fight over a $500 mailbox ends in court
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Isn't that the deal with HOAs, giving up some property freedoms...
Who would be foolish enough to live in an area where someone else can tell you what type of mailbox you have to install? Apparently a NASA solar physicist.
Originally Posted By: Article
Cameron doesn’t view the judge’s order as a complete neutering of the homeowners association’s power over architectural guidelines.
“They have the right to adopt the guideline,” Cameron said. “The court says they didn’t have the right to enforce the guidelines the way it did. They need to have a more reasonable phase-in period. We’re working with them to figure out a way to adopt it properly.”
In other words, the homeowner paid $33,000+ in legal fees, and the attorney representing the homeowners association still thinks the association can mandate the mailbox change, they just need to figure out a way to do it differently.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Originally Posted By: Article
Cameron doesn’t view the judge’s order as a complete neutering of the homeowners association’s power over architectural guidelines.
“They have the right to adopt the guideline,” Cameron said. “The court says they didn’t have the right to enforce the guidelines the way it did. They need to have a more reasonable phase-in period. We’re working with them to figure out a way to adopt it properly.”
In other words, the homeowner paid $33,000+ in legal fees, and the attorney representing the homeowners association still thinks the association can mandate the mailbox change, they just need to figure out a way to do it differently.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Originally Posted By: Jimzz
Reason 1,287,932 to not live in a HOA "community".
If for some reason you are in one make sure to run for the board unless you want to end up like this or worse.
I've been a homeowner for 4 weeks now and I'm pretty sure if I was in a HOA community I'd be in a lot of trouble already!
Reason 1,287,932 to not live in a HOA "community".
If for some reason you are in one make sure to run for the board unless you want to end up like this or worse.
I've been a homeowner for 4 weeks now and I'm pretty sure if I was in a HOA community I'd be in a lot of trouble already!
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Who would be foolish enough to live in an area where someone else can tell you what type of mailbox you have to install? Apparently a NASA solar physicist.
Originally Posted By: Article
Cameron doesn’t view the judge’s order as a complete neutering of the homeowners association’s power over architectural guidelines.
“They have the right to adopt the guideline,” Cameron said. “The court says they didn’t have the right to enforce the guidelines the way it did. They need to have a more reasonable phase-in period. We’re working with them to figure out a way to adopt it properly.”
In other words, the homeowner paid $33,000+ in legal fees, and the attorney representing the homeowners association still thinks the association can mandate the mailbox change, they just need to figure out a way to do it differently.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Pretty much every new subdivision down here is going to have an HOA. They're a necessity too. Even relatively new subdivisions can get trashy if the HOA is too lax.
Who would be foolish enough to live in an area where someone else can tell you what type of mailbox you have to install? Apparently a NASA solar physicist.
Originally Posted By: Article
Cameron doesn’t view the judge’s order as a complete neutering of the homeowners association’s power over architectural guidelines.
“They have the right to adopt the guideline,” Cameron said. “The court says they didn’t have the right to enforce the guidelines the way it did. They need to have a more reasonable phase-in period. We’re working with them to figure out a way to adopt it properly.”
In other words, the homeowner paid $33,000+ in legal fees, and the attorney representing the homeowners association still thinks the association can mandate the mailbox change, they just need to figure out a way to do it differently.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Pretty much every new subdivision down here is going to have an HOA. They're a necessity too. Even relatively new subdivisions can get trashy if the HOA is too lax.
Here we go again with another HOA thread...
If you don't like how your neighbor lives. Get your checkbook out and buy him out or shut up. Its his property, he bought it and he is paying for it.
Been in a HOA for 25 yrs now. No one has once suggested we couldn't do something. While there are by-laws, it seems they are often violated.
RV's parked for months? Check. Cars up on blocks for weeks or months? Check. ATV's running up and down the streets? Check. Roosters? Well, no one has done that yet. Though for years I had a neighbor with a South American bird that screeched to high heaven all the time. Since the guy was a litigious whacko, no one dared take him on...
RV's parked for months? Check. Cars up on blocks for weeks or months? Check. ATV's running up and down the streets? Check. Roosters? Well, no one has done that yet. Though for years I had a neighbor with a South American bird that screeched to high heaven all the time. Since the guy was a litigious whacko, no one dared take him on...
I am sure you all will not like my opinion but this is why I will only live in an HOA community. I do not want to see broken down trucks parked in the middle of the yard, basketball hoops strewn all over the driveway, foot long grass, people painting their house pink, pumpkin orange, or sky blue, spare tires and tools laying around the yard, pit-bulls wandering around the neighborhood, blue tarps on leaking roofs for years, green moss and mildew all over fading house paint, I could go on and on...
