Homeowner's Associations (lawyers, houses, neighborhoods)

[atlantamoi]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

I like having limits on parking, lawn care, fences, etc. While it may seem draconic to some, it's usually the people who would cause the neighborhood to look like crap who complain about the HOA's.

After living in a condo and a home with HOA, I doubt I'd ever want to go without that in a new subdivision. I'm sure some of these houses here would go neglected w/out rules being enforced. I'm willing to endure some rules for better resale and a nicer looking community.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by atlantamoi

After living in a condo and a home with HOA, I doubt I'd ever want to go without that in a new subdivision. I'm sure some of these houses here would go neglected w/out rules being enforced. I'm willing to endure some rules for better resale and a nicer looking community.

I was a little early to pick up my daughter from school today, so I took a ride through a subdivision across from her school that doesn't have an HOA (it's less than a mile from our house). Practically every other lawn was overgrown, and I counted at least 7 houses that had cars parked on the lawn (either next to the driveway because they had more cars than the driveway held, or next to the house and looking like they weren't running). Garage doors were open everywhere, with no one in sight, so everyone's junk was on display. The overall look of the subdivision was just shabby- especially when compared to the other developments in the area, which aren't that much more expensive, and look 100 times better.

Bob

[cool_mommy]

HOA's have too many ridiculous rules. I can certainly understand the rules that involve common sense, involve keeping the neighborhood neat and home values up but come on.... Some of the rules are so pathetic! For instance, if I want to keep my immaculately clean garbage can parked outside my garage, I should be able to. Its not overflowing with trash and the lid is always down. It's not like I keep it at the end of my driveway in plain sight all day. Yet, I get a stupid letter from the association complaining about it, the first few weeks after moving in. Our garage is small and barely fits our two cars. We live on a hill and I am not about to roll it down the grassy hill and behind my house and then back up the grassy hill each week. Come on people!

I mean we have invested several hundreds of thousands of dollars here and I have to listen to someone tell me what color I can paint my house, or if I can even paint it. What kind of fence I can or can't put around my back yard and what kind of trees or shrubs I can plant. Will there come a day when specifically colored blooms are stated in the restrictions?

Thank you for letting me throw a tangeant from my soap box. It just seems like the rules are out of control.

[cool_mommy]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

I was a little early to pick up my daughter from school today, so I took a ride through a subdivision across from her school that doesn't have an HOA (it's less than a mile from our house). Practically every other lawn was overgrown, and I counted at least 7 houses that had cars parked on the lawn (either next to the driveway because they had more cars than the driveway held, or next to the house and looking like they weren't running). Garage doors were open everywhere, with no one in sight, so everyone's junk was on display. The overall look of the subdivision was just shabby- especially when compared to the other developments in the area, which aren't that much more expensive, and look 100 times better.

Bob

You mean people had actually left their garage doors open!

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by cool_mommy

HOA's have too many ridiculous rules. For instance, if I want to keep my immaculately clean garbage can parked outside my garage, I should be able to. We live on a hill and I am not about to roll it down the grassy hill and behind my house and then back up the grassy hill each week. Come on people!

I mean we have invested several hundreds of thousands of dollars here and I have to listen to someone tell me what color I can paint my house, or if I can even paint it. What kind of fence I can or can't put around my back yard and what kind of trees or shrubs I can plant. .

It should be pointed out however, that the more expensive the homes, usually the more strict the HOAs are. Pretty common knowledge when shopping around, and it's actually a reason why some people stretch their home budget as far as they can - to have those extra strict HOA rules.

You can ask a realtor or builder's agent to see the HOA rules on paper before you ever buy, so you have the option of seeing all the good, bad, and ugly rules. If you don't like them you can then move on to the next community you're interested in and see if their HOA rules are more to your liking. Once you move in - they're yours to abide by.

I can't say I'm going to shed a wet one over someone having to pull a trash bin down a hill "once a week". Ohhhhhh the troubles of working class people. (sorry, HAD to).

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by cool_mommy

You mean people had actually left their garage doors open!

I'm assuming there was some sarcasm in that statement.

Yes, and if they were neatly kept, maybe it wouldn't bother me so much, but when there's junk cars in one, stuff piled in another looking like it's ready to spill out into the driveway, etc., it detracts from the look of the neighborhood.

As Greg said above, some people buy into an HOA specifically so they don't have to deal with these things. If the garbage can issue you mentioned was such a problem, perhaps you should have read the HOA documents a little more carefully before buying.

Bob

[atlantamoi]

Originally Posted by cool_mommy

HOA's have too many ridiculous rules. I can certainly understand the rules that involve common sense, involve keeping the neighborhood neat and home values up but come on.... Some of the rules are so pathetic! For instance, if I want to keep my immaculately clean garbage can parked outside my garage, I should be able to. Its not overflowing with trash and the lid is always down. It's not like I keep it at the end of my driveway in plain sight all day. Yet, I get a stupid letter from the association complaining about it, the first few weeks after moving in. Our garage is small and barely fits our two cars. We live on a hill and I am not about to roll it down the grassy hill and behind my house and then back up the grassy hill each week. Come on people!

I mean we have invested several hundreds of thousands of dollars here and I have to listen to someone tell me what color I can paint my house, or if I can even paint it. What kind of fence I can or can't put around my back yard and what kind of trees or shrubs I can plant. Will there come a day when specifically colored blooms are stated in the restrictions?

Thank you for letting me throw a tangeant from my soap box. It just seems like the rules are out of control.

Honestly, I don't think any of your complaints make the HOA look bad. Maybe leaving a garbage can outside isn't really a big deal, but if everyone did it then your sub would look a little trashier We also have a small garage that is in the back reached from an alley type driveway. Guess how I have to get my garbage to the curb?
I have to carry the can through the house (if the grass is wet I hate dragging it around the side of the house). Anyway, I think things like paint color on someone's home is a BIG deal. I've seen some absolutely scary stuff driving around.

[cool_mommy]

This is one of the reasons I love this forum! We can exchange ideas, thoughts, and opinions with good-humored banter and all!

[Georgia]

As long as I live in the South, I will live with an HOA.
Unless of course I buy a home with a minimum of 5 acres.
The reason I say this is because I lived in a development once, and I say once, which did not have an HOA.
The next thing I knew, one month after I moved in I came home to find a mobile trailer parked at the house across from me with a 110 extension cord ran from the garage to the window. And the best was when the neighbor down the street decided to get into the "egg" business and brought in about 50 chickens with a coop he made himself (he was not a carpenter) it took the neighborhood many calls and the town circut court to put an end to it after one year.
Never again!

[richard112360]

Originally Posted by Georgia

And the best was when the neighbor down the street decided to get into the "egg" business and brought in about 50 chickens with a coop he made himself (he was not a carpenter) it took the neighborhood many calls and the town circut court to put an end to it after one year.Never again!

Hey Georgia; you're missing out on the free eggs for the neighbors and the lovely sounds of those crowing chickens waking you up every morning.