Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.
 
Writing new laws either empowering residential associations or regulating them has become an annual ritual.  This year is no exception however the owners made almost no gains during the current legislative sessions as the special interests continued to lobby for greater powers and more control over associations, controlled dwelling units and the folks who own them.  At a time when the economy is creating havoc where we live as well as where we work, one would have expected some help from our elected representatives to stem the flow of blood in associations.  Unfortunately, the ones who understand the need for protective legislation and who are willing to take the moral high ground and introduce consumer friendly legislation are far outnumbered by their colleagues who are not willing to offend the special interests.  But was it a completely lost year for consumers or did some homeowners manage to prevail?
 
On The Commons this week we are joined by Jean Kettley, current president of the Maryland Homeowners Association (MHA) and Patricia Wigginton, past president and long time member of MHA.  Numbering in the hundreds, members of MHA have been very active in lobbying for legislation and unlike many other states where the homeowners lost, were successful in getting a bill passed this year.  Please join us On The Commons this Saturday, June 20, 2009.  We'll talk about the MHA bill and learn the details and also talk a little about another hot topic in HOA land this year, insurance.  Listen to Jean and Pat    

Hosted and produced by Shu Bartholomew, On The Commons is a weekly radio show dedicated to discussing the many issues surrounding mandatory homeowner associations, the fastest growing form of residential housing in the nation.
 
It is a well known fact that well funded special interest groups are able to buy laws favoring them.  After all, most of the politicians serving on committees and sitting at the table when it comes to casting their votes for any new bill have been bought and sold many times over.  Many of these legislators are little more than puppets - many but certainly not all.  In the case of housing associations, be they HOAs, Condos or Coops, we have precious few legislators who are willing to do what is right, not what will benefit them financially. But how does one good egg manage to hold his or her own in a basket full of rotten ones?  Can good laws be passed in this situation or should we all crawl in  a hole, waiting for the rapidly approaching end?
 
On The Commons this week we are joined by Representative Julio Robaina.  Florida's own Rep. Robaina has long made it a mission of his to do everything he can to protect his constituents.  And at no time ever have those constituents needed more protection than they do right now.  The many run of the mill problems in associations have been compounded by the economic downturn, the huge number of foreclosures especially in Florida and the large number of associations trying to make ends meet with half the revenue from fees.  His proposed bill to make the banks pay some of the delinquent assessments was soundly defeated by his fellow legislators.  Not surprisingly the banking industry lobbied strongly against it.  But where was CAI in all this?  This bill would have helped ASSOCIATIONS and by default the homeowners.  It seems this bill slipped right by them.   Please join us On The Commons.  We'll talk about what happened in Florida this year and we'll learn how, with just a little effort of the part of the owners this MIGHT have had a happier ending.    Listen to Julio Robaina