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My husband and I are looking at homes in Venice in the deed restricted communities. We've lived in a regular house on LI and had neighbor with RV parked in driveway all year. Only used it two weeks out of the year- so I know what that's like.
We only lived in an HOA type community when we moved from LI to NJ. We rented a townhouse. Had one incident when I was home with the flu and didn't get the garbage pail into the garage on time- it stayed out till the next day. Townhouse manager came knocking on door and was not too nice about it- but no fine or anything. Now live on large property with only one neighbor, so living close to people will take some adjustment.
We're looking at a few communities in Venice and I'm concerned about the HOA police. I've read various blogs and while I realize they may have been written by one disgruntled person, they describe HOA's where the HOA board members walk around looking for violations like weeds around the base of a tree, or one person who felt it her responsibility to police the pool area.
While I realize there may be some individuals like that, I'd like to know if anyone lives in the communites we're considering and if they like the HOA or if they have problems with the HOA. My husband and I keep to ourselves but I like the idea of the "neatness" of the deed restricted communities. I don't have a problem with following the rules, but I also don't want to be fined or accosted if there is a problem. Just tell me and I'll fix it.
We're looking at:
Lakes of Jacaranda/ Lake of the Woods/ Park Estates
Venetia
Venetian Falls
Sawgrass
Stoneybrook
Pelican Pointe
Whitestone at Southwood
Plantation
One of the houses in Pelican Pointe has some lawn ornaments (gate, welcome sign, wrought iron chair) so it gives the impression that if your additions are somewhat tasteful they are not that strict (assuming they got permission from the architectural review committee). Any good or bad about any of the HOA's and neighborhoods/neighbors?
I can't tell you about the communities you mentioned but I an give you some advice. Asking for opinions or experiences regarding a specific community may be helpful but you should understand that those experiences are subject to change. You need to read the community rules and assume that every one of those rules will be enforced whether they are being enforced currently or not. All it takes is one person to join the board or to attend the meetings who will demand that the rules are enforced for it to change....and they would be absolutely correct. Read the rules and decide if you can live with them. That is the only way to make your decision.
and you could probably attend a meeting and just see how you like the interchange of info/presonalities
we bought in community in Nokomis which seemed to be pretty uninvolved in enforcing their HOA rules based on what we saw driving around...some streets were nice and some weren't so much...
there were foreclosed homes vacant, rentals in other homes, and some homes owner-occupied...and the % of each to a street seemed to set the tone...
we bought next to our daughter when that house went up for sale...we knew we didn't want the no-HOA "freedom" of south Venice and other areas from doing house search several months before...
After we bought, we got the HOA newsletter which announced that home owners whose homes were in violation of the bylaws/covenants were going to be held accountable for bringing their properties into compliance...even owners who had rented their homes and might not know what was going on...
From the tone in the newsletter maybe the HOA board had gotten "revitalized" with some new blood, or people were just tired of talking and decided to take action (via legal means) to get people to take them seriously...
It didn't bother us now because we are in compliance--but when we spend more time there and bring out pets with us, we will have to watch our dog to make sure she isn't barking and being a nuisance...
we don't hear them in our house--but apparently there are some people who do have barking dogs in neighborhood...
Deed Restrictions and HOA rules have been addressed many times on this board and many others. If you are adverse to rules and regulations, don't buy in a community that has them. If you are agreeable to rules and regulations, you should hope that the HOA enforces all of them and strictly. [otherwise it slides into, it's only a mailbox, the boat on the front lawn, it's only temporary, the commercial vehicle parked in the street, it's only overnight]
I live in a community that had deed restrictions BUT only a voluntary HOA. The deed restrictions weren't that restrictive, just some come sense rules to keep the neighborhood nice and eye and ear pleasing.
Many new people bought in the community, knowing there were resrictions but with a 'we don't need no stinkin rules' attitude. The HOA attempted to enforce the rules but lawyers are expensive and courts are slow to act. The HOA ran out of money and asked residents for contributions. Residents said 'no' and the deed restriction enforcement was abandoned. So we now have an anything goes, do whatever you want to do kind of community [and it shows].
Discounting the housing slump, The value of homes that have been sold and are for sale can be seen with and without enforced deed restrictions.
I have the rules and regulations for the following communities if you want me to send them to you. I don't live in any of the communities, so I can't tell you how strict they enforce the rules. Venetia, Venetian Falls, Sawgrass, Pelican Pointe.
Stoneybrook at Venice– Docs can only be obtained from seller or pay the HOA $50 to receive a copy.
Lake of the Woods of Jacaranda – web site has docs – www.lowofj.com
Whitestone at Southwood – docs can be obtained from HOA, Whitestone Property Owners Assocation, c/o Argus Management - http://www.argusmgmt.com/
There are several communities with the name Plantation. Plantation Golf & Country Club – Fairway Village Management Association 941-493-0287
And something to consider is that even in an HOA where there are fairly strict rules there can be a variety of the ways in which these rules are enforced...
some people apparently are obsessive about "tattling" on anyone they think is violating the rules and have a passionate desire in protecting their property rights...they are truly obnoxious and can spoil the ambiance in any neighborhood
For example, pointing the finger at people who have barking dogs based on what they hear outside and the people don't have dogs at all...
The HOA or its rules might not be so helpful in making those people behave...
In our TX neighborhood, the former president of the HOA managed to prevent people who owned a lot from building a house on it for two years while he was on the ARC just because he basically did not want a house next to his own...period...
They finally got approval after he was not re-elected and he was always "inspecting" their property for violations he could complain about...called the city police once because he said they were "blocking" his own driveway...police came out and told him firmly that was not the case...
