Tag: linkedin

Arizona’s HB 2371 empowers unlicensed HOA property managers to avoid UPL

In short, HB 2371 would allow untrained and unlicensed HOA property managers to represent HOAs in small claims court, but does not allow the homeowner to be represented.  Yet, real estate agents, who are required to take continuing education courses in agency, real estate, and contracts law, are not allowed to represent others in court.  And even licensed paralegals cannot represent others! Why allow untrained and unlicensed HOA managers to represent a special class of nonprofit entities?  What legitimate reason is there for this provision except to provide income for the special interests?

The only justification for this bill, which was by offered by the Sponsor, was that it was not controversial and it was agreed to at a meeting of all the stakeholders. However, the stakeholders did not include any homeowner advocacy group, and this bill is very much not only controversial but un-American as well.  This is the second such bill brought by a state representative in the past 3 years, the other being HB 2441, the “minority control” bill in 2011, that was rightfully defeated in the Senate.

In January of last year HOA managers were put on notice by the AZ Supreme Court opinion (UPL Advisory Opinion, 12-01) on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, and one firm in particular, a member of two HOA special interest trade organizations, was found to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law (in RE: Board of Legal Document Preparers v. AAM, LDP-NFC-09-L094 and LDP-NFC-10-L026). 

So, it appears, the problem of managers engaging in UPL activities is to be resolved by introducing a bill to “make it all good without any requirement for training and licensing!  This is a disgraceful bill! A bill that treats the good people of Arizona, who are subject to unregulated HOA private governments, as second-class citizens.  It insults the good people of Arizona!

Furthermore, HB 2371 goes on to allow “contractors” (that can not only be managers, but landscapers, pool maintenance people, etc.) of HOAs to represent HOAs before the Office of Administrative Hearings. It allows attorney fees to be awarded only for the Petitioner if he wins. Under the law, OAH is not permitted to award attorney fees, so this bill is needed to make it happen.

 But, it is only for HOA adjudication hearings and not for any other agency hearing!  With HB 2371, the unlicensed and untrained manager will get fees paid by the Pro Se homeowner who turns to OAH because of no attorney fees.   Records show that some 90% of the homeowners were Pro Se not using an attorney, while the HOAs were almost 90% represented by an unnecessary attorney. (Based on detailed OAH records for the first 66 cases in 2006-7).

 The purpose of OAH adjudication was to provide an increased level of judicial protections for homeowners in HOAs without the need for an attorney in an informal setting, and without the need to understand the rules of court.  The HOA attorneys have been trying for years to turn OAH into civil court proceedings under 100 rules found in some 200 pages of legalese. But, the bill does not require that the HOA manager learn and understand the civil rules or the law.  

Once more the citizen, the whole reason for the existence of a democratic system of government, is smashed down to the bottom of the food chain by an unconscionable bill.  A disgraceful and insulting bill!  The Senate committee cannot allow this bill to pass in good conscience.  It must be soundly thrashed.

HB 2371 will be heard in the Arizona Senate Government & Environment Committee on a Monday to be determined.

Why HOA reform advocates fail at legislative reforms

This Commnetary is in response to a comment to my book review of Colorado Senator Morgan Carroll’s, Colorado senator’s guide to effective HOA legislation.

Your comment is understandably emotional and angry, because of failed attempts at HOA reforms.  I assume you have read my commentaries on the basic theme that state legislatures are not friendly toward HOA reforms. But the book shows you how to throw it back at Carroll and the dysfunctional legislatures and hypocritical legislators.  Just take it from the mouth of the “enemy” and use it against her.  Show her as a hypocrite, if that’s what you believe.  I do it all the time with the Arizona Legislature, and a new strongly worded critique is on the way.

You are mistaken in stating that I praise Carroll as a friend of HOA reforms.  I praise her because the book shows the way to reforms, and similar advice has been provided by legislators in other states.  The problem has always been the failure of homeowner advocates to recognize the fact that this is power politics, just like you see on TV, and they must learn to play the game.  And Carroll tells you how.

Yes, the book implies that all upright and good standing representatives will come to the aid and do right by the people, if they speak out loud enough and in large numbers.  Carroll does not say “right is might,” because the laws do not deal with justice.   Legislators, except for a very small minority in isolated cases, do not take up the “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” cause of the people that this ain’t right. Wake up guys! 

While small groups have spoken out in many states, they are not organized or powerful enough to overcome the paid lobbyists with their credentials.  But, over the years nobody really wants to organize a national HOA reform advocacy to counter the CAI propaganda.

Yes, there have been champions of HOA reform, but advocates fail to realize that these legislators must buck the powers that be at the legislature and win over the votes of a majority of other legislators. And this takes outcries by many people, not with gripes of “I wuz wronged!” but with valid arguments as to why HOAs are wrong for the state and the general public well-being.  And how to fix  these wrongs.  

This must be understood. The legislature does not get involved in your personal gripes! You must raise your issue to a general issue, a fundamental rights issue, before any legislature will get excited.

Learn from the book and take it to Carroll and show her “dual personality” in public, where it counts, and not here among others who know but do nothing.

State legislatures and HOAs: When will they ever learn?

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that state legislators have allowed the HOA legal scheme, which they have played a strong hand in supporting, to deny the equal application of the laws for all, and the loss of constitutional protections. 

