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We lived in an HOA in Roy Washington for almost seven years; three of those years were spent in a law suite with the HOA.
They ruined us financially, poisoned one of our prize Boxer females over and over again with methamphetamines, injured me so I ambulated on two forearm crutches for almost two years, and ended up having to have spinal surgery to avoid spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair.
Justice from the Washington penal system think again, the HOA attorney informed us cold blank, if you file a law suite against Rainier Vista Landowners Association you will surely loose, because the State of Washington and all of it's Judges are very protective over their Homeowners associations.
We spent $55K+ in attorney fees, $127K+ in medical bills, $5K+ on Vet bill, and 29K+ for one thing or another for extortion issued by the HOA president and directors.
The president of the HOA a Pierce County Sheriffs Deputy by the name of Kevin Fries runs the HOA like a Nazi Camp, he dresses up in black clothing at night and stalks over your property to spy on you and your family.
This same HOA president placed a frivolous lien against our property, violated our privacy by inspecting the content in our mailbox, and harassed our family constantly, use his badge to intimidate the mail carrier and the Roy post office into literally stop delivery of our US Mail for over a month. The list goes on and on.
Most unsuspecting families who buy into these HOA have no idea what is going to hit them down the road, "FREEDOM IS AN UNHEARD CONCEPET IN A HOA COMMUNITY". They will suck you try and spit you out ruined financially and ill in health.
This new breed of attorneys and elected judges are the main problem, they thrive on this new found gold mine, the penal system is full of cases, ya, every once in a while a homeowner wins, however those cases are few and far between. If you care to read the entire law suite case No. 04-2-07434-2.
We finally were lucky to sell what suppose to have been our dream retirement home, and moved back to our home state.
In my opinion each and every Homeowner Associations needs to be eradicated of off the face of the American soil.
Margarete W. Murphy
Pendleton, Oregon
Posted Sep 6 2007 6:21PM CEST
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Mags Wittich
(View Profile)
Roy, Washington |
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Thank you Houston Texas
With the money they are paying me for recording the minutes I have started to develop a website. The money pays for the monthly domain and emails links for my new fellow members which agreed that it was time that we took action and start questioning where and how the money being handled.
I hope others with start taking a stand because ignorance is not always bliss
Posted Aug 24 2007 9:13PM CEST
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Username withheld
Anaheim, California |
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AHRC is just the beginning to get organized.
Many people that live in HOAs don't know, or don't care because it doesn't "affect" them they think.
My HOA at this present time is engaged in a lawsuit that the HOA will lose. I have told the Board Members repeatedly the HOA WILL LOSE. Why do I say that? Because the HOA attorney has told the Board Members they can do whatever they want, but the issue in the lawsuit has not only been decided by the Superior Court of the State, but the State Appellate Court.
Do the Board Members know? Of course NOT. They are held captive by their ignorance - (they think the HOA Declaration is written in another unknown language), are just too damn lazy to even attempt to read it or understand it, have a useless property management company and property manager, have an attorney that's laughing all the way to the bank, and it isn't THEIR money in the end anyway.
It doesn't matter what is written in black and white on DOCUMENTS. They cover their eyes and refuse to see. They cover their ears and refuse to hear or listen.
Run. Run as fast as you can. It's only going to cost you money. In ten years I spend $11,000 in special assessment and another $25,000 in regular assessments. And now the HOA is looking at another multi-million dollar fix because of the Weyerhaeuser siding class action that was certified in 2001. The HOA didn't know about THAT until 2006. Great Property Management! Who in their right mind thinks that's a deal.
My solution? Rent. My experience has been that you have more rights than a property owner.
Posted Aug 18 2007 5:18PM CEST
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Username withheld
, Washington |
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Dear Houston,
As a courtesy to me, AHRC edited your question asking me if I resigned or was given the boot.
I resigned. There were two reasons.
1. The Board refused for to allow me to include the surplus from the previous year's operating fund in the next year's budget. This is a requirement of the state law and my HOA's bylaws.
2. The President unilaterally overturned a decision that was voted on by the Board. I did not get the support of a majority of the Board in my challenge to his actions.
In light of the above, I resigned.
