Below is a review of the posts on Facebook and LinkedIn from the past week. You can check out the full posts by clicking on the links.
NOTE: remember that we now post every other day.
The posts on Sunday 7/12/2026, here and here, alerted us that the EEOC rescinds affirmative action guidelines. The key now is how to accomplish the same result without using protected characteristics, without relying on the interpretation that has existed for 40 years.
According to a June 30 statement, in the eyes of Chair Andrea Lucas, the guide and a related compliance manual “ran afoul of” Title VII and more recent US Supreme Court rulings. Coincidentally, almost three years ago to the day, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard (a reminder of its holding is in the post).
At the time that ruling came out, workplace experts and attorneys noted that while it applied to higher education institutions, it could have a chilling effect on the workplace. How prescient was that! Now, in 2026, the EEOC’s strategic priorities (linked in the post) have been in lockstep with the current administration’s conservative agenda, including its rejection of disparate impact liability.
Lucas’s statement on the guidelines’ rescission is in the post – and mirrors prior step-backs of the EEOC over the last 18 months. Her statement and the EEOC’s action is also in line with the EEOC’s vision for the future of work as outlined in a newly minted enforcement plan (published last month and linked in the post) identifying Commission priorities through 2029. The plan highlights a crackdown on disparate impact liability theories and the other things listed in the post, in addition to a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programs or those using “similar euphemisms.”
Among others, the National Women’s Law Center decried the change. See their statement in the post.
TAKEAWAY: Employers should review all programs that have diversity-related criteria and make sure that both on paper and in practice there is compliance with the EEOC’s stated vision.
The posts on Tuesday 7/14/2026, here and here, told of a family at war with HOA over fence protecting animals from coyotes.
After watching coyotes repeatedly invade their property and kill seven beloved goats, one family says it finally found a way to keep the predators out, but then ended up in a legal fight with its homeowners association. Steve and Karen Blume, who live on a one-acre property in Nellie Gail Ranch (linked in the post) in Laguna Hills, CA, are being sued by their HOA after Steve raised their backyard fence beyond the community’s six-foot height limit without getting HOA approval.
Desperate to stop the coyote attacks, Blume first added mesh, increasing the fence from six feet to eight feet. When the coyotes still got in, he installed blinking lights. But that didn’t work either. So he made one more modification that worked – see the post. But that final thing also is what landed the family in court.
Blume acknowledged that he never sought HOA approval before making the changes, but argued that he was dealing with an emergency after losing seven pets. He also had another argument that may or may not be correct – see the post.
The family said they are also baffled that a nearby tennis court fence on their property is permitted to be up to 15 feet high to keep tennis balls from rolling down a hill, but the coyote barrier is now the subject of a lawsuit.
What is the HOA’s view of how they proposed resolving the matter? See the post. On the other hand, the Blumes said that what the HOA proposed would cost thousands of dollars.
The HOA is asking a judge to order the family to comply with the neighborhood’s six-foot fence restriction.
Unsurprising in this age of social media, the dispute has ignited debate online, including on Reddit where many question whether HOA rules should take priority when homeowners are trying to protect their pets from repeated attacks. A quote from one such commenter is in the post. But then others argue the family knew what they were signing up for when they moved into an HOA community. A comment espousing that view is in the post.
One commenter even suggested an old alternative: “If only they had a solution that’s been around for centuries like dogs that are born to protect livestock.” The post ended with another simple quote.
(make sure to look at all of the photos embedded in the post)
TAKEAWAY: Those saying that owners buying into a planned community must follow the rules are correct, but those owners should also be able to reasonably protect their families, right? It’s not always black and white …
The posts on Thursday 7/16/2026, here and here, discussed why inheriting a home in the Great Wealth Transfer may not create wealth or financial security.
After your parents or grandparents pass away, you may expect to receive some type of inheritance, whether it’s old jewelry, leftover retirement account assets—or even a home. Inheriting a home may sound like a financial benefit, but it can come with hidden downsides. With the “Great Wealth Transfer” underway, this is an issue many Americans could face in the coming years.
During this period, a staggering $124 trillion (yes, that’s with a T!) in wealth is expected to transfer through 2048, with most of it going to heirs. A Freddie Mac survey from late 2024 found that three-quarters of Baby Boomer homeowners plan to leave their home – or hand down the proceeds from the sale of their home – to family members upon their death.
Inheriting a Home Isn’t Always a Windfall. It also means inheriting the costs of home ownership, including home insurance premiums and the other things listed in the post. This can be especially challenging if the home goes through probate, a legal process that carries out the terms of a will by appointing an executor (or administrator) after a person’s death. If assets are transferred to a trust, those assets might avoid probate. But if someone has a will (or dies without one), their assets may have to go through probate. That can be a lengthy process. And what happens while that process is playing out? See the post.
Be Intentional When Making a Plan. Think carefully about what you want to do, keeping in mind the home’s market value and other things noted in the post. After someone dies, the executor (or beneficiary) must decide whether to move in, rent the house, sell it, or just hold onto it. There are pros and cons for each option, but the decision must often be made while grieving. If the plan is to keep the home, then some things must be kept in mind. See the post.
NOTE: the post contains footnotes referencing the source of certain information.
TAKEAWAY: Consult a tax professional and attorney to discuss your plans and the options you have relative to your home and other assets.
The posts on Saturday 7/18/2026, here and here, told us condo owner questions after pool remains closed despite promised reopening. What would you do (especially in a hot summer like this one)?
Residents say the pool has been closed for the past three summers (!) and they were told renovations would be done by this past Memorial Day, but the gates remain locked. As temperatures climbed across Connecticut (and the rest of the country) leading into the Fourth of July weekend, homeowners at Pine Ridge Condominiums were frustrated they still can’t use their community pool more than a month later.
A sign posted outside the pool reflects the frustration many residents are feeling: “Last year each condo owner paid $542 to repair our pool. Why isn’t it open yet?” How, and for what, that was paid is in the post. But residents don’t know where the money went. One owner said the neighborhood has changed significantly over the years. Her description is in the post.
Residents say renovation work began last fall, and they were given an estimated reopening date of Memorial Day. But with Independence Day approaching, they were still waiting.
The unfinished pool is just a symbol of residents’ concerns, but not the lone issue. Questions they have are in the post. A local TV station spoke with an HOA board member who declined an on-camera interview and said she wanted to remain neutral. What that board member did say about the situation is in the post. The TV station also reached out to Capital Property Management Group by phone and email but did not receive a response by time of publication.
And the latest on the timing of the pool reopening this hot summer? See the post.
TAKEAWAY: It should be simple for the board or management to provide a reason for a delay in completion of a project; when they don’t, questions naturally will multiply. And it might be time to consult a community association lawyer.