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
I am sure you all will not like my opinion but this is why I will only live in an HOA community. I do not want to see broken down trucks parked in the middle of the yard, basketball hoops strewn all over the driveway, foot long grass, people painting their house pink, pumpkin orange, or sky blue, spare tires and tools laying around the yard, pit-bulls wandering around the neighborhood, blue tarps on leaking roofs for years, green moss and mildew all over fading house paint, I could go on and on...
And you do not need a HOA for any of those reasons. City rules, county law, zoning, health department, etc... covers that. I have been in my house for 10years now without a HOA and none of those things have been an issue. My neighbor did have a run down car on the side of his house. I spoke with him first. After he did nothing I sent a single e-mail to the county and the car was gone less than a week later.
So again why do I need a HOA?
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
I am sure you all will not like my opinion but this is why I will only live in an HOA community. I do not want to see broken down trucks parked in the middle of the yard, basketball hoops strewn all over the driveway, foot long grass, people painting their house pink, pumpkin orange, or sky blue, spare tires and tools laying around the yard, pit-bulls wandering around the neighborhood, blue tarps on leaking roofs for years, green moss and mildew all over fading house paint, I could go on and on...
And you do not need a HOA for any of those reasons. City rules, county law, zoning, health department, etc... covers that. I have been in my house for 10years now without a HOA and none of those things have been an issue. My neighbor did have a run down car on the side of his house. I spoke with him first. After he did nothing I sent a single e-mail to the county and the car was gone less than a week later.
So again why do I need a HOA?
Originally Posted By: Jimzz
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
a HOA for any of those reasons. City rules, county law, zoning, health department, etc... covers that. I have been in my house for 10years now without a HOA and none of those things have been an issue. My neighbor did have a run down car on the side of his house. I spoke with him first. After he did nothing I sent a single e-mail to the county and the car was gone less than a week later.
So again why do I need a HOA?
Luckily, I don't have any of that (yet) from the county , town or village. I believe it's actually a requirement that I have one (1) abandon 3rd generation Camaro per permanent structure.
I can't do things like set up a trailer park or a junkyard, though. And I can't park an unlicensed vehicle on the street.
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
a HOA for any of those reasons. City rules, county law, zoning, health department, etc... covers that. I have been in my house for 10years now without a HOA and none of those things have been an issue. My neighbor did have a run down car on the side of his house. I spoke with him first. After he did nothing I sent a single e-mail to the county and the car was gone less than a week later.
So again why do I need a HOA?
Luckily, I don't have any of that (yet) from the county , town or village. I believe it's actually a requirement that I have one (1) abandon 3rd generation Camaro per permanent structure.
I can't do things like set up a trailer park or a junkyard, though. And I can't park an unlicensed vehicle on the street.
There was a house on my commute to my first job when I moved to New England that had junk stacked at least a few feet high over the entire lot...one of my coworkers was a neighbor to that place. He and other neighbors complained to the town nonstop and inspectors went out often, but they never found infestations of the kind that would have let them start a condemnation process. The town hated it, too, but they didn't have the proper ordinances in place to address the problem. I think the junkman finally died and the place got cleaned up for sale.
We have never actually gotten to the point of setting up a homeowner's association, the developer (who lives nearby) is still the one to enforce the covenants until 3/4 of the homeowners decide to replace him. We actually had a hassle with him when building the house, but I have not heard of him approaching anybody about problems in the 20 years since then. Some people have broken rules by building above ground pools, for example, but they are out of the way and not visible from the road, so nobody cares. We let the developer know when we are making a major change to the house and he says, "OK."
We knew exactly what we were getting into and I would take this over living next to somebody with two dozen junked cars anyday.
We have never actually gotten to the point of setting up a homeowner's association, the developer (who lives nearby) is still the one to enforce the covenants until 3/4 of the homeowners decide to replace him. We actually had a hassle with him when building the house, but I have not heard of him approaching anybody about problems in the 20 years since then. Some people have broken rules by building above ground pools, for example, but they are out of the way and not visible from the road, so nobody cares. We let the developer know when we are making a major change to the house and he says, "OK."
We knew exactly what we were getting into and I would take this over living next to somebody with two dozen junked cars anyday.
Board members are voted in. They can also be voted out. The key is finding the right balance.
I'd rather live out in the hills before I'd live in another HOA community. Been there done that.
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months?
Most townships already forbid such things with actual laws, so you don't need an HOA.
In this case the HOA was trying to force owners to spend $500 on property upgrades, which ran directly against State laws which forbid such things. As the judge said in the Paypal case, when a citizen signs a contract he does not sign-away his legally-protected rights.
