Investigation: New Home Heartbreak
Some homeowners have claimed the company seems to have waited them out until their warranties expired.In suburban Washington, D.C., holes in the foundation led to an infestation of rodents under the house -- and at least one large snake... and that builders are slow or flat out refuse to fix the problems they created, as found in a recent ABC News "Nightline" investigation with over a dozen local ABC affiliates. Jackie Walker, a freelance makeup artist who works for ABC News and other media outlets in Washington, D.C. "It's been a nightmare," she said. "In just the first year, I had 23 appointments and they missed 17 of those.

Trump says, Court System.  What Court System?  Only Builder Forced Arbitration!
In that speech, Trump asked members of the audience to raise their hands if they have been involved in any "frivolous" lawsuits. Few did, apparently, because Trump then said, "That's all? Not that many. Seriously? They're just embarrassed to raise their hands." But it also might be because — counter to Trump's suggestion that homeowners should be able to sue if the construction is shoddy — oftentimes homeowners are pushed to sign contracts with the builders that bar them from filing lawsuits. Instead, they're forced into third-party arbitration, which may not be appealed and is often kept confidential. 

Special Report – Part Two:  HOA Bureaucrats Overstep Their Authority
Bluffview Greens Books & Records Closed to Members – Lack of Service – No Transparency... While Bluffview Greens members were not paying close attention, the ugly reality set in. Homeowners had paid a big price, and been deprived of their rights.  The Board of Directors’ spending habits defied logic, when attorney fees exceeded the yearly budget during the first quarter of 2016... The board walked the neighborhood trying to convince members to take their names off the petition.  In fact one homeowner made it clear that she would not remove her name; but the board deliberately removed the name anyway, without permission... SEE PART ONE -  Editorial Feature - Are Homeowners’ Rights a Myth?

HOA Board Members are paying for services not delivered
It appears the Board members have no solutions to the dilemma either, yet HOA members continue to pay for management services that are not being provided. The question is, will Bluffview Greens members be reimbursed for the time First Service Residential management is shut down? ...The fact is the annual Landscape Maintenance Contract price of $10,000.00 actually includes three (3) seasonal floral plantings per year. A service we discovered that has been routinely ignored. ..., over the past four (4) years there have only been two (2) plantings.

HOA Roaring Over Dinosaurs in Texas Woman's Yard
On The Commons is a weekly radio show, dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding homeowner associations (HOAs).  Those darling dinosaurs, happily grazing in a Texas yard brought smiles to the faces of children of all ages.  The grumpy board members of the inevitable HOA, not so much.  They decided that the dynamic duo had to leave "or else...."   Notwithstanding the grumpy ones, the residents of this neighborhood all wanted a pair of dinosaurs of their own - at least for a while.  And thus began an amazing journey and a lesson for all of us, including the grumpy group. Are you listening?

With Connecticut Foundations Crumbling, ‘Your Home Is Now Worthless’ 
Across nearly 20 towns in northeastern Connecticut, a slow-motion disaster is unfolding, as local officials and homeowners wrestle with an extraordinary phenomenon. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of home foundations that have been poured since the 1980s are cracking, with fissures so large you can slip a hand inside. “This is such an emotional roller coaster,” said Tim Heim, a homeowner who started the group Connecticut Coalition Against Crumbling Basements.

George Rodriguez Talk Show, Local Tyranny and Home Owners’ Association
– HOAs are organizations that are supposed to protect private property rights, specifically those of home owners. However, what happens when an HOA board begins to push its own agenda and abuse its power? What recourse exists for the private property owner in a fight with a HOA? Beanie Adolph with “Texas Homeowners for HOA Reform” tells about her efforts in the Texas legislature, and Janet Ahmad with Home Owners for Better Building talks about her personal fight with an HOA. Listen and learn, because the defense of freedom and liberty starts in your backyard. 

