Meet The “Enforcer”
By Greg L | 6 October 2008 | Prince William County | 28 Comments
Carlos Labiosa, the resident manager of the Barksdale HOA has a problem, according to the Washington Post: association members aren’t paying their dues, in some cases as a protest against the association for not making any effort to enforce the regulations of the Home Owner’s Association. It kind of makes sense that this is how residents would react, after all they’re expecting to get something in return for the payments they make other than to provide Labiosa with a job. You’d think that if his job is to ensure the rules are enforced, he’d be interested in doing it, however.
“They think everyone has to be subjected to the way they are used to living,” she said of her less-than-tidy neighbors. “It doesn’t look good when you are trying to maintain your property and you look across the street and there’s trash out front, the screen door is falling off, and the shutter is off the hinges. That’s devaluing our property.”
She doesn’t think she is adding to the problem by not contributing her share. It’s her pocketbook protest until things turn around. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who isn’t paying it,” McCoy said.
She’s right. Ten percent of her neighbors in the Dale City subdivision are delinquent on dues, according to Carlos Labiosa, the resident manager of the neighborhood association.
This is particularly interesting given that Labiosa is the Vice-Chairman of the Prince William County Human Rights Commission and an outspoken critic of any efforts to enforce the law if that enforcement might inconvenience illegal aliens. Maybe this experience will help him understand that ensuring that the rules are followed is important to such things as quality of life in the community, something that he is professionally responsible for. So far, it looks like that lesson hasn’t really haken hold. Color me surprised.
Here’s Carlos Labiosa on the left at the rally held by Mexicans Without Borders last summer, giving his input to MWB leader Ricardo Juarez and an unidentified individual. This supposed “open-minded” member of the Human Rights Commission has been a long-time defender of the notion that enforcing the rules is a bad idea, at the same time a Homeowners Association was paying this guy to do exactly that. What a strange choice of employment. Why would someone who seems to despise enforcing the law be interested in the administration of the rules for a Homeowners Association? Maybe I’m missing something here?
I guess it should come as no surprise that Barksdale has utterly no enforcement of their rules and association members are working to enforce the rules themselves to the extent they can while they withold their association dues in protest. That’s sort of what he wants for Prince William County — no enforcement of the law, which leaves citizens enforcing it themselves out of desperation.
Liberalism really is a mental disorder, folks.
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It seems to me that, when you purchase a home in a community governed by an HOA, there is a two-way “contract” involved: you agree to abide by the rules; and they promise to enforce those rules. Sounds like the Barksdale HOA Board of Directors ought to have their sorry asses sued until they agree to fire Labiosa for cause. Any legal eagles out there who can comment?
carlos is also a dog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, mcgruff, the “crime” dog.
Good for them! Don’t pay until the HOA does its job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If a house sits empty, how do the dues get paid? I am thinking that the bank is supposed to pay it and also keep the property up, but don’t know for sure.
I don’t/didn’t see a lot of upkeep on foreclosed houses in MPark the last couple of years (the ones with HOA’s). The city took care of some of the lawns and such, but ultimately who pays for that?…We do out of the grandiose spending of the MPark Gov’t officials, no doubt. But, I would rather see the city clean up than to have the houses turn dilapidated.
Shouldn’t the HOA do that?
The HOA doesn’t seem to enforce anything other than send out offenses for the color of front doors or tool sheds.
He has run this place into the pits and he and the citizens of that community rely on the recourses of Prince William County to do what he SHOULD be doing through the HOA.
Homeowners pay into the HOA and expect action to be taken when there is a problem in their community; he takes no action or tells them to call the County. They have the ability through their covenants to address issues however they don’t. Labiosa collects the money from the residents then he collects a pay check just to have the County tax payers pay for cleaning up what he gets paid to do.
Tax payers in that development and I am sure there are others out there should be pissed. They are paying twice for the same service and the public is paying for the miss management of some HOA’s….a complete waste of tax payers money!!!!!
The foreclosure issues has only recently arisen, this has been going on for years and years. Fat cats continue to get fatter at the expense of its residents and the decline of communities. You tell me who ends up paying in the long run for people like Labiosa?
The bank is supposed to keep up the property. They’ve often gotten behind doing that. So many foreclosures. So many people bought houses who had no business doing so, based upon loans given to them by banks that had no business loaning to bad risks. If the city mowed the lawns, then good luck getting the money back. Yet another burden on taxpayers.
P.S. Was answering Muttley.
“Liberalism really is a mental disorder, folks.”
And, considering all the money they’re stealing/planning to steal from me, a CRIME.
I saw this article in the post last weekend and left a comment there as well. We have the same problem in our community in the park. I too used to get mad at the association until I started going to the meetings and joined the committees. The people on these boards live in the neighborhood and don’t get paid to do this stuff folks. They are volunteers fighting a major problem with foreclosures, bad element, rising costs, and the worst problem of all - renters who come in by the dozens and do not abide by any rules. It’s the damn renters that cause 3/4 of the problems in my experience.