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months?
Most townships already forbid such things with actual laws, so you don't need an HOA.
In this case the HOA was trying to force owners to spend $500 on property upgrades, which ran directly against State laws which forbid such things. As the judge said in the Paypal case, when a citizen signs a contract he does not sign-away his legally-protected rights.
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
You have to if it's a condo or townhouse. Just comes with the territory.
I own a townhouse, although I no longer live in it. Some of the discussions about modification of fixtures has been interesting. One busted garage door got interesting because theoretically everything should look the same according to the bylaws. All the original doors are wood and not exactly something that can be ordered.
We have done stuff over the years where nobody really seemed to care. External light fixtures needed to be replaced, and nobody complained when someone just went to Home Depot and got something that was close to the original. All of the mailboxes are original (and identical), although I'm not sure what we would do if there was a call to get new ones. When I bought it one of the first things I did was replace the door knob and deadbolt. The originals weren't very high quality and I replaced them with something that was similar in style but not identical. The owners next door got the same kind, so at least looking at those together doesn't seem like there's any variation.
It kind of helps if the other members of the HOA aren't petty about little things.
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
You have to if it's a condo or townhouse. Just comes with the territory.
I own a townhouse, although I no longer live in it. Some of the discussions about modification of fixtures has been interesting. One busted garage door got interesting because theoretically everything should look the same according to the bylaws. All the original doors are wood and not exactly something that can be ordered.
We have done stuff over the years where nobody really seemed to care. External light fixtures needed to be replaced, and nobody complained when someone just went to Home Depot and got something that was close to the original. All of the mailboxes are original (and identical), although I'm not sure what we would do if there was a call to get new ones. When I bought it one of the first things I did was replace the door knob and deadbolt. The originals weren't very high quality and I replaced them with something that was similar in style but not identical. The owners next door got the same kind, so at least looking at those together doesn't seem like there's any variation.
It kind of helps if the other members of the HOA aren't petty about little things.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Don't want people living in an RV, foot tall grass, or garbage all over?
The city has codes for that. I had some neighbors a few houses down that made the front and side of their house a complete garbage pit, I filled out the form online within a minute or so, and within 2 weeks it was cleaned up somewhat reasonably. Then the house burned down and they were renters so they left. Looks great now that it's remodeled.
We have the 1970 VW Beetle parked out front in a gravel section next to the driveway. The city code says a vehicle cannot be on dirt, but on a "maintained surface". And according to that definition, gravel with a depth of >4" is a maintained surface, so I'm good to go. Been parked there for 3 years now (and driven occasionally). Neighbor across the street did the same thing with his extra pickup, I couldn't care less, I suggested it to him and told him the city allows it since he was worried.
The city has codes for that. I had some neighbors a few houses down that made the front and side of their house a complete garbage pit, I filled out the form online within a minute or so, and within 2 weeks it was cleaned up somewhat reasonably. Then the house burned down and they were renters so they left. Looks great now that it's remodeled.
We have the 1970 VW Beetle parked out front in a gravel section next to the driveway. The city code says a vehicle cannot be on dirt, but on a "maintained surface". And according to that definition, gravel with a depth of >4" is a maintained surface, so I'm good to go. Been parked there for 3 years now (and driven occasionally). Neighbor across the street did the same thing with his extra pickup, I couldn't care less, I suggested it to him and told him the city allows it since he was worried.
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Obviously, there are those who abuse the intent of an HOA on both sides. However, the reasons you mentioned are why HOA's exist.
There is absolutely-zero accounting for taste and the consideration of others with some people. I wouldn't want someone doing a trans flush in close proximity to my condo/town home.
Sorry dudes.
Yes, there are city codes for enforcing flagrant violations-but an HOA can enforce them much more quickly than a city can.
No one can rationalize why they SHOULDN'T EXIST-until we have a perfect world. And then-who's definition do we use?
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Tell me again why anyone would want to live anywhere with an HOA?
Maybe so your next door neighbor can't have a car up on blocks in his front yard or raise roosters or have relatives park an RV in front of his house and live in it for months? If you're the guy who wants to do that stuff then it's not for you.
Obviously, there are those who abuse the intent of an HOA on both sides. However, the reasons you mentioned are why HOA's exist.
There is absolutely-zero accounting for taste and the consideration of others with some people. I wouldn't want someone doing a trans flush in close proximity to my condo/town home.
Sorry dudes.
Yes, there are city codes for enforcing flagrant violations-but an HOA can enforce them much more quickly than a city can.
No one can rationalize why they SHOULDN'T EXIST-until we have a perfect world. And then-who's definition do we use?
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