Cindy and george's hoa

I used to be president of an HOA.

There are two types of HOA: Mandatory and Optional. Many neighborhoods that were built prior to 1990 have the Optional type of HOA. Here is the difference:

In a Mandatory HOA all neighbors must pay dues and must follow the HOA's covenants and restrictions. Dues are usually higher and may even be monthly, depending on what the HOA is for - for example, if there are neighborhood facilities such as a clubhouse, pool or tennis courts and the HOA pays for the maintenance of these. Mandatory HOA's can cost thousands of dollars a year to belong to, depending on the neighborhood and the amenities. Mandatory HOA's have very extensive rules and fine associated with breaking any covenant or restriction and these are managed by an HOA management company and a lawyer who sends out notification of fines or warnings about breaking covenants and restrictions and files legal paperwork on non-compliant homeowners on behalf of the HOA. If a homeowner fails to pay their dues, the HOA can place a lien on their house and/or fine them until dues are paid up. If the homeowner breaks a convenant or restriction, the HOA can fine them for that. If a homeowner has, for example, not paid their dues and has several HOA fines, upon sale of their home, these must be paid to HOA - the HOA actually fills out a form for the realtor stating what is owed. In some cases, the fines have been so huge for some homeowners that they have lost their home to the HOA. HOA abuse is an issue with many homeowners.

In an Optional HOA, homeowners can choose to join and pay dues or not. The Optional HOA doesn't actually have the right to fine anyone itself, however, the board members can call or write to neighbors and ask them to comply with the covenants and restrictions. If someone is breaking covenants and restrictions, they can be taken to court about it by any other neighbor who is a member of the HOA. However, this rarely happens. Usually, an Optional HOA has low dues - for example $100 per year and does not have the money for lawyers and HOA management companies that assess fines and place liens on property like in a Mandatory HOA.

With the age of the Anthony's home, my guess is that they have an Optional HOA, but I could be wrong.
 
I think the police are being negligent in not getting control of this situation. Eventually someone is going to get hurt. The neighbors have had all that they can tolerate, the protesters are fighting with each other, George and Cindy are ready to blow, and the media presence is encouraging the whole thing. People can't drive down the the street to get to their own homes. They can't take their children outside. Why are these "protesters" being allowed to disrupt the lives of people not even involved in this case, and why do they want to?

The police, imo, are not being negligent in the least. The people of the USA have a RIGHT to protest and they have a right to assemble to do so, and as long as they abide by the noise ordinance and do not engage the Anthony family physically (as GEORGE has engaged them already) then there is not one thing the police CAN or SHOULD do for that matter...

These "protesters" are not the ones who initiated this situation. One woman, spewing lie upon lie about her OWN daughter who is MISSING is what initiated it ALL. Then grandparents in denial and rage brought it up to this crescendo...Add the insults to the press and the name calling and the FACT that NO ANTHONY FAMILY MEMBERS even joined in the searches, and whala-it was a RECIPE for protest.

If they wanted it to be another way, then they should have behaved another way. For instance, tears in the place of insults? Maybe worry for Caylee instead of worrying about their own personal schedules? Oh, I know, MAYBE if one of them had taken the time to actually LOOK for this little girl like the thousands of other folks who donated THEIR time, then they MAY have had some sympathy instead of what they have...
 
Good morning E1 - I got back yesterday from my trip to Orlando and am happy you guys started this thread. After searching Saturday we went to 'the' house - just to see it, not to protest. Believe me, it is nothing like seeing it on tv or the live webcam.

First, it is much smaller and closer than it appears. The neighbors to the right of the Anthonys (if you are looking at the house from the webcam) could easily hear a normal
conversation going on in the Anthony garage and driveway from thier front porch, driveway and inside if the windows were open. There is no doubt in my mind that they
heard every bit of the arguement that went down June 15th.

