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Community Sues To Oust 3-Year-Old
ClickonDetroit ^ | April 1, 2007 | AP

Posted on 04/03/2007 6:15:39 AM PDT by ShadowDancer

Community Sues To Oust 3-Year-Old

Child With Drug-Addict Mom Lives With Grandparents

POSTED: 3:04 pm EDT April 1, 2007

LARGO, Fla. -- A Florida homeowners group wants 3-year-old Kimberly Broffman to take her Big Wheel and hit the road.

They've banded together to oust the toddler from their Tampa-area community, which bans residents under 18.

The child's grandparents, Judie and Jimmy Stottler, admit Kimberly's been living there in violation of homeowners' association rules for three years. They said her mother has a drug problem, and isn't capable of caring for the child.

The grandparents said they live on a fixed income and can't afford to move until they sell their house. So far, there have been no takers to buy their house, even after they lowered the $189,000 asking price by $10,000 six months ago.

They also said they can't afford to hire an attorney.

Judie Stottler supports the family with her $18,000-per year dishwashing job because Jimmy Stottler is disabled and is unable to work.

Judie Stottler's friends told the St. Petersburg Times that they are worried.

"It is so ridiculous that this has gone so far," said Keith Tinsley, a cook who works with her. "She's trying her best to sell her house. It's like they are trying to force her to put Kimberly in foster care.

"These people keep batting her down and batting her down. They're just mean."

Judie Stottler said she is scared that she wil lose her house before she is able to sell it.

"We don't have any family to take us in," Judie Stottler said.

The Lakes homeowners association filed suit to oust Kimberly last month.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
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To: Bean Counter

I agree. I’ve lived in two expensive communities in the past ten years, one with an HOA and one without. To each his own, that’s what makes this country great, but I’ll take an HOA any day. I know I’m going to keep my property in great condition, but you never know what someone else will do. In my non-HOA community, one owner built an absolutely gorgeous brick home on the back of his two acres and put an ugly metal building the size of an airplane hanger right by the road where all his neighbors had to look at it. He was perfectly within his rights, and to my knowledge nobody ever said anything to him about it, but let’s just say that none of his neighbors was very happy with that huge eyesore right in the middle of their heretofore upscale community.

We now live in an HOA community where that can’t happen. We just made sure to read the convenants in advance and made sure we could live with all of them.

I feel for these people but they knew the rules when they moved in. They need to move out and rent their house until it sells. If they’d put it on the market in 2005, they could have sold it right away at top dollar. Florida real estate was going crazy then.


101 posted on 04/03/2007 7:16:44 AM PDT by LadyNavyVet
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To: Publius Valerius
I disagree. I think waiting three years was entirely unreasonable and I think it could be a problem for the homeowner's association should these people get a decent lawyer.

Interesting point that has legal merit, but the coupld does not sound like hiring a lawyer is an option.

102 posted on 04/03/2007 7:17:17 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: jackieaxe
Communities like this one formed because people got sick of paying for other people's kids.

That's funny. Whose taxes do you think paid for your schools back when?

103 posted on 04/03/2007 7:17:35 AM PDT by daybreakcoming
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To: Long Island Pete

At least you had a Big Wheel. I was about 10 yrs too late for one. But I still tried to squeeze into my nephew’s, much to his dismay.


104 posted on 04/03/2007 7:18:05 AM PDT by stevio ((NRA))
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To: Publius Valerius
I disagree. I think waiting three years was entirely unreasonable and I think it could be a problem for the homeowner's association should these people get a decent lawyer.

Yep, they could be punished for being lenient.

105 posted on 04/03/2007 7:18:11 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: ShadowDancer

I despise HOA’s and would never buy into such a community myself, but these folks agreed to the restrictions when they moved there so tough luck. Having trouble selling the house? Then lower the price, and quit whining about how ‘unfair’ it all is and accept responsibility for your decisions.


106 posted on 04/03/2007 7:20:48 AM PDT by yuta250
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To: mewzilla

You hit the nail on the head ... the HOA should do what they can to help them find a buyer. A GOOD HOA would..

Our little neighborhood has an HOA - in fact I’m president. We have very FEW restrictions and the primary purpose is to maintain the park, pool and unpaved roads with the 24.00 or 48.00 a year each property owner pays a YEAR. It’s an almost impossible task. The reason I stay on the board is because every 5 years or so someone comes along and wants to do away with the pool. We enjoy the pool ... the kids in the neighborhood have a pretty nice central place to go in the summer rather than wander and cause trouble.

Unfortunately as with most times a group of people get together the whole “power trip” thing comes into play. It’s been an interesting study in human nature ... laugh..


107 posted on 04/03/2007 7:20:59 AM PDT by pamlet
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To: stevio
But I still tried to squeeze into my nephew’s, much to his dismay.

I can hear the sound of cracking plastic.

108 posted on 04/03/2007 7:21:28 AM PDT by Long Island Pete
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To: Bean Counter
Not only are the mean, they are ghoulish. They want only the dead to be in their midst. Sick, mean, despicable. Not enough negative words to describe their lack of compassion, humanity and heart.

