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See theTexas Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Arbitration Hearing, Video of Homeowners Testimony Advance to 1:55

Billions for Home Builder Corporate Welfare from Washington 
 New York Times, by Gretchen Morgenson
 
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Related Articles:  NY Times: Building Flawed American Dreams 
Rise and Fall of Predatory Lending and Housing

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KB Home - No Parking Allowed
Thursday, 26 February 2009

Ambush-style towing hits Southwest neighborhood
"KB didn't tell us the same thing happened on street after street, in multiple neighborhoods within the Huntington development. Kelly Hammer in the Villas and was luckily awakened at 2 a.m. by her neighbor's car alarm. "And we came downstairs and the tow truck operator was saying, 'if that's yours, you need to move it or you're next.'  So we were fortunate.  Had it not been for our neighbor's car alarm we would have had two cars towed." Anonymous writes, "it seems as if they use strong-arm tactics with residents in communities they manage. Their actions are neither ethical nor conducive to building the kind of community spirit hoped for by residents.

Ambush-style towing hits Southwest neighborhood
 
View video news report

A recent Contact 13 investigation focused on an ambush-style mass tow of cars in one southwest valley neighborhood--cars that were parked right in front of the owners homes.

Our story got a big response, and after receiving more than two dozen e-mails, Chief Investigator Darcy Spears hit the streets again and found the problem is much bigger than what we first reported.

No one heard the sound of spray-paint coloring the curbs red in KB Home's Huntington community.

"They came in really, really early.  Very early and put the red stripe down," says homeowner Debbie Minkler.

"They never sent us anything to say we're gonna lay down a red line, this is what it means, they didn't... nothing... nothing until all 11 of us came out and our cars were towed."

But we soon learned, that was just part of the story.

"There were more than 11 cars towed that night," says Villas at Huntington resident Kelly Hammer.

After Contact 13 exposed what happened in the Liberty neighborhood, KB Home announced they'd reimburse the homeowners on the street in our story.

Each would get back the $300 cash they had to come up with to get their cars from Custom Towing.

But KB didn't tell us the same thing happened on street after street, in multiple neighborhoods within the Huntington development.

Kelly Hammer in the Villas and was luckily awakened at 2 a.m. by her neighbor's car alarm.

"And we came downstairs and the tow truck operator was saying, 'if that's yours, you need to move it or you're next.'  So we were fortunate.  Had it not been for our neighbor's car alarm we would have had two cars towed."

No one's denying that "no parking" signs have been posted here for two years.

But for those same two years, Hammer says there have been no tickets, no notices, no nothing!

Residents throughout the development report that they've been parking in front of their homes and no one's done anything about it.

"If those are the rules, fine--but you give notice. You say 'on this date, the curbs are going to be painted. Please do not park your vehicles there anymore, they'll be towed.'  That's fine. You give notice. You don't just come in ambush-style and do this. And the only thing I can think of as to why they'd do it--who's getting a kickback from the towing company?  That's what I want to know. Because that's exactly what it comes off as. Whether that's the case or not, I don't know. But that's what it smells like to me," Hammer says. 

The neighborhood bylaws say cars parking in posted "no parking" zones will be tagged and if not moved within 48 hours, they'll be towed.

Immediate towing with no notice is only allowed in marked fire lanes--which these curbs suddenly became.

KB Home says the County required it so emergency vehicles could get through.

But Contact 13 obtained a statement from Clark County, saying "it appears the approved plans back in 2005 for the subdivision call for one side of each street to be posted with no parking signs. I do not find anywhere on the plans requiring the curbs to be painted or that they can use painting to indicate the restriction."

Mindy Fuller, who lives one street over from Kelly Hammer says, "if they do this, there has to be parking provided for you, which on our street, there isn't."

Some residents on Mindy Fuller's street have taken matters into their own hands--spray painting over the red to regain their parking.

She's putting together a petition to force KB Home to do something before things escalate.

"You start getting notes--dirty letters on your car window saying, 'don't park in front of my house, that's my spot,'" Fuller explains.

Contact 13 found one area with no red curbs on either side of the street... The portion that runs right in front of KB Home's sales office.

"I know it all comes down to money. They wanted to save money and they wanted to build more houses, but it's going to turn out to be more of a headache in the long run for everybody. And it's not gonna leave a good name for them," Fuller says.

There is some additional parking available in small auxiliary lots, but the bylaws tell residents the spots are not for them, and if they do park there for more than 48 hours, the tow company will have even more business.

RMI Management represents the Huntington homeowners association.

They sent us a statement saying, "we continue to work with KB Home to bring a swift solution to this unusual and unfortunate event. We are working to ensure that all communication between all parties is transparent so that this type of incident does not occur in the future."

KB Home sent it's own statement reinforcing the fact that Clark County approved their street design and requires the parking restriction for emergency vehicle access.

They also promise to work on communicating with residents and to reimburse everyone whose car was towed the day after the curbs were painted.

Has this happened in your neighborhood? If so, leave a comment below!

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9881809&nav=menu498_5_8

 
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