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Then i would require quotes from the county to tell the bill without an HOA, where I would live where they maintain infrastructure etc and a bill with the HOA. Certainly that number would be lower living in an HOA right? Since they arent maintaining any part of the subdivision at all. Also some HOAs include schools, believe it or not, like that subdivision out in Land O' Lakes i think - Connerton? In any event, i want to see how my money is spent.
What if i dont live in the city limits? I remember last house i had outside the city limits, in a county un-incorporated that i had county taxes assesed each year as part of my mortage. On each water bill, there was a voluntary addition that i could add each month for the fire department. Since the high school was also not part of the city I am sure county taxes are levied somehow to pay for that.
What if the HOA is outside the city limits? How are property taxes assessed then?
As a neutral HOA person, your government makes HOA taxes and transparency look like child's play.
I don't HATE, HOA's per se. I just would never live under one.
^^ You're correct, the government is already making housing and property laws, rules and ordinances...I sure as heck don't want to add ANOTHER layer of people who can tell me what to do with MY home.
No, I don't want anyone dictating what color I can paint, what materials my fence HAS TO be made out of, or that I can't have a clothes line -- or even sand box or jungle gym in my back yard for kids (if I had any).
But for people who don't mind those limitations more power to them. I find that some people move in to an area, and it's only when THEIR ox is being gored that they have a problem. They were fine with no street parking when they moved in But now their 3 teens all have their own cars....if the driveway isn't wide enough and they can't park on the street overnight, are they not supposed to have more than two cars? ever?
Maybe I could deal with an HOA that was for community maintenance of green space and snow clearance ONLY. But no rules about my property itself.
Three different people have told me horror stories about the HOA but then turn around and say how great they are because they stop someone from putting a couch in their front yard. Now is that really a problem? I have never lived anywhere where anyone in the neighborhood had a couch in the front yard.
Our first HOA was voluntary and they only asked for $75 per year. They used the money to maintain our two lakes and park plus the expense of hiring an off-duty cop to patrol the neighborhood. All good.
Our second HOA were nazi's. They had drive-byes at least once a week to make sure the grass wasn't too tall. We got reprimanded because we set up a portable AC unit in our upstairs bedroom (and they could see the vent). They gave everyone in the neighborhood notice that we all needed to paint our homes. (None of them looked bad to me). We had to submit our color choices and paint brand for approval... We chose a nice green color and an off-white trim with a very expensive brand of paint. The HOA responded back to us that while they actually liked our color choices better than theirs, We needed to pick something similar (with a different brand of paint of their choosing...) The dang house ended up looking like something in Disney World.
Our current HOA... They get the snow plowed. It's all good!
I don't mind a good HOA community but I got lucky and bought into a non HOA community. When I did live in one, the silliest ones to me was I couldn't bring out the garbage can overnight. I had to put it out morning of and bring it back in before dark. If it was dark and a can was left out, you got a $25 fine. And stupid garbage came at 7am so I had to make sure I was up in time to take it out.
When I did live in one, the silliest ones to me was I couldn't bring out the garbage can overnight. I had to put it out morning of and bring it back in before dark. If it was dark and a can was left out, you got a $25 fine. And stupid garbage came at 7am so I had to make sure I was up in time to take it out.
Yep...another reason to not live in an HOA. I work 4p to midnight. So the rule is, I can't put the trash out before I goto bed at 3a. (when trash is collected by8a) I'm supposed to GET UP OUT OF MY BED to put the trash out? ...and go back to bed to finish my sleep?
One HOA I heard had a rule that no back yard garden vegetation could be seen from the street. So I guess you could never plant a gorgeous flowering rhododendron -- in your own SIDE yard, even behind the fence, because if it gets too tall you have to cut it or be fined. So in that Stepford Village just seeing the TOPS of flowering shrubs is a fineable offense?
I must be more of a free spirit than I thought because that's ridiculous.
I like HOA's, they usually keep the properties in better shape. I'd rather it be restrictive than have to put up w/ neighborhood problems.
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We chose a nice green color and an off-white trim with a very expensive brand of paint. The HOA responded back to us that while they actually liked our color choices better than theirs, We needed to pick something similar (with a different brand of paint of their choosing...) The dang house ended up looking like something in Disney World.
