Thursday, May 13, 2004
Homeowners Associations
My grandmother, Beanie Adolph, has helped lead a crusade against the capricious taking of private homes---and extortion of excessive fees---by homeowners associations (HOAs). These quasi-public bodies often serve to maintain neighborhood standards and public goods, but in many cases, they are captured by management companies and attorneys who see the opportunity to extract thousands of dollars in fines from homeowners who fall behind on their dues---even by a few dollars---or who violate the often unwritten rules of the HOA. In Harris County (home of Houston, TX) Beanie, in collaboration with my father, uncle, and a little help from me, have found HOAs responsible for filing more than 15,000 suits for foreclosure against homeowners in a largely successful effort to extract rents from ordinary homeowners. It is difficult to imagine what positive service these groups serve that justify this behavior.
Last night, my grandmother appeared on the 10 o'clock news in Houston. It seems her research has galvinized residents in the most abused neighborhood, Sterling Green, to try to throw out the board of their HOA. It isn't going quietly. See the text of the story here, and streaming video here (I'm afraid you have to register for the latter).
Hooray for Beanie! I'm so proud of her. She's dedicated herself to this cause for years, not because she has ever suffered under an abusive HOA, but simply out of sympathy for the thousands who have seen their finances wrecked because their civic association saw the chance to make some money of its own residents. And she has pursued it with soophistication, building up a network of allies and an array of social science skills. Our family maintains a website with the results of our research, HOAdata. Take a look.
Last night, my grandmother appeared on the 10 o'clock news in Houston. It seems her research has galvinized residents in the most abused neighborhood, Sterling Green, to try to throw out the board of their HOA. It isn't going quietly. See the text of the story here, and streaming video here (I'm afraid you have to register for the latter).
Hooray for Beanie! I'm so proud of her. She's dedicated herself to this cause for years, not because she has ever suffered under an abusive HOA, but simply out of sympathy for the thousands who have seen their finances wrecked because their civic association saw the chance to make some money of its own residents. And she has pursued it with soophistication, building up a network of allies and an array of social science skills. Our family maintains a website with the results of our research, HOAdata. Take a look.
