Boats and HOA's

[doyall]

Re: Boats and HOA's

Yup, Government trumps HOA. You think HOA's are tough. Governments have NO sympathy whatsoever.

I can testify. Litigated with the municipality in which I live for two years. It wound up being a personal thing to the assistant city attorney. Found not guilty on the criminal charge but was unsuccessful on the constitutional challenge to the way it was enforced. My neighbor complained about my RV (boats defined as RV's) but did not complain about the neighbor two blocks down who had his 40' motor home illegally parked. Inspector drove right by the motor home to issue my citation and did nothing about the motor home. Motor home guy had a Re-Elect-Mr.-Smith-to-City-Council sign in his front yard. I can think of no more unequal, arbitrary and capricious enforcement than that. Turned out that the city attorney makes regular campaign contributions to the judge in my constitutional challenge case.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Boats and HOA's

So, what exactly can an HOA do to a ne'er-do-well who blatantly parks his property-tax-paid-for boat on his property-tax-paid-for driveway? Send old lady Weezer over to give you a stern talking-to? Issue a fine? And what if you don't pay the fine, they going to kick you out of your own house and property? What rights do HOA's REALLY have? I own a mobile home that's in the strictest-rules-imaginable park in the state, but-- it's THEIR property my mobile home is on...

I ask, because I really don't know.

My BIL, a ham radio operator, moved into a HOA house, and the instant his neighbor saw the ladder-bar antenna tower being unloaded, him and the whole neighborhood ganged up on him and made it clear he was NOT going to erect that monstrosity. He responded with finding someone from city hall who told the HOA that if they stopped him from erecting what amounted to an emergency communications system, that he'd help my BIL sue their pants off. The HOA told them to go for it.

In the end, he never did put up the tower, decided the fuss wasn't worth it. But I wonder, what could the HOA have actually done?

 

[EdwardC]

Re: Boats and HOA's

So, what exactly can an HOA do to a ne'er-do-well who blatantly parks his property-tax-paid-for boat on his property-tax-paid-for driveway? Send old lady Weezer over to give you a stern talking-to? Issue a fine? And what if you don't pay the fine, they going to kick you out of your own house and property? What rights do HOA's REALLY have? I own a mobile home that's in the strictest-rules-imaginable park in the state, but-- it's THEIR property my mobile home is on...

I ask, because I really don't know.

Most HOA's can fine you, fix the problem at your expense, without your consent, put a lien on your home for the expenses and fines, and sue you in civil court for breach of contract. Cheaper to just sell the house and move.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Boats and HOA's

HOA rules are designed to protect your property values. The other option is to live where there are no rules and take your chances. If you don't like them or agree to them do not buy a home there. If you purchased a home you agreed to abide by the rules. Don't like the rules? Move.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Boats and HOA's

One woman owned a condo and refused to pay her dues. Many letters to her were ignored. A lien was filed and she became nasty. That went on for about 2 years. More letters and foreclosure. She said the HOA could not and would not foreclose -- while the deputy came to evict. She probably should have been jailed for some of her actions.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boats and HOA's

HOA rules are designed to protect your property values. The other option is to live where there are no rules and take your chances. If you don't like them or agree to them do not buy a home there. If you purchased a home you agreed to abide by the rules. Don't like the rules? Move.

Like where I currently live, with renters on one side of me that have the whole of REI in their back yard and the other side of me that has 2 non running cars and three sheds that are falling down. Yup. I don't like the idea of the HOA because I don't want someone getting on me about nothing or abusing the HOA to bother someone they don't like but on the other hand I have seen the non HOA side of things.

 

[64osby]

Re: Boats and HOA's

^^^ The local gvmt should have a blight ordinance.

An unlicensed vehicle / trailer is illegal where I live.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boats and HOA's

^^^ The local gvmt should have a blight ordinance.

An unlicensed vehicle / trailer is illegal where I live.

Well it could be here too but I doubt there are any license requirments for old sheds and lots of REI equipment. Also if this is just an example of what is on the property imagine what the house looks like.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Boats and HOA's

I am looking at a new home with a HOA, I currently live in the city and there is no way that I could keep my boat at the house so its in storage. I looked at the HOA rules for the place I am thinking of building at. It states that you can keep your toys at your house but they have to be in the garage. I wonder if I will get in trouble if I leave the boat in the driveway over night if I have to bring it home to work on it.

Yes you will.

And you probably can't build a garage large enough to get the boat inside.

And if you can get the boat in the garage, can you leave the cars outside?

 

[pullin]

Re: Boats and HOA's

So, what exactly can an HOA do to a ne'er-do-well who blatantly parks his property-tax-paid-for boat on his property-tax-paid-for driveway? Send old lady Weezer over to give you a stern talking-to? Issue a fine? And what if you don't pay the fine, they going to kick you out of your own house and property? What rights do HOA's REALLY have?

One of my neighbors found that answer the hard way. He fought our HOA and ended up owing over $30,000 in legal fees (to the HOA's lawyers). They've put a lien on his house over the bill, but I don't know what happened after that. FTR: It was over a fence, not a boat.

