Bulk Billing Agreement Gone Sour

Started by MC2 • 4 replies • 1483 views

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MC2 (Virginia)
Posts: 26

Posted:

This was publish today on The Tampa Tribune

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/08/na-on-the-hook-for-your-neighbors-cable-bill/

Share your thoughts!!

MicheleD (Kentucky)
Posts: 4,491

Posted:

I don't really have a comment.

However, I'm very curious about what this sentence was supposed to mean:

"Because about numerous homes in the 300-home development are in foreclosure, South Bay Lakes had to issue "special assessments" on residents."

Because. . . about . . . numerous . . . homes . . .

I guess the reporter didn't want to fact-check how many homes out of 300 actually are in foreclosure.

Wonder how many it was.

MC2 (Virginia)
Posts: 26

Posted:

Michelle D,

You are right the first example the reporter is not specific. The fact is homeowners had seen an increase in their monthly assesments.

I beleive the reporter email is on the article.

GeraldT4
Posts: 1,022

Posted:

MC2 - WOW!! Thank you for the article. Luckily my HOA did not enter into such an agreement with our monopolizing cable service thief, uh, I mean provider! LOL. Learn something new every day. Who woulda thunk to try and put a cap on the increased amount to the individual in the event the number of users dips below a certain amount. That's the minimum approach I'd recommend, otherwise tell the cable service provider to take a walk. Probably just do the later anyway and let each owner deal with their own contracts themselves.

MC2 (Virginia)
Posts: 26

Posted:

Here is another comment by The Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com:80/developments/2008/03/12/foreclosure-fallout-some-homeowners-seeing-higher-cable-bills/

March 12, 2008, 9:21 am

Foreclosure Fallout: Some Homeowners Seeing Higher Cable Bills

Higher crime rates and diminishing tax coffers: When writing about the foreclosure fallout, these two effects are oft-cited. Now the Tampa Tribune offers another — a rising cable bill.

According this article in the Tampa Tribune “More neighborhoods in the Tampa Bay area are finding that the ‘discount’ cable TV packages they get through their homeowners associations are coming back to bite them in the wallet.”

When times were good, these homeowners associations negotiated bulk contracts with cable TV providers. That worked fine when the neighborhoods were filled up and residents were paying their fees. But with foreclosures on the rise, less money is coming in from homeowners and the bill goes up. One homeowner mentioned in the story has seen her tab rise 44%.

Reporter Richard Mullins adds that the financial pinch of these cable contracts impacts the less luxurious neighborhoods the most. That’s because there are fewer items that the homeowners association can cut back on — golf courses, security services, etc. — to offset costs. –Emily Friedlander

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Read more: foreclosure, Florida

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