Symptoms are warning signs indicative of a problem. These warning signs should be investigated. Sweeping them under the rug and hoping they’ll go away is irresponsible. Far too often that is the treatment of choice in the Homeowner association arena. All the horror stories are symptomatic of deeper problems, and conditions that allow or even encourage the abuses to continue, unabated. They are the results of flawed reasoning. The very people who should be concerned that their brand is defective and harmful to the owners are the very same people who flippantly dismiss every signal that all is not well. Rather than preventing the horrors, the HOA industry blames and belittles the owners. Their arsenal is made up of the same stupid excuses and explanations. They glibly refer to the hundreds and hundreds of stories as “isolated incidents”. They have no credibility, they deserve no respect.
Judy Thomas joins us On The Commons. Judy is an award winning journalist with the Kansas City Star who just wrote and published an amazing series of articles about many of the stories going on in associations across the country. The main story, HOAs from hell: Homes associations torment residents they’re supposed to support just touches on some of the many problems homeowners face on a daily basis. The page also has links to other stories and video clips of some of the stories Judy ran across. In an HOA no one is spared. The color of window dressings is more important than a child’s safety and her life. The color of a swing set takes on a life of its own and ends up costing the family a huge sum of money. In one condo, an approved emotional pet was banned, causing the owner enough distress that he committed suicide. Even a 91 year old great grandmother is not safe in one of these associations. The elderly lady in this story is being charged $15 for every “letter” the HOA sends her notifying her that her garage door is no longer considered trim. Aren’t Americans allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor without being hounded and harassed by the neighborhood thugs? These stories are real, they are not isolated incidents. The same stories are repeated time and again all over the place. You just can’t make these stories up.
If you have a story to share with Judy please send it to HOA@kcstar.com
Very interesting show, Shu and Judy. I hope you will have Judy back on as she moves forward with the investigating, covering legislative sessions, and HOA lawsuits.
Everyone, including the people at the CAI need to listen to this interview.
I am proud that my hometown newspaper stepped up and exposed the TRUTH about HOAs. Somebody had to do it and I’m so pleased it is The Kansas City Star! It’s been an unforgettable journey. Judy Thomas is one amazing journalist! My deepest gratitude to the editors, Judy, and Shu!
I believe working in concert with each other we are bound to make a difference in the level of knowledge the general public and HOA homeowners have about HOAs!
I live in Katy, Texas my newspaper the Houston Chronicle won’t take my story because it appears that the developer is the biggest and riches person. The news media like the news stations TV and news paper won’t take our real story but did slander me in their newspaper with the D.A.’s lies. We are paying for a fake park that is it is on a Drill Site #8 but it is not in our subdivision. It is next to our subdivision in a cul-de-sac same street as our former HOA representatives live on. It appears our management company makes us pay this land’s property taxes and maintenance fees on our annual dues, isn’t that Fraud? They won’t let the children from next door or other subdivision’s play there either, isn’t that discrimination?
After all their parents for water/Mud taxes so it appears they have a right too! (Class Action Law Suite?) The drill site deed reads, “For Landscaping only” it’s an old oil site.
As, it was never on our deeds, voted on, annex or incorporated on. Now the Mud board members have 120X60 lots on this 2 acre that’s about the same size as our houses sit on and they only pay $8.00 of property taxes, nice uh? Well, because of my blog they had a woman of ill repute and some neighbors that are selling what appears to be cocaine come to court and charge me with phone harassment that, is 6 calls spread out in a 11 month period my lawyer helped them. Oh, and no certified billing records to prove it just an affidavit from a Comcast employee if she’s for real? And now, the corrupt D.A. and judge it appears are helping them too I wonder, why? LOL I’m an older lady never had a run in with the law as I respect the law and believe in making money the old fashion way, you go to work! Now, the state is making me take a drug and alcohol test and wants me to work at CPA animal shelter where if you walk off the grounds they can charge you with a Felony and put you in Prison and there’s nothing I can do to save my life we fought all the way to the supreme court where they changed the law when it came to my case! Who is this Mafia chasing Me? I’m scared for my life and my husband because he too stood up to them. Dead woman walking, can anyone out there help us? None of our famous Houston lawyers will help me, does that tell you anything? This is for real people!!! Now, I understand how Texas got away with murdering our president and chief justice and I’m next!
God have mercy, I don’t want to die or my poor beloved husband who has all ready suffered two strokes from all of this, can anyone hear our cry for help????
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching
for usa