Tag: local government

Authorities for protected HOA political speech — SB 1412 poll

In regard to Arizona’s SB 1412 seeking free political speech with regard to HOA governance issues, please see the following Commentaries containing relevant court opinions and California bill, SB 323, passed into law last year. Don’t forget about the important references — endnotes — found in these Commentaries.

Take the HOA public issues poll in confidence. Complete privacy. I don’t get name or email address, so take the poll today!

  1. Political free speech both without and within the HOA (2018).
  2. NJ Supreme Court upholds constitution against HOA free speech electioneering violations (2014).
  3. CA SB323 a model on fair elections for all states (2019).
  4. courts hold HOAs as political second governments with public issues (2009).
  5. Protecting HOA political free speech on matters of general community interest (2015). Applies anti-slapp laws protecting HOA free speech.

 

 

HOAs are in need of a major restructuring

Whether you like your HOA, or dislike your HOA, is immaterial. It’s all about the Constitution and the HOA legal scheme. What matters is whether the HOA legal structure is a danger to the country, because it will happen again. And none of us can have confidence, based on the historical record, that it will not happen again because . . . every day it is allowed to continue at will.[1]

It is well past the time for a restructuring of the HOA model of local government formulated some 56 years ago by ULI in 1964 — The Homes Association Handbook. In 1973 CAI was formed to deal with the persistent problems facing the HOA model, and in 1992 CAI was forced to change its educational tax-exempt status to that of a business trade group in an attempt to deal with the continued problems with HOA.[2] In 2005 it had to drop HOAs as a member due to conflicts with the purpose of a business trade group — HOAs are consumers of CAI services.

These HOA problems and issues are endemic to the legal model of unconstitutional, private governments as a result of the intents and motivations behind the introduction of HOAs: to make $$$ by means of a mass merchandising effort.[3] Constitutional considerations were ignored and avoided by focusing on the legalities of real estate law and equitable servitudes to justify the legal authority over the HOA members. The policy makers have failed to understand that the HOA CC&Rs have crossed over the line between purely property restrictions to establishing unregulated and authoritarian private governments.

There is no denying that the HOA subdivision managed by competent boards and professionals appeals to the desires and wants of home buyers and bring many benefits. It comes as no surprise that the vast majority of persons living in an HOA approve and love their HOA, finding only minor problems with the board of directors or HOA managers. The annual “satisfaction” surveys produced by the pro-HOA trade group, CAI, reflect this positive attitude.

However, the HOA legal structure and scheme is authoritarian in nature: strong central power, limited political freedoms, no accountability, and under the rule of man, not law.

But the HOA is truly a totalitarian democracy. A totalitarian democratic state is said to maximize its control over the lives of its citizens by using the dual rationale of general will (i.e., “public good”) and majority rule.[4]

Prof. McKenzie wrote in 1994: “HOAs currently engage in many activities that would be prohibited if they were viewed by the courts as the equivalent of local governments.”[5] The authoritarian nature of HOA-Land is masked by a thorough indoctrination that presents a false picture of the real estate subdivision as democratic, inappropriately named a community, simply because the members are allowed to vote, as meaningless as it is.

The HOA danger to the Constitution has been presented in several Commentaries herein, and in the white paper found in the book, The HOA-Land Nation Within America.[6]

There is no denying that the HOA subdivision managed by competent boards and professionals appeals to the desires and wants of home buyers and bring many benefits. However, as this whitepaper addresses, the means to this end are highly suspect and harmful to our democratic system of government.

StarMan Group, HOA Management Consulting, offers a program to resolve many of the substantive defects with HOAs by means of the complete restructuring of the model: a program of organizational development. It also requires the removal of the adverse influences by the CAI School of HOA Governance as I collectively refer to CAI’s policies, best practices, guides, communications, seminars and certifications, and in its Manifesto.[7]

consulting SIG image1

References

[1] Rep. Schiff’s (Rep. Adam Schiff is the leading Democratic impeachment prosecutor), opening argument Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, appealing to the Senators to uphold the Constitution. “Whether you like the president, or dislike the president, is immaterial. It’s all about the Constitution and his misconduct. What matters is whether he is a danger to the country, because he will do it again. And none of us can have confidence, based on his record, that he will not do it again because he is telling us every day that he will.”

[2] See in general: Evan McKenzie, Privatopia: Homeowners Associations and the Rise of Residential Private Governments, Yale Univ. Press, 1994; Donald R. Stabile, Community Associations: The Emergence and Acceptance of a Quiet Innovation in Housing (funded by CAI and ULI).

[3] See in general, “Analysis of The Homes Association Handbook,” George K. Staropoli (2006).

[4] George K. Staropoli, The HOA-Land Nation Within America, p. 22 (StarMan Press 2019).

5 Supra n. 2, Privatopia.

[6] Supra, n.4, p. 4.

[7] Community Next: 2020 and Beyond (May 5, 2016).  A manifesto is a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization. A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body’s philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision.

 

The future form of HOA-Land

A little earlier I had commented that HOAs are here to stay, but face strong reforms. It was an appeal for all to get their voices heard and take the HOA-Public Attitude Survey. Allow me to clarify my position.