The world was not made by its Creator for such selfish people.

109 posted on 04/03/2007 7:21:29 AM PDT by bvw
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To: ShadowDancer

I live in Sarasota. Some of the retired people here can be ruthless.

They want everything exactly the way they want it, when they want it. And they want it for free.

Some of them.


110 posted on 04/03/2007 7:22:26 AM PDT by ryan71 (You can hear it on the coconut telegraph...)
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To: DancesWithBolsheviks

Mercury AND asbestos? You must be one of those rich kids.
All we had was lead paint.


111 posted on 04/03/2007 7:23:30 AM PDT by Right Cal Gal (Remember Billy Dale!!!)
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To: JamesP81
They dropped the price on their house.

$10,000 after 3 years isn't all that much in the real estate market.

-----

Perhaps you believe they should give their house away?

No, I don't, but thanks for asking.

-----

Then again, the reason no one's bought it yet can probably traced back to the HOA to begin with...

Perhaps. The point is that the grandparents, failing to take into account life's situations can change, made an affirmation via legal contract they wouldn't have anyone living in their home who was under 18 years of age....then they knowingly and willingly violated that contract.

'Thou shalt not bear false witness' IS a law, and these people violated it.

As much as I detest HOAs, I believe the 3 years is an exceedingly generous amount of time.

112 posted on 04/03/2007 7:23:34 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am ~NOT~ an administrative, corporate, legal, or public entity!)
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To: pamlet

I’ve never understood the appeals of HOAs myself, but if that’s what folks want, fine by me. I also understand the importance of rules. But just because something’s legal, doesn’t mean it’s always ethical. Seems to me these folks would be far better off expending all that energy on finding a constructive way to solve the problem. And practicing and understanding while they wait. Jeez louise, these folks need some perspective.


113 posted on 04/03/2007 7:24:44 AM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla

...practicing a little patience and understanding....


114 posted on 04/03/2007 7:25:31 AM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: elli1; Suzy Quzy; soccermom; Savage Beast

Before (oops too late already) this thread goes berserk, may I point out that there is probably a lot more to this story than we are reading here.

Dollar to a dime says facts are left out that would change the impression of the story. Why does everyone here distrust the press so much, but then assumes in a short piece like this, they are suddenly giving us high quality reporting and journalism?


115 posted on 04/03/2007 7:26:01 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s......you weren't really there)
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To: Wormwood
Come on! this is an unjust rule you cant ban a family from a community because you don't like kids Especially in a situation. I hope the homeowners ass not only loses but that the grandparents here sue and take them to the cleaners.
116 posted on 04/03/2007 7:26:06 AM PDT by N3WBI3 ("Help me out here guys: What do you do with someone who wont put up or shut up?" - N3WBI3)
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To: edcoil

Well, if they reaped what they sow quickly it would be a blessing to them. That’s called balancing the account. More likely they and we all will contunue to be cursed by such selfish attitude, and will be accountable for years and years in much harsher and longer ways for tolerating such selfish, mean, prejudiced intolerance. Look at the reaction on this thread!


117 posted on 04/03/2007 7:27:06 AM PDT by bvw
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To: daybreakcoming
That's funny. Whose taxes do you think paid for your schools back when?

My parents taxes more than paid for my public school education which BTW sucked. Also, when I was young there were still the Catholic School system which had not yet been put out of business and the town did not spend 74% of the budget on schools.
118 posted on 04/03/2007 7:27:57 AM PDT by jackieaxe (Unsourced reporting is not reporting but a lie or a manipulation)
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To: CT-Freeper
“In my opinion, anyone who would want to live in a neighborhood that has a Homeowners’ Ass’n is an imbecile.”

These associations are made up of little wanna be communists that think they should decide how everybody else should live.

In some of these places you cannot park a $40k pickup in your drive way. It must be hidden in a garage.

119 posted on 04/03/2007 7:28:29 AM PDT by ryan71 (You can hear it on the coconut telegraph...)
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To: JamesP81
I want to make something clear, just so we can prevent the mincing of words. Most here are advocating removing a child from her family and placing her in foster care, for the sake of money. I want everyone to remember that clearly. Especially considering that the grandparents have lowered their selling price. Seems to me that the National Socialist running the HOA is running all the buyers off.

It is not clear at all. You have no information to support your claims.

If you think that everyone's focus is all wrong I recommend you hustle on down there and buy that house. ...No? Why, I'm suitably outraged! How dare you place money before that child!

Don't have enough to pony up for the house? No problem - I'll come over, review your finances and decide what you should pay - how's that? You contend that your finances and how you spend your money is none of my business?

Good point. Very good point. Now how's about you keep your accusations to yourself, seeing as how you have one finger pointed our way and three of your own pointed back at you?

Frankly, it is rather paranoid and warped to think, based on what little information is provided, that the HOA has nothing better to do than conspire to drive away buyers in order to force this child into foster care.

120 posted on 04/03/2007 7:29:18 AM PDT by 70times7 (Sense... some don't make any, some don't have any - or so the former would appear to the latter.)
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