Letter: Seniors, homeowner associations have letter writer's attention

Initially, may I please remind the candidates that our valley contains many seniors whose property taxes support our schools. It seems the focus of most platforms are the "children" and the "schools" but not our seniors -- especially those in troubled homeowner associations.

The "children" cannot yet vote. Our seniors can and do. Seventy percent of residential property taxpayers live in associations -- many experiencing problems due to power-hungry boards of directors.

Secondly, under Senate Bill 314, a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Schneider, a new Ombudsman Department in the Real Estate Division was to be effective July 1. The funding for the appointed ombudsman and the department was solely from a $3 per person annual "contribution" from the majority of association owners.

Unfortunately, a unqualified person was chosen solely by the administrator in the Real Estate Division. A very qualified applicant was passed over.

During the past two years, I have been in contact with more than 600 owners, some in tears, describing their terrible experiences. I advised them where and how I could help as did Schneider, who also received many calls, and Steve Urbanetti in the Real Estate Division, while anticipating the formation of this new Ombudsman Department.

Alas, here we are in mid-September only experiencing misinformation and nonqualified legal advice besides a lack of knowledge of Assembly Bill 152 and SB314 on the part of this new appointee.

If you have experienced unfavorable results after calling this new department, please call Joan Buchanan, Real Estate administrator, at 486-4033 or Gov. Bob Miller at 486-2500 and detail your experiences. (Miller signed SB314).

Judi Root

archive