Mar. 1, 2007 Edition

Mailbag Woes: Will Your State Be Next?

Texas legislators consider "Do Not Mail" bill
By Monica Feid

Monica Feid

How do you fight Do Not Mail legislation in your state? You mail your legislators!

On Feb. 8, 2007, Representative Bill Zedler (R-Tarrant) of the State of Texas House of Representatives presented in legislative session House Bill 901, which was then put before the Business & Industry Committee for which he serves. Known as the "Do Not Mail" bill, the legislation, if passed, could prove detrimental to businesses across the state that use direct mail as a marketing tool. That includes HVA, which sends approximately five million pieces of direct mail from Dallas each year.

While Rep. Zedler may have meant well in drafting the bill, intending it to protect consumers' personal and financial information from possible identity theft, the bill would have a negative impact on the cost-effective and ethical marketing practices upon which HVA has built a national reputation. Whether seeking franchise prospects or driving leads to buy houses, direct mail has proven to be an invaluable method for reaching our end-users. And if direct mail comes under fire in Texas, it could set a precedent for other states to follow.

Similar to the national Do Not Call list, this state-level measure would direct the Texas Attorney General to establish a Do Not Mail list of residents who have indicated they do not wish to receive certain unsolicited mail. Violators could be fined up to $3,000 each time for failure to comply.

"I urge all Texas HVA franchisees to write to their local state representatives about their objection to this proposed legislation," said Dr. John Hayes, HVA's president and CEO, when asked his feelings regarding the bill. "Not only does it wrongly punish ethical businesses, but it limits a company's ability to reach consumers who, in case after case, seek the very services that their mailings describe." Dr. Hayes further explained that "HVA never includes information of a personal nature in its direct mail pieces that could make the addressee a victim of identity theft."

Rep. Zedler, who was first elected to office in 2003, was awarded the "Champion for Free Enterprise" Award. Ironically, this legislation could hurt HVA's ability to effectively participate in the very system Zedler champions.

"HVA will continue to monitor this bill," said Hayes, "and we will be watching for similar bills in other states. Our franchisees need to be vigilant as well. The last time the investor community failed to get involved in Texas, we lost the right for lease options. Let's not let it happen again with this legislation."

The following Texas representatives serve on the House Committee on Business & Industry, which is the committee considering HB 901. If your state representative is among them, write to him or her today to voice how you want to be represented on this issue.

Rep. Helen Giddings (Chair) (D-Dallas)
1510 North Hampton, #220
De Soto, TX 75115

Rep. Gary Elkins (Vice Chair) (R-Harris)
9601 Jones Road
Houston, TX 77065

Rep. Drew Darby (R-Coke, Mitchell, Scurry, Tom Green)
36 West Beauregard
San Angelo, TX 76903

Rep. Kevin Bailey (D-Harris)
507 Sam Houston Parkway, #310
Houston, TX 77060

Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Harris)
2600 Gessner Road, Ste. 212
Houston, TX 77080

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Bexar)
6502 Bandera, Ste. 106
San Antonio, TX 78238

Rep. Armando Martinez (D-Hidalgo)
800 West Railroad Street
Weslaco, TX 78596

Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Denton)
1029 Rosemeade Parkway, #108
Carrollton, TX 75007

Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Tarrant)
7000 South Cooper Street
Arlington, TX 76001

You can also e-mail your state representatives by clicking on their names at:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/welcome.php.

. . . Monica Feid of BizCom Associates handles public relations services for HomeVestors and its franchisees.

Celebrating Success!

A larger-than-life thank you
By Gregg Stengel

HVA recently honored our top three Best Customers of 2006, placing congratulatory billboards in their respective communities. The billboards featured photos of the winning franchisees receiving their awards at the Annual Convention. Recipients of the billboards were Red Brick Investment Properties, Minas E. Litos and Adrian Tartareanu, in Gary, IN; Market Properties, Peter and Laura Pesoli in Austin, TX; and Matkion Inc., Larry and Shirley Mattacchione and Larry Mattacchione, Jr. in Tampa, FL.

Red Brick Investment Properties, Adrian Tartareanu & Minas E. Litos

Matkion Inc., Larry Mattacchione & Larry Mattacchione, Jr.

Market Properties, Peter & Laura Pesoli

“We wanted to share their success with each of their respective communities,” says John Hayes, HVA's president and CEO. “We are very proud of what they accomplished last year as HomeVestors franchisees. When a franchisee has a tremendous year and finishes as a top customer, we are going to celebrate. We thought the outdoor board was an appropriate way to say thanks for their dedication and accomplishment.”

The three outdoor boards are scheduled to be displayed for several weeks in each community.  

…Gregg Stengel is HVA’s marketing publications manager. He can be reached at 972-761-0046, ext. 189.