Overview

Most Americans believe they live in a free country. But in neighborhoods across the nation, ordinary citizens quietly surrender fundamental liberties the moment they sign a deed or turn on the tap. Homeowners Associations and Special Districts promise order, safety, and efficiency-yet in practice, they function as governments in disguise, wielding powers of taxation, surveillance, foreclosure, and even utility control without constitutional limits. Attorney Grant Van Der Jagt pulls back the curtain on this hidden empire of control. Drawing on decades of legal battles, personal stories, and constitutional analysis, he exposes how HOAs and water districts weaponize covenants, fees, and penalties to strip away property rights, silence dissent, and punish families, often with the full backing of state law and courts. Through gripping real-life case studies, you will meet: JD, a police officer bankrupted by over $12,000 in ""legal fees"" simply for asking questions. Priscilla, a board member-turned-whistleblower who uncovered corruption and was silenced by her own HOA. Slawek, an immigrant electrician fined for parking his work truck in front of his own home. Hannah, a mother who had to sue under the Fair Housing Act to keep the RV that soothed her autistic child to sleep. Van Der Jagt's own brother, a respected trial attorney who lost multiple investment properties after being hit with crushing ""special assessments."" These aren't isolated abuses. They are the predictable outcome of a system designed without due process, without constitutional safeguards, and without accountability. In Manufactured Compliance, Van Der Jagt shows how: HOAs foreclose on homes without jury trials, appointed counsel, or true due process. Water districts impose ""family penalties"" through tiered billing that punishes households with children. Courts act as debt collectors for private boards, sometimes entering judgments before defenses are even considered. Local governments use ""master plans"" to funnel families into covenant-controlled communities, outsourcing governance to corporations. This book is not simply an exposé-it is a call to action. Van Der Jagt argues that silence is not consent, that coerced ""voluntariness"" is servitude by another name, and that America must confront the constitutional crisis of private governments ruling without accountability. He provides both a roadmap for reform and a rallying cry to every homeowner, policymaker, and citizen who believes liberty still matters.

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