Homeowners Association BS...

[ashersdad]

Anyone else have to put up with a homeowners association?? I grew up in the country where nobody cared what you did on your property. Now living in a neighborhood with an association I have to put up with a son of bitchin association telling me what I can and can't do. I came home the other day and had a letter on my porch saying they had done a "site inspection" and they could see my garbage can from the road. :BLEEP: I guess this is a no no, supposed to be in the garage. Well no shit sherlock but I have a kid in diapers. You think I want that smelly thing in my garage. Aint going to happen. Maybe if they don't like seeing the garbage can, I'll just pile up the shitty diapers on the road. Let's see how they like that.

 

[scottymack]

I made sure we didn't have any when we bought our place.

 

[Oak]

I just moved into a brand new subdivision with an HOA and made my first complaint this week about lack of enforcement of the rules. I guess I'm the neighbor you love to hate. But, we all had to sign the rules when we moved in. I figure that if people don't want to follow them, then buy a house somewhere else.

 

[cjcj]

I make my own rules!

 

[shoots-straight]

You bought the property knowing the rules. If you don't like them take it to the meetings and try and overturn the ones you don't like. The rules are good for keeping your lands value. Keeps visual rednecks in check.

 

[Moosie]

It's tough.. I feel as long as they are fair and pick on Everone I'm for it... If they single certain people out for Stupid things they suck.

 

[Kyhunter42]

I've got no problems with HOA rules. I listen to guys at work bitch about there HOA all the time, but they knew the rules when they bought the property. If they didn't, they should have asked for a copy of the rules before they purchased. I always ask for a copy of the covenants before I make an offer on the property. I want to know what I'm getting in to.

 

[BigHornRam]

My HOA tries to enforce rules that don't exist, and is toothless when it comes to enforcing ones that do. A few busybodies and slugs make it a pain in the ass for the rest of the people living here. HOA are a great idea, but like anything envolving more than one person's input, they don't work as well as intended.

 

[MNHunter]

I just sold my townhome yesterday and am glad to get away from my HOA. The house I buy will not have an HOA this time

 

[ashersdad]

Thanks for the input everyone. I just needed to vent last night. I have no problems with the rules like keeping your yard looking good etc. It's the little things like when I am going fishing the next day and I get a letter because my buddies boat was parked on the road from 11:00 PM - 4:00 AM. Or when my inlaws came to town to see us and hadn't been here two hours and I get a call that they can't have their fifth wheel parked on the road (they weren't parking it there, they just stopped by to say hello). Anyway, we are looking for property to build this year so it's a temporary thorn in my side.

 

[brymoore]

I'm OK with HOAs in general. It's when some prick tries to redefine the meaning of a rule is when I get mad.

 

[Oak]

I can understand the irritation with those things. I'd be upset if an overnight parking situation was an issue as well.

Here are some of my beefs, in a subdivision that still has about 10% empty lots and another 15% of homes still being built. The HOA is not in place yet, just the Architectural Control Committee, which must approve ANY additions, landscaping, etc.

We wanted to put in a retaining wall along the property line...they said absolutely no retaining walls. So, why does the guy down the street have a retaining wall around his entire yard?

We are only allowed two vehicles parked in the driveway, and no trailers, boats, etc. So my neighbor (Francisco Sanchez) adds a six foot strip onto the side of his driveway so that he can now park 4 of his five vehicles and his trailer in the driveway. Yesterday I noticed that the guy across the street has forms up to add a strip to his driveway, too.

The covanents require only cedar fencing along property lines. One neighbor put up cedar along our line, but then the next neighbor starts putting up pre-fab pine fence panels from Home Depot right next to it. Looks awesome! And he said that he expected me to offer to pay for half of the portion that is on our shared line!

The HOA rules are there to protect my equity, as well as my neighbor's. I don't plan on living here forever, and I'd like the place to not look like a junkyard when it comes time to sell. I agree that the little nitpicky crap like guest parking, what hours your trash can may be sitting out, etc are a pain in the ass, but I read through all 26 pages of covanents very carefully before I moved in so that I knew what I was agreeing to. I think many people are so excited about buying a house that they just sign every paper placed in front of them.

