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?

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.

Texas Consumers Call for Investigation of Property Management Industry
and Attorney Misconduct
See Home Owners for Better Building Press Release
Read WFAA Report Featuring Senator Carona Walk Out

See Associa Priority of Payment Attorney Fee First Contract:
#1 Attorney Fees - #6 Homeowners Dues
Big Corporate Business of HOA Foreclosures
1,425% Profits for the Non-Profits HOA Empire - The Hammer of HOA Foreclosures

HOA REFORMERS SAY WEST'S BILL STILL NEEDS TWEAKING
The latest iteration of what has become a perennial effort to reform homeowners’ associations (HOAs) has hit a bit of a speed bump – the would-be reformers themselves... “If it passes the way it is, it’s not good for us,” said Janet Ahmad of the Texas HOA Reform Coalition. “It legitimizes a private government. We don’t need another government in our lives. It’s a funded mandate.” See March 23, 2011 hearing on SB142 Part II

HOA homeowners oppose construction defects legislation  
“Senator Ulibarri is about to introduce a bill that should be called the ‘Horrors of Homeownership Act,’” said Molly Foley-Healy, chair of CLAC. “Senator Ulibarri’s stated goal is to create more affordable housing, but this bill has nothing to do with affordable housing. Instead, it hurts the very people he said he wanted to help. It effectively blocks homeowners from holding builders responsible for their shoddy construction and leaves homeowners living in HOAs to pick up the tab for repairing the defects.”

New laws affect HOAs and homeowners starting Jan. 1
In years past in Texas, HOAs could foreclose on a property owner in as little as a month for non-payment of its assessments. “You can get yourself caught up in a credit payment plan that makes payday loans look good, if you aren’t careful,” said Janet Ahmad, president of Homeowners for Better Building. And if you’re wondering how the HOA is spending your assessments, you can now request a copy of the agency’s recordkeeping. But beware, even that may cost you in copying costs and employee hours to procure it. “This open records request is extremely lucrative for -- again -- the management companies,” added Ahmad.

Texas HOA demands green grass in a drough
...this HOA, he said, that suggested it, after they found patches of dirt amongst the withered blades in his front yard...SAWS officials say they have yet to see any homeowner deed restrictions that demand homeowners keep their lawns green. And as a public water utility, SAWS has no jurisdiction over HOAs. But the utility is asking all associations to think of brown grass as the new green, at least for now in stage-2 restrictions.

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.