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An Article
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Organized Crime - Protection Racket Scam
This "collection service" has become big business. TOO BIG!!
January 17, 2004
By
Richard Craig
(View author info)
Copyright Richard Craig
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I've just been informed that the CAI is testifying at a meeting on Monday morning October 2, 2006. Hope to see Y'all there, too.
Rich
FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS:
Subject: Interim Charge 5
Below is the agenda for the Senate Intergovernmental Committee for this Monday, October 2, 2006. Although we had requested that we be advised in advance of this meeting so that we might register to speak, etc., we have just learned of the meeting. When we requested permission to speak, we were advised that we would have to sign in at the meeting. All of those listed are for TUPCA. There are no homeowner advocates there. It is also Yom Kippur - a solemn Jewish holiday - but of course, that is of no concern to the TUPCA group.
David Kahne had planned to appear to represent homeowners and present the Homeowner Bill of Rights. I don't know if he will be able to make it in view of Yom Kippur. PLEASE, PLEASE - ALL HOMEOWNERS WHO CAN - GO TO AUSTIN THIS MONDAY - TO THE CAPITOL EXTENSION E1.028. IT LOOKS LIKE AN ALL-DAY AFFAIR BUT IF WE DO NOT APPEAR TO DEFEND OUR BASIC RIGHTS WE WILL BE RUN OVER BY THE CAI WITH ITS TEXAS UNIFORM PLANNED COMMUNITY ACT - ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING TO TEXAS - AND IN PERPETUITY.
THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION DECLARES THAT "PERPETUITIES...ARE CONTRARY TO THE GENIUS OF A FREE GOVERNMENT, AND SHALL NEVER BE ALLOWED..."
AGENDA
SENATE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
SENATOR ROYCE WEST, CHAIRMAN
MONDAY , OCTOBER 2, 2006, 8:30 A.M.
CAPITOL EXTENSION E1.028
INTERIM CHARGES 2 AND 5
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Committee Business
A. Interim Charge #2 Study and make recommendations relating to the use of funds collected from red light camera citations.
Invited Testimony
Panel 1
Carlos Lopez, Director of Traffic Operations Division, Texas Department of Transportation.
(?)Comptroller of Public Accounts
Office of Court Administration
Panel 2
Mayor David Green, City of Duncanville,
Chief Greg Rushin, Plano Police Department,
Assistant Chief Steve Dye, Garland Police Department,
Chief Larry Zacharias, Richardson Police Department
Resource Witness:
Todd Renshaw, City of Frisco Chief of Police
B. Interim Charge #5 - Examine and make recommendations relating to the appropriateness and advisability of adopting the "Texas Uniform Planned Community Act," as published by the State Bar of Texas Subcommittee on Property Owners Associations, as the enabling statute to establish a comprehensive and uniform framework for the creation and operation of residential planned communities.
Invited Testimony
Sharon Reuler - College of Real Estate Attorneys
Connie Heyer, Community Associations Institute
Susan Wright, Chair of the Texas Association of Builders Property Owners' Association Issues Task Force,
Tom Morgan, Vice President of Legal Affairs, Texas Association of Realtors
V. PUBLIC TESTIMONY
VI. ADJOURN/RECESS
Posted Sep 30 2006 8:52PM CEST
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Richard Craig
(View Profile)
San Antonio, Texas |
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So you think you want to buy into a Centex Community? You better think again!
I am a South Carolina resident. Unfortunately, I got caught up in Homeowner's Association much like the one you describe. It is a Centex Development Community and I didn't realize the depth of corruption until it was too late. There are some 400+ single family and condo homeowners currently in the association and this is expected to climb to 800+ in the next 2 years. There is a management company involved that acts as a Gestapo like enforcer to the fuehrer Centex. The association's master deed, restrictions and covenants were not provided to me prior to closing.
This was due to 2 factors:
1. There is an incompetent staff of real estate sales representatives and
2. I did not pursue further questions when my sales rep. told me there was a homeowners association that provided for common area maintenance, the club house and security (my fault).
I have asked several times for copies of these documents but have not yet received them. I have lived here over 1 year! It was not until recently that I realized the depth of the dodo that the homeowners were caught up in.
Our association is comprised currently of 3 members. All employees of the developer, Centex. The association is in the process of placing more actual homeowners on the board with limited voting rights.
