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In today's world with wars, terrorism, genocide, corruption in the highest levels of government, and a looming energy crisis you have the most self-centered and arrogant view of a trivial choice your neighbor might choose. What next, mandatory dress code to go shopping at the same grocery you shop at, drive no vehicle that you don't find aesthetically pleasing? Think your priorities might be skewed just a little bit?
Besides if we ever get it in this country (energy prices will go a long way toward accomplishing that), the people with dryer vents will be the that are chastised as boorish energy hogs.
I am on my HOA's board. My outlook when serving on my board is this: As with anything in life, it is about moderation when making community rules.
Sorry folks, but clotheslines are tacky. They just are. We had one as a kid in a fenced backyard. But what about yards with no fence to hide the undershirts blowing in the wind? Parking on the grass causes damage that is an eyesore. Do I want to see trashcans strewn about my neighborhood? No. Is it appropriate for people to have appliances, furniture, and various junk in their yards? No. This is what HOAs are supposed to do: facilitate beauty in the neighborhood that boosts all of our home values and quality of life. Without these rules, you may wake up one day to be greeted by a Kenmore on the lawn next door when you go out to fetch you morning paper.
As far as dues, I have had my eyes opened while serving on my board as to the cost of upkeep in a medium to large sized neighborhood. Our management company certainly does not waste money or raise dues willy-nilly.
I totally understand that there are many people who prefer not to live in a neighborhood with regualtions....that is your choice. As for me, I looked at a few areas in Charlotte where there was no HOA and the neighborhoods were not pretty. You'd see one cute house and three doors down would be a weedy, unkept lawn and property. No thanks. I enjoy walking through my neighborhood and not having to look at people's trash, junk, laundry, and vehicles.
To each their own.
What you explained is what is SUPPOSED to be done in an hoa, rarely do they stop here are it becomes that certain people try and cast their views as rules.
What you explained is what is SUPPOSED to be done in an hoa, rarely do they stop here are it becomes that certain people try and cast their views as rules.
The Stepford-ing of America.....George Orwell was more truth than fiction...bet he used a clothes line too!
>>>>>Besides if we ever get it in this country (energy prices will go a long way toward accomplishing that), the people with dryer vents will be the that are chastised as boorish energy hogs.
Yes indeed and all the "have to haves" and "wanna-be's" will dance in glee that they discovered a way to dry clothes by attaching them with wooden clips to a vinyl line strung between two poles that saves energy and all must do the same for they "have spoken" !
Hahahaha sorry, these HOA rules bring the radical out in me!!
Last edited by Fallingwater79; 04-12-2007 at 06:50 AM..
That is one of the reasons we are moving from NJ.
We just moved( 2 years ago) to this new community in NJ.
I can't stand the HOA telling me what to do. You have to apply for any little thing you want to do on your house.
In today's world with wars, terrorism, genocide, corruption in the highest levels of government, and a looming energy crisis you have the most self-centered and arrogant view of a trivial choice your neighbor might choose. What next, mandatory dress code to go shopping at the same grocery you shop at, drive no vehicle that you don't find aesthetically pleasing? Think your priorities might be skewed just a little bit?
Besides if we ever get it in this country (energy prices will go a long way toward accomplishing that), the people with dryer vents will be the that are chastised as boorish energy hogs.
None of that changes the fact they are still tacky and junk hanging around brings down home values.
So be glad you don't live in any neighborhoods in the areas of the Charlotte-metro, because none of the 7 neighborhoods I have lived in allows them...
Again, to each their own, geez.
Haha, I knew I'd turn into public enemy #1 for defending HOAs!
So how about this instead: We have a renter who is allowing their dogs to use the garage as a kennel, and the dog pee and **** is stinking up the area....dog pee runs out of the garage onto the street.
As a HOA board member, I am helping put a stop to this working with the renter and homeowner. HOAs are designed for that purpose. But if it was in your neighborhood, you'd have the pleasure of confronting the person yourself. He would tell you to F- off, because he's not breaking any rules. Then you'd have awkwardness from that point on.
Thank goodness for HOAs.
So how about this instead: We have a renter who is allowing their dogs to use the garage as a kennel, and the dog pee and **** is stinking up the area....dog pee runs out of the garage onto the street.
