Another Owner You Should Be Happy Not to Have...

Many months ago, I posted an entry about why you wouldn't want Courtney Love in your association; now I suppose you can add Paris Hilton to that list.

Ms. Hilton, it seems, has gotten herself into trouble (yeah, I know you say; "what else is new"). This time, however, its because of her animals, and not her conduct.

The Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is investigating Ms. Hilton, because she apparently boasted to Ellen DeGeneres about her 17 dogs. An animal protection organization called the authorities, and the authorities paid a visit to Ms. Hilton's home. According to my source my source, (Ireland Online), neither Ms. Hilton nor her dogs were home when the authorities arrived.

This story serves as a good reminder of my regular advice to associations that the local authorities (animal authorities, boards of health, environmental agencies) are often helpful in dealing with problem owners and tenants.

And They Won't Rent to Courtney Love, Either

"Refusing to rent to somebody, because they have tattoos may be unfair, but it's not necessarily discrimination under the Fair Housing Act, unless the tattoos are specific to the person's religion or national origin," said Sandy Tamez of the San Antonio Fair Housing Council.

At least that's the attitude in San Antonio, Texas, where an apartment complex called The Villas, precludes those with excessive body tattoos, and, apparently, too many piercings as well. Edward Frankel, one of the co-owners of The Villas and other apartment complexes, states that this rule also goes for people with "tattoos exposed on the neck, hands and wrists..." and also applies to people who have their eyebrow and/or tongue pierced, more than two nose rings or more than five earrings.

While perhaps not technically illegal, this is one of those practices which, at least in this author's opinion, might not be worth the risk of a lawsuit or bad national publicity. I also can see a disparate impact claim arising, because this probably could be shown to result in discrimination against the young, and military veterans.

You Think Your Association Has Problem Owners?

A New York cooperative isn't unique among community associations in having to pursue collection against one of its tenants, Courtney Love, but the amount being pursued is a bit higher than I'm used to. Her $18,000 lien wasn't paid, so attorneys decided to pursue another $5,611.10.

Because she still didn't pay, the association, as of the last reporting, had filed a lien for $122,594.35.

Oh yeah, and then there are those other issues, also published by the Smoking Gun, which resulted in a threatened lawsuit.