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I'm with Loves Mountains. $50 bucks says you could do a statistical comparison of the 10 year value change between HOA and non HOA communities and find a strong result in favor of HOAs for exactly the reasons you have stated as unreasonable. When my neighbor stops mowing and the yard looks like hell, he'll get a letter. If he paints his house turquoise (which affects my valuation too), it is not a nasty personal battle between neighbors... It is just the law.
I lived in a Hawthorne-managed community for 8 years that maintained 2 pools, 1.7 miles of landscaped roadway, .5 miles of white picket fencing and .3 miles of boardwalk paths in the woods. That kind of amenity can't be maintained by volunteerism alone. Sure there were times that people got upset when they built a deck without architectural review or cut down trees without approval. But 9 times out of 10 their plan would have been fine if they'd just followed the published process. Yes, there are egoists on HOA boards; there are also elections where they can be run against and defeated. I have a hard time being too sympathetic to complaints about legitimate HOAs when the people complaining don't participate, don't go to meetings, and don't volunteer on committees...they've forfeited their right to gripe. Again, not your specific issue but an issue just the same. My current neighborhood has had to do mail elections at an added cost each year because their wasn't a quorum at the annual meeting.
For the same reasons you won't live with an HOA I won't invest without one... They are the FDIC equivalent for neighborhoods.
That said, I think opinions on the merits of HOAs are a separate matter from if yours has a legal right to exist.
Americans lose their right to gripe? You must have stranger CCRs than most. And the FDIC would never ask for a law to be changed to allow Hawthorne to initiate foreclosure against people that where the CCRs don't allow it but that's exactly what Hawthorne's lawfirm did.
Hawthorne managers were poorly trained (in the least) at the time I had my last conflict with them. The assessed over $2000 worth of fines against me but luckily I didn't lose my right to gripe and tore them and their lawfirm a new one and the backed down.
I have recorded phone calls where they say the setback for all properties in what I assume is their largest client neighborhood is at the front of the house. This isn't true. I then asked what the distance in feet is and they told me they didn't know and I'd have to call the city. Mind you this is in my response to a setback violation from their manager.
Think about that for a minute. A setback violation but them saying they didn't know what the setback was and they didn't have to know because the setback is at the front of your house.
This got past the manager, the manager convinced the board, which approved the fines etc. etc. Fully 1% our of more than 500 houses had similar issues (I did drive bys and went up to people that were highly upset at what happened to them) and because of how Hawthorne defined "setback" people paid to extend their driveways, paid the fines and lawyer's fees when none of them were ever in violation.
I got f-bombed by the HOA president last time I was at a meeting. I have never been to a meeting that was held according to Robert's Rules which is required by statute even though a Hawthorne manager is there to make sure things "go right". They simply weren't trained at the time and I have no reason to think anything has changed.
Just because you don't see the sausage being made doesn't mean it's healthy or safe to eat.
Either you've never lived in an HOA or you're just trying to start an argument because that post made no sense..
Which is it?
That's an ad hominem comment on your behalf not rooted in any fact. Don't like what someone says, attack the speaker.
My point is this thread wasn't intended as a general HOA discussion thread and I would like to hear some good stories that have been reported in the news but regardless that doesn't seem to fit here or maybe it does.
But if you really think I haven't lived in an HOA after reading this thread then we're not connecting. Meaning, you are accusing me of starting an argument because you know I've said I've lived in an HOA.
Ok jack let's add one more "childish example" working toward the "Top 1000" abuses that can be in our future because of ppl. that play the role of "the elite" :
"Florida HOA is preparing to vote on regs. to FORCE children to remain inside".
(my bolding since the bolding is a perfect match to the word. You know, like a wine pairing with food?)
Ok jack let's add one more "childish example" working toward the "Top 1000" abuses that can be in our future because of ppl. that play the role of "the elite" :
"Florida HOA is preparing to vote on regs. to FORCE children to remain inside".
(my bolding since the bolding is a perfect match to the word. You know, like a wine pairing with food?)
