Tag: free speech

Constitutional free speech in HOA upheld in this surprising case

“Court documents indicate [homeowner] Immelt got upset after being told she had violated a homeowner’s association rule. Immelt borrowed a friend’s car, pulled up in front of the home of the neighbor who reported her and honked the horn repeatedly for up to 10 minutes. Several neighbors were awakened.

“Immelt was convicted of violating a local noise ordinance that prohibits sounding a horn for anything other than public safety or a publicly sanctioned event. Immelt appealed, saying her constitutional free speech rights were violated and that the ordinance was too broad. Her conviction was upheld in appellate court.

“While the court didn’t decide if what Immelt did constituted protected speech, it concluded that the noise ordinance Immelt was arrested under could ban’”protected forms of expressive conduct involving horn honking. It therefore fails constitutional scrutiny’.”

Who says the Constitution means nothing?

State of Washington v. Immelt, No. 83343-5, 2011 Wash. LEXIS 825,* (Wash. Oct 27, 2011). Very long case.

Why is CAI member firm of Adams Kessler allowing criticism of LA Times HOA column?

Scanning the Adams-Kessler Blog, Davis-Stirling Condo Law, under Davis-Stirling.com (not a government website) revealed some 6 comments critical of the LA Time column written by Stephen Glassman and Donie Vanitzian. Just in the past 3 weeks, and nothing before the week of Sept. 18th. I am wondering what’s up?

Glassman and Vanitzian are also the authors of Villa Appalling!: Destroying the Myth of Affordable Community Living (2002). Vanitzian is the author of the Thomson-West legal treatise, California Common Interest Development — Homeowner’s Guide (2006-2007). Glassman is a practicing lawyer and Vanitzian holds a JD degree.

Lawrence Stirling, co-author of the California laws, is a Senior Counsel at Adams Kessler. Adrian Adams and Gary Kessler are members of Community Associations Institute, CAI, and Kessler is active in CAI’s legislative action committees (LAC) helping to shape the national lobbying organization’s (that’s CAI’s) view of the HOA industry. Among other things, in 2004 CAI had cautioned the NJ appellate court in the Twin Rivers free speech case against “the unwise extension of constitutional rights to the use of private property by members (as opposed to the public) . . . .” (Amicus curiae Community Association Institute (“CAI”), Committee For A Better Twin Rivers v. Twin Rivers Homeowners Association (TRHA), Docket No. C-121-00., p.19).

It seems that CAI California is feeling the heat from homeowner advocates like CAI is feeling in Arizona. The criticisms of the column shown below, except for the outright hostility and ignorance of the posters of the Oct. 2nd and Sept. 25th entries, centered around the authors’ statement that the hired-hand (my wording) management company people have no place at a board meeting. “Management employees, like any other vendor, do not belong at association board meetings. Although they may be invited to attend, they should not be taking minutes or offering suggestions on the conduct or content of the meetings.” This reply came under the September 4, 2011 column heading, How can you break management’s hold on board? It concerned a homeowner’s letter that the “board is so entrenched with this management company that it can no longer act in the best interests of our owners and the association.”

I was surprised that A – K did not provide a response with respect to the legal status of the management people, who are neither board nor HOA members. In my view, they are like the typical member who can be seen and not heard unless asked a specific question, and otherwise not participate in the discussions.. Otherwise, the cry of “we are poor volunteers” rings hollow as the board has turned the management of the HOA over to hired hands, while forgetting its ultimate legal responsibilities to the HOA, and to oversee acts and actions of its management agent.

Given the Blog as is, with its entries and lack of A – K responses, it seems that CAI is feeling the heat and felt the need to counter-attack voices for homeowner rights, and to silence Glassman & Vanitzian, the true advocates who are fighting for homeowners who live in regimes that deny their constitutional protections.

Adams Kessler Condo Law Blog

(Oct. 2)  LA Times. The discussion I had with the LA Times “Readers Rep” in 2005 got me nowhere. I think having their authors billed as HOA specialists is akin to having a self-proclaimed racist writing a column on fair housing. Sure, they are somewhat familiar with the issues but their take on them is biased and does not serve the public well. -Marla H.

(Sept. 25) LA Times. The LA Times columnists who pontificate about HOAs and present such misleading information regarding the operation of HOAs are a thorn in everyone’s side. Their views are so inaccurate and counterproductive to creating harmony between owners, board members and managers. Surely there is some avenue for rebuttal? Why is the LA Times so resistant to permitting rebuttals to the content of the column? Any ideas as to how we can find an avenue to present truthful information? -Diana S.

FEEDBACK (Sept 18)

LA Times #1. Thank you for your thoughtful response to whether managers should attend board meetings and take minutes. Sorry to say, the Los Angeles Times places little value on providing balanced information. The writers of the column have a clear bias against boards, attorneys and managers. If they could, they would abolish all HOAs. Why would you abolish a form of ownership that has made affordable housing possible to millions of people? I think it’s important to make it very clear that these people give bad advice and boards should not rely on their column for any guidance. -Judy C.

LA Times #2. Thank you for your rebuttal to the L.A. Times article!!! -Jan H.

LA Times #3. It is clear that the author has a bias against management companies. The manager’s job is to provide advice to the board that keeps them on the straight and narrow. Can the board assign some of its duties to its manager? You bet! Should it? This is a matter of contract, but in most cases it is a resounding “yes.” It has been my experience that the larger the association, the more complex it becomes, and with this comes the need for a manager with greater and more diverse skill sets. -Jim S.

