it.  The association industry members use it when lobbying for greater powers for associations.  Attorneys representing HOAs in court use it.  Managers and other proponents of the system spout it out ad nauseum every time the discussion revolves around the sorry state of affairs in association controlled residential America today.  And while it may be technically and legally true that by buying into an association of some sort or other, we “agreed” to it.  But what exactly did we agree to?  And what happened to the alleged benefits of HOAs?  We have also all heard the other, equally tired mantra of HOAs “protecting property” value.  In this topsy turvy, economically upside down world today, where are the values?  How “affordable” is all this luxurious living we have also been promised? 
 
On The Commons this week we are joined by Jan Bergemann. Jan, President of the Florida based  Cyber Citizens for Justice  has recently been on a town hall panel discussion HOAs and was inundated on a marathon internet chat session in Orlando where the existing streams were maxxed out “by a few isolated incidents”.   Please join us On The Commons this Saturday, November 28, 2009.  We’ll talk about how well values are holding up in HOAs, we’ll hear why so many people are being made homeless and we’ll find out what is on the mind of the thousands of “isolated incidents: who called in for help.

If you are in an HOA, it really doesn’t take much to turn your otherwise peaceful and quiet world upside down.  Maybe you chose the unit you occupy because of the views from the living room window or the size of the kitchen or the proximity to work or public transportation but whatever tugged at your heart strings, you probably thought you were buying a “home”.  And heaven help you if you end up in an HOA controlled “hood” because sense and sensibility are non existent and you run the risk of finding yourself with a “One Way Ticket to Hell”.
 
On The Commons this week we are joined by Robin Klar Lent.  Robin has just ended a long battle with her HOA.  She says she has been to hell and back all because she agreed to help prevent erosion and water problems on an empty lot in her neighborhood. It was all downhill from there.  Please join us On The Commons.  We’ll get the details of what happened and talk about some of the really ridiculous demands made by the “other side” (I’ll give you a hint: “You may not use the words CAI conspiracy”) and the plain stupid questions asked.