How to deal with despicable real estate agency?

T

Tbharvey

New member
Hi there,

I'm a homeowner in Orchard Hills. Unlike many of my neighbors, I actually recognize the HOA CC&Rs as a binding contract, mostly because it is.

In any case, I live next to four units that are owned by unseen mainlanders, who rent the units to more anonymous mainlanders.

These people are generally clueless about the HOA rules and regulations. I've observed these people putting ugly boxed fans in their windows, funky outside wiring of security cameras, and continuously hanging bras, panties, grapes (yes...), and anything else from drying racks on their balcony. These homes aren't exactly cheap, but the renters simply don't care about making a mess or leaving an eyesore.

It hit a nerve with me when I was browsing chineseinla.com and saw these units being listed with:
1. A weekly rate in Yuan (indicating short term occupancy, against HOA rules)
2. Promoting use of community facilities for renters, including the pool (against HOA rules)
3. Promoting short term occupancy blatantly
4. Promoting visa/immigration fraud saying these homes can be used by expectant mothers coming to the US to produce a child
5. Promoting that these units can be rented "basically on any agreeable terms."

I am witnessing gross negligence by a real estate agency (RE/MAX 888) and would like to initiate action against them. Don't they have an obligation to educate their renters on the rules and regs to protect homeowners? Also, shouldn't they not be promoting illegal activity? It's amazing that they do this right out in the open, and owners must suffer the consequences. Here is the link:
http://www.chineseinla.com/f/page_viewtopic/t_862829.html

 
Have you reported this to the HOA? I would take that as a first step.

Then also, City of Irvine has regulations against short term rentals, so I would report to the city.

 
nyc to oc said:
Have you reported this to the HOA? I would take that as a first step.

Then also, City of Irvine has regulations against short term rentals, so I would report to the city.
Click to expand...
Reported to HOA, yes. HOA sent a cease and desist letter for the short term rental. RE/MAX 888 sent back a reply (in very hard-to-parse English) that they "would like to follow rules of HOA."

So far I see talk but no action. The current short-timers are still there. It's odd that licensed agents would break the rules first then ask for forgiveness. It makes me wonder if this is just how they do business. If so, it's an insult to all other licensed agents who do their due diligence.
 
Nothing u can do about the drying racks. They are legal (and HOAs can't forbid them) starting this last January when Moonbeam signed the Right to Dry Law. They can't hang anything from the balcony railing but they are allowed to have clotheslines and drying racks.
 
Tbharvey said:
nyc to oc said:
Have you reported this to the HOA? I would take that as a first step.

Then also, City of Irvine has regulations against short term rentals, so I would report to the city.
Click to expand...
Reported to HOA, yes. HOA sent a cease and desist letter for the short term rental. RE/MAX 888 sent back a reply (in very hard-to-parse English) that they "would like to follow rules of HOA."

So far I see talk but no action. The current short-timers are still there. It's odd that licensed agents would break the rules first then ask for forgiveness. It makes me wonder if this is just how they do business. If so, it's an insult to all other licensed agents who do their due diligence.
Click to expand...

So report them to the Real Estate licensing board. You probably need to get the names and license numbers of the individual agents though.

Start taking photos documenting time and date of HOA infractions. I would also get screenshots of the websites advertising these units for proof. Just out of curiousity, how are you able to read the listings on the websites? You can also take pics of the license plates of the renter cars to prove that its a rotating cast of people living in the units.

I think HOA can slap escalating fines on the owners of the units if their renters aren't following the rules.
 
There is a website called weirvine.com that promotes itself as a service to help mainland Chinese settle in Irvine. The site is written in simplified characters (mainland China writing) so I don't know what it says. Hopefully, it explains some customs and rules about living in the US.
 
nyc to oc said:
Tbharvey said:
nyc to oc said:
Have you reported this to the HOA? I would take that as a first step.

Then also, City of Irvine has regulations against short term rentals, so I would report to the city.
Click to expand...
Reported to HOA, yes. HOA sent a cease and desist letter for the short term rental. RE/MAX 888 sent back a reply (in very hard-to-parse English) that they "would like to follow rules of HOA."

So far I see talk but no action. The current short-timers are still there. It's odd that licensed agents would break the rules first then ask for forgiveness. It makes me wonder if this is just how they do business. If so, it's an insult to all other licensed agents who do their due diligence.
Click to expand...

