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But even safety, security and higher property values is a fallacy. As these little communities age they are going to cost more and more to keep up. No one wants to buy homes where the Home and condo fees are just as expensive as the mortgage. If you look on trulia you can find amazing prices on homes and wonder why...then you scroll down to the HOA fees and it all makes sence....people want out.
This is my first HOA and I have never had so many door to door salesman and church groups knock at my door. Burglars come under many disguises. AND we have a crazy 83yo peeping Tom next door that shines flashlights through our windows and hangs tin cans on his trees and fence, calls me fat and my daughter a lesbian and bends over and moons us. Etc. And guess what!?! He has served on the board as both a past president and Architectural review board member. That made me realize these board members are certainly not cream of the crop.
Ahhh the drama. You're not the first person to have buyer's remorse and you won't be the last. Your complaints aren't even anything to do with living in an HOA.
I believe this IS your first HOA. I remember you now. You were mad at the HOA before you even got to Vero, right? You're the guy who was mad at the HOA before you ever moved here because you wanted to build a CEMENT WALL "around your property" in there. You even posted which one it was.
I know your small subdivision very well. It's a whopping 1.5 streets or so LOL. A cement wall "around your property" would look horrible IMO. NOBODY has front yard fences and the back yard ones are not common and simple. Half the houses on one side of the subdivision look out onto a "lake", and other people's yards. Why should they all have to look at your army barracks wall eyesore?
You can't even TELL it's an HOA because it has no entry fence or guard, has a NO SOLICITING sign, and a Neighborhood Watch sign, virtually NO HOA maintenance to speak of there. The brick holding the sign as you enter with a tiny bit of landscaping. Minimal common area.
And MANY permissive qualities not permitted elsewhere including:
Lighting - one house has bright orange outside lighiting - others all have different and even unusual super bright LED lights (even though they are NOT really in compliance with your bylaws so your ARB can't be so bad
Mailboxes are all personalized and different
Swings are hanging from trees
canoes on top of cars, people parking on grass while working in their garages
Sports team flags hanging from poles off the houses
LOTS of statuary and BIG ones
portable basketball nets (just approved by the HOA about TEN YEARS AGO)
Regarding the HOA, proper:
YOUR HOA was created by the builder in 1991, as are MOST if not ALL. HOAs and CONDOS are required to register and file their restrictions (bylaws) with the state as a legal instrument. You posted your HOA name and Your HOA docs ARE on file with the state. INDIAN OAKS OF VERO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
ALL of your bylaws are in place EXACTLY as the builder created them in 1991-1993 except for ONE in 2006.
You've had a grand total of 4 state filings - 3 from the original builder 1991 and 1993, and ONE in 2006 about outdoor play structures and dog houses belonging in the yard except to allow for portable basketball nets in the front.
THESE docs certainly were available and provided you before you moved in. If your HOA is not being run correctly and you are not having a lawyer review your docs every year, then you are mismanaging it. That is one thing the HOA dues are for! And I say "you" because YOU are "the HOA", not some random strangers. My HOA just had to amend our docs because of some legal ruling. It costs MONEY for a lawyer to do all that.
People considering an HOA MIGHT want to make use of the IRC site to read ALL THE DOCS before getting all excited for one or the other, or choosing to buy in one.
Enter name
Select Restrictions
Submit
Select - double click on - the document
hit print all pages if you want to scroll the entire document instead of page by page BUT DON"T PRINT IT
This is NOT a new subject here. Some potential relocator was complaining about hypothetical potential issues because of her vehicles. They were "mad" because of parking bylaws because she was internet shopping looking at Trillium. They didn't even LIVE in Florida and claimed it was a weird FLORIDA thing LOL.
HOAs in Florida are heavily regulated. The Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State provide the legal basis of the association in the form of an Incorporated Non-Profit Corporation.. They even have a Customer Service call center to field questions and complaints.
Kevin Stanfield, Director
Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Chapter 2013-218, Laws of Florida, amended Chapter 720, Florida Statutes, to require homeowners’ associations, which meet the definition of section 720.301(9), Florida Statutes, to register with the Division by November 22, 2013. Homeowners’ associations that are required to register with the Division must be a Florida corporation responsible for the operation of a community or a mobile home subdivision in which:
the voting membership is made up of parcel owners and membership is a mandatory condition of parcel ownership, and in which the association is authorized to impose assessments that, if unpaid, may become a lien on the parcel.
Chapter 2013-218, Laws of Florida, amended Chapter 720, Florida Statutes, to require homeowners’ associations to register with the division by November 22, 2013. Registration information and the link to a reporting form may be found at hoa.
