I'll tell you what these HOA's in Tampa should be doing! (Odessa: fit in, real estate)

[Dax13]

Originally Posted by North_Pinellas_Guy

Very ironic that The Villages are exactly that way.

How so?
Surely you didn't assume I would live in The Villages AND make such a comment?

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Dax13

How so?
Surely you didn't assume I would live in The Villages AND make such a comment?

That The Villages is known for ultra-conservative residents, yet it is strictly run by "family" and has extremely tight rules and associated fees.

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by PhotoProIP

Like for example: say we need to paint the house, well, if it's just my husband having to paint, and it's raining, the paint sprayer breaks, etc., should they send nasty letters about painting? or should they send a letter checking to see if there is anyone who would like to give my husband a hand? kinda of like supporting a community sense...(not with money); sending me letters to paint faster is not going to make us paint faster; car broke down, car takes priority...they can go scratch...I am not going to hurry and paint so that the mail truck and the garbage truck pass by and compliment my house and the new paint job!!!! (we live on a dead end road!)

I mean, if you see that it takes longer to accomplish something, and they have a burning desire for that something to be accomplished, why wouldn't they offer some assistance rather than be jerks? These HOA really make me sick!

Ohhh. I see how it is. You probably waited so long that there is hardly any paint on the house and than waited even longer until the rain season started and than they are sick and tired of looking at a house in distress which btw also is for your own benefit since paint is not just a color but also something that protects your stucco from getting water leaking into your house.

This is what every home owner needs to do and if can't afford your house than you live above your means or you should take another look at your budget and plan better.

The way the thread is started doesn't make me willing to help out since it starts kind of nasty instead of being understanding and humble and trying to resolve the matter and as we always say. "action is reaction".

[Occifer]

Originally Posted by PhotoProIP

These HOA's need to be supportive of those who live there, and not treat them like garbage when gras dies, or a house needs painting...these are not things that are caused by a homeowner, these things happen, paint doesn't last 1000 years.

One of the components of HOA dues are reserves. Reserves are paid in order for there to be enough money to repair or replace certain parts of the common elements when they wear out. Just like the HOA has reserves, a homeowner needs to have reserves too. They need to understand that especially in Florida, paint isn't going to last forever. They need to budget and plan for repainting their house when it's necessary. That's part of homeownership.

And grass dying is something that is caused by the homeowner. If you're watering your lawn and keeping up with its fertilization, insecticide, herbicide, and managing any diseases present, the grass isn't going to die. Grass dying is almost always due to some sort of neglect by the homeowner by not properly maintaining the yard. Again, welcome to homeownership.

The job of the HOA is to ensure that the covenants and deed restrictions are followed by residents. That job and mission is probably spelled out in the HOA's articles of incorporation. An HOA is not a social welfare organization. My neighborhood has a community social group. We have a closed Facebook page and can post anything at all on it. People set up bunko parties, neighbors' nights out, neighborhood parties for holidays, kids who want to babysit other neighbors' kids, etc. It's a small community and pretty much everyone knows each other. If someone needed or wanted help, that's where that should be posted. It's not the job of the HOA to do that. I would be more than happy to help any of my neighbors who needed it and so would most other residents of my community.

[Occifer]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Maybe some think the government should have the responsibility to paint their house.

That's actually an excellent point.

Think of the HOA as basically a private code enforcement agency. If someone called city code enforcement due to a legitimate violation such as someone raising livestock in their yard or having an inoperative vehicle up on blocks, code enforcement would respond and issue a violation notice. Does anyone actually expect code enforcement to help the owner transport the livestock off the property or pay for the tow truck to tow the junked car? I would think not. It's the job of the person who is committing violation to comply with the rules.

If your house catches on fire and you call the fire department to put it out, do you also expect the fire department to help rebuild it? It would be nice of them, but that's not their job.

[Dax13]

Originally Posted by North_Pinellas_Guy

That The Villages is known for ultra-conservative residents, yet it is strictly run by "family" and has extremely tight rules and associated fees.

Yes, you are correct. That very dichotomy reveals the hypocrisy of those residents and the Morse family.

[The Villages Guy]

No HOA.

Citrus Park property prompts code enforcement change - WFLA News Channel 8

"For months now 8 On Your Side has documented the county's inability to deal with properties that are overgrown and piled with junk and pose possible health risks to neighbors."

[Student66]

I think HOAs can be extreme of course, however, sometimes, they can be a good thing. Having a form of accountability can help to maintain nice looking properties. And there are people who choose not to maintain their properties or who perhaps adopt a hoarding type life style which can affect property values and can lead to safety concerns. Although freedom to do anything you want is not bad, if your neighbor starts trashing his/her property, and the trashing spreads to other properties, before you know it, values will go down and I don't think most homeowners want to see their home values go down.

[bentlebee]

It always amazes me when buyers/home owners complain after the fact while HOA docs are the first thing to look into.

Double check and if you don't like it than don't buy in a HOA community but usually people like the OP like to look around and blame others while they themselves enjoy and benefit from other homes being kept up.

It is actually sad that HOA's are need so home owners keep their homes maintained.

Like the previous poster is stating the counties are going to enforce the code more and more and neighbors or people living in the area are the ones reporting others to the county and often it is not the one they expect it to be since it was always that you have to disclose a name to report someone and often tenant are shocked to learn who had reported them and usually it is someone who probably had someone report them and than notice a similar issue.

Originally Posted by Occifer

One of the components of HOA dues are reserves. Reserves are paid in order for there to be enough money to repair or replace certain parts of the common elements when they wear out. Just like the HOA has reserves, a homeowner needs to have reserves too. They need to understand that especially in Florida, paint isn't going to last forever. They need to budget and plan for repainting their house when it's necessary. That's part of homeownership.

And grass dying is something that is caused by the homeowner. If you're watering your lawn and keeping up with its fertilization, insecticide, herbicide, and managing any diseases present, the grass isn't going to die. Grass dying is almost always due to some sort of neglect by the homeowner by not properly maintaining the yard. Again, welcome to homeownership.

The job of the HOA is to ensure that the covenants and deed restrictions are followed by residents. That job and mission is probably spelled out in the HOA's articles of incorporation. An HOA is not a social welfare organization. My neighborhood has a community social group. We have a closed Facebook page and can post anything at all on it. People set up bunko parties, neighbors' nights out, neighborhood parties for holidays, kids who want to babysit other neighbors' kids, etc. It's a small community and pretty much everyone knows each other. If someone needed or wanted help, that's where that should be posted. It's not the job of the HOA to do that. I would be more than happy to help any of my neighbors who needed it and so would most other residents of my community.

[The Villages Guy]

No HOA

Cat dies after sitting on chair surrounded by huge wasp nest in - WFLA News Channel 8