Consider this: if you have to inform somebody that their dog urinating in their garage to the degree that it streams down the driveway into the street is not acceptable to his neighbors, you have already lost the fight..... Telling a person what bush to plant in their yard, when to shut their gate, and where to place their basketball hoop is Orwellian. But as said, to each his own....some are born to decide for themselves and some must always be directed.
Consider this: if you have to inform somebody that their dog urinating in their garage to the degree that it streams down the driveway into the street is not acceptable to his neighbors, you have already lost the fight.....
Haha, not hardly. Again, he is a renter. We inform the homeowner and the renter of the offense and the fines start after that. Hearings can also happen, and will, if not corrected. HOAs have the power to launch financial and other repurcussions, so the fight is NOT lost!
They DO serve a good purpose. I agree, it is a pain to deal with HOAs for small things like b-ball hoops, etc. Anyone who read my original post knows that I wrote MODERATION is key for successful HOAs.
HOAs are really about maintaining standards. I think this can be done without going overboard, and that's what I shoot for with my involvement on my HOA.
Haha, not hardly. Again, he is a renter. We inform the homeowner and the renter of the offense and the fines start after that. Hearings can also happen, and will, if not corrected. HOAs have the power to launch financial and other repurcussions, so the fight is NOT lost!
They DO serve a good purpose. I agree, it is a pain to deal with HOAs for small things like b-ball hoops, etc. Anyone who read my original post knows that I wrote MODERATION is key for successful HOAs.
HOAs are really about maintaining standards. I think this can be done without going overboard, and that's what I shoot for with my involvement on my HOA.
As with most things in life, if done in moderation, it it can be a good thing. There is 1 person here who agrees with you.
There was an HOA in force in our developement when we bought our house here (LA) unfortunately for them they neglected to have us sign any papers at our closing and we were unaware of it (the HOA). At the time I worked in another state and commuted back here every 6 weeks or so and hubby was here with 2 of the kids full time. The first time I flew down I decided to do a little landscaping, hubby had become friendly with one of the original home owners in the developement and he introduced me to them, when I said I was on my way to the nursery to buy some shrubs and such they about fainted and informed me that they had not been notified that we were planning any work on the house/property. I asked them why they felt they should have been told and they informed me of the HOA (we had never heard of such a thing). I told them we had no knowledge of it and they said we weren't permitted to do anything without approval, they investigated and found we couldn't be held to their rules. I went ahead with my planting and said if we ever sold and moved we would make sure there was no HOA. We were sitting having dinner one night with the windows open and this group of the neighborhood busy bodies (the HOA comittee) actually walked up accross our front lawn to look in the windows to see how we had decorated the place and see what we were having for dinner because they could smell it out on the sidewalk while they were inspecting the neighborhood (they also knew I was a chef), one even asked for a taste of what we were having. They tried to run everything around here. The best day was when I was outside watering the plants and such that I had planted and they were out there again telling me it was frowned upon and one by one every car that came into the developement stopped to say how wonderful everything looked, pretty soon many of the other houses started making some changes in their yards too, right now we've been here in this house 18 years and the neighborhood has gotten very individualized and very pretty, much different than the oneness that it used to be. The people have maintained their properties and made improvements and the HOA faded from the picture but not before I had another run in with them about the color I wanted to paint my house............pale moss green, came out great and now 4 others have copied, others have done different muted colors and almost nobody has the same old plain white they used to be restricted to. The town does have laws about unregistered vehicles so we haven't run into that problem and like I said everyone here see their home as their pride and joy so they always maintain them. Many of us have clotheslines and no one has complained about them. If someones lawn starts to look unkempt it is usually because they are an older couple who physically can't keep up with it too much anymore and then it seems like most of the neighbors pitch in and give them a little hand and a big deal isn't made of it.
The town does have laws about unregistered vehicles so we haven't run into that problem and like I said everyone here see their home as their pride and joy so they always maintain them. Many of us have clotheslines and no one has complained about them. If someones lawn starts to look unkempt it is usually because they are an older couple who physically can't keep up with it too much anymore and then it seems like most of the neighbors pitch in and give them a little hand and a big deal isn't made of it.
Maybe these HOAs are for people who are more concerned about selling their homes than living in them.....our neighborhood runs in the same fashion as yours with everyone taking great pride in their home but also living comfortably in said home without the ever watchful eye of the "lookers". Sad actually when you think about it......life is too too short to be worrying about Mrs. Kravitz blowing you in because you left the garbage can top laying in the yard
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yea but
