Not So Neighborly Associations Foreclosing On Homes

[MyOwnDrum]

I heard this piece on the way home from work yesterday. There is a link to the audio also.
Not So Neighborly Associations Foreclosing On Homes : NPR

Homeowners associations (HOAs) are foreclosing on homes when people get behind on one or two association dues. Sometimes people on the HOA boards who are voting to foreclose on the homes, are then picking them up on the auction block and turning them over for a profit.

The man in the story actually had his $300,000+ house totally paid off, his wife got behind on two payments while he was serving our nation in Iraq, and before he was able to get back to try to straighten things out, they had foreclosed and sold his home at an auction. The HOA defended themselves saying they merely followed the letter of the law. NPR stated in the story that 10% of foreclosures were because of this, and that the law totally favors the HOA, and that this can all be done without going before a judge. In Texas, where the featured story took place, there is only a 29 day waiting period.

It's a travesty! I would never live anywhere where I had to be a part of a HOA!

Capt. Mike Clauer was serving in Iraq last year as company commander of an Army National Guard unit assigned to escort convoys. It was exceedingly dangerous work — explosive devices buried in the road were a constant threat to the lives of Clauer and his men.

He was halfway through his deployment when he got a bolt from the blue — a frantic phone call from his wife, May, back in Texas.

"She was bawling on the phone and was telling me that the HOA [homeowners association] had foreclosed on our house, and it was sold," he says. "And I couldn't believe that could even happen."

Clauer had a hard time understanding what his wife was saying. His $300,000 house was already completely paid for. Could it be possible that their home was foreclosed on and sold because his wife had missed two payments of their HOA dues?

In many states it is not difficult for an HOA to foreclose on a member's home for past dues even if the amount owed is just a few hundred dollars.

"I was really in a hurry trying to get home before my family was living on the streets," Clauer says.

Sold For A Steal

But by the time he got back to Texas, it was too late. The Clauers' four-bedroom, 3,500-square-foot home had been sold on the courthouse steps for just $3,500 — enough to cover outstanding HOA dues and legal costs.

The new owner quickly sold it for $135,000 and netted a tidy profit.

"Basically it's everything to us," Clauer says. "Having a house like this paid for was huge for us, for our retirement plans. We thought we were so far ahead, and now it's like we're starting from the beginning."...

 

[Zyphlin]

I hate these things and its one of the key reasons I want OUT of Northern Virginia as it seems like you can't find any kind of house or townhouse that isn't part of an HOA in some way shape or form.

 

[jambalaya]

It is amazing how evil the foreclosures were before Obama got into office. Now they are as numerous as ever and I hear no outrage about putting these poor people out into the streets.

 

[danarhea]

It is amazing how evil the foreclosures were before Obama got into office. Now they are as numerous as ever and I hear no outrage about putting these poor people out into the streets.

I don't know about where you come from, but here in Houston, these types of foreclosures were also common under Bush. Want to know another connection between Bush and Obama? Neither president had anything to do with what is going on. Jeez - The things that some people will say in the name of political hackery amazes me sometimes.

 

[Zyphlin]

I don't know about where you come from, but here in Houston, these types of foreclosures were also common under Bush. Want to know another connection between Bush and Obama? Neither president had anything to do with what is going on. Jeez - The things that some people will say in the name of political hackery amazes me sometimes.

Umm, he wasn't suggesting that they didn't happen under Bush. Indeed, he directly references it:

"It is amazing how evil the foreclosures were before Obama got into office"

Unless he's believing somehow everyone on a debate site doesn't realize that the person "Before Obama" was Bush, its pretty clear he's SAYING that they happened under Bush.

