ONE O'CLOCK
LIVING THE NIGHTMARE
In 1874 Earnest Crissop authored the story of the farmer and the snake. It is one of the earliest memories of stories from my childhood. Over the years the story has had a number of subtle revisions. (A farmer finds a snake in the snow and ice. Feeling bad for the snake the farmer takes him into his house. The snake thaws out and then bites the farmer.) Growing up the message I got from the snake was, you knew I was a snake before you brought me into your home--no good deed goes unpunished. I bring this to your attention because in my opinion the HOA Boards, Collection Companies, Management Companies, and HOA lawyers are the snakes in the HOA communities. Buy a home in a HOA and they're sure to bite you. Like the story of the snake, the homeowner will cry"Why did you do this to me, why did you fine me, why are you sending me letters, why are you foreclosing on me, why are you harassing me, why are you doing all these things to me? All I want to do is live in peace in my own property". And like the snake, your HOA Board, Collection Companies, Management Companies and HOA attorneys will parrot to you,"You knew what you were getting in to when you moved into the neighborhood, you knew we were going to bite you, just take it and pay-up". Cry, complain, moan, groan, you will get no help, support, or sympathy from the snakes in your life.
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
Now that you understand the meaning behind the story of the farmer and the snake, let's try another story. On March 4, 1960, Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame, released"The Monsters are Due on Maple Street". Over the years The Monsters are Due on Maple Street", stayed with me, often times haunting me. Some years ago when I began doing my work and research on HOAs the story came back to me-- it's true meaning struck me. I i