“HOA” has 2 common connotations: as a model of authoritarian private local government or as the real estate “package” of amenities, landscaping, and certain infrastructure. I have long maintained that the real estate package represents the end but the HOA government model is not the best means to achieve that end. And that state legislators have treated HOAs as independent principalities with their pro-HOA laws and support of de facto governments devoid of constitutional protections for HOA members.

The overwhelming reform legislation across the country presumes and accepts the validity of the governing documents and state laws. This is a loser position!

It implies the acceptance of the legitimacy of legal arguments supporting the governing documents and pro-HOA statutes. Advocates should be denying their validity and constitutionality; by failing to oppose these defensive arguments homeowners have put themselves in the weaker position of, Please sir, can I have some more justice? An example of reform legislation that challenges fundamental wrongs has been summarized in HOA Common Sense and the HOA-Land culture is presented in The HOA-Land Nation Within America .

Example: not only demanding the licensing HOA managers but holding them to the same statutes and rules   –  not CAI’s standards — as required of city/town manager; holding the BOD to the same standards as city/town councilmen. The constitutional arguments to use include: a violation of the equal protection of the law, holding the HOA as a state actor, or an unconstitutional special “franchise” of the state relating to these real estate “packages.” (“franchise: an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a broadcasting service or acting as an agent for a company’s products.”

Advocates must not ignore these broad, constitutional arguments but educate themselves to understand them. I am urging advocates and homeowners to follow the path of the Founding Fathers who stopped toying with the Articles of Confederation as unworkable. Rather than continue to make the Articles work, they did away with them and created the Constitution of the United States.

HOA-Land will still be here but which form will it take? Spend another 30 years as before or go for fundamental reforms?

As an HOA member, “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”

“Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”, asked Trump in his news speech today[i].  And he added, “There was a time when you could proudly declare  ‘I am a citizen of the United States’.”

In 2012 I raised the issue of HOA members being US and state citizens in my proposed Arizona bill[ii].

Therefore, the members of the association, having not waived or surrendered their rights, freedoms, privileges and immunities as citizens of the United States under Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment, and as citizens of the state within which they reside.

As part of the bill I declared,

The association hereby waivers and surrenders any rights or claims it may have under law and herewith unconditionally and irrevocably agrees 1) to be bound by the US and State Constitutions, and laws of the State within which it is located, as if it were a subdivision of the state and a local public government entity, and 2) that constitutional law shall prevail as the supreme law of the land including over conflicting laws and legal doctrines of equitable servitudes.

Very disappointedly, there was no outcry, there was no demand to assert citizenship by HOA members or homeowner rights advocates.  That says a lot, doesn’t it?  I am not sure as to whether the HOA legal scheme and members shunting the Constitution contributed to the Washington dysfunction, or was it just a top-down, a trickle-down public sentiment pervading HOA members?

 

Discover the truth about HOAs!  Read The HOA-Land Nation Within America exposé on sale at Barnes & Noble (BN.com);  Amazon.com, KDP Unlimited & Lending; Google HOA-Land Nation. Join the many others who have received a copy of the eBook or paperback and open a broad discussion.

Notes

[i] See Video of speech, FOX10. The only site I could find that recorded Trump’s opening words. Not even on the official WH website.

[ii] See “Declaration of US and State citizenship” in HOA member Declaration of US and State citizenship. The bill was not sponsored or backed by advocates.

 

Associa proclaims management firms as HOA partners

In its June 25, 2019 blog, “What is an HOA?, Associa proclaimed that “The HOA board works together with community partners, like a Community Association Manager (CAM), to ensure the responsibilities of the association are carried out.”  And did you know that, according to Associa, “HOAs operate a lot like a local government, small business, and community collective rolled into one.”    It is the only reference to municipal government in the 4-page “What is an HOA? article, without mention of any constitutionality issues.

This is the sui generis view of private government principalities supported by your state legislature.  “Sui generis” means “unique, one of a kind” and is used to justify special laws for a special organization, the HOA. Existing constitutional law is inadequate to support this model of local governance and so, in violation of US and state constitutions,  we see all those HOA/PUD/condo “Acts” in almost every state.  These Acts constitute a parallel supreme law of the land with sharp contrasts to the US Constitution.

And so Associa has elevated HOA management firms from parties —  stakeholders – with an interest in your private home to the status of equal interests in your home. 

Associa is a nationwide management firm conglomerate with affiliations in almost every state.  It is run and owned by former Texas Senator  John J. Carona and his wife Helen, I presume.  It is a devotee and follower of the CAI School of HOA Governance.  Associa provides instructors for CAI’s certification and educational programs, being awarded “outstanding Educator of the year. ” From its web page:

 Industry Involvement

Associa leads the march into the future for community association management through participation in industry trade organizations and professional certifications.

·  *AAMC – Accredited Association Management Company

·  AMS – Association Management Specialist

·  CMCA – Certified Manager of Community Associations

·  CPM – Certified Property Manager

·  LSM – Large-Scale Manager

·  PCAM – Professional Community Association Manager

Additionally, Associa personnel include nationally published authors who have been selected to help write the courses that teach other industry managers through CAI’s Professional Management Development Program. Associa personnel have also served on CAI’s national teaching staff and have been awarded national distinctions such as “Outstanding Educator of the Year” and “Excellence in Education.”