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Have lived in a suburban HOA for 2 years, and was fine the first year - when the developer was still in charge. Then... the "RESIDENTS" took over. Its a new neighborhood, with some lots still available, and all the uptight people in the neighborhood have lost value due to the recession... and they're taking it out on their neighbors.
Rules are selectively enforced, meaning - if you're not "friends" with the neighborhood you get cited for everything. But if you are friends, no one complains and you can do anything.
Sadly, my husband and I moved into the neighborhood (knowing there was an HOA, but being assured of the laid back nature of the neighborhood) for a house and an acre -- not to be buddies and drink/play card with neighbors.
So, we are not friends with very many in the neighborhood, and many people have taken it upon themselves to "police" our every decision.
Luckily, we have gotten every major thing we've tried to do approved - but it pisses me off to know that neighbors are routine spying on us and complaining about what we're doing (since its approved, they can't stop us - but still irritating).
Plus our HOA regulates the appearance of your BACK Yard. Seriously??? We were told that "appearance" in the regs meant "front yard, visible from street"... of course, our board has interpreted it as your entire property..
So if I want to plant a daisy in the middle of my backyard - I have to ask, "mother, may i?".
Never again. They may start off nice, but you are always only one vote awary from horrible. Next time, my property taxes and I will be in an area where NO ONE can tell me what to do. (such as the LOVELY well kept neighborhood I came from - where there was no HOA, yet people kept their homes looking beautiful).
Sorry - no amount of "they keep up property values" (which I think is untrue) - is worth the junk we've dealt with. And, we've already had two neighbors leave the neighborhood due to the HOA. Selling at a LOSS! That is not keeping up values!!
I just sent a fax to our HOA this morning, which included this picture I snapped this morning. This resident parks here ALL THE TIME. I'm surprised this hasn't yet been addressed.
EricBoyd: That's a strange place for the resident to park. Why not the street, in the driveway or in the garage. Let us know what the result of your fax is.
That's great if the HOA's actually perform their duties and enforce these rules but they don't except when it comes to something minor on your property. I live in a nice neighborhood and in the summer, my neighbors will park their RV or boat on the street next to their house. We have a "no truck must be visible" rule and it's routinely violated. Not that I care but I think it's funny how our HOA picks and chooses which rules to enforce
You raise another issue I hear all the time. The HOA communist rules are similar to the domestic terrorists with badges who speed, run lights, roll stop signs, steal drug money etc yet stop us peasants, fine us and toss us in jail for doing the same because they make the rules. Basically cops are exempt from the very silly little laws they jamb down our throats just like the HOA head honchos are exempt from the silly little bylaws they impose on their peasant homeowners.
For those in charge and rule with an iron fist they can break the rules because there is no consequence. For us peasants, we must bend over to the idiot rulers and hand them the lube. And may they all be damned.
Ya know my friends....many of you have experienced a bout with a bad HOA. Hey are all bad, not much argument there. But in my daily activity I am in many many many peoples homes in these commy HOA regimes. I hear all the complaints, all the stories, all the unfairness, homeowners ratting on their neighbors for petty things, the every morning appearance of red door knockers the commys hang daily pointing out the rules that have been broken, the rejection letters from homeowners who want to paint their door or plant a flower or even have a vegetable garden in their yard.
I have heard the good and the bad, and there is almost no good.
I just sent a fax to our HOA this morning, which included this picture I snapped this morning. This resident parks here ALL THE TIME. I'm surprised this hasn't yet been addressed.
Is it your HOA leader? They are usually exempt from the rules. Well that guy is an idiot who parks there. But....he is not obstructing the sidewalk. He appears to be parked further then the required 25' from a stop sign. Many HOA neighborhoods own the streets unless they turn them over to the city/county/town in which case they would legally have to remove that front gate which is such a false sense of security anyway.
If your streets are not owned by the residents and city owned and maintained, then this idiot would be parking on the city/county/town right-of-way. This is a city violation and can be addressed directly to them.
Technically the guy is not breaking any laws except the unwritten law to grow up to be intelligent and respectful of others, and of course not to be an idiot.
Honestly Eric, I have shown my hatred for the commys but I really am interested to find out how you make out with that situation. It would pizz me off too if my neighbor did that....with or without commy rule. I feel you have a right to be pizzed about that idiot.
The written rule about parking is that no vehicles, boats, etc, may be kept or parked between the street and the front of residential structures, except for on the driveway.
My advice is to not upset the HOA. It's a little mafia and they can make your life difficult if they want to. It's truly a playground elementary school mentality consisting of old wealthy retirees and stay-at-home people with too much time on their hands. I will be honest, I would rather live in an HOA that isn't too strict about enforcing the rules than the nazi types that will cite you for leaving a trashcan in plain view even though it's in the back and nestled neatly next to your house wall.
The written rule about parking is that no vehicles, boats, etc, may be kept or parked between the street and the front of residential structures, except for on the driveway.
I'm suprised the HOA didn't refer you to your city police or some other organization to escape having to do anything as usual.
I had a neighbor who was doing a remodel on his home. He had the nerve to park a big set of bricks just outside of his curb. The problem is you couldn't see these bricks at night and many drivers almost hit. And these bricks were spread out wide enough to occupy half the lane. I notified my HOA and the lazy SOB wrote back and asking me to contact the city because the bricks were on the street and thus not an HOA issue. True story!
I just sent a fax to our HOA this morning, which included this picture I snapped this morning. This resident parks here ALL THE TIME. I'm surprised this hasn't yet been addressed.
City of San Antonio would love leaving that car a little yellow love note under a wiper blade...
For what it's worth the HOA rules where I am basically repeat the city's livestock rules and add a couple of line items about not drilling for oil, gas or building a quarry in the back yard. Not like there's anything down there anyway, especially that you could get to in a quarter acre anyway. Also they parrot the city's code about abandoned cars and obviously neglecting the property. The city of San Antonio has a very weak code compliance unit, and the neighborhood was just out of the city limits when founded 20 years ago. No complaints here.
Last edited by scuba steve; 02-17-2010 at 06:18 PM..
I'm suprised the HOA didn't refer you to your city police or some other organization to escape having to do anything as usual.
I had a neighbor who was doing a remodel on his home. He had the nerve to park a big set of bricks just outside of his curb. The problem is you couldn't see these bricks at night and many drivers almost hit. And these bricks were spread out wide enough to occupy half the lane. I notified my HOA and the lazy SOB wrote back and asking me to contact the city because the bricks were on the street and thus not an HOA issue. True story!
That may well be true. Some developments have private roads while others are under the local jurisdiction.
We have two townhouse developments with an HOA where I am and the main street in the older one is the Town's responsibility while in the newer one the Town's jurisdiction ends just inside the project's sign. We learned after the first one was built.
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