My very first post was an email that I sent to brian.duncan@maricopa-az.gov  and I just finished forwarding that same email to anthony.smith@maricopa-az.gov  (our Mayor)  I will let you all know if I get a response from either of them.

I am sure they wouldn't mind hearing from us.  They did campaign using the "open door" policy.

Granny,   Many of the eyesores we see around town are still legally owned by the homeowners who abandoned them.   Until the foreclosure filings are official, (for obvious reasons some lenders delay doing this) the homeowner of record is legally responsible for the HOA dues and property upkeep.  

HOAs have learned the hard way that they are just throwing good money after bad when they spend homeowner's money trying to collect dues or maintenance fees from folks who have lost everything and simply don't have any money.   As we used to say back in Oklahoma "ya cain't get blood from a turnip, no matter how much money ya spend trying" . 

Many times our HOAs are doing the rest of us a favor by just writing these off as bad debts, after reasonable collection efforts have been unsuccessful, and asking for volunteers to maintain the property.  

It is my understanding that some lenders pay the HOA dues and provide upkeep once the property is legally their responsibility, but there are others who make it as difficult and as expensive as possible for the HOAs involved,  knowing well that HOAs have been hard hit and simply don't have the money to fight them.   

Cactus Rob,

Your post made sense, and thank you for your perspective.  I still would like to know if the lenders are the Bonified owners or not, and how did the city go about awarding a landscape company the contract, and for how much.  still no reply from them.   Iwill wait and see just how open their open door is.

Thanks Cactus Rob

File a small claims action by the HOA , record the judgement and wait until the houses sells , at that time a judgement against the property must be paid prior to title change.   After you have done a few they are quite simple.

azcarrier,  I'm far from an expert on this or anything else for that matter,    but I'm almost sure it doesn't work that way when the property involved isn't worth half of what's owed to the lender, the only secured creditor.              

The city should not be paying landscapers to clean up private property - period.

The HOAs now have another easy mark since they seem to be unable to apprehend and collect from those with serious violations. They are sending violations/fines on trumped up charges to numerous homeowners who they know pay their HOA assessments on time and who still live in their houses or are in the area. They have to make up their deficit somehow. Now they're using this underhanded tactic. Beware!

Go, Granny, go!

Well Cactus Rob tell us why you fall behind in HOA dues and you find a lien notice concerning your parcel number.  I just loaned a friend little less than a thousand dollars so they could get the deal done.  They just wanted out and the HOA just wanted money.  If the city of Maricopa is paying for clean-up of private property  I sure hope Mr. Fitzsimmons has a lien on the property, if not, fire him, we already pay his law firm a 250,000.00 a year for what?  City Council Persons please get back with citizens and taxpayers concerning this abuse .       SOMEONE NEEDS TO HAVE A COUNCIL PERSON PUT THIS CONCERN ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA.

Joeman I read the thread and have reasoned that the city was cleaning up the most needed lots.  Any additional lots a volunteer group was taking care of.  However I have noticed many, many vacant lots unattended by the developers.  Maybe the city should get on the horn and get some action concerning the tumble weed issue.   If they want to play you gotta pay, so says the fat lady. Again those lots that were cleaned and labor paid for by the Care group should have a lien filed, so not to go unnoticed.   You are 200% correct about Granny 5000X.  Dementia  status sometimes takes over.

The only cost that the city has expended on this matter is the cost of mailing out a letter to the homeowner of record either it being a bank or an individual.

ALL services to complete the clean up are strictly volunteers and YES that includes any landscapers that are involved.  ACE Hardware has donated all the necessary tools to assist the volunteers that are helping to clean up the homes.

Before throwing out accusations one much first research.  And just because the answers don't appear on a forum that doesn't have the traffic that it enjoyed previously doesn't mean that city officials are avoiding or refusing to answer.

Let's use some common sense if that is possible.    I for one thank each and every volunteer that is involved with this project and that includes Brian Duncan and Marty McDonald.  You won't find two more individuals that care more about their communities.

If you get involved with your local HOA these questions could have and would have been answered a long time ago. 

"The worst homes, however, including one on Windmill Drive and four others, needs a tad more TLC than most. Duncan said the city has hired professionals to clean up those messes, so neighboring homeowners – some of whom are willing to – won’t have to pitch in."

the way i read the article 23 homes to be cleaned up
18 homes in the villages being done by copa cares volunteers
that would leave 5 the ones "that need more tlc" being paid by the city. including the one on windmill

duh?

To all of you that think I have not done my homework, or that I should be Thanking Duncan, Smith and McDonald, I do not think I was out of line.

I read the article OVER AND OVER and I feel my questions deserve to be answered.  The only follow up post that I even came close to finding reasonable was Cactus Rob. 

Yes, I am happy for the volunteers, and for ACE HARDWARE (of whom I will still go to even after Home Depot opens) for their donations.  I still want to know the cost, and how the contract was awarded, and I will not stop until I get answers.

I worked today and just got home, and I gotta say:  I will stay on this until I get the answers.  For all of you out there that are critisizing me, go for it.  I can handle it. 

I will call Monday and put myself out there with our city officials.  I am a registered votor and I want answers.  Those of you that find me out of line, FINE! Don't read this thread anymore. I am going to post my findings for those that do care.

JoeMan,  We both know that filing a lien on property doesn't guarantee  payment of a debt!   In fact, spending additional money to file liens is just throwing good money after bad in many instances.