Homeowners billed for clean-up of nearby homeless encampment

As I read the article, the homeless were squatting in a ravine situated on private property. Of course the owners of the property would be responsible for the cost of the clean up. The larger question is why the HOA and management company didn't know or police their property boundaries, evicting the squatters before it turned into such a big problem.

I agree with the homeowners that the management company should share in the cost of the cleanup.

Homelessness is a huge, growing headache in the US south, west coast and urban areas. It's disastrous for residents, businesses and most of all, the unhoused themselves. How and when this is going to be turned around is impossible for me to imagine. Can't blame this on either political party either. It's gotten steadily worse since the 1980s.
 
Yes. This country can afford free housing for everyone. Once you pay taxes you lose the ability to choose where it goes but elected officials get to blow it whenever for whatever they want.
 
StarSong said:
As I read the article, the homeless were squatting in a ravine situated on private property. Of course the owners of the property would be responsible for the cost of the clean up. The larger question is why the HOA and management company didn't know or police their property boundaries, evicting the squatters before it turned into such a big problem.

I agree with the homeowners that the management company should share in the cost of the cleanup.

Homelessness is a huge, growing headache in the US south, west coast and urban areas. It's disastrous for residents, businesses and most of all, the unhoused themselves. How and when this is going to be turned around is impossible for me to imagine. Can't blame this on either political party either. It's gotten steadily worse since the 1980s.
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I agree -- if it's on your property, you're responsible to clean it up. That's the way it works here, anyway. I'm sure the actual owners and the management company will fight over who is actually going to fork over the money, but if it's on your property, you are responsible. Here, the county would probably eventually clean it up and bill the homeowners and if it wasn't paid, file a lien against their property.
 
Judycat said:
Give these people somewhere to live, then they won't be squatting on someone else's property. Humanity sucks.
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What they do with the homeless is a temporary band-aid solution. They remove them from one location and they find another location and so it goes, over and over. Most of them are mentally unstable and/or alcoholics and drug addicts. They should be given help if possible. Those that refuse the help should be dealt with more harshly: prison?
 
Catlady said:
What they do with the homeless is a temporary band-aid solution. They remove them from one location and they find another location and so it goes, over and over. Most of them are mentally unstable and/or alcoholics and drug addicts. They should be given help if possible. Those that refuse the help should be dealt with more harshly: prison?
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Houston has been really working and doing a great job on the homeless...this is an interesting article that was in the paper a couple weeks ago on the challenges and mental adjustments needed:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...reets-Catholic-struggles-Lubbock-14980206.php
 
I detest Home Owners Associations. They are a scourge on the face of the earth. If the homeless were living on HOA property and left a mess. Well, yes, the HOA is responsible for the clean up cost. Being too stupid to know what property is yours is not a valid defense. How can you NOT know that?
And no not all homeless are schizophrenic drugged out, serial killers. Most homeless are males from 20-35, who can't afford rent.
 
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Judycat said:
Yes. This country can afford free housing for everyone. Once you pay taxes you lose the ability to choose where it goes but elected officials get to blow it whenever for whatever they want.
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I say B.S....When all the needs of our country are met, then maybe. But first let's address the bridges,roads, schools, the military, the elderly, medical needs of the less fortunate etc. I have no sympathy for those who chose not work, & or just want to stay high on this drug or that. Which is the case regarding most of the bums. If they have mental issues ? that's another story, help for them i support, but not while they are living & shitting on the streets. Get them in an institution / hospital.
 
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It's not an easy fix

I've been involved quite awhile now

Seems the least worst is for the homeless to group together, teem up
But on the outskirts of town.....under overpasses, near rail yards and such

I'm not for throwing tax dollars at this
I am for donations of clothing and food, of which the unbought ends up in trash cans anyway
 
Gary O' said:
It's not an easy fix

I've been involved quite awhile now

Seems the least worst is for the homeless to group together, teem up
But on the outskirts of town.....under overpasses, near rail yards and such

I'm not for throwing tax dollars at this
I am for donations of clothing and food, of which the unbought ends up in trash cans anyway
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My concern about the "give a man a fish" strategy of feeding and clothing people for that day, is that it doesn't help them gain traction to become self-sustaining.

This isn't to say that throwing tax dollars at it has worked in any overarching way. It hasn't. Yes, for now there's been progress in some towns and cities with a few hundred or couple of thousand homeless.

Across the country, the homeless numbers continue to grow.
 
It sounds to me that the HOA decided to submit the cleanup bill, rather than handing down an assessment. Either way, it may not be right, but if you want a respectable and clean development to live in, then pay the bill.

If the $300.00 is a problem for the homeowner, then alert the person in charge of the HOA and set up a payment plan. I know that if it were me, I may not be in agreement with the plan, but I would appreciate living in a clean, eye-pleasing development, especially if I had children.
 

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