Villages of Woodland Springs Homeowners Association

Development weeds out registered sex offenders, why can't we?

Oct 24, 2006

11:10 PM CDT on Monday, October 23, 2006

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA-TV

A developer in Lubbock has discovered a legal way to keep registered sex offenders out of the neighborhood.

Milwaukee Ridge is much like other developments on the outskirts of Lubbock with single family homes and green spaces in a planned community. However, for the parents of 9-month-old Abigail Lawson, one thing sold them on the neighborhood.

To live within the complex, prospective residents have to go through a background check that weeds out registered sex offenders.

"It's nice to know that your neighbors went through the same process you did," said Vikki Lawson, Abigail's mother. "It's that extra security."

Milwaukee Ridge uses the process to fill its 500 homes.

"If they have, we don't allow them to purchase a home," said Clayton Isom, I & S Investments. "If they haven't, then they move forward like any other homebuyer would."

The developer wrote covenants to keep registered sex offenders out, and even remove those who become one after moving in with fines of $1,000 a day.

"And we go through the judicial system and foreclose on their properties; and in effect, kick them out of the neighborhood," Isom said.

So far, no one has sued. Under the Fair Housing Act, it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin or family status. Sex offenders are not a protected class.

"It sounds like they've tapped into an important concept in consumers," said Ed Rincon, a SMU marketing professor.

Rincon called the process a creative approach to distinguish their product in a housing market that's soft.

"It's clear here that all the anxiety and all the publicity surrounding sexual predators has defined a need here that's going to work for this development company," he said.

But police said this may breed a false sense of security since the vast majority of sex abuse cases are not carried out by registered sex offenders.

"The people that I think we as parents most need to be concerned with are those with whom our kids come in contact with most often, teachers, coaches, family members," said Lt. C.L. Williams, Dallas Police Department.

While the Lawsons said they understand that, they said they were not comfortable at their previous home knowing several registered offenders lived nearby.

In addition to Milwaukee Ridge in Lubbock, the developer has a similar project going up in Kansas City and also hopes to build somewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.


E-mail cheinbaugh@wfaa.com



Here is a question for the developer voicesofthevillages@yahoo.com.

Our developer has added amendments to the DCCR's for late fee's, additional restrictions, why doesn't he add one regarding 'criminal records', especially sex offenders? A Richardson, "developer wrote covenants to keep registered sex offenders out, and even remove those who become one after moving in with fines of $1,000 a day."

Seems it has been tested as "a legal way to keep registered sex offenders out of the neighborhood.". And by the way, "Under the Fair Housing Act, it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin or family status. Sex offenders are not a protected class."

If VOWS developer will not add an amendment to the DCCR's, the builders are willing to sell them homes, and the leaders of our community tell advocates "leave them alone, they served their time"

What does that say about our developer, builders and our community leaders? Scary thought!