Citizen Participation Act Takes Aim at Frivolous Lawsuits: Citizens, Journalists and Homeowners Testify in Support
On Monday the Texas House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence held a hearing on The Citizsen Participation Act, a law designed to protect Texans from frivolous lawsuits that target their First Amendment rights. The Citizen Participation Act is a bi-partisan effort at aimed at supporting the rights of all Texans affected by frivolous SLAPP suits....Also testifying was Janet Ahmad, of San Antonio, and the president of Home Owners for Better Building. Ahmad shared details of how she was sued for racketeering by KB homes because she organized protests of the builder. Hearing:Senate Committee on State Affairs Apr 04 advance to 1:07

Justice Run Amuck in Fannin County: The Egert Case
In 2005 the Egerts were victims of two Fannin County homebuilders who had a history of taking money upfront and then walking off the job. The builders also had a history of retaliation. One victim canceled an interview with this reporter because they "feared revenge" if their story went public.  In over half a dozen interviews, people were either scared or embarrassed about their monetary loss to these homebuilders. In spite of this, the Egerts' plea for help from Fannin County District Attorney Richard Glaser fell on deaf ears.  Instead, he brought false charges against them while supporting the homebuilders in every way.   But how does a DA charge and prosecute innocent people without evidence?  Here are the ten steps that resulted in the Egerts' conviction.

Coercive lawsuits shouldn't keep people from exercising their constitutional rights
They're called SLAPP suits. The punchy acronym stands for strategic lawsuits against public participation. They are legal pre-emptive strikes designed to put terror in the hearts of those with nosy questions, suspicions of wrongdoing or the urge to stir their fellow citizens to action. Their targets range from journalists to whistle-blowers to ordinary citizens engaged in the routine workings of our democracy — whether this is researching news stories, speaking out against abuses in public agencies or merely organizing petition drives.

Federal probe into valley HOAs broadens
Federal prosecutors have identified 75 to 100 co-conspirators, including judges, attorneys and former police officers, at various levels of a massive fraud scheme involving Las Vegas Valley home­owners associations, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has learned. Some 25 to 30 targets of the investigation are taking plea deals that will ensure their cooperation in the prosecution of as many as two dozen high-level players in the scheme.

Immigration Ignites Grand Prairie Mobile Home Park
Some residents angry over policy to check immigration status on prospective buyers. The property owners’ association board is demanding proof of legal residency from buyers who want to live at the park on Shady Grove Road near Belt Line. "It’s just not right," said property owner Ramona Bledsoe.  "They didn’t ask it from white people.  But they’re asking it from Latino people." Board Vice President Nola Wolfe denied the policy is enforced only for Latinos.

Homeowners Take Plea to Lawmakers
These homeowners say they are fed up with abuses by Home Owner Association.  What we’re trying do is reign in some of these abusive powers.  So that it’s clear that government bureaucrats shouldn’t be telling people how to use their homes and lose it when they've been taxed inappropriately.  HOA Management Companies fired back today with this counter rally, bussing in HOA Board Members from across the state.  Members of the HOA Reform groups say they know they have an uphill battle sighting thousands of dollars in donations to influential lawmakers here, including Senator John Caron from Dallas who owns the largest HOA Management Company in the Country.

Brian Collister Reports

Military families battle home builder over problems
Military families in Kentucky are trying to protect their home front after they paid a local home builder hundreds of thousands of dollars for new homes. But they say those homes are filled with problems. The builders aren't backing down, standing behind their homes and their response to the concerns of the military families. But the soldiers we've talked with say they've fought these issues for months, and can't afford to stay quiet any longer.

Marine sued by HOA over flagpole
"They're suing me for $200 a day and lawyers' fees and everything," Michael Merola said. Merola said he went through the proper channels to ask for permission to put up a 20-foot flag pole, but permission was denied.  The HOA told him he was welcome to attach a small flagpole to his house.

On the Commons with Janet Ahmad
The American dream of homeownership seems to be falling apart.  First the heavy handed HOAs and all the many problem associated with that largely unregulated layer of government reducing the dream to a nightmare, followed by the massive mortgage fraud that has stripped housing consumers of their homes and now we hear about the problems with the actual physical product, the building itself.  Is the American dream of homeownership all it is cracked up to be?  What are the dangers of owning a piece of the dream?  On The Commons this week we are joined by Janet Ahmad. Janet is the founder and President of the Texas based Home Owners for Better Building.  Their web page hobb.org is full of information and stories about the issues HOBB gets involved with.  Please join us On The Commons.  We'll find out what prompted Janet to take on this huge issue and what pitfalls of ownership we should look for. On The Commons is a weekly radio show, dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory membership common ownership developments.  It is broadcast live from WEBR, Fairfax, Virginia. 

 Listen to, On The Commons Podcast

Why Couple's Dream Home Is Making Them Sick
The Defenders show you what's making a local family so sick, they can't even live in their own house. Could it be in your home?  See News 4 Report  See related links: Our Toll Brothers Experience,  Toll Mold in New Jersey and Austin Texas,   Boston Globe: Special Report on Toll Brothers