The difference he's pointing out is that the media and politicians were making Foreclosures out to be this horrible, evil, attrocious epidemic that was destroying the economy and the country and we got a TON of news about it almost on a weekly if not daily basis, telling us how horrible the economy is and how bad it is for everyone. On top of that often we were told it was all the fault of republicans and their deregulation and their cozyness with the banks and their refusing to give people unemployment benefits and yadda yadda yadda. Yet the amount of times foreclosures have been mentioned and constantly in the news has dropped it seems since Obama has taken office, as has stories in general harping and harping on the Economy but instead trying to find any bright spot they can find, and you almost never hear anything about anything Obama or congress is doing that could even possibly be considered to be aiding the continuing bad foreclosure rates.

Which he brings these things up to suggest that the media was hyping the amount of foreclosures and the entire process during the Bush administration not because they were worried about foreclosures and it was such a huge thing, but because it destroyed consumer confidence and voter confidence in the economy which speaks poorly of the people in power and since they're essentially in ideological support with the President in power now that doing a similar non-stop drum beat of how bad it is is suddenly not as important.

This is no where close to what you're suggseting, which is that he somehow ignored that it happened under Bush and is attempting to focus on Obama. His post was about the Media, not Obama.

 

[Cold Highway]

If you want the definition of buzy body you will see Homeowner's Association listed

 

[danarhea]

Umm, he wasn't suggesting that they didn't happen under Bush. Indeed, he directly references it:

"It is amazing how evil the foreclosures were before Obama got into office"

Unless he's believing somehow everyone on a debate site doesn't realize that the person "Before Obama" was Bush, its pretty clear he's SAYING that they happened under Bush.

The difference he's pointing out is that the media and politicians were making Foreclosures out to be this horrible, evil, attrocious epidemic that was destroying the economy and the country and we got a TON of news about it almost on a weekly if not daily basis, telling us how horrible the economy is and how bad it is for everyone. On top of that often we were told it was all the fault of republicans and their deregulation and their cozyness with the banks and their refusing to give people unemployment benefits and yadda yadda yadda. Yet the amount of times foreclosures have been mentioned and constantly in the news has dropped it seems since Obama has taken office, as has stories in general harping and harping on the Economy but instead trying to find any bright spot they can find, and you almost never hear anything about anything Obama or congress is doing that could even possibly be considered to be aiding the continuing bad foreclosure rates.

Which he brings these things up to suggest that the media was hyping the amount of foreclosures and the entire process during the Bush administration not because they were worried about foreclosures and it was such a huge thing, but because it destroyed consumer confidence and voter confidence in the economy which speaks poorly of the people in power and since they're essentially in ideological support with the President in power now that doing a similar non-stop drum beat of how bad it is is suddenly not as important.

This is no where close to what you're suggseting, which is that he somehow ignored that it happened under Bush and is attempting to focus on Obama. His post was about the Media, not Obama.

Reading is fundamental. I got that one wrong, big time. My bad. Just call it a senior moment. LOL.

 

[Ikari]

I heard this piece on the way home from work yesterday. There is a link to the audio also.
Not So Neighborly Associations Foreclosing On Homes : NPR

Homeowners associations (HOAs) are foreclosing on homes when people get behind on one or two association dues. Sometimes people on the HOA boards who are voting to foreclose on the homes, are then picking them up on the auction block and turning them over for a profit.

The man in the story actually had his $300,000+ house totally paid off, his wife got behind on two payments while he was serving our nation in Iraq, and before he was able to get back to try to straighten things out, they had foreclosed and sold his home at an auction. The HOA defended themselves saying they merely followed the letter of the law. NPR stated in the story that 10% of foreclosures were because of this, and that the law totally favors the HOA, and that this can all be done without going before a judge. In Texas, where the featured story took place, there is only a 29 day waiting period.

It's a travesty! I would never live anywhere where I had to be a part of a HOA!

I don't even see how that's possible, how can an HOA foreclose on a house, especially one which is paid off? That doesn't seem kosher at all. You know, back in the day we had ways of dealing with people like this and a good ol' tar and feathering happens from time to time. I think we should maybe embrace some of our roots a bit more. These sniffling, smarmy assholes are hiding everything behind the "law" so they don't face repercussion for actions and meanwhile they are destroying other people's lives and stealing their property. If the HOA president got beaten up and left in a ditch to die, well I guess he shouldn't have stolen someone's property.