Free speech, flying the flag, due process, clean elections, etc. have been denied by HOA regimes.  Even noted CAI member attorney, Adrian Adams, speaking about HOAs in the Davis-Stirling online Newsletter article, Animal Sacrifice: “Just as private organizations can restrict free speech, they could conceivably restrict religious practices that negatively impact other members.

The denial is basis on the specious and false argument of a “consent to agree.”  A consent that falls dismally short of meeting Supreme Court judicial scrutiny for constitutionality. All the HOA has to show is an HOA interest for the benefit of the entire community and the courts will find no problem, just as if the HOA were a government entity that has some legitimate interest in the issue.

Furthermore, legislators accept the argument that any validly passed CC&Rs amendment binds everyone including any dissenters, regardless of its relevance, bearing, or reasonable expectancy of the restrictions being imposed on owners.  It’s the “general government interest” approach. It appears that public government attributes are ascribed to the contractual HOA, with the contractual terms are being ignored.  All reform legislation is an attempt to restore those rights wrongfully denied the homeowners, on a case by case, HOA by HOA, state by state basis. 

HOAs are not de jure governments — not state entities.   But, they are de facto governments operating under state legislature protections, but in contrast to all other government entities, without constitutional protections.  HOAs are unrecognized governments as is Cuba, but functioning nevertheless every day.

When will legislatures learn?  When will they undertake an independent study of HOAs with a truly independent “think tank”?  Like the Arizona State’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy.[i]  When?  Perhaps never, since they don’t seem to really want to know, and perhaps because they know what the findings will show.

[i] “Morrison Institute provides public policy research for government agencies, private associations, nonprofit organizations, and communities. In conducting research, analysts draw upon a variety of disciplines and methods: collecting original data through public opinion surveys, interviews, and consultation with experts; and analyzing existing information through review of published research reports, current legislation, and statistical data.”  (See http://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/about/about-the-morrison-institute).

HOA democracy at work: dysfunctional adoption of amendments by minority vote

 

OPEN LETTER TO  TERRAVITA CA MEMBERS

Understand what a YES vote means for Terravita and your image as a citizen

Summary

The writer provides an example of how HOAs create a dysfunctional, un-American community, using arguments against the adoption of CC&Rs amendments on two occasions by the Terravita CA in Scottsdale, AZ.  In the first instance, amendments that violated Arizona statutes in regard to the content of the ballot were approved in 2010. One non-disclosed amendment made significant reductions in the requirement for adoption of future CC&Rs amendments, from a supermajority vote to a minority vote.  (In 2011, the Legislature defeated a CAI drafted bill that would allow for minority control of HOAs). 

The current amendment reflects an undisguised intent to punish one member for filing Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) Petitions against Terravita.  Attorneys are not awarded fees at OAH because they are not required, yet the poorly constructed amendment removes attorney fee awards in civil court actions.  As a result of the approval of the non-disclosed “minority control” amendment in 2010, a minority of only 307  out of 1380 votes will be required to adopt this Board approved punitive amendment. 

Without any prior open discussion or debate, the distributed Absentee Ballot is one-sided in favor of the Board without opposing arguments. Adopting these amendments by a minority of members reflects an un-democratic and dysfunctional culture within Terravita.  The objectives of the “corporate state” are primary and individual property rights are secondary. Members are urged to reject the amendments.

Read the full letter here . . .

HOAs are like closely held partnerships — beware

In these troubled times — and nobody could ever believe that “heaven on earth” HOAs would ever encounter hard times — who are the financial backers of last resort? Will the state come to the rescue as NY State did with NYC in the 1970s, or as now being contemplated with Detroit? Or will the state use eminent domain to clear out the deteriorating landscape?

Answer: “None of the above” is the most likely scenario.

Prof McKenzie brings a dose of this harsh reality with his comments in a USA Today piece, Municipal duties move to ‘burbs as HOAs must step in:

“It’s the most dramatic privatization of local government services that we’ve ever seen. Transferring these responsibilities to homeowner associations places more of a financial burden on individual homeowners and drives up the overall cost of housing. The costly repairs of aging streets or retaining ponds can become too much for a small group of residents in the community, particularly as many HOAs continue to reel from the lost revenue created by foreclosures. I just think as a short-term solution to the fiscal problems of cities, what they created potentially is a long-term problem. At some point, my question is this: ’Is not the responsibility going to come back to the municipality? They’ll have slums on their hands.’”

In 2008 I wrote in Why should we bail out HOAs?,

 Those in HOAs wanted a private community, free from government interference. Well now it comes time to pay for your own private way. . . . and homeowners must now pay for their private government failures, and penny-pinching attitudes.

It should be understood that the HOA is a communal society and very much like a partnership where all the members are collectively responsible, under law, for the obligations of the HOA.  Those who can pay will pay, and those who can’t pay are “covered” by those who can.  Furthermore, like a close-held small business, exit from the “business” is very difficult, especially without financial impact on those seeking to exit.

And recourse to additional funds comes only from the members who have “deep pockets” to carry others. That’s why in partnerships each partner must be well-heeled, and is examined for this purpose, so not to have an impact on the other partners — a business truism neglected by the HOA advocates.

Foreclosure and default judgments may make members feel better, but don’t really solve the problem.  There are no backers of last resort for HOAs!