Our neighborhood has dilapidated quite a bit in the past year and we have started to take steps to reclaim it, but it is a slow process. Anyone who isn’t paying their dues now gets towed if their car is parked anywhere in the community. We are going door to door documenting homes that are not kept up and will be vigorously fining them. It’s pretty alarming to look out at the massive lot from my bedroom window and see that it is more than half empty now because people aren’t parking there any more because they know they will get towed. These offenders are killing values for the rest of the community and they need to either leave or come into line.
I used to hate associations as well until I realized what a drastic need there is for them in areas like this that have been hit so hard by 3rd worlders with no understanding of American values and concerns. Instead of complaining about the association, these owners should get involved and try to help. Our association, how meager it may be, is the only strand that is left that is holding our community together. We are massively underfunded right now due to foreclosures and people not paying their dues and if our association folds then this development will be the wild west within a month. The city and the county will do NOTHING and have done NOTHING to combat the effects of foreclosure and the reasons for where we are today (illegals, idiots that bought houses they could never afford and the CRA) so it is up to everyone to get involved locally in their own communities to do what they can.
Labiosa is a user and a do nothing person. He has been manager,getting a salary for 20 years.I never understood why they kept him around. He probably gets free rent for this job also.
Barksdale can be a nice community if some one would push the button and get rid of Labiosa now.
I also could never figure him as McGruff,must be money in that,but what an example.
Maybe the officials feel sorry for him,but it’s time to see what he is,”a detriment to the community and us tax paying citizens”
He does not work at his job and never has,he’s busy marching and protesting where ever he can.
What a slob to be called a man.
Labiosa gets paid good money for being a Manager. He is not a volunteer with the HO Assoc.
It is up to the Assoc. members to put his feet to the fire or get him out of there and get someone who will do the job.
Just remember Labiosa is in Jenkins pocket.
Maybe the people there needs to complain to Jenkins office about the poor management. NOW
Start calling the number to his office and state you will be calling for his dismissal for failing to follow orders prescribed by his job description. Perhaps this bum will get the idea he is about to be fired.
Write letters to him return receipt requested. Complain to the board of professional standards, after all he must be listed as an officer with authority to act on behalf of the association and the board. Do it now!
W E Stewart
C. Labiosa is a property manager, which means the HOA signed a contract with him or his company to provide the HOA specific services. Most HOA’s do not place enforcement of architectural guidelines in the hands of a property manager. The HOA board of directors(trustees, etc.) is the only entity that can sue a property manager for failing to fulfill the property manager’s duties.
The citizens of the HOA may sue their own board to try to get them to enforce architectural guidelines, which may or may not cause the board to sue the property manager.
Enforcement of HOA architectural restrictions, or trash policies is not regulated by state or local government in Virginia.
The homeowners in the HOA have a lot more power than they realize. But, random citizens have virtually no say in HOA governance . . .
w e stewart said on 6 Oct 2008 at 11:44 am:
Write letters to him return receipt requested.
In Spanish as well as English. Then he can’t say “I couldn’t read the letter.”
Ironic isn’t it.
Perhaps Labiosa can propose a solution where Spanish speakers are exempt and all English speakers can pay extra to cover for them. Then that will solve the problem, in the general style of the Amnesty he protests for.
He has also been a speaker at the PWC Clean Community Council’s homeowner’s academy (I don’t recall the exact name of it, but it’s purpose was to help HOA baord members to understand the role of an HOA, and to educate them on running a HOA. It’s underlying purpose was to build relationships with the county and in particular the Clean Community council and pushing their agenda in the county’s HOAs.)
He’s also been running for Neabsco Dist. Supervisor for at least 6 years - only problem is Jenkins won’t get out of his way - an probably won’t endorse him when he finally does.
Just to be clear why I hold Labiosa responsible, Labiosa is not a volunteer. Labiosa IS the management company the HOA pays to manage the HOA’s assets. Those residents should have risen up against what has been going on but unfortunately they haven’t. But then again you have a person in place that has been able to convince everyone a plate of crap is filet mignon I guess people enjoy eating that, sad that the taxpayers dollars are being spent to do what a HOA should be doing
have you called for an audit?
If Carlos Labiosa’s name was Gunther Labiosairitor, an immigrant from Iceland, they’d fire him a very long time ago.
However, in this era of leftist political correctness, the last thing you can seek is the firing of a worthless Latino.
This is no different than Obama’s relationship with terrorist Bill Ayers. If you question this you’re a racist.
If John McCain had a similar relationship with a former abortion clinic bomber, the leftist’s would be all over him.
I noticed on the other site that Elwina welcomes discussions about leftist vaginas.
I surmise Elwina believes that since most leftist vaginas are very lonely, that some online stimulation of smears and lies may jettison the cobwebs from the leftist crotch.
So glad the bailout helped.