 

[Zyphlin]

Bah, no big deal and honestly, you owned up which makes it a no harm no foul in my book. God knows I've misread things and responded as well

Now lets get back to the important part....saying how much HOA's suck!

 

[jambalaya]

I don't know about where you come from, but here in Houston, these types of foreclosures were also common under Bush. Want to know another connection between Bush and Obama? Neither president had anything to do with what is going on. Jeez - The things that some people will say in the name of political hackery amazes me sometimes.

I know foreclosures were going on under Bush. That is not what I said at all. It is just that the media was make a much bigger deal about it. The evil corporation and big government vs. the poor unfortunate homeowner was being played up in a big way. Republicans were personally putting people out of their homes. Now, not so much.

Sorry, I didn't see that Zyphlin properly chastized you already.

 

[Deuce]

Tip for life:
Never, ever join an HOA.

They are the devil, and I don't mean that metaphorically. They are literally the physical incarnation of Satan.

 

[texmaster]

I don't know about where you come from, but here in Houston, these types of foreclosures were also common under Bush. Want to know another connection between Bush and Obama? Neither president had anything to do with what is going on. Jeez - The things that some people will say in the name of political hackery amazes me sometimes.

I had no idea HOAs had that kind of power. At least not around here. What about down there?

I am a board member of an HOA but its non binding, 35 dollars a year and we do NOT report "violations"

 

[winston53660]

I had no idea HOAs had that kind of power. At least not around here. What about down there?

Actually in Dallas they do have that kind of power.

 

[texmaster]

Actually in Dallas they do have that kind of power.

I'm in Dallas. I'm on the board of an HOA. I have contact with 7 HOAs around me. None of them wield that kind of power.

 

[Ikari]

Maybe you've tried to make reasonable HOAs. But there are many many unreasonable ones. And for those, the board members should be brought out on the street and executed one by one. You try to steal a man's house, you may end up dead. And that's not an unreasonable reaction.

 

[liblady]

I don't know about where you come from, but here in Houston, these types of foreclosures were also common under Bush. Want to know another connection between Bush and Obama? Neither president had anything to do with what is going on. Jeez - The things that some people will say in the name of political hackery amazes me sometimes.

texas citizens need to get this law changed.

 

[winston53660]

I'm in Dallas. I'm on the board of an HOA. I have contact with 7 HOAs around me. None of them wield that kind of power.

I live here too and pay HOA dues and yes they can have the authority to do that.

 

[texmaster]

Maybe you've tried to make reasonable HOAs. But there are many many unreasonable ones. And for those, the board members should be brought out on the street and executed one by one. You try to steal a man's house, you may end up dead. And that's not an unreasonable reaction.

Oh I have no doubt there are. Especially in the suberbs there are some nasty ones. I'm just not aware of any inside Dallas city limits, at least not in North Dallas

 

[texmaster]

I live here too and pay HOA dues and yes they can have the authority to do that.

What part of the city? I'm in North Dallas

 

[texmaster]

texas citizens need to get this law changed.

I fear its not limited to Texas

 

[winston53660]

What part of the city? I'm in North Dallas

Northwest hwy btwn Midway and Marsh.:2wave:

 

[texmaster]

Northwest hwy btwn Midway and Marsh.:2wave:

Ah ok. I'm over at BeltLine and Hillcrest

Wow. I'm really sorry to hear you have to put up with that!

 

[winston53660]

Ah ok. I'm over at BeltLine and Hillcrest

Wow. I'm really sorry to hear you have to put up with that!

My HOA is pretty cool about the dues.

 

[Renae]

This **** is why my wife and I still do the Apt. thing. We WANT a house, but right now what we can afford would be subject to HOA's. No thank you.

 

[winston53660]

This **** is why my wife and I still do the Apt. thing. We WANT a house, but right now what we can afford would be subject to HOA's. No thank you.

Mine is populated with a bunch of old ladies. They can drive you up the wall.