The house across the street is actually on a corner. The news crew trucks are lined along that side of the street and continue around the corner. There is a space directly
in front of the Anthonys home, between 2 news trucks where all the news cameras and the webcams are set up on tripods facing the Anthony house. The cameramen have
lawnchairs set up to rest while they wait for any action.

We came in the subdivision from a different entrance than the Anthonys probably would use (they live near another entrance). The subdivision is nice, not exclusive or fancy.
The homes are well maintained, but the streets are narrow, especially if you have cars
parked on either side of the street. The homes are very close to one another and a paperboy could easily lob your paper to your front door from the curb.

Getting out of the car, it felt strange walking toward the home. We parked about 3 houses down from the Anthony home and you could hear the humming of the news trucks. Imagine living with that on a daily basis. Imagine your kids trying to get on a school bus or the school bus driver having to navigate the congestion.

Throw into this mix, lookie-loo's (like myself), protestors, the news crews and the police all hanging around and disrupting your day. We were there when the home confinement
woman was visiting. When she walked out to leave everyone ran to open area infront of the house. The camera crews jumped up, the reporters ran from the vans, and the protestors whipped out their signs.

We stood on the corner for a while just looking at the scene. It was crazy. The yellow tape around the yard is necessary but sets them off. The next door neighbors to the Anthonys were standing outside leaning on their car watching and waiting for something, what I don't know. The neighbor across the street has to put up with everyone walking on their side yard, luckily they have a privacy fence and can go in their backyard and be somewhat unaffected by all this. All outdoor activities for the surrounding homes will not be happening until all these people leave.

I felt like I was being disrepectful. I felt sorry for the neighbors. There were only a few protestors there at the time, but more came as we were leaving. We heard rumors that
there was supposed to be a rally at 3pm that day. We got there around 3 and if it was happening we didn't see it. More people arrived as we were leaving, and they were mostly people from the search. I spoke with Holly from Fox News, she was very nice.
I clued her in that anyone wearing an orange wristband or anyone with an orange strip hanging off a belt or pantloop was someone from the search. That gave her an angle for her 7pm report. I told her how different it all looked when you see it in person vs their webcam and tv reports. It looked so much smaller and she said everyone said that, and she thought it was odd. She said the Anthonys are normal, everyday people, something I think we forget from time to time.

I am still trying to sort thru my thoughts about this. At the search we met a couple people that lived a block away. I really admire them for choosing that route vs doing the
protesting. The search was grueling, to say the least.

The sheriffs department had two people in the subdivision, which was not enough. We saw them as we were leaving and they had ticket books in hand. I can't help but think that the neighbors would be much better off if Casey had been sent to a safe house.
You really have to understand that these neighbors are affected and did not ask for this new normal. The pressure that the protestors think they are bringing is not happening.
Casey will not talk, and is loving every minute of this skewered attention.

This trip left me very sad. I did see the billboard. It is now parked about 5 miles away
at an auto repair shop on Colonial East. It is parked in the front of the lot so on coming
traffic can see it. It was much smaller than I thought too.

I do have pictures to download and will post them when I get done this morning.
 
Thanks, Openmyeyes, for your first-hand report. You really gave us a sense of what it's like in the Anthony neighborhood. :eye:
 
Granted this is a lawyer's question, but the only people who have to abide by the Home Owner's Association's authority are people who signed a contract with them; The Anthony's.

The idea that that they can tell people to get off the public street is way beyond their scope of their power, much less thinking they will be able to tell the media, what they can and can't do, and where they can and can't be. The courts do not like telling the media what they can't do.
If the community was a gated one, where the streets were maintained and owned by the HOA, then this would be different. They would have control who could be on their streets, but since the streets are maintained by the city, making them public, then I cannot see any basis for their legal action.
Private citizens can sue people for tresspassing, destroying property, etc. but not the HOA.
That being said, I really feel sorry for the neighbors. They are totally innocent, and deserve none of this.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
63
Guests online
1,648
Total visitors
1,711

Forum statistics

Threads
590,011
Messages
17,928,921
Members
228,037
Latest member
shmoozie
Back
Top