HOA's- The Facts

[DJ]

HOA's, (Homeowners Associations) have been under attack recently.<br /><br />Here is my perspective-FROM EXPERIENCE.<br /><br />I've lived in both and MUCH prefer an HOA.<br /><br />WHY?<br /><br />1. Your, in your mind, beautiful, IN YOUR EYES oil leaking '67' El Camino is NOT beautiful, to me.<br /><br />2. Showing off your trash, a week early of pick up, is not "yard art" to me.<br /><br />3. Lime green house paint is an "acquired taste", so I'm told.<br /><br />4. Two foot tall grass, not because you have a goat, is a sign of "LAZYNESS" not individualism.<br /><br />The BEST part about HOA's is that you DO NOT have to sign the papers OR LIVE in a neighborhood with one. YOU have a choice. Guess what, I DO TOO!!!!<br /><br />IF YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THEM, don't expect to move in and thumb your nose at the rules. YOU MADE the choice-you signed the agreement.<br /><br />If these agreements are null and void, what contract, in this country, IS valid??

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I dont have a problem wih HOA if they stick to these four points.<br /><br />Some of them go way overboard.<br /><br />Some here in Houston said people couldn't put up election signs in their yard.<br /><br />Then there was the one where they reposessed an old ladys house cause she didnt pay her dues. There was a huge lawsuit over that one, the old lady got her house back but it took over a year.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Don't paint your house a different color either.....It's agin the law...HeHe!....JK

 

[ZmOz]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I agree with 'em completely. I used to live in a place where both of my neighbors were a real problem. One of them had a blue plastic kiddie pool in his dirt/weed yard that he called a "pond". <br /><br />It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask me to keep the broken down pickup truck/washing machine/water heater in the backyard where only I can see it.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Anyone ever see that x-files episode with the homeowners association, where the president thought-to-life that creature to kill anyone that broke the rules? Classic.

 

[Link]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

DJ <br />

IF YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THEM, don't expect to move in and thumb your nose at the rules. YOU MADE the choice-you signed the agreement

Nuff said.<br />IE: I joined iboats and knew the regulations first and agreed to except.<br />Self Edit:

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I know I wouldn't live where my family is forced to live by standards set by other homeowners. So I choose to live away from that. If you don't like the way my property looks, then they can pay the taxes on it and I'll put it in the condition that they want.<br /><br />The neighbors on each side of my property have an agreement that we have. Don't complain about my property and I won't complain about yours.<br /><br />Actually all my project junk is hidden from view and most of my unsightly stuff is the stacks of firewood. I like being able to shoot my guns, run engines without mufflers, and basically have the freedom to do whatever I want to my house. Nope, I'll never live where there is an HOA.<br /><br />This is the only property that I have had that I can bag a deer from my kitchen/dinning room window. Try that in a HOA community. I did manage to get 200lbs of dressed venison this past week of gun season.

 

[mrbscott19]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Agreed SS. My mom lives in a HOA and was telling me about some of the rules over the phone and I about flipped. NEVER would I tolerate someone else telling me what I can and can't do with MY property, that I paid for. I understand the concept, and thats great for people who need to be told what to do, but I will never be a part of it.

 

[Ron G]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Im glad i live in the country around a 150yards off the road and my neighbors are far away,i can even mow my grass naked if i want to

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I'm with you Ron G.<br />In the sticks means just that.<br />I do what I want, when I want, and b ain't no one tells me not to.<br /><br />I just don't think I could live in one of them places that tells you how you have to look all the time.

 

[K5WAS]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

The problem that I have with HOAs is that there are too many of them. There is an area that I would like to move to but it is overrun with restricted developments. I have looked in that area and haven't been able to find a house that I want that is not in a deed restricted area. The people that run these HOAs are known as "HOA Nazis"

 

[jinx]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

What's the use of having major appliances if you can't show them off?<br /><br />Jinx

 

[KaGee]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Originally posted by mrbscott19:<br /> NEVER would I tolerate someone else telling me what I can and can't do with MY property, that I paid for.

Funny you should feel that way when so many of the liberals you support have no problem at all trying to tell me how I should run my life and property. <br /><br />Opppps! My bad. I forgot one of the tenants of Liberalism is "Do as I say, not as I do".

 

[ndemge]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

If live in my grandma's old house that I bought from my parents some years back. A subdivision was built on the back 70 acres behind my house, the road goes through my back yard.<br /><br />My house was $80k, the houses behind me, the cheapest is $300k, on up to $500.<br /><br />The "beutification" commity came by a wanted to plant big evergreens all along my driveway so they wouldn't have to look at me. <br /><br />My yard and house are clean, my grass stays cut, I just have a small house and don't have $20k in landscaping, so they don't like it.

 

[txswinner]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I would not want to live in a neighborhood without restrictions.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Originally posted by txswinner:<br /> I would not want to live in a neighborhood without restrictions.

There's a shocker....<br /><br />my first home was a condo with an HOA. I couldn't even plant my own flowers next to my door.<br /><br />HOA's suck. So does socialism.

 

[QC]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

Well at least txs is consistent . . .<br /><br />Z and MrB seem on the opposite side of their typical arguments. I am pretty sure I recall Z saying he should be able to cuss in front of anybody anywhere anytime. Seems a little odd that he would support HOA stuff. Not sure how telling somebody to get rid of the pool is different <br /><br />Personally I totally agree with DJ. Play by the rules that you sign up for. If you don't like the rules, do something else, or get on the Association Board and change the rules. Back to getting involved with your local gov't, which the Association kinda is . . .

 

[JasonJ]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I don't have a problem with the concept, I do prefer to not be surrounded by junk. There should be some degree of exception. I live across the street from an HOA neighborhood (my side is anyting goes), and their rules are out of control. A person cannot even park their boat in their drievway for more than a day. I can see not wanting junk around, but these people are forced to either build garages for their boat or RV, or keep it somewhere else. I don't think a boat in a driveway is offensive, but apparantly some do. I will never live in an HOA not because I want a junk fest, but because I should be able to park something that costs as much as an RV or new boat in my driveway. I agree with most other rules that limit the amount of junky cars and kid toys and whatnot, it just looks low-rent when people leave their house all cluttery...

 

[neumanns]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

I do not want any part of HOA's personally...that's my choice. However I do agree with ya...If that is what ya want, and you sign the agrement....Toufgh toodles, no El Camino's unless ya sell or rent space somwhere else.<br /><br />This ain't about what's right for you...This is about following an agrement if ya signed into it.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: HOA's- The Facts

IMO, if you choose buy in an area governed by a HOA, you are bound to the restrictions and covenants in place at the time of purchase. And you also agree to be governed by that body and its set rules for the length of your real estate ownership. If those covenants/restrictions change during your time there you can either abide by them or move. Having lived in restricted developments and serving on the Board, I have seen both sides of the case. In my experience most HOA lack any real mechanism to enforce their rules. They may be able to levee leans or fines against offending parties but lack any real collection authority. Case in point: Our HOA rules stated you must apply for and be granted the Boards approval prior to removing any tree over 6 inches in diameter. Shortly after acquiring their property our new neighbors contracted to have their entire yard cleared and re-landscaped. The landscaping crew removed all but a few of the trees (20 plus) from their property prior to installing the new landscaping. All of the trees removed were well in excess of the 6 inch dia. requiring board approval. After meeting and involving a Lawyer the HOA was informed it had no real recourse to action the breach of regulations.