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An Article
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Losing everything
Woman, 83, owes Tequesta $1,764,000 in code dispute over plants
August 02, 2005
By
Stephen Deere
(View author info)
Copyright South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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"Losing everything" is what increasingly heppens to most Americans trapped into lawssuits by lawyers either government or corporations like homeowners associations.
Most CAI lawyers and managers lobby for and promote judicial and non-judicial foreclosures.
Even lawyers who promote themselves in the media as pro-homeowner lawyers and experts promote judicial foreclosures. Evan McKenzie is one of those.
While the public watch all these lawyers spinning their tales in the corporate media, the lawyers are walking away with the life savings and even the homes of those who live in homeowner associations. Increasingly, most Americans are being forced to live in homeowner associations by those who later on try to foreclose on them.
See Comment 11 Burden of debt - Power of homeowner groups to foreclose over small sums targeted
Posted Jun 3 2006 4:55PM CEST
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Username withheld
, California |
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PLEASE!
Can we work on a form letter to send out, IN MASS, when these sort of things happen.
How many of the readers of this forum would follow through if all they had to do was put their signature on a letter and FAX, e-mail, or snail mail to, not only the authorities, but every major news media in the industry.
I know being able to fly a flag was important, but this is far beyond the flag flying. THIS IS AN ELDERLY WOMAN who can never repay the money they are taking from her -- to say nothing of the stress, and mental anguish she is suffering.
Yes, all of these people will need to "give an account" to their Maker for what they have done, or not done.
Posted Aug 8 2005 8:58PM CEST
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Sharon Stephens
(View Profile)
Cathedral City, California |
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Overgrown yard might get owners booted out of home
December 15,2001
By Randall Murray - Staff writer
An elderly Tequesta couple should learn just in time for Christmas whether they will lose their home. Village Attorney John C. Randolph advised the Tequesta Village Council on Thursday one more legal step remains before the council can decide the fate of Wilburt and Hattie Siegel, of 498 Dover Road.
The attorney predicted the couple's latest appeal will be dismissed within two weeks. At that time, "the council can take action," he said.
At issue is a long-simmering series of code enforcement complaints leveled against the Siegels, most centering on overgrown vegetation in their yard. Randolph and neighbors say the confrontation between the Siegels and the village has been ongoing since 1984.
In October 1999, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Ronald Alvarez upheld the village's complaint against the Siegels for violating village ordinances concerning the condition of their property.
Hattie Siegel, 80, has steadfastly denied all charges filed against them, and she took the issue to court.
Alvarez levied a $1,000-a-day fine on the Siegels, $250 for each of four charges. That fine has reached almost $720,000, almost eight times the $92,511 assessed value of the house, according to county property appraiser records.
The Siegels appealed the county court ruling to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, contending Alvarez had incorrectly interpreted the law, Randolph said. Earlier this month, the DCA rejected that appeal.
The Siegels have filed a motion for a rehearing with the appeals court, Randolph said Thursday.
Village Manager Michael Couzzo said last week the foreclosure by the village on the Siegel property was "one of several possibilities."
Wade Griest, 82, the Siegels' neighbor at 494 Dover Road, complained to the council about the long-term nature of the dispute.
"Why has it taken so many years to get nothing done?" Griest asked, saying the condition of the Siegel property has a negative effect on the value of his home.
Vice Mayor Joseph Capretta agreed. "We must have spent a million dollars on this over the years," he said. "It doesn't ever seem to end."
The Siegels' back yard resembles a jungle. Weeds and other vegetation are knee- high, and climbing vines dangle from trees.
A dog house, complete with a "Beware of Dog" warning, was built to replace an illegally placed compost pile. But the Siegels do not own a dog. Neighbors say they don't remember them ever owning a dog.
Hattie Siegel said the village is persecuting the couple. She contends village code enforcement officers do not understand the law, and she fought the charges because, in her opinion, they were improperly filed.
She said her 86-year-old husband "is in ill health and depressed" as a result of the conflict. She indicated she and her husband, who also own a home in Charleston, S.C., are planning to move into a senior citizens center if they lose the Dover Road home.
Siegel said she is saddened by the conflict and with the condition of the property, which she admitted is "a mess."
"I guess it's just gotten out of hand," she said. "We had beautiful plants that were not meant to be clipped, trimmed or manicured," but when ordered by the village to trim those plants, she said they did. The plants died, adding to the visual problems with the property.
Posted Aug 5 2005 7:53AM CEST
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Marie Anderson
Los Angeles, California |
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She should take any money that she has and buy herself a place elsewhere. a place where the elderly are treated like human beings.
Given that a court has allowed the lien, she can never sell the place.. I say have a hay day tearing the place to absolute shreds.. until the place is just as worthless as the thieves that want to steal it from her. While she has the right.. leave them nothing.. Nobody can keep her from this.. it is her house..
