HOA: The process from there to here!

When HOA's started they were rather benign (with the exclusion of those HOAs who selected certain groups as not being worthy to live in the community). Since developers were building communities based on the economies of scale, the homes looked the same with a few exterior modifications and had the same size yards and landscaping. Then neighbors began to complain about their neighbors ... they were leaving the garage doors up, bikes left on yards, cars were on blocks or there were weeds, so they said "let's start and HOA", the first layer of government. When the BofD's (ignorant of their own and State governing documents) felt overwhelmed they added a second layer of government called a Management Company (unlicensed and unregulated). It started driving the neighborhood and sent out threatening letters about weeds, blinds, bikes & etc.. The more letters it generated the more it boosted it's income. In truth, the letters were not efficient. People weren't overly threatened.They decided to move it up a notch by contracting with a collector. The friendly collection company found they could turn your $50 fine into $500, OR considerably more. $50 for the MC and the rest for the collection agent.

Management Companies manage hundreds to thousands of communities. Monthly they move millions of dollars thru bank accounts at a bank that caters to HOA communities ... ie: Alliance Bank of AZ. They are unlicensed. The down side of what Members incur when they deal w/a MC is that they have no where to complain. MCs ignore complaints and provide slippery answers. If you become a dissident to the HOA Czar, you'll find yourself in arbitration, arranged by the HOA's attorney. Courts do not want to hear HOA complaints, it wants a retired Judge to deal with these piddly little annoyances. MC's and the HOA's attorneys hire the same arbitrator repeatedly (the HOA attorneys know many of the Judges on a personal level) ... Now guess which way the arbitration slants? Guess what this service will cost you? YOU are required to put YOUR money upfront. LOL. That's bc the conclusion has been reached. The HOA wins! Unwilling to pay more than the original $100? If you assessments exceed $1200 over a year, your friendly community and HOA can and will foreclose on you. Remember if you buy in a NON-HOA community this threat does not exist.

When you buy in an HOA community, you literally give away your property rights to someone who does not know you and does not live in your not-so friendly tyrannical community. It's an industry designed to make money by provoking Members.

If you have suffered HOA abuse, contact HOATruth.com. Dennis Legere is the principal advocate. Or you can reach me at EarsUp@iCloud.com. Full disclosure, neither are attorneys. We do this bc we don't like bullies. FREE.