How to Convince Neighbors to Stop Smoking "This book is truly a breath of fresh air for all who suffer from second hand smoke in condominiums and homeowners associations. It’s the perfect guide for condo owners who desire a smoke free environment." - Rita Zemlock, president, Group Against Smokers Pollution (GASP), Florida Do you long for a smoke free condominium? Do you wish you could convince … [Read more...]
Condo Security Guards: Your Rights – Their Responsibilities
Condo Security Guards: What are the duties and obligations of security guards? What can an owner in distress expect? What exactly are condo owners and HOA members paying for? I wrote the following letter to our property manager following an incident with our condo security company. The security company owner apologized and the guard in question was removed from our property. Both the property … [Read more...]
Condo Health – Clean Indoor Air – No Smoking Inside Your Unit
Condo health: Our condo Board asked me to draft a bulletin emphasizing our commitment to a healthy environment. The real objective was to stop owners from smoking inside their units, but without directly attacking smokers. I opened the bulletin with "cooking" and closed it with "food." Perhaps you could use a similar approach in your condo. For years, my arguments regarding the dangers of … [Read more...]
HOA Boards Out of Control – Foreclosures, liens, abuse.
HOA/COA/CID: Fining, assessing, FORECLOSING (legal, or not). Billie Branam sent the following letter re out of control HOA Boards to the media and legislators in North Carolina. And it get's worse! A slew of companies have popped up offering to help boards impose liens on condo & HOA owners for nearly any reason. A condo board/HOA board member can destroy a neighbor's life in a few hours - … [Read more...]
Condo Elections – Policies, Procedures or Lack Thereof (Fraud)
Condo Election Monitors Valmore Lucier's Condo Board Election Revolt on condo electioneering & fraud would have you in stitches if the consequences weren't so sad. As board victim Karoline Kuebler wrote: "Guess who broke all the rules, who harassed, terrorized, discriminated and destroyed....the Board." (Download the eBook version of Lucier's book on StarrPublications.com). To the Board … [Read more...]
Condo Owners vs Condo Renters: When Renters Rule the Roost
Condo owners vs condo renters. Show Date: August 5, 2010 Condo owners are becoming second-class citizens vs condo renters nation-wide. Renters are seldom evicted for disturbing their neighbors, can't be fined, and can generally do whatever they want without consequence. The absent owner can be fined, but it's often too much trouble for condo boards and managers to go after … [Read more...]
European Condominium System vs American Condo Associations
Dr. Starr interviews Jan Bergemann - President of Cyber Citizens for Justice (CCFJ.Net) - on striking differences between the European and US condo systems. According to Bergemann, European countries do not have condo associations, condo boards or condo strife. He contends that the US condo association system is just another form of communism. If you're fighting condo board abuse or HOA … [Read more...]
Can Condo Boards Charge Fees to Owners Who Rent Their Units if Bylaws are Silent?
We receive frequent questions from condo owners and homeowners association members. Personal conflicts with condo boards and/or neighbors are dealt with through our private consultation service. We respond to generic questions when time allows, as per the condo rental fee and condo zoning issues raised below. QUESTION: Our Florida condo association board is trying to charge access fees ($100 … [Read more...]
Condo Management by Condo Owners: How HOA & Condo Managers Exploit Associations
Condo association owner/managers often exploit and milk their condo associations and HOA homeowners associations. Allowing condo association owners or HOA members to serve as Managers - paid or unpaid - is a bad idea. It creates a potential conflict of interest situation that allows owners to grab control and run Associations like dictators. The most successful Dictator Managers use state … [Read more...]
Condo Fees, Condo Assessments: HOA/Condo Rules and Your Rights
Condo and HOA rules on homeowners association fees & homeowners association assessments. Who controls condo/HOA financial decisions? We receive frequent questions from condo association and HOA members regarding condo rules, condo fees and condo assessments. Many are answered in detail in our … [Read more...]