Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I prefer to pay for exactly what I want without outside interference or some entity telling me what I must do. There are some people in the world that think and act for themselves.
Absolutely. At the same time you have people who will own property, and then have a new neighbor in the house next door that feels the same way - except that their beliefs include having junked cars in the front yard and never maintaining their house.
Where a HOA goes wrong is when the board members feel entitled to push through their own petty agendas instead of thinking for the community. This is when things go wrong, horribly wrong.
Absolutely. At the same time you have people who will own property, and then have a new neighbor in the house next door that feels the same way - except that their beliefs include having junked cars in the front yard and never maintaining their house.
I can honestly say that given the choice, I'd prefer the junk cars over the petty nonsense that many HOA's perpetrate on their subjects.
As a person with many varied interests and hobbies, I would be an HOA's nightmare, and vice versa, so I've avoided "living" in them like the plague. Life is far too long to deal with constant harassment over inane things.
Quote:
Where a HOA goes wrong is when the board members feel entitled to push through their own petty agendas instead of thinking for the community. This is when things go wrong, horribly wrong.
Yup. And when it inevitably happens, life is a living hell for the folks that have to pay to put up with it. The Longshore Lakes HOA president lady that was finally run out of town a few years ago is a great example of HOA power run amok.
Unfortunately, often, the folks that have real lives rarely run for these positions, because they have other stuff going on, so you're often left with bored, vindictive, angry people running the show. Add a few similar minded neighbors and you're living in fascism.
I could write a book about the experiences my friends have had with their HOAs (which is the reason I've never considered living in one). Every one of them are awesome neighbors and assets to their communities, a couple of them are HOA wet dreams and keep their property looking nicer than the model homes. All have had issues to varying degrees, with their HOAs.
Just a few off the top of my head: Being cited for replacing a dead Queen Palm with an identical species, genus and $ized queen palm; to HOA violations for having an overnight visitor's pickup in the driveway for more than 8 hours; to repainting a front door (that was scratched while moving some furniture) with the identical paint from the same, ARB approved can that it was originally painted, without ARB permission.
Other than the vicarious experiences described above, all of this is IMHO, of course.
I can honestly say that given the choice, I'd prefer the junk cars over the petty nonsense that many HOA's perpetrate on their subjects.
As a person with many varied interests and hobbies, I would be an HOA's nightmare, and vice versa, so I've avoided "living" in them like the plague. Life is far too long to deal with constant harassment over inane things.
Yup. And when it inevitably happens, life is a living hell for the folks that have to pay to put up with it. The Longshore Lakes HOA president lady that was finally run out of town a few years ago is a great example of HOA power run amok.
Unfortunately, often, the folks that have real lives rarely run for these positions, because they have other stuff going on, so you're often left with bored, vindictive, angry people running the show. Add a few similar minded neighbors and you're living in fascism.
I could write a book about the experiences my friends have had with their HOAs (which is the reason I've never considered living in one). Every one of them are awesome neighbors and assets to their communities, a couple of them are HOA wet dreams and keep their property looking nicer than the model homes. All have had issues to varying degrees, with their HOAs.
Just a few off the top of my head: Being cited for replacing a dead Queen Palm with an identical species, genus and $ized queen palm; to HOA violations for having an overnight visitor's pickup in the driveway for more than 8 hours; to repainting a front door (that was scratched while moving some furniture) with the identical paint from the same, ARB approved can that it was originally painted, without ARB permission.
Other than the vicarious experiences described above, all of this is IMHO, of course.
I'm aware of some of what you say, having lived in an HOA previously that cited me for some gas fireplace soot in an exhaust vent even though it wasn't viewable from anyone's property at all. In that case I cleaned it, took a picture and said "I'm not paying any fine". Never heard about it again.
In my current location, I've added trees (via the landscaper that is responsible for the community) and nothing needed HOA approval. I swapped out my doorbell and that didn't need approval, and I've been parking in my driveway for a bit while I clear out my garage. No issues there.
But I do agree with the gist of what you're saying...
I'm aware of some of what you say, having lived in an HOA previously that cited me for some gas fireplace soot in an exhaust vent even though it wasn't viewable from anyone's property at all. In that case I cleaned it, took a picture and said "I'm not paying any fine". Never heard about it again.
In my current location, I've added trees (via the landscaper that is responsible for the community) and nothing needed HOA approval. I swapped out my doorbell and that didn't need approval, and I've been parking in my driveway for a bit while I clear out my garage. No issues there.
But I do agree with the gist of what you're saying...
I am somewhat shocked that there would be a need to even mention some of those items.
I must lead a foot loose and fancy free life. Just a few days ago, while driving down Collier, I saw a rather attractive Bougainvillea. I stopped, I bought it, I took it home, I planted it, all without regard for a HOA. What a reckless life I must live. How have I managed to live these 68 years without some entity taking care of me? Certainly i'm on borrowed time. Can I really fend for myself in this world?
Meanwhile, back at the HOA, a long time friend that lives in a HOA area, was recently cited for leaving his garage door open too long.
