On the Commons
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On the Commons with Ward Lucas
HOA and Condo horror stories have been around as long as HOAs and condos have been part of the American housing scene. Every great once in awhile some brave reporter has dared to venture onto the battlefields to report on the goulash events but those stories have been few and far between and have represented just the tip of the iceberg. Under cover of darkness, the abuses continued. But the internet made "The Fifth Estate" possible and "citizen reporters" have taken matters in their own...
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Byron Hanke (Part 2)
Byron Hanke, considered the grandfather of today's mass produced HOA housing, talks informally about the neighborhood he used as a model for the first HOAs. He discusses the early days of CAI. If you ever wondered how we ended up with all this controlled living and why we even went down this particular road, check out the video -
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Byron Hanke (Part 1)
Byron Hanke, considered the grandfather of today's mass produced HOA housing, talks informally about the neighborhood he used as a model for the first HOAs. He discusses the early days of CAI. If you ever wondered how we ended up with all this controlled living and why we even went down this particular road, check out the video -
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On the Commons with Dr. Karen Huffer
It is common knowledge that stress affects our health adversely. It is an equally well known fact that we react differently to situations when we are under stress than we would otherwise. So it is not such a great stretch to realize that stress can be used to undermine someone in an adversarial situation. Is there anything that can be done to mitigate the damage caused by these dirty tactics?Joining us On The Commons this week we have Dr. Karen Huffer. Dr. Huffer is an author, associate...
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On the Commons with Jean Winters
Does a homeowners’ association board have a duty to know and understand the authority they are granted by the laws and governing documents and the duties they have to the association and its members? When a board exceeds its authority and starts enforcing rules they never had the ability to adopt in the first place, the members of the association end up having to pay the price. And some homeowners in particular pay an even bigger price.Joining us On The Commons this week is Jean Winters....
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On the Commons with Tyler Berding
In our quest to make everyone a homeowner and provide affordable housing to those who could not otherwise afford a mortgage, after several decades the hens appear to have come home to roost. During the housing boom, apartment buildings were turned into condos to meet the demand of affordable units and now, after massive failures, condos are being turned back into rental apartments. Artificially lowering the upfront costs of homeownership neglected to take into account the long term costs. We...
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On the Commons with Frank Askin
Political speech is the most protected form of speech there is. When a candidate for public office places a campaign sign on his property in a condominium and is told to take it down, his right to free speech is being violated. When a candidate for his association board is prohibited from campaigning in the association, his right to free speech is being violated. Proponents of controlled living would have us believe that we voluntarily gave up our First Amendment rights when we bought into a...
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On the Commons with Dr. Gary Solomon
It is commonly accepted that stress causes psychological, emotional and physical harm. The effects of stress and our reaction to stress seems to be changing the world we live in. We encounter stress from morning till night. Getting up in the morning, getting the kids off to school, catching public transportation, sitting in traffic trying to get to work, dealing with congestion, road rage, an irate boss, non performing employees. The list goes on and on. But what happens when there is no...
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On the Commons with Evan McKenzie
Condos and HOA housing has appealed to local governments because it is an easy source of funds without the hassle of having to do anything for that money. The idea being that owners would govern themselves, maintain the common elements and essentially become an island upon themselves. However, after several decades of trial, and mostly error, we are beginning to see the concept unravel and fail quite miserably, reminding us that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.Joining us On The...
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On the Commons with Frank Short, Taylor Reardon, and...
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.Every year, on or near St Patrick’s Day, the Leprechauns give us their perspective on the sorry state of affairs in homeowner associations in America. This year is no exception. In addition to their rather irreverent and whacky behavior, they have a couple of very...
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On the Commons with Patrick Batt and Rudy Grom
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.Housing consumers who buy into an HOA controlled development are told that by signing the settlement papers that they have entered into a contract with the association. What does that mean? Proponents of HOAs, in the event of a dispute or a more serious problem, are...
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On the Commons with Bill Davis
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.Scuttlebutt has it that you can’t fight City Hall. I wonder who started that rumor? City Hall perhaps? The same is being said about HOAs. “You’ll never win so don’t bother, the HOA always wins”. Whoever started that rumor must have had his fingers crossed behind his...