If you read the article and what they are proposing, it woudnt' ban them from playing outside, it would have to be supervised if they are playing in the complex.
I'll repeat it again, if they feel strongly enough, it won't pass.....
That's an ad hominem comment on your behalf not rooted in any fact. Don't like what someone says, attack the speaker.
My point is this thread wasn't intended as a general HOA discussion thread and I would like to hear some good stories that have been reported in the news but regardless that doesn't seem to fit here or maybe it does.
But if you really think I haven't lived in an HOA after reading this thread then we're not connecting. Meaning, you are accusing me of starting an argument because you know I've said I've lived in an HOA.
I'll give you several examples of local good stories...
-Changed landscapers in our complex and made the neighborhood look more appealing.
-Built a basketball court for kids to play
-lined the court w/nice shrubs
-Built a walking trail around our lake
Should I go on w/more examples, or are you going to criticize w/o any basis again?
I'll repeat it again, if they feel strongly enough, it won't pass.....
One reason I do not have a need to read the article is it shouldn't be out there to begin with. My G-- when do youngsters need adult supervision in front/near their homes?
"Hey Dad would you like to play hop-skotch with us?" Pleeese.
"How 'bout jump rope Mom, we're doing double rope tricks today. Go change your ortho shoes first Mom."
"Sorry Dad you hurt your back doing the limbo dance, but the stick was four feet off the ground. Next time we'll set it over your head fatso."
Or, maybe you meant they should sit at the curb just staring at them. . .that will go over big time and lend to their development.
I'll give you several examples of local good stories...
-Changed landscapers in our complex and made the neighborhood look more appealing.
-Built a basketball court for kids to play
-lined the court w/nice shrubs
-Built a walking trail around our lake
Should I go on w/more examples, or are you going to criticize w/o any basis again?
No. If your happy then I'm happy for you. But most of what you are listing is stuff that a board should be responsible for. If you have an educated and informed board then they should be able to deal with any shortfalls with a management company.
What's happened (my hood) here is that instead of self-education they basically allow the management company to "train" them and there is no certification or required training to make sure a management company knows what they are doing in this state.
I know I'm mixing HOA board with management companies and that isn't your main point. I'm doing this to point out that the board is what matters most but in my case the board has yielded so much to the management company.
So, excuse me for that but really that's my beef personally with my HOA in the past at least. I actually like our current president and he seems to allow logic to rule over emotion. I'm not good at that myself so I could never be in that role
So, I would state that the majority of HOA boards have their neighbors best interest in mind but in my case it's the management company with lack of education and their swinging bad legal advise to fine and foreclose where it isn't appropriate or often even legal that chaps me. That's a bad combination and most homeowners even if active with the HOA (by attending meetings etc) won't know about these cases because they aren't brought up at board meetings. They are brought up at hearings for the homeowner and are not open to everyone.
No. If your happy then I'm happy for you. But most of what you are listing is stuff that a board should be responsible for. If you have an educated and informed board then they should be able to deal with any shortfalls with a management company.
What's happened (my hood) here is that instead of self-education they basically allow the management company to "train" them and there is no certification or required training to make sure a management company knows what they are doing in this state.
I know I'm mixing HOA board with management companies and that isn't your main point. I'm doing this to point out that the board is what matters most but in my case the board has yielded so much to the management company.
So, excuse me for that but really that's my beef personally with my HOA in the past at least. I actually like our current president and he seems to allow logic to rule over emotion. I'm not good at that myself so I could never be in that role
So, I would state that the majority of HOA boards have their neighbors best interest in mind but in my case it's the management company with lack of education and their swinging bad legal advise to fine and foreclose where it isn't appropriate or often even legal that chaps me. That's a bad combination and most homeowners even if active with the HOA (by attending meetings etc) won't know about these cases because they aren't brought up at board meetings. They are brought up at hearings for the homeowner and are not open to everyone.
You should be on the board. I'm being serious. It sounds like you would change things for the positive.
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Not "end of story" yet. Where are you going??