Perhaps it's to be expected based on Growth Management and needing a permit to do nearly anything. It's all about the money and power.
After 37 years in Collier County, I won't miss it at all next year when I say good bye.
I am somewhat shocked that there would be a need to even mention some of those items.
I must lead a foot loose and fancy free life. Just a few days ago, while driving down Collier, I saw a rather attractive Bougainvillea. I stopped, I bought it, I took it home, I planted it, all without regard for a HOA. What a reckless life I must live. How have I managed to live these 68 years without some entity taking care of me? Certainly i'm on borrowed time. Can I really fend for myself in this world?
Meanwhile, back at the HOA, a long time friend that lives in a HOA area, was recently cited for leaving his garage door open too long.
Perhaps it's to be expected based on Growth Management and needing a permit to do nearly anything. It's all about the money and power.
After 37 years in Collier County, I won't miss it at all next year when I say good bye.
Obviously you have some deep-rooted anger with respect to HOAs, and I do agree that they're not for everyone, you and Tripower455 amongst them.
Obviously you have some deep-rooted anger with respect to HOAs, and I do agree that they're not for everyone, you and Tripower455 amongst them.
Agreed that they're ot for everyone. To each his own, well, unless you live in an HOA...
I didn't read Worldkiss' response as "deep-rooted anger", more as bewilderment as to how ridiculous it is to have to ask permission to do anything to your own house, or risk financial punishment and heartburn.
Someone getting balled up about invisible chimney soot, to the point that they'd take the time and effort to send a notification of said invisible soot, might want to see someone about their deep rooted, anger management issues.
The only time I've ever had an issue with an HOA, it was about as petty as you could get, especially given the area.
I used to live in GGC (I know, right?) on the golf course. A year after I moved in, I completely re sodded the front and sides of my house with floratam. When there was no grass, I also installed an in ground sprinkler system. Shortly thereafter, I had the second nicest lawn on the block, the first nicest belonging to an old guy down the street who was out there working on it day and night.
Because I had tilled in fertilizer and manure etc. before laying the sod, you could almost watch it grow before your eyes, especially during the summer months. I was based in PHL at the time and would leave town for 8-10 days at a time, so in the summer, my lawn would get fairly high (maybe ankle deep) between mowings. I would typically mow it the first day I was home, as soon as it was dry enough to do so.
I didn't make enough money at the time to even consider paying someone to do it, and honestly, even when it was a little long, it still looked far better than 90% of the lawns in the neighborhood.
One day, after returning home from work in the wee hours, my doorbell rang at about 7:30 in the morning. As I was trying to sleep, I ignored it. It kept ringing, so I got up, got dressed and answered the door. It was the previously mentioned old guy with the nicest lawn on the block. Before I could even ask "can I help you", he went into a rant about lawn height and how the HOA rules are such and such and that he was gonna call code enforcement on me etc. etc. etc. It was all I could do not to exercise my rights under the castle doctrine , (I was really tired after less than 4 hours of sleep, that he interrupted, after being up for almost 20 hours the day before).
I, as calmly as I could, told him to go ahead and call whoever he wanted, to get the the eff off my property and don't come back, and that the next time he rang my doorbell at such an early hour, he'd likely be leaving in an ambulance. I never heard another word about the subject. I couldn't help but wonder if he went door to door, complaining about the neighbor's weeds, toys outside, color of their cars etc., or if I somehow represented a "threat" to his lawn awesomeness dominance.
And this was in Golden Gate City......
Between that and friend's experiences, no thanks on HOAs...... I was lucky I was able to learn that lesson early and cheaply.
Oh, and I am sitting on over $800k worth of property (as of last summer) as I type this, and no HOA........ How could I be angry?
I think I'll go build a shed for my kayaks now....... The ARB (my wife) says it's OK! But first, I'm gonna change the oil and repair the wiper switch on my car..
Last edited by Tripower455; 04-30-2015 at 09:53 AM..
I didn't read Worldkiss' response as "deep-rooted anger", more as bewilderment as to how ridiculous it is to have to ask permission to do anything to your own house, or risk financial punishment and heartburn.
Someone getting balled up about invisible chimney soot, to the point that they'd send a notification of said invisible soot, might want to see someone about their deep rooted, anger management issues.
Well, perhaps not deep-rooted anger, but certainly a deep level of sarcasm towards HOAs.
BTW, technically it wasn't invisible soot, just not visible to any of the neighborhood. I actually never cleaned it before, so 10 minutes with a hose and a brush and it was fine.
My sole issue with HOA compliance isn't about compliance per se, it's about notification. Your example shows how people get over the top in their response. My example wasn't that there was soot, but that I got a bill before anyone had the kindness to actually mention it to me.
That's why anyone wanting to buy into a HOA or condo community should always read through the CC&Rs, understand at a high level what won't be permitted (what do you mean, no RVs can be parked in the driveway?) and build a relationship with the community and the board. And then, if some dictator gets on the board do your best to get them out ASAP. Too much hassle? Then obviously live elsewhere, which in Naples means GGE where there is plenty of land and freedom.