Eventually, there will be some 10 to 15 members that only have voting rights at the annual meeting. The rest of the time, when the board meets (quarterly), only the 3 Centex board members have the right to vote. The Management Company, hired by Centex, hired a person whose job it is to ride the neighborhoods and inspect properties for violations to the association's rules. One of the problems with this is that the person is not aware of all the rules because he/she keeps overlooking some violations, while identifying others.
An example of some restrictions are:
- walkway solar lights are not permitted
- the board has to approve the additions of shrubs and other landscaping efforts
- no growing vines
- no parking in the public street
- no signs allowed on your vehicle advertising your business
- RVs, motorcycles, utility trailers, boats, golf carts, bicycles, etc. are allowed to be parked in the drive ways of privet residences
- and it goes on and on.
The vehicle restriction is a jewel! What this means is that you are never allowed to have your motorcycles, RVs, etc. in the driveway to perform simple maintenance, washing, or just get it to the street.
We had one homeowner that works in another state and travels back home to the family every other weekend. The home owner made a request for reasonable accommodation of relief to the restrictions to enable cleaning, maintenance, restocking of supplies, etc. The homeowners request is reprinted below.
The fuehrer Centex's unreasonable answer to a reasonable request was to allow the homeowner 2 days per month, even though the homeowner is home for 4 days every other week.
The fuehrer Centex expects the homeowner to rent a storage space for the other 2 days, at minimum cost to the homeowner of $40.00.
The real sad part of all of this is that the fuehrer Centex originally provided an on site storage for all types of vehicles at a charge of $100.00 per year, then turned around and took it away from the homeowners and left them to fend for themselves.
I myself was a user of the storage area. The fuehrer Centex used the excuse that they never promised permanent use of the area. The area they gave the homeowners was approximately 100 yards by 50 yards. They say there is no other place available on their several thousand acre site to provide homeowners a storage area.
According to the fuehrer Centex, they have the right to control the association until their property is fully developed and will not relinquish control to the homeowners.
I for one am looking to get out from under this oppression. Frankly, the quality of a Centex home is just above outhouse but that is another story.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention that if a homeowner sales their property, they have to pay 1 percent of the profit to the fuehrer Centex's association into an undefined fund. I wonder what happens to the money. Bottom line: Centex fits the title profile exactly!
Reprint of the homeowner's letter:
Board of Directors
Barefoot Resort
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Re: Request for reasonable accommodation.
Dear Board,
This is a special request for reasonable accommodations concerning the associations rule for parking of RVs, Motorcycles, Boats, Trailer, etc. in the driveways of homeowners.
While I believe I understand the need for the rule, I also believe the rule can be interpreted by the Board to provide homeowners reasonable accommodation based on special need or to provide preparation time, care, cleaning, and routine preventative maintenance of these vehicles, such as checking and filling tire pressure, fluid levels, changing wiper blades, etc., which cannot be easily accomplished at a storage facility.
I live at Barefoot Resort and work in the Washington DC area. I use my 24 foot motor home as my means of transportation to and from work as well as my living quarters while at work. I return home to family twice per month for 2 days. About once per quarter,
I am afforded a telecommuting opportunity by my employer, which allows me to return home for up to 7 days. As you may expect, a motor home with this amount of use requires continuous care. Batteries must be recharged, linens washed, supplies and tanks replenished, routine cleaning and preparation for my return trip. Storage facilities do not provide the means to accomplish these tasks. My motor home fits completely into the driveway but not in my garage.
I am asking the Boards approval to allow me driveway parking during my short stays at home. This will average 4 days per month, 2 days every other week and an additional 7 days per quarter. This will provide me time to replenish and care for my motor home in preparation for departure back to work. This need may be less frequent over the fall and winter months, October through February, due to weather and other conditions, which may limit my trips home. Storage facilities will be used for long term storage and while on extended vacations. I am requesting this approval for the next 18 months until my retirement.
Sincerely,
Posted Jul 14 2004 4:24PM CEST
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Username withheld
, South Carolina |
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I strongly recommend that you do not elect or re-elect a Lawyer, a Judge, or a professional politician. Find a John/Jane Q Citizen without political experience and put that person in.
Make sure that they are not supported in any way by the Council on Foreign Relations.
For God and Country, ..
Regards,
Chet
Florida
Posted Jan 18 2004 10:49PM CET
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Username withheld
San Juan Capistrano, California |
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I have been proposing that measure for many years! When we stop putting lawyers in office, to represent the people, we will have a better country!
Lawyers write laws for lawyers, not the people! Send this on to all!
anna
An Investigative reporter
Florida
Posted Jan 18 2004 9:51PM CET
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Username withheld
San Juan Capistrano, California |
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