[Gallium]

Originally Posted by MtBaldy

Lol! Guilty. Lived 10 years on St. Croix, U.S.V.I.

got sick of the ****ing lime green, puke orange and flamingo pink houses eh? - and by that I mean the ones that had all those colors on the same wall!

[DanaT]

Originally Posted by J.Kill

I almost got a $50 fine for backing in to a parking spot... That's right... You're not allowed to back into parking spots.

Actually,many places in Europe this is illegal and I thought was stupid so I asked why it was so.

Seem that they have something against cars that dont have clean exhaust (think diesel smoke or burning oil) leaving soot on the walls. They also believe (rightly or wrongly) that it is best to keep fumes as far away from residential windows as possible.

Maybe your HOA had problems if they are covered spaces with soot on walls from cars burning oil/diesel etc and just decided to not allow it as the simplest solution?

[DanaT]

Those that are complaining about the towing, read post #1.

The new car was towed from property OWNED BY THE HOA. The parking lot is property owned and maintained by the HOA. It is essentially leased to occupant and as part of the lease agreement (which is in the HOA agreement) it stipulates the conditions of use.

So all those talking about "rights" shouldnt the owner of the property (the HOA) be allowed to manage their property as they best? This is not property owned by the OP that he was parking on.

[G29Reload]

Originally Posted by J.Kill

I am renting a townhouse that has a HOA... I know... Stupid me! Anyway, when we moved in we registered our plates for parking. I used to take home a work car when I was on call(would leave my POV at work) but stopped due to little yellow pieces of paper under the windshield that said the vehicle would be towed since it didn't have the 1"x1" parking sticker.

Two weeks ago the wife and I bought a new car and I transferred the tags... The same tags that are registered... This morning I go outside and my brand new car is gone. After I called the PD to report it stolen they said they were notified it was towed. I contacted a rep with the HOA and he told me it was towed because it didn't have that little parking sticker and even though the plate was registered it didn't matter since it didn't have the sticker. I asked what ever happened to leaving the "warnings" on the car so I could have gotten a new sticker since I JUST bought it...and my old car was here 3 months before they finally sent the stickers without a problem. He told me they don't leave the yellow papers anymore since people don't listen to them anyway so now they just tow cars without warning. $175 later I have my car back... I know I'll lose but it's going to be an all out *****fest on Monday when we call the main office.

I can't wait until April and I can move the hell out of here!!

Verrrry interestink. Keep us advised…on second thought, don't bother. Ve vill contact YOU!

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by LAWDOGKMS

I live in one..

A gated-community of less than 40 homes set in a cedar forest...atv trails to to the river below the ridgeline...really great place..

Te HOA is not overbearing, the cost is $400/yr which pays to mow lots that haven't been built on, common areas, fix the security cameras (which recognize digits, even infrared in the dark, read and log plates)' fix gates and fix roads if need be..

The HOA is very reasonable, with no ridiculous rules or sanctions, loke no restrictions about what you plant, if your garage is open or not etc...and everyone has an acre or more

Every resident gets a spreadsheet with address, phone number and email addresses of every other resident. I LOVE THIS and it makes for a neighborhood with no strangers.

The rules that would affect most people (the ones that affect me are):

-3000 sf minimum for single story, 3500 double story minimum, brick or rock construction only

-no rv's or boats parked in the driveway or on the curb for more than 1 week at a time (if you needed longer, an exception would be made)

-external structures (shed etc..) must be built or look like your house ( at a minimum, a brick fascia on the front of the shed

- no fences in front yards, back fences can only be of black (see thru) wrought iron

-no burning of yard refuse ( but you can have a firepot, so most of us just burn incrementally in our firepits and call it a campfire)

-pets must be fenced in the back or confined with underground electric fence

-each resident has an individual code to the gate and it must NEVER be given out. Guest can call from the gate with a keypad, and homeowners can open the gate with a code on their phone

Even LE doesn't have a code, but has to run a particular tone of siren for a full 3 seconds at the gate and the system will open the gate.

Other than the (no burning of yard refuse), I really like that the home sizes/prices, the secure gate etc...keeps the riff raff out and the neighborhood is awesome..

HOA's do serve a useful purpose and as long as they're not overbearing, I think they're a good idea.

