HOA taking down politcal signs? (for sale, rental, condo)

[SteelCityRising]

I can see both sides of the issue here. If you buy into a "plan" (a.k.a. subdivision, housing development, McMansionVille, etc.) then you need to be aware of the HOA's rules and bylaws PRIOR to moving in. With that being said I think a board member donning camouflage and war paint and running amok at 3 AM running around each and every cul-de-sac taking political signs from front lawns and chucking them into the trash is COMPLETELY uncalled for. Each time someone within the jurisdiction of an HOA violates some sort of rule or bylaw I think the most appropriate first course of action would be for a representative of the HOA to ring the offender's doorbell and politely explain that they are violating a bylaw. If the offending party fails to take corrective action on their own, then the HOA should draft up a written warning on HOA letterhead, signed by HOA authorized representatives, and giving the offending party a certain timeframe to take corrective measures. If the party STILL refuses to take corrective action, then the HOA should indeed have the power to enforce its bylaws on its own.

In this case if the offending parties thought they were "above the law" then the HOA could have (and should have) taken the signs and returned them to the political candidates, explaining that some of their supporters were unable to conform to their bylaws after repeated warnings. End of discussion.

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I can see both sides of the issue here. If you buy into a "plan" (a.k.a. subdivision, housing development, McMansionVille, etc.) then you need to be aware of the HOA's rules and bylaws PRIOR to moving in. With that being said I think a board member donning camouflage and war paint and running amok at 3 AM running around each and every cul-de-sac taking political signs from front lawns and chucking them into the trash is COMPLETELY uncalled for. Each time someone within the jurisdiction of an HOA violates some sort of rule or bylaw I think the most appropriate first course of action would be for a representative of the HOA to ring the offender's doorbell and politely explain that they are violating a bylaw. If the offending party fails to take corrective action on their own, then the HOA should draft up a written warning on HOA letterhead, signed by HOA authorized representatives, and giving the offending party a certain timeframe to take corrective measures. If the party STILL refuses to take corrective action, then the HOA should indeed have the power to enforce its bylaws on its own.

In this case if the offending parties thought they were "above the law" then the HOA could have (and should have) taken the signs and returned them to the political candidates, explaining that some of their supporters were unable to conform to their bylaws after repeated warnings. End of discussion.

Agree 10000% The thing that has me mad is unauthorized action followed by an email that "the signs are now in my trash". Of all of the board members we've had, this particular one was the only one that wanted to be on the board. Everyone else has been "volunteered" and begged to be on. The fact that he was so eager was warning sign to me, and I do not want this to be the first shot in a series of escalating battles. Hopefully this was an isolated incident.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

BTW, hope your assessment appeal is denied and you lose your house. After all, rules are rules and you knew them when you bought the property.

People like me never "lose your house". We plan to sell a home due to it not being worth it. We read and plan. You should read the HOA and plan. You are causing a problem for no reason. Just don't break the HOA rules and this thread doesn't exist. Don't break their rules. You signed the paper.

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

You should read the HOA and plan. You are causing a problem for no reason. Just don't break the HOA rules and this thread doesn't exist. Don't break their rules. You signed the paper.

Again, you really do no understand the concept of an HOA. I am part of the HOA. We are not serfs living on a manor, we collectively own the HOA and are part of it. Just as it is our right to impose restrictions, it also our right and duty to make sure that rules and procedures are followed. What the board member did was no different than the sign placer. You seem to be under the impression that the board members are nobles that can punish by decree. That is certainly not the case. They say people get the HOA they deserve, and that lack of participation is one of the biggest causes of strife. I'm trying to prevent that from happening by being active and that is why I plan to bring this up at the meeting. Since only six or seven of us usually show up out of 200+, my voice usually has a lot of sway.

[Copanut]

It is SO EASY to avoid the rules of an HOA, DON'T BUY INTO ONE!!!


Class dismissed.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

Again, you really do no understand the concept of an HOA.

Really?

1. There are no signs allowed.
2. You have a sign.
3. You are going agains the rules in place and are complaining.
4. You probably shouldn't be living in a community that has deed restrictions if you don't want to follow those restrictions.

I think I understand the rules better than yourself.

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Really?

1. There are no signs allowed.
2. You have a sign.

No, my neighbor had signs, but that point keeps being completely lost on you. As I have also repeatedly said, the signs themselves not really the issue.

Originally Posted by h_curtis

3. You are going agains the rules in place and are complaining.

The HOA board member also acted against the rules, or at least outside of them, but for some reason you seem to think that is meaningless. You presenting yourself as a stickler for the rules, but for some reason you are completely willing to overlook the fact one side committed an infraction that was likely against the law.

[Copanut]

Again, why do you stay there and b itch . Move

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Again, why do you stay there and b itch . Move

Please re-read the original post that started the threat. This did not happen directly to me, if it did I would not be posting about it on a message board. I would have simply called the cops. Since it did not happen to me I have no legal standing to file a criminal complaint. But since we do have HOA meeting coming up I was looking for advice, as I believe the board member acted inappropriately. I don't understand this argument of "quit b*tching about it". That is the whole point of an HOA meeting, to address concerns of the members. I'm sure I could sit back and be a good little sheep like the majority of the neighbors, but I happen to take my position seriously. You're advocating the exact type of behavior that causes more problems then solves. Inactive members are just as bad as the busy bodies and tyrants.

BTW, I'm not going to spend 10s of thousands of dollars to sell my house and up root my family over one incident. I already plan on moving in a few years, but I would like to make the remainder of my time as tolerable as possible.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

I'm sure I could sit back and be a good little sheep like the majority of the neighbors, but I happen to take my position seriously.

There's a great deal of ground between "sheep" and willing to accept a fix when you've clearly failed at following a voluntarily agreed up set of rules. As for whether the board member removing the sign was a busybody or not, I think that would depend on whether or not there were warnings or general notices before.