This was the message strongly urged by Florida Representative Julio Robaina during his appearance on the OnTheCommons internet-talk show with Shu Bartholomew: Send those emails to your district legislators asking them to support your position on HOA reform legislation. “It really works”, he repeated again and again.
“There is nothing more powerful and helpful to a legislator than to have a fellow legislator catch you in the hall and say, ‘I got 200 emails in support of your bill.’” Rep. Ronaina added, “don’t forget to mention that you are a voter and will remember him at election time.”
He was extremely disappointed by the failure of the people, the homeowners who have called or emailed with problems, who did not step forward in support of reform legislation.
Rep. Robaina also reflected on the position of the special interests, particularly CAI, whom he said had their own agendas that were not favorable to the homeowners. “If the people really knew!”
Go to http://onthecommons.us/ to hear this important interview. And take action!!
June 11, 2009 at 1:34 pm |
I live in a neighborhood with an HOA. The members of our Board have increasingly cut the membership out of decision-making and have mismanaged our budget. They took it upon themselves to plant a row (several hundred yards long, along the perimeter of the development) of tiny shrubs, spaced 8 ft apart, with no landscaping in between. Now weeds are growing up in between (up to almost 2 feet tall!) and nothing is being done about it. I have contacted our management company, but she said she can not do anything except pass on my comments to the Board. (The Board does not allow homeowners to communicate directly with them…they are above that!!)
Is there any organization that can help us with this mess?? I would like to see the HOA laws thrown out at this point!!!
Thank you in advance,
Cindi Welch
June 11, 2009 at 2:59 pm |
No, there are no true organizations who work for the homeowner. The CAI (Community Associations Institute) organizations serve the HOA, which, under law, is a separate person from any homeowner, or group of homeowners. They are on record opposing protections of homeowner rights in an HOA, which were lost as a result of pro-HOA state laws.