If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

[fishrdan]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

WOW,,, looks like I stirred up the hi-jack pot

In all honesty, I think the HOA's are a good thing,,, but at times, the powers that be take things to excess.

But seriously, $300/month HOA dues? I didn't think they were that bad. Guess that's the price for living in the lap of luxury.

 

[DJ]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

but at times, the powers that be take things to excess.

.

As they say in Texas; "There you go".

That sums it all up. Regardless of what they are in charge of, some take it to excess.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

I happen to agree that many HOAs are ridiculous in their expectations, and I wouldn't live in a community with one, if the house were given to me. That said, I don't disagree with DJ on this one - if you don't like someone telling you how to live, don't live in a private community with a HOA.

 

[projecthog]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

I guess I am fortunate to be able to like where I live.

It is not extreme in either direction and the neighbors will help if needed but otherwise keep to themselves and would never think of causing trouble they wouldn't want themselves either.

We have the very rich here, and those a litte closer to earth.
Everyone seems to be able to just get along fine, and tolerate the best and the worst with patience and dignity.

The one thing that is NOT tolerated here is potential unbridled rule making by our municipality.
Freedom is intended for us as a people, not for the municipality's hired guns.

Any kind of radical democratic behaviour gets your hams smoked in the next election here, and will put you out of office on the double, scratching your head and wondering what happened.

Livability and liberty is the thing we all want, so we work on that all the time.
We take our freedom seriously, but with respect for individual wants and needs.
For the most part though, the municipal aspect of rule making here is not a hard job to take as we all get on the subject and seem to get things worked out not too badly at all.

The "more prominent folks" live their own lifestyle, some secluded, some right in there with the rest of us, and it always amazes me how things get figured out to be right when done with it for everyone.
I think there is a lot of respect going on here and maybe that's why we have no major issues.

Like I said, I think I am fortunate to be able to live here and like it!
I am glad I took the time to check it out before I moved here.
PH.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Bet you all knew i was gonna throw my 2 cents in.

My mother, and mother in law lives in a hoa senior development, has rules and regulations for the benefit of all the people that chose to buy homes there.

And those people that live there were given the rules and regulations concerning, how things run there.

The perspective homeowner has the choice to ether buy there or not.

So for example a person decides he wants to erect a fence, between the golf course and the house, but in doing so will block the view of ten other houses should he be allowed to????

The rules in this example states clearly and precisely that no fences are allowed.

So the person would be denied the" right "to build a fence.

But there is no denying the" right " to build the fence because the person signed away that " right " when they agreed and signed the document, clearly stating no fences are allowed, for precondition of purchasing the home.

So what i am posting is this, if there was a grass height restriction, the person who owns the house knows it.

Where there is a trash can, set time to leave it at the curb, and the time limit after collection to place the can away, the owner knew it.

The person who owns the house has a contract ,with all the other people who owns a home in the hoa, yes thats correct, the contract is between the hoa and the owners of all the houses, means it's between all the owners of homes in the hoa.

So if the contract states that your dog can't just go over next door and leave a pyramid on the front door step, then your dog can't go over next door and leave a pyramid on the door step. It's in the contract.

Hers a quick one real life, happened to me and i don't live in a hoa.

There is a rule on the books in my hamlet that states no cloths lines.

I knew about this rule, some follow it others ignore it but it's there.

I put up a dog run about 60 feet wide, it's a cable stretched between 2 trees in my backyard that has a pulley on the cable with a length of cable attached to the pulley and a dog clip on the other end of the cable attached to the pulley, allowing a dog to travel back and forth when connected to the clip on the cable. ( if this was not specific enough of a description to bad ) People lately are ripping me for not being specific enough.

So one day i have a tent airing out on the run with my sons sleeping bags and a cop pulls into my driveway.

He says i got a complaint from one of your neighbors that you have a cloths line in your backyard and i have to give you a citation 50 bucks.

I said ok you write the citation after you point out the cloths line, he says fair enough.

He goes into the backyard and says that ain't a cloths line it ain't got 2 pulleys and it don't move back and forth as it states in the law, and shows me a copy of the law. I knew the law, and what it said before i placed the run.

I said have a nice day, he said no other cop will ever come out for this again cause he going to enter it in the computer.

 

[Docknocker]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

In town the road maintenance workers snow blow and salt all the sidewalks for the children's safety going to/from school.

Where I live...... no sidewalks..... but if I fail to keep my mailbox clear the postal carrier leaves a nasty note and will not deliver my mail.

Bob - the only thing I get in the mail box anymore is either junk or bills - DON'T SHOVEL IT OUT!!

 

[projecthog]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

And what about the other clothes lines that are up? Didn't he go to those people to tell them to fork over 50 bucks?
That would have been poetic justice!
PH.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

See i don't throw rocks cause i don't want one to boomarang around and hit me in the head.

In other words i don't sick any cops on anyone, besides i know who sent the cop.

Guy's house ain't exactly legal in every way.