Yes, I know I'm an a$$hole.

 

[IDHunters]

Not a big fan of the covenants but we do have them in our neighborhood. They are generally reasonable-like no pigs (the animals, can't help the 2 legged kind) on the pastures-everyone has at least 1 acre irrigated, set backs on construction, keep your outbuildings up, etc. No real picky things.

Sounds like the biggest problems are busy body neighbors with nothing to do but monitor whos parking in front of your house, nitpicky rules like being able to see a garbage can, and uneven/lack of enforcement of the covenants. Those things are BS

If we move, the covenants will be a factor in determining where we go.

 

[Hntnhrd]

I am with BHR. Rules are one thing but there is always one asshole ( not picking one you Oak ) that tries to make up there own rules but not follow the ones in place. I have a house that we now rent out. 5 homes in sub all 5 acre lots. I was told matter of factly that I needed his permission to rent my house. He confronted me in the neighbors yard rather rudely. I told him to go to hell show me where it said that. Said it was in the coveneince (spell?) anyway it isnt and never was. I also told him when he starts making the payments he can tell me what to do. Same ass has blocked me out of an easment I have across his property to get to a common area along the creek, with fence and junk piled. Never again will I buy property in a HOA. One thing to protect property values but another when "Little Hitler" tries to flex their muscles. You know , now that I think of it it has been over a year and a half and he still hasn't apologized for being wrong. Maybe I need to bring it up at the next HOA meeting ( I can be a prick too).
Thanks for letting me vent I feel better now, I have to go take my meds!!

 

[JoseCuervo]

How much do you all pay for the "perks" of your HomeOwnersAssociation in annual fees?

Here at the Dusty Hills Motor Court, I pay about $700 per year for somebody (usually one of my cousins, or my cousin's uncle's nephew's sister-in-law's brother) to mow the lawns, trim the landscaping, pay for the irrigation and well, plus any other fees just to have a place to call Home for the DoubleWide.

 

[Oak]

How much do you all pay for the "perks" of your HomeOwnersAssociation in annual fees?

TBD. Scary, huh?

 

[A-con]

The problems with HOAs usually isn’t the original rules and covenants, but what can happen tens years down the road. Get a few azzholes on the board and things can go south quick. Twenty years ago, my parents bought a house in a planned community in the foothills. Yearly dues were like a hundred bucks. Then it was time to do some up keep like re-pave a few roads and repair a water system. The rocket scientist on the board tried to save money by using unlicensed contractors.
Poor quality work failed, some of it was never completed, and lawsuits were filed. The yearly fees were doubled to pay the lawers. Judgments were won, but the contractors went bankrupt or skipped town. More money was spent on more shoddy contractors and the same scenario was repeated, and dues went up again. New, licensed contractors were hired and dues went up again. By the time they moved away, those hundred dollar dues were up over two thousand.
Bad luck ? Yea, but I will never give other people the right to charge me for what they mess up and control what I do.
No HOA where I live now. We do have a neighbor who went on a rampage reporting every little thing to the city. She keeps her house up to all the codes, but has a preteen son who likes to raise heck. Noise at night, minor vandalism, firecrackers in city limits. Riding his bike without a helmet. Me and a few friends just started calling the cops for every little pissant thing. She got the message about the fifth time the cops came knocking at her door.

 

[cjcj]

After reading this, I'm starting to love my 5 acres [ 1 acre of junk] more and more... it sure is nice to be free.

 

[schmalts]

We are only allowed two vehicles parked in the driveway, and no trailers, boats, etc. So my neighbor (Francisco Sanchez) adds a six foot strip onto the side of his driveway so that he can now park 4 of his five vehicles and his trailer in the driveway. Yesterday I noticed that the guy across the street has forms up to add a strip to his driveway, too.

With a name like that be glad he isn't parking on the lawn

 

[drahthaar]

I live in one. I understand it is for everyone's protection. But there has been so many things done like additions, fences, etc without "approval" that a presidence has been set that its obvious it has no teeth. Plus we don't pay in enough to take someone to court. Our dues cover some road maintenance signs things like that. HOA is one reason I bought the lot that nobody can see my house from the road, if you complain about something, you were tresspassing.