So report them to the Real Estate licensing board. You probably need to get the names and license numbers of the individual agents though.

Start taking photos documenting time and date of HOA infractions. I would also get screenshots of the websites advertising these units for proof. Just out of curiousity, how are you able to read the listings on the websites? You can also take pics of the license plates of the renter cars to prove that its a rotating cast of people living in the units.

I think HOA can slap escalating fines on the owners of the units if their renters aren't following the rules.
Click to expand...
Good ideas. Thanks. I'm able to read the listings using the translate feature of Google Chrome, and with the help of some Mandarin-speaking friends who could confirm the translations.
 
Ready2Downsize said:
Nothing u can do about the drying racks. They are legal (and HOAs can't forbid them) starting this last January when Moonbeam signed the Right to Dry Law. They can't hang anything from the balcony railing but they are allowed to have clotheslines and drying racks.
Click to expand...

This is what I have been talking about regarding the drying the clothes in general.

#cultureshift
 
Some of these houses probably come with dryer, but they'll still spend the time to hang dry... so odd... sun is free, I guess, but you'd think time is more valuable

Also that other article on CV, check to see if they even have their trash cans out during trash day, otherwise they'll use the ones within the neighborhood (park trash can or even yours!)
 
It wasn't signed into law because of Chinese people wanting to use drying racks and clotheslines.

Moonbeam was the perfect governor to bring it to since he's got a long history of going for anything green. Dryers are the number two energy sucking appliance in homes behind the refrigerator. Apparently the U.S. is alone in having gotten rid of clotheslines. Even celebrities (Rachel Bilson, Olivia Newton John) have joined in the fight for the comeback of clotheslines.

We'll just have to put up with them. It's a state law and HOAs are forbidden from denying their use.
 
AW said:
Some of these houses probably come with dryer, but they'll still spend the time to hang dry... so odd... sun is free, I guess, but you'd think time is more valuable

Also that other article on CV, check to see if they even have their trash cans out during trash day, otherwise they'll use the ones within the neighborhood (park trash can or even yours!)
Click to expand...

All the homes here came with a very full-featured dryer as standard equipment. In addition, some of these residents have left the *same pair* of panties, shirts, etc on the rack outside for 7-10 days.

Makes me wonder how one can be such a valuable asset to the world that you've been blessed with enough money to afford a Bentley Continental, yet you can't get your laundry turned around to get your balcony looking neat again in a timely manner.
 
Apparently some people PREFER drying their clothes via the solar route even if they have a dryer. They claim it smells fresher than using a dryer.

How do you know they are the same panties? Maybe they bought a bulk package with all the same style/color.

Thank God they don't have neon thongs or maybe thongs made of black fake fur.
 
Ready2Downsize said:
Apparently some people PREFER drying their clothes via the solar route even if they have a dryer. They claim it smells fresher than using a dryer.

How do you know they are the same panties? Maybe they bought a bulk package with all the same style/color.

Is their balcony within the old rainbird style sprinkler shot?
Click to expand...
They're the same pair because they are hung in precisely the same position. Within garden hose shot (using the nozzle's "jet" setting), but not sprinkler.
 
If you're lucky a bird will decide to dirty up the panties.

Meanwhile I think you're best bet is to get them on short term rentals and maybe they'll sell.
 
Yeah you would think.

Are the boxed fans so they don't "waste" energy running the a/c?

Maybe mandarin friends could write a note that could be taped to their front door?
 
....would some lighter fluid and a conveniently mis-thrown (lighted) match quickly solve the clothesline issue?
 
Ugh.  You don't dry grapes from a cloth line.

If you want to make raisins by the hanging method, you hang them inside a drying house (shade on top, windows on all 4 walls).  Under warm weather and some wind the grapes will take about 40 days to dry.

If you're going to make raisins on your patio via sun dry method, you should spread the grapes out on a flat tray and turn them to get even dehydration.

The quality of line-dried clothing depends on the environment.  If you live in a smoggy area where your window screens get dirty quickly, you should probably use a dryer.  I take my blankets and comforters out to sun-dry on my patio furniture.

Consider attending the next HOA board meeting in person and bring up your concerns there.
 
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