 

[strokeoluck]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Funny to think this whole thread started with a comment about ice.

Regardless of who triggered the phone call to the city, I agree with their general stance. Sidewalks are for people to use - doesn't matter what the temperature outside is. We have runners in our neighborhood that run even when it's -20 or -25 outside. That's their right, and I have an obligation as a homeowner to keep my sidewalks clear and reasonably safe.

We live in cold and snowy Minnesota. Our driveway is relatively steep and it faces the south, so we get a fair amount of ice build up on our sidewalk. I've had ice sit on the sidewalk for up to a week or so (including last week when it was consistently below zero for much of the week), but didn't receive any letters. And yes, most of my neighbors sidewalks looked similar to mine. I think most of us are pretty reasonable and understand if we are going to walk on MN sidewalks in January, we're going to mostly be walking on ice. But, if someone wanted to complain I would respect their wish and get my rear-end out there, salt the heck out of it, and get the ice scraper out and take care of it.

As for HOA's, our last house was in a HOA subdivision, and so is our current house. I would never go back to the "old way". To each his own of course, but I personally will sacrifice by living with restrictions in return for not being next to the guy who buys a 1977 30' rusted-out Winnebago, parks it next to his house, uses it once every other year, and lets weeds grow up all around it. And yes...that happened to us five years ago. I respect that he has the right to do it, and I like that I have the right to purchase a home in an area w/other homeowners that want to avoid such "stuff".

 

[mphy98]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Our forefathers are spinning in their graves now. We are no longer free when pointy headed bureaucrats tell us what we can and cannot do with our own private property. I have said it before and I will say it again, THIS IS NOT WHAT I FOUGHT FOR. I regret all the well intentioned laws that cost us freedom. Some will say its for the greater good, but by our constitution most are not legal. Please read the letters of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Thomas Payne, and all the others, their biggest fear was government intrusion into our daily lives. This has happened big time now. I have a drainage ditch in front of my property and along the one side. I checked and we had no ordinance against making either one into a storm type sewer. (a long 18" corrugated pipe with street drains every forty feet.) Once I was done, you would have thought I shot the Pope. 4 years later with every agency including the DNR crawling up my backside, I finally won the right to keep it the way it was. Even the DNR said it was done professionally and would keep silt out of the waters. Only time I fought the town, but I won. Worth the effort to see those bastards eat crow.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

I did something similar at my home upstate ny.

We had standing water cause the house is halfway down a mountain and the guy next to me on the downside built a berm to keep the water away from his house.

But the berm is on the property i now own, at the time i didn't own the property and it was done like 30 -40 years ago.

The property next to me has changed hands more times than i could count when i went to town hall and saw the deed.

So at the time i decided that berm got to go, the owner and i were on very good terms, he is a prison guard and lived there full time with his wife and kids.

My family only used the house during the summer, and he kept the vandals away and would call me if anything needed to be done like a tree fell on my storage shed, i just finished, he cleared it away, and even stacked the wood for the fire we have each year.

I in turn let him park his motor home on my vacant piece next to my home, so it was off the street, a very good neighborly relationship between us.

Then he made captain and offered a job further upstate and took it and moved away.

But at the time i didn't want to take the berm away and sour our friendship cause it would have swamped his house.

So i dug a trench around the perimeter of my property and had gravel put in the bottom and on top of that the black pipe with the slits in it and gravel over that. The water ran out a culvert that i dug to the rear of my property to a dry gulch behind both our property.

Now i have real low life's living next to me they are pilfering everything not nailed down.

And get this if they asked i would give them the junk they just steal it.

And you see the wood thats painted green matching my porch sticking out of the ground where they plant the tomatoes and such in their garden.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

As I have stated, there is no way that I would live somewhere that prohibited me from having a boat in the drive - in fact, I have two of them. One is in the drive and the other is on the grass in front of my house. I also work on my boats/motors in the drive, including running them on a hose.

My neighbors and I get along fine. I keep my yard reasonably tidy and I don't make a bunch of noise when the closest of them has put his 3 year old down for the night. He and his wife do the same. He doesn't work on his cars when my 3 year old is sleeping, and his wife keeps her plant growing activities (she works at a nursery and apparently starts many of the seedlings at home) reasonably neat. My other neighbor has a bunch of hens and a rooster, who forage in my yard every day. They dig up my grass a little bit, but I don't get upset. In fact, I like them and usually give them a couple of handfuls of dry cat food, if I have the time. Besides, the Armadillos and Possums that come out of the woods behind the house at night, dig up my grass and try to get in my trash too, so whats a few more critters?

All of this said, the more I think about HOAs, the more I like them. The reason for this is simple - they can do what they want and agree on, and I can do what I want, without having our Parish council trying to regulate me to death. Like most places, we do have zoning, environmental and safety regulations, etc., but we don't have people in our face every second.

Works for me!

 

[chiefalen]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Jay thats the kinda place for me, good working folks, who let you do what you want and do what they want.

The chickens and stuff is great by me.

