DantheMan

What most people who don't live in an HOA don't understand is the immense power and usage of intimidation that the associations sometimes use against those it is supposed to be serving. Why would they do this? It makes no sense. Not unless there is a bigger reward from an entity more powerful, like the CAI, or Community Association Institute, the powerful lobbying group.

I live in Valley Ranch, but it is hardly a mansion. Its a 1600 sq ft 2 bedroom modest home that is 25 years old and cost far less than the average Dallas condo. Our HOA is an equal opportunity abuser. It doesn't discriminate according to race, income, or status. Their greatest ally is apathy and ignorance. They have the power that no mortgage company on the face of the earth has and that is the power to foreclose on a homestead over unpaid fines due to "code violations". They are not subject to any open records laws. State Senator John Carona is a former lobbyist for CAI and current CEO of the largest property management firm in the country. He was against foreclosure reform in the last legislative session and made sure there are plenty of loopholes available for HOA's to use the threat of home foreclosure as a means of intimidation so that they may extract exorbitant fees from those they claim to serve. By the way, Sen Carona will be speaking to CAI at a luncheon Feb 13 at the Brookhaven Country Club on the subject: Use Nuisance Violations to Aid Your Community. Pardon the expression, but this is all one big circle jerk involving developers, lawyers, realtors, politicians and lobbying groups at the expense of individual homeowners who don't have the resources in most cases to fight them.

So I'm suggesting you check out this link to see what this "racket" is all about. This article was written by someone who wouldn't be run over by the big boys.

http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src...