If it happened to me.. I'd have sold the place and found me a place to be happy. There are too many places to live especially if you have the money to do so. They didn't belong with such people in the first place. May God bring his wrath on these people who allowed this woman to be treated so badly..
As for the homeowners there, you will also answer to your maker.. make no mistake.
HOA NO WAY !!!!!
Posted Aug 5 2005 6:56AM CEST
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Username withheld
, Texas |
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America is screwed up. What HAS this country come to when we would leave ANY human being homeless just because we don't like the looks of their front yard?
The city deemed it WAS NOT A PUBLIC NUISANCE. It doesn't pose any health hazard or dangers. It's just that a few tyrannical homeowner association board of neighbors decides it just isn't up to par with THEIR OPINION OF WHAT A YARD SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
There are simply more important things in this world to worry about - starvation, poverty, war, disease, pedophiles, child abductors - etc. etc.
Some say she should not have fought this to this extent. I say that if it wasn't for the valiant efforts of a few brave fighters who fiercly defend even the simplest of freedoms - all freedom would be at risk.
At what point should ANY red blooded American GIVE UP on even simple freedoms?
I only wish I had the guts to fight as hard as she and her husband have to defend what is right.
Posted Aug 5 2005 6:01AM CEST
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Username withheld
, ot |
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Where can I find a photo of the yard in question (Woman, 83, owes Tequesta $1,764,000 in code dispute over plants)?
Thank you :)
Tori
AHRC Response
Reporter Stephen Deere of South Florida Sun-Sentinel said Mrs. Hattie Siegel's story appeared in the front page of their newspaper along with pictures of her front yard
Please contact the South Florida Sun-Sentinel or the Village of Tequesta
Posted Aug 5 2005 3:46AM CEST
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AHRC Staff
(View Profile)
, California |
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At first glance this lady seems to be a sympathetic figure, but there's some battles not worth fighting--certainly not to the extent her husband and she have been fighting it, and to the extent she will lose all her assets.
Perhaps she has no heirs but it seems like a big waste to let the city and mortgage company steal all the property from her---she could have left them to a charity--or moved into a nice retirement home for the rest of her life.
I do fault the city for not resolving this earlier (ie: condemn her property if it's so bad).
They should never have let the fines accumulate to this outrageous amount--this is an abuse of power, in my opinion. Couldn't they have put the fines on her tax bill, and then at the least just foreclosed on the property at a tax sale? Rather than taking everything she owns? She may have reduced mental capacity.
Posted Aug 5 2005 1:47AM CEST
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Username withheld
Arlington, Virginia |
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This is a shame. Where this lady lives the homeowners assocation should be a shamed of themselves to force this lady to be put in a spot !
What if it was them. these people need to think about what if they were in her shoes. So what if the lady planted plants. Plants are not the worst thing. planting plants will bring the resale vaule of the home and make the neighborhood look nice.
Instead of fining this lady, they should help her take care of the yard ! What is next to open windows or pets in the neighborhood, or her grandchildren. There is more important things in this world then worrying about plants.
May God for give them what they deserve for treating an old person this way !
Posted Aug 5 2005 1:33AM CEST
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Username withheld
, Indiana |
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KEY PHRASE - "a three-judge panel quashed the fines because the Siegel's lawn had merely been deemed unsightly, not a public nuisance as the law required."
Here in lies the overkill (no pun intended) of punitive punishment by homeowner associations. It was not deemd a public nuisance AS THE LAW REQUIRED - so BACK OFF!!
Her homeowner association board of neighbors are a dangerous mentality. The new age dictators.
By the way - is the Florida homeowner advocate group helping her? I am glad to see that Mr. Andres is helping her. What a good man! A true red-blooded American patriot!
Homeowners - let this be a warning to you. This could easily be your mother or grandmother next.
Just say HOA-NO WAY!
Posted Aug 3 2005 6:49PM CEST
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Username withheld
, ot |
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This is where someone needs to intervene and have everything STOP!
Get all the parties together, something that should have happened years ago, and dig through this until this poor woman can go to sleep at night without worrying about her financial future!
Get rid of all the stupid fines and come to a workable comprimise! In reading between the lines, the "plants" and her husband's tools might have been unsightly for her neighbors, and could have effected the property values of the surrounding homes. (I picture my grandfather's home and what his neighbors must think) But come on!
Over $1,000,000 owed from this poor woman?!? Did anyone ever try and go and talk to this woman before fines were levied? Where is the compassion?
If my 80+ year old neighbor was having trouble with her lawn, I know at least 10 people in our neighborhood that would come to her aid, including all the people involved in our HOA (it has happened in the past)!
I feel bad that she doesn't have any kind of support system or friends to help. I will watch this story and pray for a favorable outcome for her.
Posted Aug 3 2005 2:50AM CEST
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Angela McMahon
, Kansas |
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