Not making noise cause the baby's are sleeping is great for me.

If a neighbor needs help i would be the first to offer it.

Need something out of my treasure trove hord it's yours and don't dare go into your pocket to pay me for it.

Not like the fancy dancy neighbors i have believe me. Next to me a Doctor and shes a lawyer. Calls the cops cause the yellow lab now gone, was chained in front my house. I won't get into it.

Guy down the block. Lent him some tools after the 5th time asking for them back i stopped. He's richer than rich. His wife left him, with the kid.

Now when someone on my block needs something i tell them go to the store and buy one like i did, mines broke.

Guy on my block calls me and says my 40 ft ladder is chained up behind the trees in my backyard, can he use it, i asked him how he knows, he said he went to go get it, didn't bother to call me, i said i lost the key, and said to him he's lucky my dog wasn't out, he would be missing a leg.

Only one or 2 neighbors right on my cul de sac would i do anything for.

And the way they talk about each other behind each others back.

If i got something to say to you i'll say it to your face, i don't care who you are or who you know.

 

[strokeoluck]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Guy down the block. Lent him some tools after the 5th time asking for them back i stopped. He's richer than rich. His wife left him, with the kid.

Now when someone on my block needs something i tell them go to the store and buy one like i did, mines broke.QUOTE]

I still believe in the old adage: if you need to borrow it more than once...buy it.

 

[OldePharte]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

In town the road maintenance workers snow blow and salt all the sidewalks for the children's safety going to/from school.

Where I live...... no sidewalks..... but if I fail to keep my mailbox clear the postal carrier leaves a nasty note and will not deliver my mail.

Wait a minute! The letter carrier can't get to the mailbox to deliver mail, but he can get to it to leave you a message???

A lot off topic, but the USPS does some weird stuff. When we got E911, we all were going to get street addresses. Since we never had home delivery, we never had a RR mail box. So I find out that the addresses will be assigned by the PO. So I go to the PO to find out what my address will be. They ask, "What is your current RR box number." I don't have one. "Well, you need to get a RR mail box installed." How will I find out what my box number will be? "Here, fill out this form. Put it in your newly installed mail box, with the flag up. The carrier will return it back to you with a box number." So how will I get a street address? "Well, in time we will send you a letter with your new street address." So, you all need my RR Box number to know where to send the street address letter? "Right!" Lovely.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

A lot off topic, but the USPS does some weird stuff. When we got E911, we all were going to get street addresses. Since we never had home delivery, we never had a RR mail box. So I find out that the addresses will be assigned by the PO. So I go to the PO to find out what my address will be. They ask, "What is your current RR box number." I don't have one. "Well, you need to get a RR mail box installed." How will I find out what my box number will be? "Here, fill out this form. Put it in your newly installed mail box, with the flag up. The carrier will return it back to you with a box number." So how will I get a street address? "Well, in time we will send you a letter with your new street address." So, you all need my RR Box number to know where to send the street address letter? "Right!" Lovely.

What a hoot. That sounds like one of those "who's on first" stories.

 

[mthieme]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Fortunately I'm blessed with great neighbors and live in the back of a neighborhood so tourists are few. Heck, if we a see a cop car we know he' just hiding, killing time or just plain lost!

The really bad part is that it only takes one person to stir up the mud.
I've seen feuding neighbors use local govt. as a weapon.
There are people who have nothing to do but stare out their window all day and call because your grass is over 4". I could go on, but you get the picture though.

Rule of thumb...throw form letters in the circular file.

 

[chrisg]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Gee... did I touch a nerve here ! This is why I'm thinking of moving to the lake. So far I only heard about grumbling, but sounds like not much being called on. I can understand a HOA, if there was one, I would not live there.

 

[ziggy]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

didn't really plan on commenting on this thread. but... today. out of the blue this morning, some lady calls me up and says to me, i turned ya in!... it's like huh? she says i turned ya in again. i says for what. she says, i turned ya in for not scooping your sidewalk and your gonna be sorry! i says, well, i don't know what yer talking about, i'm looking at my side walk right now and it's clear of snow, and has been after all the snows we've had, what are you talking about. she says, well, yer gonna be sorry and i turned ya in again. so i just told her she was out of her mind and crazy since my walk has been shoveled. right after the last snow even which was a couple days ago... i just hung up on her...
i live in closer to the gettos than the hoa type area. though there is a city rule that ya need yer walks cleared prior to 9am. which i've done... some folks just got to much time on there hands it seems.
oh, and i took some time dated pics in case the city tries to fine me or something... looser people.. a feller can't even try to do right and live in peace...

 

[OldePharte]

Re: If there is a city bylaw, someone will call you on it???..

Where we live now, we do have a HOA. It is kinda weak, but has one big advantage. We pay $175 a year and it includes trash pick up. I guy I know has the same trash hauler that out HOA uses and he pays $50 a month!

I have never heard of anyone getting turned in for long grass, non-shoveled sidewalks, or work trucks parked outside. Although all are against the HOA rules.