[TheRollingSurf]

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house. Of all places for goodness sakes FL should be boater friendly. So much for it being "Your" home. I can understand restrictions so people dont have trash and junk in yard but come on.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by TheRollingSurf

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house. Of all places for goodness sakes FL should be boater friendly. So much for it being "Your" home. I can understand restrictions so people dont have trash and junk in yard but come on.


TheRollingSurf.com

The boat thing is not uncommon in many cities. I had a neighbor who trailered two boats, a 30 foot boat and a 20 footer and would park them in front of his house along with a huge duel wheel truck. They got tagged and he had to move them. It always comes down to the same thing, give an inch and they take a mile and wreck it for everyone. I guess we just have to have rules. My sister lives in an over 55 place and they have the car thing but it says you can only have one car parked in the drive way. All of the units have garages and I guess they want you to use them.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by TheRollingSurf

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house.
TheRollingSurf.com

There can also be restrictions on the TYPE of vehicle you drive. For example, if you had a housepainting business and you drove a work truck with ladders attached - in many neighborhoods you could not park this vehicle in your driveway.

I think the problem with boats is that people park their boats on their front/side lawn and then the lawn area that their boat sits on gets trashy looking. I also had a neighbor once (in a neighborhood with no boat restrictions) who had a beautiful big boat right on his driveway. Unfortunately, he covered it up with a giant silver metallic boat cover - it was hideous. It looked like a 10 ton wad of nasty old tinfoil...a real eyesore.

Read the CCRs before you sign on the dotted line...it's different in each neighborhood.

What gets me is when I sign on for a deed-restricted neighborhood and then it's not enforced (basketball courts everywhere...storage trailers in driveways...). Now I'm PAYING to look at those eyesores! And when I go to sell my house, I have to convince the buyer to pay so that um....there are no basketball courts left out? Except for the twelve or so you can view right on my street? How do I explain that one?!

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by TheRollingSurf

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house. Of all places for goodness sakes FL should be boater friendly. So much for it being "Your" home. I can understand restrictions so people dont have trash and junk in yard but come on.


TheRollingSurf.com

What exactly comprises junk and trash? These regulations are often used indiscriminately.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by tallrick

What exactly comprises junk and trash? These regulations are often used indiscriminately.

Plastic pinwheels stuck in the grass. Annoying metal windchimes everywhere. Ugly white metal sheds. A plastic dog by the front door that "barks" when you get near it.

My neighbor's "treasure" above is "trash" in my eyes. None of these things are addressed in my neighborhood's CCRs, so I have to just live with it...not that my HOA would enforce it anyway!

[tallrick]

In Miami they have regulations for everything. The whole county is one giant HOA. The problem is that Miami-Dade county is one of the ugliest in Florida! Guess regulations are only to fill the coffers with money.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by TheRollingSurf

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house. Of all places for goodness sakes FL should be boater friendly. So much for it being "Your" home. I can understand restrictions so people dont have trash and junk in yard but come on.


TheRollingSurf.com

In Boca Raton you were not allowed to keep your boat outside (per neighborhood rules) they could also fine you if your driveway was not pressure-washed. Once we had 2 weeds growing through a crack in the driveway. The HOA sent us a letter threatening a fine of 200.00 if it was not "taken care of". I can laugh now, recalling this.


sunny

[macguy]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

In Boca Raton you were not allowed to keep your boat outside (per neighborhood rules) they could also fine you if your driveway was not pressure-washed. Once we had 2 weeds growing through a crack in the driveway. The HOA sent us a letter threatening a fine of 200.00 if it was not "taken care of". I can laugh now, recalling this.


sunny

The truth is, many of the restrictions do make some sense but the way they go about enforcing them can become ridiculous. Every one of these places have a Gestapo that can be so annoying you want to punch someone out. I never lived in one of those places but owned property in them. One place I was always getting letters about trash on the lot and they wanted me to remover it. The neighbors used the vacant lots to dump their yard waste, mean time I am 200 miles away and they think I am coming up there to clean the lot? I explained to the guy that maybe it would be a better idea to find out who is doing it and fine them. Long story short I went up there and cleaned up the lot and put up a sign, "No Dumping".

Then they got on me about the sign but there was nothing in the rules about it. It says the owner can have no more then one sign on the property. I am sure they were referring to for sale signs but it said nothing about what kind of sign it could be. I also talked personally to the guy sending me the letters when I was there. I told the little creep if it happens again he should clean it up in a not so nice demeanor. I never heard from the guy again. Sometimes my nasty long hair biker appearance is of some value. The guy ran away pretty quick. I could not in my wildest dreams imagine living in that place or any place like that.

[jhlcomp]

The restriction are there for a reason. Boats, RVs, commercial vehicles, certain types of trucks cannot be parked in front of many homes and , in particular, one managed by a HOA. While many hate these associations they also protect the value of your home and ensure the aesthetics of your neigoborhood. There are areas where you can have your boats, trucks, etc., but they tend to be in rural areas and/or places that are generally not appealing.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by TheRollingSurf

WOW! I just heard of a restriction where you can not be parked in your driveway at night. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in years. Anyone else have any crazy restriction I should be aware of and look out for. I also get a kick out of the not being able to park a boat at your house. Of all places for goodness sakes FL should be boater friendly. So much for it being "Your" home. I can understand restrictions so people dont have trash and junk in yard but come on.


TheRollingSurf.com

When we first bought in S Florida there was a story in the news- a neighbor had put up a statue of Elvis- and it caused some objections. I would NOT want to see a statue like this everyday- To me it is tacky. Now if you are talking houses with 5 acres- no problem. It is when neighbors are forced to see something everyday (boats, ice cream trucks/commercial vehicles.)

Not saying its great- but code enforcement does have some value.