One thing at least in a small HOA community is a kind of a sense of community and people tend to watch out for each other especially as they get older.
HOA news
- Thread starter Donald
- Start date
I've pretty much always bought fixer-upper homes that were too old to have a HOA involved. If we did have a HOA, my neighbor just might have to step up his semi-annual mowing to a more regular schedule!
My HOA is pretty big and like with anything that outgrows it’s usefulness it is staffed with incompetent people.
There is no overnight parking rule for the residents only, visitors can park overnight. I got a letter with a picture attached that my tenant allegedly left his car parked on the streets at night. He tells me it was a visitor. Since the first warning is “free” I didn’t think twice about it.
Well, I get a second letter and this time a fine a month or two later. He says it was a visitor. I call the HOA and ask about the car. My tenants cars are registered with them, and the car that was parked was different. I ask how they figured it was his, the lady doesn’t know but insinuates that he probably didn’t register this car with them. I say it’s their job to check and the lady says she will call be back.
She does call me back, so not totally useless I guess, and says the car is registered under the same last name so that’s how they know. I ask her what’s the fist name on the registration, she didn’t know and I say that it’s their job to figure it out. Another callback is promised.
They call me back and the vehicle is registered under a woman’s name, my tenants ex-wife.
At this point I’m pissed. I calmly tell the lady that I pay my dues every month for them to do their job properly and not for me to play Sherlock Holmes on the phone with them and waste my time.
They were apologetic, but I don’t care about your apologies when you don’t do the job I pay you to do. So far it’s been quiet so perhaps they finally did something right. Time will tell.
There is no overnight parking rule for the residents only, visitors can park overnight. I got a letter with a picture attached that my tenant allegedly left his car parked on the streets at night. He tells me it was a visitor. Since the first warning is “free” I didn’t think twice about it.
Well, I get a second letter and this time a fine a month or two later. He says it was a visitor. I call the HOA and ask about the car. My tenants cars are registered with them, and the car that was parked was different. I ask how they figured it was his, the lady doesn’t know but insinuates that he probably didn’t register this car with them. I say it’s their job to check and the lady says she will call be back.
She does call me back, so not totally useless I guess, and says the car is registered under the same last name so that’s how they know. I ask her what’s the fist name on the registration, she didn’t know and I say that it’s their job to figure it out. Another callback is promised.
They call me back and the vehicle is registered under a woman’s name, my tenants ex-wife.
At this point I’m pissed. I calmly tell the lady that I pay my dues every month for them to do their job properly and not for me to play Sherlock Holmes on the phone with them and waste my time.
They were apologetic, but I don’t care about your apologies when you don’t do the job I pay you to do. So far it’s been quiet so perhaps they finally did something right. Time will tell.
I dont disagree with you, there are a lot of incompetent people in HOAs..
The people in your community vote for them or they dont want to run for election themselves and get involved, one always has the option to run for the board and get it straightened out. The HOA are the homeowners. (I know you know this but some others may not)
Why do people think that if you don't want to live in an HOA, your yard must be a trashed landfill?
If my house was in my MIL's HOA, there would be 3 violations in this picture.
1. Shrubs partially obscuring windows
2. Flagpole
3. Political sign
HOAs are the pinnacle of narcissism, whether they realize it or not. It's the ultimate playground for someone seeking an inflated sense of self-importance while also able to play the victim anytime they feel like it.
If you don't pay my mortgage or my taxes, you have ZERO right to tell me what I can or can't do with my property regardless of how reasonable or logical those demands may be. It's that simple.
As for bad neighbors, I solved that issue by not having neighbors. Rural life FTW!
If my house was in my MIL's HOA, there would be 3 violations in this picture.
1. Shrubs partially obscuring windows
2. Flagpole
3. Political sign
HOAs are the pinnacle of narcissism, whether they realize it or not. It's the ultimate playground for someone seeking an inflated sense of self-importance while also able to play the victim anytime they feel like it.
If you don't pay my mortgage or my taxes, you have ZERO right to tell me what I can or can't do with my property regardless of how reasonable or logical those demands may be. It's that simple.
As for bad neighbors, I solved that issue by not having neighbors. Rural life FTW!
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You have a beautiful home!
