"Associations protect property values", the headline grabbing horror stories are "isolated incidents", "Zogby polls indicate that 96% of all homeowners in associations are happy", homeowners voluntarily choose to live in associations, and if you are not happy with your board of directors, "toss the bums out" or "move".  Embezzlement?  Fraud?  Take it to court, "it's a civil matter" and the real government can't get involved.  After all "you agreed," you see.  You've heard it all.  But how much of it has any merit at all?  Or are these just sound bites that have been repeated often enough to have become part of the vernacular? 
 
On The Commons with us this week is Representative Julio Robaina.  Having traveled the length and breadth of the state, listening to horror stories and asking for ideas of how to resolve the many problems faced by his constituents, Rep Robaina has sponsored legislation that is starting to help tip the scales a little in favor of the homeowner.  In its infancy, his pilot program on using law enforcement to investigate allegations of fraud in associations is yielding dramatic results.  With several arrests already made, and more to come, the rest of the country is starting to take notice.  Please join us On The Commons. We'll get the details of his program, find out whether they are in fact "isolated incidents" and we'll ask just how, given all the fraud and mismanagement, associations protect property values. 
 
For detailed information about the pilot program go to http://www.ccfjedu.net/SCAM/SCAMindex.htm.