An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published July 17, 2012

Once in a while I'm watching some of the so-called comedies on TV, but I often fail to understand why these half-hour shows are supposedly comedies. Or maybe I just fail to see the scenes where I am supposed to laugh? It looks to me like Hollywood has a serious lack of script-writers for comedies.

Maybe they should hire Tom Skiba, CEO of Community Associations Institute (CAI), a trade organization for community association service providers located in Virginia. I nearly fell from my chair laughing when I read the press release published by the CAI on Wednesday regarding their latest "national survey." I have barely ever seen a more skewed survey than the one published in a press release headlined: "National Research Sheds Light on Community Association Success." 

[ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/national-research-sheds-light-on-community-association-success-2012-07-11 ]

This so-called "survey" is a typical example how surveys can be used to publish the results the company paying for the survey wants to achieve. Just ask the people whose answers will be favorable for the cause. I could easily create a survey where 100% of 500 owners contacted will respond that the community association system is a total failure!

For good measure, they threw in a few negative answers, in order not to really overdo it. Or maybe they only ask "service providers" who are CAI members? That would explain the numbers much better. Business for them is booming -- caused by all the problems the bad economy and the crashed real estate market created. And I know that quite a few CAI members are absolutely unhappy with the way community associations are going here in Florida. 

Look at these survey results published in the CAI press release:

• 88 percent of residents say association board members strive to serve the best interests of the community. 

• 73 percent say community managers provide value and support to associations. 

• 76 percent say their association rules "protect and enhance" property values. Only 3 percent say the reverse is true. 

And how do you like this summary of the results of the survey? "The vast majority of people who govern and manage associations are working diligently to build strong and stable communities, and their residents appreciate and value their efforts," says Skiba. "They're succeeding without fanfare. That's why we don't hear about them." 

My two cats would have rolled around on the floor laughing -- if they could read. These survey results are about as far from reality as imagination allows.

Daily life tells a totally different story. Many association members are absolutely miffed that the promise of "protecting property values" was just a fairy tale. Property values inside of HOAs dropped in many areas faster than the ones outside. Many owners are up in arms -- some are even losing their homes -- because nobody told them that they have to pay the budget deficits caused by neighbors who fail to pay their fair share -- for whatever reason. They pay for the budget deficits caused by the mortgage lenders who created the financial problems in community associations with their irresponsible lending policies -- being protected by our legislators with the enactment of so-called "Safe Harbor" provisions. But the CAI doesn't care. The service providers -- represented by the CAI -- get paid, no matter what. In many cases with the help of special assessments, to the detriment of the owners.

In my opinion the CAI must be really desperate to publish another one if their "skewed" surveys at the time when many community associations are in financial turmoil. This is just not just a survey; it's plainly ill-advised propaganda -- and it shows that the CAI doesn't care about its reputation as a business organization people should take serious. This isn't a survey -- it's propaganda in its worst form.