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
No HOA - but my neighbor would get yard of the month about once every other year - really motivated the rest of us …
The problem with HOAs is that the benefits they provide are greatly dependent on who is managing them. Just like school boards, they are a magnet for power hungry ignorant people. You can either have one that does a lot of good, or makes your life a living hell.
I live in a neighborhood that doesn't have an HOA, and most of my neighbors are good. It's important to have a good relationship with your neighbors, calling the police on them for petty things is a good way to make more stress where it isn't needed.
I live in a neighborhood that doesn't have an HOA, and most of my neighbors are good. It's important to have a good relationship with your neighbors, calling the police on them for petty things is a good way to make more stress where it isn't needed.
CAUTION: Begin Rant -
You guys living in these 500K -1M dollar homes 35 feet from one another in cookie cutter neighborhoods is just so freaking SAD.
That's not real living, its a a bunch of phoney baloney, a false paradise. Out of touch.
Maybe when I'm 80+ I could tolerate it, but you will have to wheel me in drooling and semiconscious.
I guess you ain't changing your oil or doing a brake job in your driveway!
Rant over.
My old colonial towne:
You guys living in these 500K -1M dollar homes 35 feet from one another in cookie cutter neighborhoods is just so freaking SAD.
That's not real living, its a a bunch of phoney baloney, a false paradise. Out of touch.
Maybe when I'm 80+ I could tolerate it, but you will have to wheel me in drooling and semiconscious.
I guess you ain't changing your oil or doing a brake job in your driveway!
Rant over.
My old colonial towne:
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
We looked at a lake house a few years back - loved the place and location … Marked down a couple times …
I started reading minutes of HOA meetings - then rode around to see what they approved … Nope …
Why do people think that the horror stories that end up on the news about HOAs are the norm ? Do people not realize that at least if you live inside (most) city limits, just about every city will have very similar rules in their housing code, i.e. no tall grass or weeds, no non-running vehicles stored in the driveway or front yard, etc, etc. With cities, in many cases, it's just a manpower issue of them being able to enforce those rules. Honestly, if you live in a "neighborhood", do you want to see cars up on blocks in the neighbor's yards or driveways ? Forget about "it's their property and they can do what they want" too.
By the way, I don't live in an HOA so I'm not a proponent of them.
By the way, I don't live in an HOA so I'm not a proponent of them.
I don’t think an HOA would have liked my front yard garden very much 
Like anything else HOA’s can attract the wrong people. I’m not a fan of them, but I’m also not going to think less of someone who does or doesn’t.
Like anything else HOA’s can attract the wrong people. I’m not a fan of them, but I’m also not going to think less of someone who does or doesn’t.
Our HOA is a dictatorship run by the developers that owned the land at the start. We (our entire neighborhood) hates our HOA, and he have no voice. Those who must be obeyed do not plan on turning over the rights to our community until they are finished developing it in 5-10 more years. They change the rules at will, and care not what the folks who live here actually want. It is terrible.
To each their own, but never for me. Here's a prime example of why not:
www.local10.com
Weston Hills Country Club wants homeowner’s $100,000 pickup truck out of sight
A Weston Hills Country Club homeowner has been put on notice and told to park his new $100,000 pickup truck in a garage, out of sight, or face fines.
www.local10.com
Beautiful home.
The angel figures reminds me of an HOA in the neighboring county that's made some local headlines the last 2 years. The small town HOA was fairly relaxed with low dues and mostly let people be unless there was a serious environmental or health issue. Well, nobody wanted to manage it, many favored dissolving the HOA completely, but the board felt that a way out was to relinquish regulatory control to a management company. The company had (supposedly) stated that no drastic changes would be made, merely a change in point of contact. They went back on that day 1 when they released a 50+ page book on the new laws that would apply to the neighborhood.
The last board members must've just been oblivious to what they were doing. The management company doesn't even have an office or any kind of local contact. The nearest point of contact for them is 3.5 hours away in Charleston. The new rulebook they released was essentially a copy/paste of the rules they enforce in the suburban neighborhoods there. Here's just some of the new rules they put in place...
- HOA dues increased from $225/yr to $550/yr. (no increase in common public benefits from this)
- Homeowners have 90 days to come into compliance. No exceptions can be made. All regulations are non-negotiable.