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On the Commons with Mitch Katine
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.Home is where the heart is and when that home is part of a homeowner association, sometimes it is very hard to find the heart.The Landing Condominium in EL Largo, Texas is a perfect example of a housing development without a heart. The Landing had water views from most...
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On the Commons with the Farrans
Rumor has it that HOA boards and managers can do anything they want because homeowners have, by buying an association controlled house, ceded all their rights. Really? The very existence of an HOA creates problems in neighborhoods that would never otherwise occur. The respect one once had for their neighbor, and the sense of community and pride people had for each other have been replaced by hate, discontent and a very adversarial relationship. So, what happens when the power vested in the...
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On the Commons with Ward Lucas
Something really sinister seems to happen to people when they are put in a position of perceived power, especially if they are not emotionally and mentally mature enough to handle the responsibilities that go along with the position. We've all heard and read about the horror stories in mandatory membership residential associations but can that really be happening? I mean, this is America, right? People do have rights, don't they? Joining us On The Commons is Ward Lucas. Ward is an award...
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On the Commons with Don Schellhardt
In this day and age of communication we have almost unlimited access to phones, cells, the internet. But what happens when all these modes of communication fail, are blocked or are on overload. Have you ever wondered what would happen if disaster strikes and you can’t get help? How do you let your loved ones know you are OK? How do you find out if your loved ones are OK?Joining us On The Commons is Don Schellhardt. Don (Don Schellhardt (djslaw@gmail.com) is an attorney and the founder and...
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On the Commons with Dr. Gary Solomon
Mahmoud Hindi, a 55 year old Spring Creek homeowner in Louisville, Kentucky, is accused of shooting and killing two board members. The shooting occurred during a board meeting in the Springdale Community Church. According to reports, Mr. Hindi had been having ongoing disputes with his HOA over alleged rules violations. Some reports claim the HOA sued Mahmoud Hindi over a fence, satellite dish and a sign that were installed without permission. Records also indicate that Mr Hindi had filed a...
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On the Commons with Bill Davis
Problems with associations are legendary and the horror stories, legion. For as long as there have been residential associations, people have been trying to tweak them to make them work. So far the problems have multiplied like rabbits and the horror stories have intensified by the day. Legislation, training sessions, licenses, tomes of scholarly works have failed to find a solution that would work. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the best minds in the country have offered their...
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On the Commons with Senator Mike Schneider
Few people would argue that there really are problems in mandatory membership homeowner associations. Even the most ardent supporter of associations will admit that not all is as rosy as it should be. Over the years we have heard and read about problems from serious to the ridiculously petty but have we been scratching the surface to this point? How bad can things really be in residential America?The FBI has been investigating corruption in Nevada for the last 4 years and they are still...
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On The Commons With Don Schelhardt
Technology has revolutionized the way we communicate today. Internet, Skype, cell phones as well as regular home phones, can cross oceans and connect friends and loved ones in a matter of seconds. Staying in touch has never been so accessible to so many - or so vulnerable. While we take our communication tools and methods for granted, we hardly ever give a thought to what would happen if we could no longer just "reach out and call someone". But the reality is that phone lines can be cut, the...
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On the Commons with Bill Davis
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.The papers, TV news reports, radio news and talk shows and blogs the world over have been reporting on the horror stories, tragedies and financial problems facing America’s millions of homeowners trapped in association controlled dwelling units. You can read and listen...
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On the Commons with Frank Short
Housing consumers are advised to do their due diligence, to read the governing documents of the HOA, before buying a unit in an association controlled development. In fact some states have disclosure laws requiring sellers to provide these documents. Are housing consumers being given a false sense of security? What happens the next time the legislature convenes to introduce new laws?Joining us On The Commons is Frank Short with our annual St. Patrick’s Day round up of the latest in HOA land....
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On the Commons with Rodney Gray
On a recent trip to Las Vegas Nevada I was interviewed by Rodney Gray. I audio recorded the interview, with Rodney's permission, with the idea of sharing it with my listeners. It is a little strange to be interviewed on my own show, but here it is, showcasing Rodney's skills and talent as an interviewer.The second portion was a casual, impromptu interview in the car on the ride back into the city with Dr Gary Solomon and Robin Hune. They are both passionate advocates for individual homeowner...
