'Hot Coffee:' Facts, Fiction, and Corporate Greed
...did you know that the coffee served to Stella Liebeck was 50 to 60 degrees hotter than what you brew in your coffeemaker at home? That Ms. Liebeck received third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body: the worst burns her treating physician had even seen? That over a ten-year period before Ms. Liebeck was horribly burned more than 700 people reported burns from McDonald's coffee? That McDonald's representatives admitted at trial that its coffee was so hot it was "not fit for consumption" when sold? That the judge who presided over the trial described McDonald's conduct as "callous" and "willful, wanton, and reckless"? Probably not.

Home Builders to Settle Las Vegas Land Dispute
In Securities and Exchange Commission filings Thursday, KB Home reported it would pay from $216 million to $240 million, including fees, to a group of lenders led by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Beazer said it would pay from $15.7 million to $17 million, and Toll said it planned to enter into a "cash settlement" of an undisclosed amount.  The settlement plan indicates a conclusion is nearing for a long legal fight in federal courts in Las Vegas over an ambitious land deal that was brought down by the housing crisis. A person familiar with details of the plan said that the total settlement is worth from $330 million to $340 million and that Toll will pay from $30 million to $40 million.

Ousted HOA president demands millions
Former Ventura HOA president Lisa Pfeiffer is at it again. She's filed a multi-million dollar claim against the homeowners association after being ousted from office last year after a News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters investigation. Pfeiffer was forced to resign last November after I reported she had closed all board meetings, spent more than $100,000 to sue several homeowners and then rigged her own re-election.

Mirasol: A chance to rebuild
The Mirasol houses were completed in 2001, and many of the structures were quick to develop major problems... A year after the family bought the house, that vision began to fade, replaced by the appearance of cracks in the walls, a steep slope in the living room floor and doors that wouldn't properly open or close... Today, the three-bedroom house and the Mirasol Homes neighborhood it once advertised stand as a sad paradox. Built in 2001 with $20 million in federal housing funds intended to vault the working poor into homeownership, the West Side development turned into the kind of blighted neighborhood it was supposed to replace.

Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank. It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn't owe a dime on their home. The couple said they paid cash for the house. The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay.

HOA threatens to sue Possum Kingdom wildfire survivor
When raging wildfires destroyed 54 homes in the Possum Kingdom Lake residential area known as Sportsman's World last month, one of those houses belonged to Jim Brumbelow. Now, more than a month later — as he surveys what's left of his world — the 77-year-old cancer survivor faces new challenges in his life... The recreational vehicle and camper he is living and working out of until his home can be rebuilt is violating Article 8, Section 3(e) of the Sportsman's World Property Owners Association covenant, according to a letter Brumbelow received from a Dallas law firm. Related Report: Sen. John Carona defends controversial HOA rule

HOA Reform: stalemate means checkmate
The death of the HOA bill is a prime example of how special interests work in Austin. Particularly telling is that Solomons and homeowner reform groups lay the blame at the feet of homebuilder and powerbroker Bob Perry. It reflects a lot of frustration with the influence of special interests in Austin; all one has to do is suggest that pending legislation would hurt business and that the odds immediately favor bad legislation passing or reform stalling.

WFAA News Report: Senator John Carona Featured
When asked what the "priority of payment" should be, Carona said it should be like it is with most associations...
schedule they highlighted that the last item to be paid was "Sixth - Regular Assessments," but the first item to be paid was, "First - Cost of Collection, including Attorneys fees." After this insert was shown, Shipp asked Carona, "So attorneys should be paid first?" Carona replied, "No I'm not saying that." To which Shipp responded, "You're not saying that?" Carona said, "No." Shipp persisted, "Isn't that the policy of your property management association?" To which, Carona held his hand up, turned sharply, and said, "end of interview."  See Associa Priority of Payment Contract