HOA - Can restrictive covenants extend to inside your home?

[vsmoove]

It's definetely legal so if you don't like it, move on.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Herr_Brush

Our neighborhood covenants require some interior features, such as minimum number of bathrooms (3), and minimum ceiling heights (9' on the first floor).

I think that's a little different - that's construction requirements. Actually, lots of higher-dollar subdivisions have rules saying a home has to be X-amount of square footage, or has to be 2 levels (or not), etc etc. But that's done at the construction phase once you buy a lot there. I would think telling folks what type of bathtub or fixtures they're allowed to have or not is just crossing a line. But I guess anything can happen on paper.

[Herr_Brush]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I think that's a little different - that's construction requirements. Actually, lots of higher-dollar subdivisions have rules saying a home has to be X-amount of square footage, or has to be 2 levels (or not), etc etc. But that's done at the construction phase once you buy a lot there. I would think telling folks what type of bathtub or fixtures they're allowed to have or not is just crossing a line. But I guess anything can happen on paper.

I agree - I tend to favor HOA and covenants in general, but I don't want to be told what type of floor to put in my foyer.

[Magnolia Bloom]

LOL- you're right, JPD. Or, as I have had to address- a pyramid of Jeagermeister bottles in the window!

Political campaign signs in windows (and yards) are often a no-no.

I once saw condo docs that were amended to restrict the size of fish and fish tanks. Turned out an owner had a huge tank built into a wall and it caused some kind of problem, so they amended the docs.

Flooring options are frequently written into condo docs that are multilevel to reduce noise to units below.

Probably not so much with HOAs, though. I would imagine that most problems inside a home that relate to safety or zoning would be covered by local ordinances and/or state law and apply to all homes, in or out of an HOA. We have someone who has set up a spray paint booth in his garage and are going to the city, as the fumes are a hazard to surrounding homes.

[globalnomad]

A friend did window treatments for her entire home only to have the HOA in her neighborhood say they were the "wrong color". So, she had to pay to have every window in her house redone.

[kelzstuff]

Hello, I am trying to purchase my first place and it is a within an HOA condo community. The price is really great and in a community that I love. The previous owner left before the renovation he was undertaking was complete. Most of the work needing to be completed is cosmetic (floors, kitchen), however, there is big issue regarding a whole in the ceiling that needs to be fixed.

The real estate agent told me the HOA is mandating that all fixes be completed before the new owner is able to move into their home. In addition, if the HOA does not like the plans the new owner has for the interior renovations, the HOA will insist on using their own contractor to complete the interior upgrades (at a cost of $60,000).

Is this legal? Can they disallow the new owner from moving in to their own home once the purchase is finalized? Can they mandate the interior upgrades and force someone to pay the chosen HOA contractor for INTERIOR work?

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kelzstuff

Is this legal? Can they disallow the new owner from moving in to their own home once the purchase is finalized? Can they mandate the interior upgrades and force someone to pay the chosen HOA contractor for INTERIOR work?

The HOA should have a covenants document which describes in meticulous detail what the HOA does and does not have a legal say in, and what types of things they can or cannot enforce.

Condos may be somewhat different from standalone homes, and the HOA of such a community may have more say in terms of a structure's internals. It should all be in that document.