Homeowners association tries to foreclose

Homeowners associations are kind of a trickle-down tyranny: They used to be associated with areas that were fairly exclusive. But now, working-class areas have also been saddled with the labyrinthine diktats of homeowners associations - especially in fast-growing regions.

Much of it is because governments actually encourage it.

As a result, you see neighborhoods hamstrung by illogical rules that micromanage everything from mailbox color to swing sets to what kind of car you can have. Often these rules are passed by boards that meet behind closed doors.

I have no idea whether the neighborhood in this story is rich or poor, but anyway...

In San Antonio, Texas, a homeowners association is now trying to foreclose on 84 homes because the residents failed to pay their association dues. This represents over one-fifth of all the houses in the neighborhood.

Foreclosure???

Foreclosures are something mortgage lenders do (and often). It's not something homeowners associations are supposed to be able to do.

If you think someone owes you money, sue them. You can't just foreclose. Can I foreclose on a high school I attended just because it stole from me? Can I foreclose on a former neighbor who vandalized my bike?

Some of the residents refused to pay the dues because the association hasn't developed a community park like it promised, and because the association is so unresponsive. Others didn't pay because the association gave them the wrong date as to when the payment was due.

Why is the county even enforcing these foreclosures? Is it a county that just rubber-stamps things like this?

We should pass new laws to rein in homeowners associations.

(Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/real_estate/HOA_moves_to_foreclose_on_84_Mission_Creek_homes.html)