All HOA election and recall disputes must be filed with the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes for mandatory binding arbitration instead of being filed in the courts.
You think you can escape "crazy" 85 year olds acting inappropriately? Think again. Seniors with dementia are EVERYWHERE and all it takes is a look at the Caregiving Forum to see this behavior constantly. Besides, the man probably hung a couple of cans to scare animals away or something. Your HOA is VERY DENSELY WOODED, you must be looking REALLY hard to see that.
And that has NOTHING to do with HOA living, anyway. All these things would happen in a NON HOA subdivision and more OFTEN.
It's particularly HILARIOUS that you're promoting Lantana, again - probably an area you've not even driven through lately, based on some lady writing a blog about one subdivision. You think VERO is bad? Because of some cans on trees? Go move to Lantana, have fun. But I suggest you INVESTIGATE where you're moving this time.
oh oh RWS is back, are we going to forced to look at pictures of perfectly manicured lawns, with no fences and all matching outbuildings and told that HOA and other fees associated with HOA's are not nearly as much as we make them out to be? maybe we can get the results of a door to door poll done in the top 5 HOA's in PSL and VERO. /sarc.
oh oh RWS is back, are we going to forced to look at pictures of perfectly manicured lawns, with no fences and all matching outbuildings and told that HOA and other fees associated with HOA's are not nearly as much as we make them out to be? maybe we can get the results of a door to door poll done in the top 5 HOA's in PSL and VERO. /sarc.
BTW, my HOA fees have gone up $5.00 in 7 years and our taxes are lower for many people now than when they BUILT the community in 1987. Do you think HOA fees are a big secret? I don't even understand your non-point.
It's also funny that I just proved your other HOA hating buddy to be casting false light on his own tiny little neighborhood, which isn't the brightest move anyway, if he ever wants to sell the place considering City Data comes up all the time on Google.
And NO, his neighborhood does NOT have "manicured lawns" with no fences, quite the opposite - and everybody has a variety of fences. BUT NO CEMENT COMPOUNDS. I guess you missed the part where the guy is complaining about SOLICITATIONS which would NEVER happen in most HOAs anyway. So what's the ACTUAL problem? NOTHING.
There's only about 25 houses there anyway! All the DRAMA over nothing. Some old guy with tin cans....oooohhhh!
Why do you even CARE about HOAs if you don't plan to move to one? Ridiculous - just to argue a non issue. My guess is you're one of the many who resent the HOA communities even though you would WANT to live in one since they are always so NICE.
BTW if you're a capable human what's the big big big problem with getting rid of solicitations? Something that would happen in ANY NON HOA community.
But thanks for making the case whereby HOAs with GATES and GUARDS like MINE would prevent that.
And what's the problem that you can't get along with some 85 year old guy? Because he has CANS on his trees? Something that you'd find in ANY NON HOA street with lot lines the size of yours.
And what's the problem that as a "capable human", you were incapable of understanding that a CEMENT WALL around a house is going to be an ISSUE in an HOA with 25 houses that have NO CEMENT WALLS?
I find it HILARIOUS that someone who showed up here less than a MONTH ago, who doesn't even LIVE HERE, who is only "CONSIDERING" a move to this area, is lecturing and arguing with people.
Do your thing, nobody is forcing you to look at anything.
It's YOU who needs all the help, not me.
BTW, my HOA fees have gone up $5.00 in 7 years and our taxes are lower for many people now than when they BUILT the community in 1987. Do you think HOA fees are a big secret? I don't even understand your non-point.
It's also funny that I just proved your other HOA hating buddy to be casting false light on his own tiny little neighborhood, which isn't the brightest move anyway, if he ever wants to sell the place considering City Data comes up all the time on Google.
And NO, his neighborhood does NOT have "manicured lawns" with no fences, quite the opposite - and everybody has a variety of fences. BUT NO CEMENT COMPOUNDS. I guess you missed the part where the guy is complaining about SOLICITATIONS which would NEVER happen in most HOAs anyway. So what's the ACTUAL problem? NOTHING.
There's only about 25 houses there anyway! All the DRAMA over nothing. Some old guy with tin cans....oooohhhh!
Why do you even CARE about HOAs if you don't plan to move to one? Ridiculous - just to argue a non issue. My guess is you're one of the many who resent the HOA communities even though you would WANT to live in one since they are always so NICE.
NOT a new complaint around here.
Ahh, I find it hilarious that a person who spends as much time here as you in an attempt to white wash everything has the time to get out and stand on your soap box in various town squares checking into peoples lives. I am not lecturing anyone, and only arguing in the sense that opposing views of discussions are considered arguments.
