‘Intervention’ star battles HOA over watch-parties
Ken Seeley is one of the stars of the hit A&E show ‘Intervention‘ and now he wants someone to intervene in the battle he’s having with his home owner’s association.
“I have to hire a lawyer just so I can have dinner parties at my house and invite my friends over to watch a TV show,” said Seeley, who lives with his husband Eric McLaughlin in a home in the Monte Sereno Community in Palm Springs.
They have been hosting watch parities of Seeley’s show at their home. Seeley in an Interventionist on the show.
Now, their community’s home owner’s association says they can’t have these parties because residents are not allowed to conduct business in their homes.
“Our lawyer is 100 percent convinced that these events are business-related events, and these events are labeled ‘Intervention episodes’,” and our lawyer is confident that these are business-related events,” said Skip Rutzick, president of the Monte Seereno HOA.
“It is not work-related, only my peers are coming over to watch the show. We were sent a letter from an attorney that if we didn’t cancel the party then they will get a restraining order against us and they will file a lawsuit against us for having friends come to our home to watch a television show,” said Seeley.
“For them to decide that the nature of our events are business-related when quite clearly that’s not the case it is very disappointing,” said McLaughlin.
Seeley and McLaughlin had the transponders that open the gates to their community deactivated after using them to let their friends in for a watch party.
“When we arrived home after the hearing, which we submitted a list for the Monday night meditation, we were unable to get in with our own transponder, and on Tuesday we were again denied entry through the use of our transponder,” said McLaughlin.
“They violated the privilege of having a transponder, and their transponder are active, but they are deactivated when they have a scheduled event,” said Rutzick.
Things have gotten so tense, Seeley now fears for his safety.
“I feel like I’m a prisoner in my own home I’m scared to death to walk out my front door,” said Seeley.
“We have a very safe community, I’m sorry that he feels that way, there is no reason for him to be afraid to walk his dog in the community. No one has threatened anything physical or personal,” said Rutzick.
These Intervention parties would add about 30 cars to the street. And according to Rutzick it creates a safety problem.
“Bringing in large numbers of people once or twice a month, many of whom are not even known by the homeowner doesn’t sound like the kind of security that most homeowners in the community would be comfortable with,” said Rutzick.
Seeley also hosts a weekly meditation session at his home. He says the home owners association is not allowing him to do that anymore.
“It’s like a book club, like we are all getting together to play cards or to play bridge, we are just friends getting together that like to meditate, and they said you can’t have a church in you home, this is not a church,” said Seeley.
Rutzick had no comment when asked about the meditation nights.
DO YOU THINK SEELEY AND MCLAUGHLIN ARE BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY, OR DO THEY NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW OR TELL JOE GALLI ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.