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NEIGHBORLY FIGHTS? ONLY ALL TOO
COMMON!
By
Jan Bergemann
Published July 6, 2018
Neighbors fighting
neighbors is only too common – it’s happening since mankind can
remember.
But with the
creation of homeowners’ associations the problems got very
complicated because now a third party is getting involved.
But should the HOA
really get involved?
I think it very much
depends. Does the fight between neighbors deals with issues
created by the deed-restrictions (CC&Rs) – or is it just a
common neighborly feud like branches from the neighbor’s trees
are hanging over the fence – or the dog is running around
without a leash pooping on the neighbor’s lawn?
A judge once said to
me: “In former times feuds among neighbors were easy to resolve.
The judge chewed out the guilty party, they shook hands and
everybody went home without big financial damage.
Nowadays it’s very
different: Not only the two feuding neighbors show up, but as
well expensive attorneys wearing Arman suits who are
complicating the issues, making
a mountain out of a molehill. And even if the actual issues are
finally resolved, the fight continues over the legal fees.”
And
that’s a fact!
With
other words: Neighbors should think twice about fighting with
neighbors. Often an amicable discussion about the issues can
save a lot of money – and year-long fights!
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Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice,
Florida
's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group.
CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in
community
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associations. He moved to
Florida
in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the
developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues
for his own purposes. End of retirement!
CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in
Tallahassee
- finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a
member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.
The organization has two websites to inform interested
Florida
homeowners and condo owners:
News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.
Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all
service providers surely have a different interest! We are
trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are
useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking
in
Florida
!
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