Yes I do need help in researching the PSL area, not vero however as the schools are rated lower and crime higher than in the PSL (marginally, according to neighborhood scout/great schools city-data etc etc etc). My "buddy" can stick up for his self I am sure, so I won't go down that road.
The reason why I care about HOA's is to try to help warn people about them, try to put the correct and accurate information out there regarding them, to pierce through the "romanticism" that HOA's try to project about themselves, especially ones that are floundering. I wouldnt call an elderly man with dimentia harassing my family nothing, and if the board overlooks complaints because he is chummy with them, then that is also a problem, sounds to me like county adult services needs to be called, but you seem to miss a lot of things like garbage and entire points so shrug.
When it comes to me, i've avoided HOA's and helped stop em as well, I have helped troops of mine with them, and will continue to warn others of the pitfalls and the positives of them. Again as for me I have never and will never buy into one, period, end of story, its not a money issue, its a freedom issue. I would sooner roast marshmallows on my neighbors bonfire built by burning tires on rotted out cars while watching the domestic dispute in the trailer across the street than live in an HOA. I know its difficult to accept that people out there are free thinkers, are dissatisfied with things you are satisfied with and share opinions that reflect their own life experiences than yours, but for the sake of the children just try please. I really think your probably a great person and I see you try (and succeed occasionally) to be helpful, I am just sorry you feel somehow like you were selected the champion of all that is treasure coast and that you feel embattled everyday.
No did not know anything about my HOA before moving here. We pulled into my new driveway with so much hope and excitement to be returning home and to begin a wonderful life here. I fixed a lot of my homes problems, updated the 80's decor, plumbing and electric and now am very happy in my home. But because of a few bad apples in my HOA, I no longer want to invest any more money in this neighborhood. Yes I am the person that would have liked to build a real cement fence around my yard and not the kind that would have fallen down in a couple of years. Even though the documents do give the size that the "wall" is allowed to be, and says outside structures must be built in the same materials as the home, I will not give this home this expensive improvement.
Your lack of comprehension to grasp this only shows me how unworldly, untraveled, and unsophisticated you really are. Putting down everyone's feelings, troubles and ideas the way you do just makes you look bad and sound heartless. If you were truly uncaring, I don't think you would be trying to give out so much information. It's your delivery and put downs that are evil. By the way it's 36 homes, no pond. Hardly an HOA...but don't tell the board that or their bubbles will burst. And yes that is my point...no ones home looks the same so why start now.
Ahh, I find it hilarious that a person who spends as much time here as you in an attempt to white wash everything has the time to get out and stand on your soap box in various town squares checking into peoples lives. I am not lecturing anyone, and only arguing in the sense that opposing views of discussions are considered arguments.
Yes I do need help in researching the PSL area, not vero however as the schools are rated lower and crime higher than in the PSL (marginally, according to neighborhood scout/great schools city-data etc etc etc). My "buddy" can stick up for his self I am sure, so I won't go down that road.
The reason why I care about HOA's is to try to help warn people about them, try to put the correct and accurate information out there regarding them, to pierce through the "romanticism" that HOA's try to project about themselves, especially ones that are floundering. I wouldnt call an elderly man with dimentia harassing my family nothing, and if the board overlooks complaints because he is chummy with them, then that is also a problem, sounds to me like county adult services needs to be called, but you seem to miss a lot of things like garbage and entire points so shrug.
When it comes to me, i've avoided HOA's and helped stop em as well, I have helped troops of mine with them, and will continue to warn others of the pitfalls and the positives of them. Again as for me I have never and will never buy into one, period, end of story, its not a money issue, its a freedom issue. I would sooner roast marshmallows on my neighbors bonfire built by burning tires on rotted out cars while watching the domestic dispute in the trailer across the street than live in an HOA. I know its difficult to accept that people out there are free thinkers, are dissatisfied with things you are satisfied with and share opinions that reflect their own life experiences than yours, but for the sake of the children just try please. I really think your probably a great person and I see you try (and succeed occasionally) to be helpful, I am just sorry you feel somehow like you were selected the champion of all that is treasure coast and that you feel embattled everyday.
Well at least you admit to being argumentative.
Like I told the OP, I guess I'm flattered that you think about me so much because I don’t think about you at all.
I hope with all the issues on your personal plate, that you focus on yourself instead of worrying about what I do and say. Because not only will it affect your health, but your status on City Data where, IMO, you are repeatedly violating the TOS conditions. I guess you're just lucky the moderators here are overlooking it, for NOW. Especially since you point out that YOU are not interested in Vero Beach and ONLY PSL, and I never remark on PSL. PSL is not even in MY COUNTY.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 07-05-2015 at 07:48 AM..
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You even posted which one it was. 