Wall Street Takes Big Hit on Credit FearsBy JOE BEL BRUNO and TIM PARADIS, AP
posted: 1 HOUR 34 MINUTES AGOcomments: 663filed under: Financial CrisisPrintShareText SizeAAANEW YORK (Oct. 6) - Wall Street suffered through another extraordinary and traumatic session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging as much as 800 points — their largest one-day point drop — before recovering to close with a loss of 370. The catalyst for the selling, which also took the Dow below 10,000 for the first time in four years, was investors’ growing despair that the spreading credit crisis will take a heavy toll around the world.
Investors have come to the realization that the Bush administration’s $700 billion rescue plan and steps taken by other governments won’t work quickly to unfreeze the credit markets.
Re: “Investors have come to the realization that the Bush administration’s $700 billion rescue plan and steps taken by other governments won’t work quickly to unfreeze the credit markets.”
This is a false premise.
Wall Street fears Obama as President.
Tax increases, income redistribution, socialism, etc.
This “financial crisis” is being manufactured by Demcrats to get Obama elected.
TedKennedys S I
You are a riot! I love your comments and the above one takes the
cake. It could be that Elwina doesn’t even own a vagina! Has this
ever occurred to you?
I have to wonder how much Labiosa (in spanish his name translates as “LippY”) is to blame both directly and indirectly, for the woes of his HOA. After all, he advocates for “immigrant’s rights” but his focus has been mostly on the rights of the Latino community. Not a bad thing on it’s face, but he makes no distinction between legal and illegal. As a matter of fact, he lobbies quite hard for illegals. So, since he actively encourages illegals to reside in the community, and I am sure a portion of the homes in the subdivision were formally occupied by illegals, it is safe to assume that he contributed to the current situation.
The HOA should fire Lippy, because there is a clear conflict of interest here.
Perhaps Elwina should cast her leftist vagina eligible for a Section 8 voucher so she can increase the amount of affordable housing in her upscale neighborhood.
Carlos Labiosa has had a long standing relationship with local police. When spanish speaking detainees required an interpreter, officers & detectives could call Mr. Labiosa, and he would volunteer his time to help process these arrestees. I never witnessed him take sides in his questioning, and his help numerous times allowed members of the police department place charges against these law breakers.
He has employed the police department in the past to rid the Barksdale townhome community of serious drug dealing issues by having off-duty officers work security in the community. He did this at great personal risk to himself, and his family. His actions cleaned out open air dealing, and created a safe environment for residents. I have walked the community with him, and witnessed him correcting the behavior of hispanic residents.
My guess about the non-payment of HOA dues would mostly be due to foreclosed properties currently being processed by real estate agents. HOA dues on these properties are usually paid after a purchaser obtains ownership of these vacant properties at closing. If Barksdale is anything like the other townhome communities in PWC, there are at least 10% of existing units that are either on the market for sale, or being processed for eviction, and foreclosure.
Residents “revolting” by not paying dues sounds like a convenient excuse not to pay bills. I may not agree with all of Mr. Labiosa’s immigration beliefs, but if his actions are an indicator of his dealings with local hispanics, he expects them to contribute to this community by abiding by laws, and living to community standards. He was not a fan of hispanic houses crowded with multiple families, or acts of public intoxication by hispanics, or zoning violations committed by hispanics.
Carlos Labiosa has committed a lot of personal time to try to clean up his community. I wish there were more citizens who were more committed to doing the right thing, even if their political beliefs don’t match mine. Don’t be too quick to judge this man. My past observations of is support of the police department, and especially the individual street officers dealing with problems involving hispanics, leads me to believe he is as open minded about his Human Rights Commission position as a person in that position could be.
There is no money in being a McGruff house. Totally voluntary.
Anyone remember Manassas Park purchasing the house at 103
Manassas Drive for $505,000.? Was supposed to demolish it
to make a dedicated turn lane onto Mathis. That’s been vacant
for over a year, maybe 2 years. Why haven’t they rented it
out to re-coup some of that money? If they had waited, they
could probably get it for under 200K right now….what a waste.
Manassas Park used to be a very nice, quaint neighborhood. Now
it is run into the ground with the illegal communities shenanigans.
I wish you HOA guys luck and God Speed with what you have on
your hands.
Good Time Charlie @ 8 Oct 2008 at 1:56 am:
Thank you for your views on Mr. Labiosa. There are more than enough “negative” blogs and it is refreshing to note a “positive” view. Had you not presented your view on this blog, it would appear that Mr. Labiosa would continue to be demonized and any good works he did in trying to help the community would have been omitted. Thanks again!
Vigilant1…..you’re welcome. My posts on this blog are usually tied to my observations while employed in Prince William County. While my entries aren’t always pleasant, they are based on my experiences which were at times puzzling. I do believe the police department would have been a better place to work with more input from people like Carlos Labiosa. During my tenure he was more pro-police than the Chief of Police. I know it isn’t a popular thing to say on this web site, but that is the way I saw things.