My last house was an equivalent house off a county road, and weekly I had to clean up cups, cans, bottles outside my property lime along the road. Soooo....glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. Everyone in this neighborhood takes care of and cares about the neighborhood.

Man, I envy you, that sounds like a great neighborhood. I'm so damn tired of people throwing **** into my lawn. The other day while mowing the backyard I found a juice bottle the neighbors had thrown over their fence into our yard, because they're too lazy to take it inside their house and toss it in the recycle bin. That kind of thing really pisses me off, and is exactly why I wouldn't mind living in an HOA where I could register a complaint about it.

[Bruce H]

Originally Posted by .264 magnum

Totally wrong. When the a-hole is costing me home value it is my business.

Just want someone else to do your dirty work. It would be real hard to speak to the neighbor yourself wouldn't it.

[handyman]

Due to a bad knee got a townhome. Mostly older people they leave me alone, biggest problem people not paying dues

[faawrenchbndr]

Originally Posted by DanaT

Those that are complaining about the towing, read post #1.

The new car was towed from property OWNED BY THE HOA. The parking lot is property owned and maintained by the HOA. It is essentially leased to occupant and as part of the lease agreement (which is in the HOA agreement) it stipulates the conditions of use.

So all those talking about "rights" shouldnt the owner of the property (the HOA) be allowed to manage their property as they best? This is not property owned by the OP that he was parking on.

Exactly,........OP screwed up & he's now crying the blues!

[CBennett]

lol and thats why id NEVER buy a house /apartment in a HOA or gated place...seems cool till you want to do something that seems normal then they say NO and then you wonder why lol. good luck

[Sporaticus]

Originally Posted by Bruce H

Just want someone else to do your dirty work. It would be real hard to speak to the neighbor yourself wouldn't it.

Those types remind me of the class "tattletale" from elementary school. They drive around their neighborhood, inspecting the property of others, looking for anything out of place, and snitching to the HOA when they see something. Their justification is "my property value".

[VinnieD]

Sell, buy a few acres out in the country, enjoy freedom. For extra fun, sell cheap to a large immigrant family, from some eastern European country.

[DanaT]

Originally Posted by VinnieD

Sell, buy a few acres out in the country, enjoy freedom. For extra fun, sell cheap to a large immigrant family, from some eastern European country.

So it is OK to make a derogatory statement about a group of people that are white? What do you have against people from Belarus or Estonia?

[tantrix]

Originally Posted by DanaT

So it is OK to make a derogatory statement about a group of people that are white? What do you have against people from Belarus or Estonia?

You need more sun, your skin is way too thin.

[gjk5]

Originally Posted by tantrix

Bad analogy. You're obviously still not getting it. When I cut MY grass doesn't effect YOU, no matter how you spin it.





Again, if the length of a neighbor's grass makes you miserable, I pity you. I think when people complain about other's lawns, they should go over and offer to cut it themselves and stop pissing and moaning.





And we have a phrase for those men I see outside every Sunday spraying Miracle Gro on their 'lawns' while their wife barks orders at them. It's no better than the phrase you used either.

It's not about lawns, you just don't get it.

Go put another cinderblock under your El Camino.

[DanaT]

Originally Posted by tantrix

You need more sun, your skin is way too thin.

Now you make comments about the pigmentation in my skin? Thats racist.

[MtBaldy]

Originally Posted by Gallium

got sick of the ****ing lime green, puke orange and flamingo pink houses eh? - and by that I mean the ones that had all those colors on the same wall!

After Hurricane Hugo the Corps of Engineers came to assess the damage to the hospital. What they found was the hospital was a Potemkin facade. Registers were installed in walls with no ductwork behind them, O2 gas taps in the rooms had no pipes to them, electronics were either not installed or had no wires to them, in short you would probably be better equipped to practice medicine out of your garage. Of course it was "built" with millions of dollars of Federal that instead of going into the hospital went into the pockets of the black, corrupt, liberal Democrats who ran the place.

It was the specter of waiting at least 2 or 3 and more likely 5 or 6 hours to get competent medical treatment in the event of a medical emergency that caused us to leave. And that time frame was only because we were enrolled in a jet air ambulance program out of Miami. The 2 or 3 hours would be if they already had a jet in the islands and the 5 or 6 would be if they had to send one from Miami. The Navy came in and set up a temporary tent hospital that they were still using years after Hugo.