They built a lovely house but next to a crummy neighbor...
We have lived in a great variety of hoas...large, small, medium. Different levels of control, different styles of housing, some nature/woodsy, some golfy, some lake oriented, some just tract. Through it all we never ever had one problem. Until the last time. A bad controlling majority of the board of retired people who were frustrated their lives and finances had not turned out so that they had not left their jobs at the very top and with great control of finances. So they were determined to do that in our community. And, for some, what got them higher up in their former jobs was the trickory, pretense and cajoling they used until they were on the board. Their attitude then was if you don't like us, vote us out. Just one bad apple....and we never want to be part of a HOA again...nor do several of our neighbors.
We have lived in a great variety of hoas...large, small, medium. Different levels of control, different styles of housing, some nature/woodsy, some golfy, some lake oriented, some just tract. Through it all we never ever had one problem. Until the last time. A bad controlling majority of the board of retired people who were frustrated their lives and finances had not turned out so that they had not left their jobs at the very top and with great control of finances. So they were determined to do that in our community. And, for some, what got them higher up in their former jobs was the trickory, pretense and cajoling they used until they were on the board. Their attitude then was if you don't like us, vote us out. Just one bad apple....and we never want to be part of a HOA again...nor do several of our neighbors.
But why weren't they voted out, then? I have found that, while many people complain about the Board, most of them are not willing to run for the Board themselves. And the excuse is always, "I don't have the time", as if *other* people do. Those Board positions are stressful, thankless jobs and in most HOA communities, it's tough to find people willing to make that sacrifice....and then hear all the complaining on top of it. Not directed at you per se as I don't know your individual situation, but that's what I've experienced in the HOAs I've lived in.
But why weren't they voted out, then? I have found that, while many people complain about the Board, most of them are not willing to run for the Board themselves. And the excuse is always, "I don't have the time", as if *other* people do. Those Board positions are stressful, thankless jobs and in most HOA communities, it's tough to find people willing to make that sacrifice....and then hear all the complaining on top of it. Not directed at you per se as I don't know your individual situation, but that's what I've experienced in the HOAs I've lived in.
That's exactly what the board would say too...if you don't like it vote us out. Voting them out would take a few hundred in letters, envelopes and stamps (getting email addresses was not very successful although we have many, and people tend to toss flyers or they get smushed in the newspaper box and you can't put them legally in the mail box). Not insurmountable, we've done it for elections. We'd need a two thirds vote I've been told. Voting the good guys in has been a process. The period each person is in office is not all the same. There are a few staggered years. Therefore we have the risk of the good guy getting fed up and not wanting to run just when another good guy gets in. And it is set up so that a certain group is in the majority, the presidents of the older multi families who are also on the board and have been for years.
I should mention I watched the group counting the votes about a year ago. The good guys did a great job getting the word out on their candidates. I could see the counters (the other side) getting more and more worried, more serious and no more laughter as they counted. Head shaking. Some heads together talking. Somehow one of the good guys won, the other did not. Since the one who won in that good guy's place was told "Don't worry about running, you'll get in" with a nod there are those who believe the vote was tampered with. When some of the good board members went to the manager to ask for the copies of the votes the manager said...oh, I just threw them out.
And it is only recently that the state of disrepair is beyond ability for them to cover it up and in a typically crazy move they are moving on to another project. And saying they'll have an assessment after that project. Their idea is to placate people with the project and say a few months after that they will need this special assessment. They are so foolish they cannot see that people will feel the assessment is for the project that was just done and feel tricked. Many emails and calls and texts the last few weeks and meeting next week. We'll see what comes of it all.
That's exactly what the board would say too...if you don't like it vote us out. Voting them out would take a few hundred in letters, envelopes and stamps (getting email addresses was not very successful although we have many, and people tend to toss flyers or they get smushed in the newspaper box and you can't put them legally in the mail box). Not insurmountable, we've done it for elections. We'd need a two thirds vote I've been told. Voting the good guys in has been a process. The period each person is in office is not all the same. There are a few staggered years. Therefore we have the risk of the good guy getting fed up and not wanting to run just when another good guy gets in. And it is set up so that a certain group is in the majority, the presidents of the older multi families who are also on the board and have been for years.
I should mention I watched the group counting the votes about a year ago. The good guys did a great job getting the word out on their candidates. I could see the counters (the other side) getting more and more worried, more serious and no more laughter as they counted. Head shaking. Some heads together talking. Somehow one of the good guys won, the other did not. Since the one who won in that good guy's place was told "Don't worry about running, you'll get in" with a nod there are those who believe the vote was tampered with. When some of the good board members went to the manager to ask for the copies of the votes the manager said...oh, I just threw them out.
And it is only recently that the state of disrepair is beyond ability for them to cover it up and in a typically crazy move they are moving on to another project. And saying they'll have an assessment after that project. Their idea is to placate people with the project and say a few months after that they will need this special assessment. They are so foolish they cannot see that people will feel the assessment is for the project that was just done and feel tricked. Many emails and calls and texts the last few weeks and meeting next week. We'll see what comes of it all.
Yes, the terms are usually staggered so the entire Board isn't turned over every year, but usually there are elections every year for one or more members. So you had an opportunity to get two "good guys" in last year. If they had gotten in, you could've probably could've gotten in two more "good guys" this year and probably had a Board majority. Are you saying the "good guys" aren't willing to hang in there for ONE YEAR until more "good guys" join them? If the majority of residents are so dissatisfied with the Board, why didn't the second good guy get in with a sweeping majority? Have you considered running for the Board? As I said, there are always a ton of excuses... Besides which, I HAVE seen dissatisfied residents take the initiative to vote out a sitting Board; it is not impossible.
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