Listen to George Rodriguez, First Guest: Beanie Adolph.  Second Guest Janet Ahmad, begins @ 27:52

Behind HOA Iron Gates
          Texas Monthly Report – Conflicts-and-Interests: “HOAs have become a big business. They generate $40 billion in annual assessment revenue (the dues collected from individual homeowners) and $35 billion in reserves, representing a huge government-like contracting opportunity — only without all the procurement safeguards and transparency guarantees expected of taxpayer-supported entities.”  A year ago the gated community of Bluffview Greens elected an unopposed board of directors.  Eight months later, the Board had AMS / First Service Association’s management attorney file a new governing document ‘Resolution’ at the County Courthouse that nullified previous board decisions.  It wasn't until two months after that, the Board - under pressure - finally notified the members of the Resolution filing.   In an attempt to explain the boards’ justification, the President wrote:  “I think that you would agree that, if a political party is voted into an office, it does not need to follow the previous party’s decisions, regulations, policies, and laws.  In fact, I would hope you agree that the voters voted for the new party to have the rules changed.”…   Paris Constantzos, President of the Board of Directors Bluffview Greens Homeowners Association.

Reforming the Ripoff Clause: Why Access to Justice Matters for Accountability and the Economy
Fortunately, some lawmakers and federal regulators are seeking to turn this trend around and protect individual and class action rights. This event will gather legal experts, consumer advocates, and others to explore how mandatory arbitration clauses harm the public, as well as the efforts that can be taken to restore access to justice.

NBC Connecticut: "Crumbling Foundations" IRE 
Advocacy Group, Connecticut Coalition Against Crumbling Basements speak out Elected officials US Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Senator Tony Guglielmo call for Investigation. NBC received over 250 emails from people crying about crumbling foundations.

View Series of News Reports

Connecticut Coalition Against Crumbling Basements
Countless homeowners in northeastern Connecticut (and lower parts of Massachusetts) are facing crumbling basement walls that provide the foundation upon which their houses sit. Cracking, flaking, bowing, and separation of the concrete has been progressing on these homes, built between 1980s to 1998. The damage appears to take decades or more to appear, yet there is no magic number or formula to determine the rate at which a home will begin to fail, or when it will become unsound to inhabit. The date range of 1980 to 1998 is only a current estimate.

Read More...

Former Whitestown-based builders charged with $1.2M in fraud
The co-owners of a Whitestown-based homebuilder that filed for bankruptcy in 2013 have been arrested and charged with theft, corrupt business influence, perjury and forgery, Indiana State Police announced Saturday. Ogle is already facing similar felony counts in Marion County after prosecutors charged him in February 2015 with defrauded a homeowner whose house was damaged in the 2012 Richmond Hill neighborhood explosion.

Seeno company charged with bank fraud, fined $11 million
Six years after federal agents raided the Seeno homebuilder headquarters, federal prosecutors Friday criminally charged Discovery Sales with bank fraud and the East Bay family’s company will plead guilty and agree to pay $11 million in fines and restitution, according to unsealed court documents. ... scam that allowed the Seeno companies to continue selling properties at high prices during the housing market downturn by obtaining mortgages through illegal means.

Limited help for Texans with defective homes
Homeowners concerned over unlicensed Texas builders. Taylor Morrison Homes built Gribble’s house. According to court documents, the nation-wide builder has a history of complaints involving defective homes outside Texas. "If we have a lemon law it’s just logical. If you build a bad house you will stand by it or you’ll have to buy it back, said Janet Ahmad, president of Homeowners for Better Building.

Neatly ordered living in a cage of wrought irony
All across the city’s northern tier there dwells a strange tribe – they’re variously called conservatives, Republican or just plain rich people – whose members oppose big government, heavy taxes and socialistic infringements on property rights.  But then, what do they turn around and do?  They move into hotsy-totsy enclaves and set up their own extra governments with their own extra taxes and their own extra limits on property rights.