Delinquent homeowner association dues

The recent downturn in the economy has seen some homeowner associations whose members are delinquent with their association's membership dues.

Many years ago there was no such thing as condos. Homeowner associations were for a few country clubs.

My homeowners association has 72 condos in 12 buildings. Each building has one water heater for all six units in that building. There are no water meters. Our heat is electric. Each unit has an electric meter.

One of the members in my association of 72 members is delinquent in her dues. Our dues are $553 per month. This includes $113 per month for earthquake insurance, hot and cold water, sewage, exterior lights, professional property manager, landscaping, clubhouse, pool, jacquise, and sauna.

When I bought my condo I did not realize the pitfalls of having so much "communal" living involved in our dues.

The current member that is delinquent owes several thousand dollars in back dues. It is suspected she is behind in her mortgage payments and will file for bankruptcy. The association has a lien on her property for the past dues. Our manager says we will be lucky to get half of what we are owed if the property is sold.

I resent having to pay her dues. I don't know her. I did not make any decisions about her finances. Maybe she took out a second mortgage she could not afford. Maybe she spent too much on expensive wine and travels, like Thomas Jefferson, who died broke.

One could say I should not be alarmed. After all, my share of the delinquent dues is only $10 per month. However, she is not the only person I help support. I am forced, at the point of a gun, to pay taxes to support others. There are hundreds of other people who get food, shelter, health care, and education, all at my expense. It adds up.

It's only one person out of 72 that is delinquent. What if it increases to 3, or 10, or 20! If one can get away without producing and live at the expense of others, one will eventually do so.

This community sharing reminds me of Garrett Hardin's, "The Tragedy of the Commons" where each person looks out for their self interest, even though they will do harm to the common property. Hardin later said he should have titled his essay, The Tragedy of Unregulated Commons. Hardin should have known from history that most common property was regulated by the tribal chiefs, priests, and warrior class. Even regulated common property fails because of the same reasons, human self interest. My homeowner association is regulated. That does not keep some members from abusing the commons.

The person who is delinquent in her dues will only lower the value of our property. But she doesn't care since equity in her condo is probably negative. This is the tragedy of all communes. It was the tragedy of the Pilgrims who almost starved because the production of food was a community effort. They survived only after they started reaping what each individual planted and managed.

History is filled with examples of human behavior that proves people will look out for themselves. They will survive by producing or taking from others. Those are the only two ways. When one practices a government of taking, that society will not prosper.

"Socialism is workable only in heaven where it isn't needed, and in hell where they've got it.” Cecil Palmer

Charles Tolleson