Well, perhaps not deep-rooted anger, but certainly a deep level of sarcasm towards HOAs.
Understood. I feel the same way.
Quote:
BTW, technically it wasn't invisible soot, just not visible to any of the neighborhood. I actually never cleaned it before, so 10 minutes with a hose and a brush and it was fine.
And therein lies the main issue with HOAs. You had an admittedly, non existent problem. This begs the question of how, if it were invisible, did whoever noticed it, do so, and why, if it were invisible to everyone else, was it enough of an issue to send you a citation? This kind of stuff trips my logic circuit breaker, every time.
Quote:
My sole issue with HOA compliance isn't about compliance per se, it's about notification. Your example shows how people get over the top in their response. My example wasn't that there was soot, but that I got a bill before anyone had the kindness to actually mention it to me.
See above. Also, fireplaces make soot, so does this mean that every time you have a fire, you have to get on your roof and clean it off?
Quote:
That's why anyone wanting to buy into a HOA or condo community should always read through the CC&Rs, understand at a high level what won't be permitted (what do you mean, no RVs can be parked in the driveway?) and build a relationship with the community and the board. And then, if some dictator gets on the board do your best to get them out ASAP. Too much hassle? Then obviously live elsewhere, which in Naples means GGE where there is plenty of land and freedom.
Agreed with all of the above, which is exactly why, other than having a lot of land that I can do with as I please, I chose to live in GGE. Who needs the heartburn? I certainly don't.....
We were considering moving up to Merritt Is. about 15 years ago to shorten my commute to work. My wife wasn't thrilled with the idea of moving, but I spent several months doing the ground work and narrowing down areas that I thought she'd like. We were only looking at waterfront. One area was deed restricted, and it wasn't any nicer than the adjacent non deed restricted areas, but my wife liked several of the houses in there, and they were less expensive than comparable ones outside the gates. A few of my co workers also lived in there, so I figured it'd be nice to have some "instant friends" to ease the move somewhat. I had the RE agent print out the covenants for me, and they were over 100 pages. I couldn't believe the nitnoid nonsense that these folks thought necessary to include. I called a few of my friends in there, and got a earful. Every one of them moved out within a few years, partly due to the inordinate amount of time and effort expended on answering inane HOA violations on par with the invisible chimney soot. We passed and ended up staying in Naples, mainly because my wife didn't want to move, but I also figured that I'd rather be miserable 6 hours per week during my commute, vs. 24 hours a day in HOA purgatory.
Last edited by Tripower455; 04-30-2015 at 12:19 PM..
Obviously you have some deep-rooted anger with respect to HOAs, and I do agree that they're not for everyone, you and Tripower455 amongst them.
For many people they work just fine.
Enjoy your move and best wishes.
Deep rooted anger you say? Actually I am really rather opposed to stupidity. Also, i'm opposed to being told what I can and cannot do or have. Perhaps i'm simply jaded after 35 years in the military. Perhaps i'm even further jaded as a retired pilot with a touch over 19,000 hours with no write ups or reprimands. Perhaps I enjoy thinking for myself and providing for myself.
If I wanted my mail box to match all the others on the street, perhaps I would submit to living in a gated community with a HOA. True, in the past, I have owned property in areas with HOA's. Some people have the ability to recognize when the lawn needs mowing or the soot needs cleaning without being reminded by someone that is out to exert and demonstrate their authority. Can't we all just get along? Perhaps, to a point.
Opening a can of worms now and not caring if I vary from PC (political correctness). Some people need entities to think and do for them, some do not. Some people support certain parties because they believe that party can do a better job of running their life than they can. All I want is to be left alone, I can make it just fine on my own. I can even dress myself in the morning and i've been pottie trained for a long time.
Deep rooted anger you say? Actually I am really rather opposed to stupidity. Also, i'm opposed to being told what I can and cannot do or have. Perhaps i'm simply jaded after 35 years in the military. Perhaps i'm even further jaded as a retired pilot with a touch over 19,000 hours with no write ups or reprimands. Perhaps I enjoy thinking for myself and providing for myself.
If I wanted my mail box to match all the others on the street, perhaps I would submit to living in a gated community with a HOA. True, in the past, I have owned property in areas with HOA's. Some people have the ability to recognize when the lawn needs mowing or the soot needs cleaning without being reminded by someone that is out to exert and demonstrate their authority. Can't we all just get along? Perhaps, to a point.
Opening a can of worms now and not caring if I vary from PC (political correctness). Some people need entities to think and do for them, some do not. Some people support certain parties because they believe that party can do a better job of running their life than they can. All I want is to be left alone, I can make it just fine on my own. I can even dress myself in the morning and i've been pottie trained for a long time.
As a registered Republican I don't know what you're inferring with the last paragraph. Actually, I do.
But if all you want to be is "left alone" then I agree, a HOA community is the last place you'd want to live.
Oh, and thank you for your service. Jaded or not I do appreciate your contribution.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