 

[britisher]

Re: Boats and HOA's

Check HOA's on Google. They are one of the least regulated entities there are and yet they have enormous power over you.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Boats and HOA's

City ordinances are getting more restrictive so the need for HOA's just adds another layer to that. I find it a bit frustrating that a HOA community for example won't allow "working/repair" of a vehicle of any kind in the yard but they allow a rusted/beat up hulk of a car or truck to sit unused for months at a time. Or vehicles with exhaust systems so loud they rattle windows. Common sense seems to have disappeared. But on the other hand, no rules means there would be at least one junkyard on every street.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Boats and HOA's

Common sense seems to have disappeared.

That's the real problem. If you don't have it people are retarded and take advantage of it. If you do have it people are retarded and take advantage of it. See the theme here.

 

[Chris_94_Sprint_TX]

Re: Boats and HOA's

I would never own a home that required membership in a HOA, allready have to many "people" telling me what I can & can't do on my own property. But that's just my opinion.
Good luck with your "fight".

HOAs are for people who like to enforce their preferences on other people. Have not, and will not ever own a home in an HOA community. Bunch of housewives with nothing better to do with their time than to hand out "Yard of the Week" awards and pick at someone for having the wrong style of fence post or paint color. No thanks.

I agree. I had a run in once with my parents HOA when I moved out here after getting out of the military. I was doing some work on my car (no air tools) and some of them started to tell me that I can't work on my car in the driveway. I pointed at 3 other houses that were doing the same thing and said what about them? They then told me to stop and if I didn't there was gonna be an issue. I had some words for them which we won't repeat here but they never stepped foot on that property again and about 4 months later the HOA dissolved.

I can see valid points for having them and I see a lot as previously said "for people to enforce their preferences on others". I can understand having them in the city but when you move out to the country like my parents did, leave the HOA BS back in the city. I personally WILL NOT live in an area that has an HOA I refuse to. When I was looking for a house the realtor took us to one and I loved the house, then he said "HOA" I interrupted his sentence and just next house.

Chris

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Boats and HOA's

Good info to know. Be sure to read all the papers you sign, Caveat Emptor!

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Boats and HOA's

We have had issues with our HOA many times. We lived in a neighborhood without an HOA and it was terrible. We had neighbors with trash, junk, etc etc all over their yards and it made for problems when selling our home, and it generally looked like crap all the time. So we wanted some sort of regulations. The problem came when I started a car dealership and brought home the cars. I was getting letters on a weekly basis, even though the cars had nothing on them but a dealer tag and occasionally some markings on the windshield. I fought and won. I did do some research at the time though and found out that the only fines or money that you are required to pay to an HOA are yearly dues. That is IT. All other fines or late fees are not required. The HOA can do nothing about it. At least in Florida that is how it works.

As far as boats go, our HOA says we can have a boat here for up to 24 hours at a time to do work or cleaning purposes. HOWEVER after having my Chris Craft here for a month when I was trying to sell it, they tried to fine me and all. I told them to get stuffed, so they called the county and the city. Turns out the HOA rules closely resemble the city ordinances, so the city came out and gave us several warnings. We sold it before the fines started rolling in, thank goodness.

So now we only bring the boat home when I am planning to take it out the next day for prep, or if I need to work on it. If it has to stay longer than the time they allow we put it in the back of the house.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Boats and HOA's

I wonder if I will get in trouble if I leave the boat in the driveway over night if I have to bring it home to work on it.

Yes you will.

Not necessarily - depends on the HOA and City. I can park my boat outside on the driveway for a week without any real issue. City won't notice fore even longer than that. Ask ahead of time; even the HOAs can be more reasonable if they get asked first.

 

[drrpm]

Re: Boats and HOA's

I didn't want to live in subdivision with an HOA but all the nice neighborhoods around here have them. I bring my boat home for a day or 2 at the beginning and end of the season and that works out fine. I wouldn't want to leave it in the driveway or tie up 1/2 of my garage anyway so its stored in a shed by the lake. It seems like the HOA rules help keep the neighborhood looking nice. If someone wants to have a giant antenna in their yard or do vehicle overhauls, etc. there are places where one can live and do that too. You just have to decide what is more important to you.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Boats and HOA's

^^^ The local gvmt should have a blight ordinance.

An unlicensed vehicle / trailer is illegal where I live.

But try getting a city to actually enforce any of those. They are very, very low on the priority list. I personally have a property next to me that has been lost in the mortgage meltdown a couple years ago. The bank that owns it refuses to acknowledge they own it, but pay the tax bill when it shows up. Many people have made offers to buy it, but see #1. Anyway, first year there was zero yard work or snow removal. All the neighbors made complaints to the city, and not once did they do anything. At least once I got a response saying they looked at it, and it wasn't that bad. (4 foot tall weeds in the yard... aka they didn't even bother looking)

Anyway, now the neighbor on the other side and myself maintain the property, and nobody knows it has been unoccupied for 5 years.