[Averageman]

I came home from Iraq mid tour to find my neighbor had begun to pack his backyard with Industrial sized Kitchen Equipment, by the time I get home for good this has spilled over in to the yard between our houses.
When his garage door is open it is full of dry food for his business, Wheat,Flour, Pasta, canned goods etc. all laying on pallets.
He also had a nasty habit of running his saw at 10:00 pm on weeknights while my Son was trying to sleep.
Then when he sells the stuff he backs an F250 with a trailer accross my yard and sprinkler system.
I don't want a HOA, but I can understand why folks might want one.

[.264 magnum]

Originally Posted by frizz

Government? These are private contracts. Nobody forces you into a HOA.

Why do you hate freedom?

Let him go he's totally out of it.

[.264 magnum]

Originally Posted by Bruce H

Just want someone else to do your dirty work. It would be real hard to speak to the neighbor yourself wouldn't it.

The bottom line is people jerky enough to not take care of their property are going to respond to nothing short of fines or other contractually agreed inducements.

[.264 magnum]

Originally Posted by Sporaticus

Those types remind me of the class "tattletale" from elementary school. They drive around their neighborhood, inspecting the property of others, looking for anything out of place, and snitching to the HOA when they see something. Their justification is "my property value".

Stop fictionalizing. I've lived in HOA communities for the last 21 years. I've yet to "turn in" anyone for anything.

[HexHead]

I've lived in two townhouse communities, one with a HOA and one without. The one without ended up as mostly rental properties, units with three different Mexican families living in them, trash everywhere, junkie cars, weeds growing up through the gravel driveways, unkempt lawns. It was the only place I've lived I ended up losing value on.

My current townhouse has an HOA. Every week, the landscapers come and cut the grass, trim and care for the beds. Twice a week, the trash is picked up right from the containers in my carport. Two years ago, we got new roofs. Last year wood trim was repaired and painted, with new gutters installed. The parking areas and alleys between the carports were resurfaced. For the last six years, I've been on the board of managers, so I can keep any crazy rules from being implemented. I like this lifestyle.

For you couple of guys that think it should make no difference to your neighbor's value if you cut your lawn or not or have cars parked on the grass. Well, it will make it much harder for them to sell with you as a neighbor. Makes a really poor first impression, and it's more likely they'll only be able to sell to an investor wanting to use it as rental property. Enjoy your new Section 8 neighbors.

[ROGER4314]

Our neighborhood is on a dead end street with 26 homes. It's a quiet place where everyone knows everyone else and we look out for each other. We had deed restrictions but with no HOA to enforce them, they were worthless.

A man bought two lots and made it clear that he was going to put a Diesel truck repair shop right in the middle of our little community. He heard our complaints and told us to F off. We found the property that he owned in a nearby town and took pictures of it. It was a junkyard and rat hole! We spread those around and the HOA vote was a slam dunk!

All 26 homeowners voted to form the HOA to enforce the deed restrictions already in place. In fact, some of the restrictions were very tough and we loosened them up. The Diesel Repair shop is no more. and our HOA policy says that if you have a beef with your neighbor.....go talk to him as the HOA is not the neighborhood complaint department or community police department. The HOA is there to protect our property values and quiet lifestyle.

Our dues are $8 per month and we stash the funds in an account in case Mr Diesel wants to make another run at his plan.

HOA's aren't always bad. They are as good as the people who set up and run them! In our case, the HOA saved our community property values and lifestyle from the actions of a total jerk!

Flash

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Originally Posted by frizz

Government? These are private contracts. Nobody forces you into a HOA.

No, not at all. Just like workers who are not forced to join a union when they contract with a private employer.

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by HexHead

Every week, the landscapers come and cut the grass, trim and care for the beds. Twice a week, the trash is picked up right from the containers in my carport. Two years ago, we got new roofs. Last year wood trim was repaired and painted, with new gutters installed. The parking areas and alleys between the carports were resurfaced. For the last six years, I've been on the board of managers, so I can keep any crazy rules from being implemented. I like this lifestyle.

Dude... Where the hell do you live? I want to live there.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Originally Posted by MtBaldy

Actually, from reading the thread, it's apparent that you don't get it. Comparing HOAs to communism is just laughable.

The only thing more laughable is Americans who dupe themselves. Soviet style tactics are not even needed for people like you.