LA Times #4. Managers at meetings???? Of course. We pay them to help manage and advise us even though all final decisions come from the BOD. They advise us when we might need an attorney’s advice and many other issues a board member might not be privy to. Come on guys wake up and smell the roses! -Gloria F.

Will legislators stop CAI attorney acts of bad faith?

As a concrete example of a lack of good faith by HOA attorneys, that smells of aiding and abetting the board to get around the letter and intent of the law, is the newly effective Arizona statute permitting the videotaping of board meetings. Just 2 weeks after the signing of the bill into law, and still 3 months away from its effective date, the CAI member attorneys at Carpenter Hazlewood (CHDW) began their campaign against this open meeting law. They began by offering suggestions as how HOAs can adopt what CHDW considered reasonable rules. No board came forward and said, “How do I beat this law and protect the board?” as far as I know. (Such actions by a board would in itself be a violation of its duties of good faith to the owners as a whole).

Returning to the example at hand, Carpenter Hazelwood, through the management firm of AAM, the board informed the members of the Tatum Highlands CA board’s “reasonable” restrictions that, as usual, are one-way against the homeowner. Note that the HOA government is restricting free speech by not allowing dissemination or publication of the videotapes. Now, why would anyone videotape the meeting if not to distribute it for others who did not attend the meeting? What is the board afraid of? Some hanky-panky goings on?

It is quite clear that CAI does not act in good faith with respect to either the letter or intent of the laws. Rather than adopting the CAI Central propaganda that calls for creating harmonious, vibrant communities, which the homeowners can be proud of, its minions seek total advantage for the HOA.

State legislators must face up to reality of acts of bad faith by CAI attorneys and put a stop to this madness in no uncertain terms!

Read the complete Commentary here.

 

HOA Kindle books

I have compressed and summarized my research on HOA constitutional  issues over ten years and have produced several Kindle books for a comprehensive understanding of the issues.  The historical basis for the current version of utopian societies begins with a review of The Homes Association Handbook of 1964, and the history of Community Associations Institute.

I’ve tried to bridge the gap between the writings of the academic,  political scientists and the people, and present and clarify the constitutional issues facing the curent HOA hegal scheme.

The following Kindle ebooks are available for downloading

2.

The Foundations of Homeonwers Associations and the New
America REVISED by George K. Staropoli (Kindle Edition – Oct 14,
2009) – Kindle eBook

Buy: $5.95
Auto-delivered wirelessly

3.

Establishing the New America: independent HOA
principalities by George K. Staropoli (Kindle Edition – Jul 17,
2008) – Kindle eBook

Buy: $15.95
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4.

Understanding the New America of HOA-Lands by George Staropoli (Kindle Edition – Sep 24, 2010) – Kindle eBook

Buy: $8.95
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Truth in HOAs disclosure poll — please vote your conscience

Please let us know where you stand on the HOA issues of “agreement to be governed” and “consent to obey.”   If the following Truth in HOAs Disclosure Agreement were required to be signed at the time of purchase, would you sign or not sign your waiver and surrender of your rights and give you explicit consent to be governed?

Homeowner Association (HOA)
Buyer “Truth in HOAs” Disclosure
&
Consent to be Governed Agreement

 

By my signature below, I , the undersigned Buyer, have read and understood the restrictions imposed upon me by law and the courts as a member of an HOA, and have agreed to the waiver and/or surrender of my rights explicitly contained below. All other rights not expressly prohibited below or expressly granted below to the HOA are retained by me.

I, the undersigned Buyer, and the undersigned HOA by its President, hereby acknowledge and consent to the following:

(a) that the declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs), the bylaws, and any written rules and regulations are treated as binding private contracts by the courts; and that to enforce my rights under or compliance with the governing documents I must file suit in civil court, and that such a civil suit involves no state agency official, attorney general, or county attorney ;

(b) that under current court holdings, I am legally bound by any and all amendment to these documents validly enacted in accordance with the governing documents, with or without my vote or consent, provided that they are found not to be unreasonable, contrary to public policy or unconstitutional; and that an amendment may alter the CC&Rs at the time of purchase, binding me to
the amendment without my consent;

(c) that under current law, there are no substantive penalties against violations of the governing documents or state laws by the officers or directors of the association sufficient to serve as a detriment to future violations;

(d) that the association (HOA), as a private entity and not an arm of the state, is not subject to the restrictions and prohibitions of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution that otherwise protects the rights of the people against actions by public government entities; and that the governing documents in all legal practicality serve as the subdivision’s “constitution,” taking precedence over
state laws and the state and US Constitutions, unless specifically denied by any such laws or legal precedence;

(e) that the governing documents contain due process protections, in instances of alleged violations of the governing documents, that are less than as required under public laws and civil court procedures, that are lacking requirements for an independent tribunal, such as the right to introduce or confront witnesses, or the right to introduce and challenge contrary evidence;

(f) that in any dispute with the HOA, and contrary my rights under the federal fair debts collection practices act (FDCPA), the courts require continued payment of your assessments even while the dispute continues;

(g) that there are no equivalent clean or fair elections procedures as found in public government elections, to protect the integrity of the HOA election process; and

(h) that the practicable ability to institute member “initiatives” and make changes to the governing documents or ACC rules is highly dependent upon the active participation of my neighbors who, as a member of an HOA, have been described as indifferent and apathetic; and that there are no provisions for HOA board “referendums” on issues that ethically should be put to a vote of the members.