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On The Commons with Bill Davis
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. We are often told that residential associations are “Democracy, up close and personal”, that “there is nothing more democratic than a condo or homeowners association.” The online legal dictionary defines democracy as: “a government in which the supreme power is vested...
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On the Commons with Frank Short
Our residential neighborhoods have increasingly become war zones as those in positions of power have systematically torn down any and all remaining defenses left to individual homeowners. Sadly the totally ridiculous reasons given for the need for all these powers seem to have taken root and are glibly repeated by the very people who have the most to lose, the homeowners. Additionally, we hear over and over again that the owners have chosen to live under the rules and restrictions in...
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On the Commons with Robert Crowe and Brent Brooks
June is torture awareness month and the very word conjures up images of all the war time horrors we hear about, see on both the small and large screens, read about in the history books and some novels. But what exactly is torture and what does it do to the victim? Well, one thought is that the purposes of torture are carried out by shattering the essential humanity of other human beings. But is torture limited to the actions of real governments or can torture be found much closer to home? Do...
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On the Commons with Evan Mckenzie
The post war boom brought with it growth, wealth and seemingly unlimited possibilities. Cars and highways made it possible for families to move out to the suburbs in pursuit of the American Dream. Along with that dream came financial problems for local municipal governments. The solution, residential associations, then created a whole host of other problems that seem to be getting worse instead of better. HOA living has long been called a failed experiment but despite its many inherent...
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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...
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On the Commons with Dr. Gary Solomon
The transformation of the American Dream of homeownership into the current scheme of collective, corporate housing has been a boon to local governments, developers and a $50 Billion annual industry. It has, however, been detrimental to the owners, creating many problems from losing control over one's home, wallet, social life, beliefs, constitutional rights and peace of mind. Associations have become a study of how not to live. But is there more fall out from this flawed and failed...
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On the Commons with Tyler Berding
Fixing the problem of cash strapped municipalities during the post war housing boom turned into a whole new housing model for Americans. No longer proud homeowners, generations of housing consumers became "unit owners" in what became known as "associations". Once local governments realized they could still collect property taxes and then force the owners to pay for the up keep and maintenance of the infrastructure, they were hooked and began mandating this privatized form of housing. But...
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On the Commons with Jan Bergmann
It all sounds so, so, well let's just say Utopian, doesn't it? You see, there is a neighborhood, with neighborhood amenities, where all the neighbors contribute for those amenities. And some of the neighbors oversee those amenities, collect the dues, make any business decisions that need to be made and everyone lives happily ever after. And let's call those neighborhoods associations, whether condo, homeowner or cooperative. And let's say that this set up provides for "carefree living" where...
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On the Commons with Evan Mckenzie
On The Commons turns 10 years old this month. Our special guest is Evan McKenzie as we celebrate 10 years and kick off a brand new season of On The Commons. For years housing consumers have been told that associations protect property values despite the fact that there was no real evidence or data to support this pie-in-the sky notion. With the current downturn in the economy what seems to be emerging is that not only do associations NOT protect property values since they are not immune from...
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On the Commons with Senator Mike Schneider
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. Almost half a century ago the idea of creating little private residential enclaves, complete with the power to levy assessments, adopt rules and enforce them was hatched. While the original goal of providing local governments with a means of collecting free tax dollars...
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On the Commons with Brenda Johnson
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. HOAs, once billed as mini democracies where residents have greater control over their immediate environment, gradually morphed into representative democracies where homeowners had one day and one day only to "take control" and let their wishes be known. The only life...
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On the Commons with Joani Ellis
Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation. Abuses and horror stories from the over 300,000 mandatory membership developments nationwide continue to grab the headlines. Many of the reported abuses are extremely serious while a fair number of them are so ridiculous as to be laughable. Regardless of the severity,...
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On the Commons with Frank Short
Well folks, it's that time of year again when we celebrate St Patrick's Day here On The Commons with our favorite Leprechaun. On The Commons this week we are joined by Frank Short. Frank, an individual and property rights advocate has kept us abreast of pending laws, explained what they would do if passed, talked about law suits, explaining what they really mean. Please join us On The Commons. We'll get an update on the proposed laws in the Virginia legislature and talk about case law as...
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