- No displaying of religious figures to include angels, crosses, depictions of Jesus or God, scriptures, sculptures, bibles, decals, bumper stickers, signs, and flags. This also includes figures inside the home visible from outside.
- Nothing can be hung or suspended on outside doors to include wreaths and signs.
- Only plastic mailboxes permitted and must be black in color. Mailbox posts must be natural wood colored with no painting.
- Driveways must be concrete and free of any cracks. No asphalt, cement, brick, or rock/dirt driveways allowed.
- No boats, RVs, campers, or trailers permitted on any property, regardless if visible or not.
- No above ground swimming pools, hot tubs, or anything of the like. In-ground pools limited to 12 ft x 24 ft or 288 sqft in size, can be no deeper than 5 ft, and must be on the backside of the property and concealed by a wooden or wood colored plastic privacy fence a minimum of 6ft tall.
- Displaying flags of any kind, as well as erection of a flagpole, is forbidden.
- No vehicles older than 15 years old permitted. (no exceptions, even for pristine condition classic cars)
- One outside light permitted by the front door only with a max of 800 lumens. Flood lights, pathway, driveway, and step lights forbidden. Christmas lights permitted only on elevated outside trims, porch railings, and in windows. Christmas lights must be static on, (no flashing, sequential, or waving lights) and must be turned off between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. No Christmas lights permitted prior to November 1st or after December 31st.
- No Christmas or holiday decorations permitted on the front lawn, on any vehicle, driveway, or siding of the home to include air up figures, light sculptures, flags, etc... This includes any holiday, including 4th of July and Easter.
- No patriotic symbolism permitted.
- No open carry of firearms permitted. (despite being legal with a permit in the state)
- No street parking permitted. (visitors and homeowners alike)
- No trees taller than 10 ft permitted on any property. (then proceeded to give a list of "approved" trees)
- Houses must be painted mono-color in one 1 of 3 approved colors. Only black or gray roofs permitted.
- No stained or tinted windows permitted on any home or building on any property.
- No grills, smokers, or other outside cooking permitted where smoke and smell may carry outside of your property.
- One storage shed permitted, must not be visible from the road, and a max on the size it can be.
- Any garage must be attached to the home and cannot be larger than 2 vehicles.
- Certain dog breeds not permitted to include pitbulls, rottweilers, dalmations, malamutes, chow chows, dobermans, shepherds, akitas, cane corsos, wolfhounds, bloodhounds, great danes, bull mastiffs, tosa inus, wolfdogs, saint bernards, huskies, boxers, jack russel terriers, labradors, great pyrenees, newfoundlands, and deerhounds.
As if that wasn't all bad enough...
- Any violations of these regulations committed by any visitor including renters, business personnel, private visitors (including visitors of renters), and neighbors are the liability of the homeowner. It is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure all visitors are aware and in compliance with HOA regulations. The only exception is official government and county and city personnel in the act of official business.
- Management company retains the right to enter and inspect any property, with or without the homeowner's consent, with or without the homeowner's presence, with minimal notice, to investigation violations of, or to ensure compliance with, HOA regulations.
That's not all of it either. It's absolutely insane and completely irrational to think people can subjected like that, much less have to conform to that with a 90 day notice. It's been tied up in court between a coalition of homeowners against the management company. Roughly 40% of the homeowners took advantage of the high real estate prices last year and GTFO.
The example someone mentioned above of the HOA sending fines for a visitor parking outside the home. That's happened a few times in that neighborhood with fines issued. The management company wouldn't budge, if they could even get ahold of them. Most calls to company go to voicemail with no callback, yet they're fast to issue fines for violations. A lot of people have gotten notices of liens against their homes due to non-compliance over things that can't be easily changed like the size of their in-ground swimming pool and age of their vehicle. They've only been saved by a fast-tracked county ordinance to overrride many of the regulations, which likely only came to fruition because one of the elected county council members lives in that neighborhood.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Move. If the choice is a terrible situation or finding something better why put up with it?
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The truck owner should just tell them to shove it where the sun don’t shine.To each their own, but never for me. Here's a prime example of why not:
Weston Hills Country Club wants homeowner’s $100,000 pickup truck out of sight
A Weston Hills Country Club homeowner has been put on notice and told to park his new $100,000 pickup truck in a garage, out of sight, or face fines.
Only if they are private roads that the public is not allowed on.