Robert Metcalf
Chadds Ford, PA
Posted Aug 18 2007 2:20AM CEST
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Robert Metcalf
(View Profile)
, Pennsylvania |
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Dear Anaheim member:
We are in the process of changing it too. We were being ripped off by management companies and are now managing it ourselves with the help of a really active and honest board.
Posted Aug 17 2007 8:22PM CEST
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Username withheld
Houston, Texas |
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Dear Mr Metcalf:
Your comparison with the movie is very apt but that is how a democracy works. In any election in any organization or governing entity it is always the most unscruplous people who end up cornering all the posts or holding the cards as you said.
Why else do you think some one will spend millions of $ for a job that does not pay even 1% of money spent to get it, whether it is a village mayor or US president?
In my HOA, at least, we have no paid board members but in Florida they used to have paid executives and they had a clique that got reelected every time.
People are inherently lazy and apathetic.
They would rather pay some one else to do the things which they could do by themselves if they cut down some of the time spent watching TV.
A few years back we used to know each of our neighbors but now you cannot tell who is a neighbor.
Edited to comply with FAQ Guidelines - Include your name when attacking what another homeowner writes so it gives the homeowner a chance to respond.
Posted Aug 17 2007 8:03PM CEST
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Username withheld
Houston, Texas |
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Why aren't changing the way things are with your HOA?
I recently was let on the board and now I am in the process of trying to change things but you have to remember you have to start before others follow. Educate them by giving usful information.
I love this site because it gave me the horns to dig in with.
Posted Aug 17 2007 7:00PM CEST
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Username withheld
Anaheim, California |
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Dear Houston,
I did join them. Up until two weeks ago I was treasurer for my HOA.
As far as complaining, did you ever see the movie "The Forbin Project"? Great movie. It's about the creation of a supercomputer to defend the country and that in the end joins forces with the Soviet version, cold war era you know, and takes over the world.
Omnipotent power.
In the very last scene, Dr. Forbin is being lectured to by the computer about how he will come to love and respect it, etc.
Forbin's reply is "Never, never, never, ..."
That's kind of how I feel about HOAs. They may hold all the cards and I may be just a broken down computer programmer, but I will NEVER accept the notion that it is ok for a bunch avaricious con-artists to determine what my citizenship means. NEVER!
Robert Metcalf,
Chadds Ford, PA
Posted Aug 17 2007 6:07PM CEST
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Robert Metcalf
(View Profile)
, Pennsylvania |
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Dear Pennsylvania member:
I agree that given a choice I would live in non-HOA unit but it is hard to find any new development that does not have HOA.
My point is to make best of your situation rather keep complaining about the inevitable by actively monitoring the board and giving it not only your money but also your time.
It is an old saying that if you cannot beat them then join them.
Posted Aug 17 2007 5:06PM CEST
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Username withheld
Houston, Texas |
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Dear Houston Texas,
What you describe is common. In fact, I would say it's the foundation on which the entire HOA scam is based. I can only speak from my experience, but the main selling point expressed to me was "carefree living". That is a bold face lie. There is nothing carefree about it.
Once you move in to an HOA it soon becomes clear that unlike the euphemistic descriptions provided by the seller, you are faced with:
1. Paying for things out of your pocket that used to be taken care of by your taxes.
2. Constant pressure to "volunteer" for one thing or another.
3. Subject to the whims of the neighborhood busybodies, who also happen to be the people most likely to "volunteer".
4. Find yourself at extreme personnel risk with regard to your property.
5. Fighting the internal battle to remain a neighbor as opposed to a "shareholder", i.e., "how are you doing" as opposed to "what are you doing".
And all you want is to be left alone to pursue your life in peace.
Now clearly there is some reason that you responded to this article by Donie. The fact that you have taken the time to get involved with this is evidence of that. What is it?
I implore everyone ... please read Donie's book, Villa Appalling. She and her co-author look at this problem in exacting detail, covering every aspect of these misguided attempts at residential living.
I cannot stress this enough.
Robert Metcalf
Chadds Ford, PA
Posted Aug 17 2007 3:10PM CEST
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Robert Metcalf
(View Profile)
, Pennsylvania |
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