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I bought my retirement home in an HOA community and don’t regret it for a minute. No way in Hell do I want a semi or RV parked in the drive next to me. What irks me is that our HOA majors on the minors while ignoring the major infractions. People can get hung up on the dumbest things like leaving trash cans out for too long but ignoring the boat sitting in the drive for a week.
Oh, and the number of people who complain that they didn’t know the rules before buying is amazing. Why on earth would anyone move into an HOA community unless they were in agreement with all of the requirements?
1. The "rules" can change after you purchase. You have no assurance of being able to sell what you purchased.
2. To suggest involuntary membership HOAs are voluntary or choice-driven is ludicrous. The landscape is poisoned with them. Nothing built in last 30 years or more is HOA-free. People need housing and they are limited to the poor choices (HOA-burdened housing) available. The comment is kind of like arguing if people knew the air was poisoned then why did they breathe it?
1. The "rules" can change after you purchase. You have no assurance of being able to sell what you purchased.
2. To suggest involuntary membership HOAs are voluntary or choice-driven is ludicrous. The landscape is poisoned with them. Nothing built in last 30 years or more is HOA-free. People need housing and they are limited to the poor choices (HOA-burdened housing) available. The comment is kind of like arguing if people knew the air was poisoned then why did they breathe it?
I'm all for a good HOA & I've reached the conclusion that the reason we have HOAs is because of the folks who are so dead set against them. Those are the folks who are most likely to not properly maintain the real estate or paint the garage door purple or have junk cars sitting on the front lawn. If you want to live like that, go ahead, but please not in my neighborhood.
Bingo, every HOA eventually devolves into something that resembles the Gestapo. Residents encouraged to spy on and report on their neighbors. And of course, "party members" ie the board and their clique are exempt from the rules.
Diane, I'll be frank. I don't trust you enough to give you the power to put a lien on my house because I don't like the same flowers that you do. You act rational now, until when you decide that you like a certain kind of flower and you make up a rule to force everyone else to only have that kind of flower. If they don't agree, you put a lien on their house.
That is a complete load of crap. HOAs can only place liens on homes if there is an underlying financial interest (unpaid dues, unpaid water bills, etc.). You are apparently so blinded by your hatred of HOAs that you don't let facts get in the way of your opinion.
I am an HOA board member, and in the six years that I have served we have never voted to put a lien on a home - and we have had some homeowners in serious arrears. Even with fines, we make every effort to work with the homeowner toward a resolution of the issue (usually upkeep of the property) before voting to levy anything.
The HOA exists to make sure that people maintain their property and keep things in reasonable repair, which benefits everyone in the neighborhood through increased property values. In our case, we are also responsible for street repairs and plumbing infrastructure.
You wouldn't want to live in Coral Gables, FL. The City Beautiful is like living in a large HOA. They have rules, lots of rules. Among some are....painting your house, it has to be an authorized color, AND, you need a permit to paint your own house!
ZC Section 5-606. Painting
A permit is required to paint your house. There is a palette of colors approved by the Board of Architects, whose job is to ensure that the City’s architecture is consistent with the City’s regulations and to preserve the traditional aesthetic character of the community. All exterior coloring shall be approved by the Board of Architects, if different from the Board of Architects approved palette of colors.
Roof dirty, you better clean it.
Section 105-289. Floors, walls, ceilings and roofs.
Floors, walls, ceilings and roofs of every structure used for human habitation shall be structurally sound, and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. They shall be free from cracks, breaks, loose plaster and similar conditions so serious as to endanger the safety of occupants or to seriously mar the attractiveness of the premises.
Parking your car on your own lawn, you could get a ticket (my Dad did years ago). If you have a truck, you can't park it in your driveway* unless you meet their "rules" (a friend's brother went to court for this years ago before the rules came in to effect, maybe he had something to do with the change.)
Section 4-411. Parking in residential areas.
It shall be unlawful for any person to park any vehicle displaying advertising signs or any truck, trailer, commercial vehicle, or recreational vehicle, in or upon any property, public or private, in any area of the City in a residential district. This prohibition, however shall not apply in the following cases:
*Section 4-411. Pickup truck
a. There are no items in the bed of the vehicle.
b. The vehicle has no commercial markings or advertising, and no commercial equipment or appendage is attached to the exterior of the vehicle.
c. The vehicle is unmodified and has no more than four (4) wheels.
Having a garage sale, you better pay for that permit and can only have it during the hours the city says.
Section 5-2104.
A permit is required to conduct a garage sale, which can be obtained from the Finance Department of the City of Coral Gables by calling 305-460-5296. Only the owner or lessee of the property upon which the garage sale is being conducted may obtain the permit.
Before such permit shall be issued, the applicant shall file with the License Division an application containing the following information:
1. Legal description and street address where such sale is to be conducted.
Bingo, every HOA eventually devolves into something that resembles the Gestapo. Residents encouraged to spy on and report on their neighbors. And of course, "party members" ie the board and their clique are exempt from the rules.
Lol...I’m on our condo board and it couldn’t be further from the truth. No spying and no reporting, unless it’s an obvious major violation. And we, meaning the board members, have no special privileges at all. It’s a volunteer job. I get some HOAs are run horribly, but no one is forcing you to stay there.
If you have to ask, Please, Please, do not buy a house in my neighborhood, or my city or my state.
BTW, is that a 56 or a 57 chevy in your front yard on blocks?
Again, the attitude that has become common in surburbia..."my neighborhood," "my _______." You only own what is recorded in your name. Don't try controlling others' property unless they physically cause damage to yours. You don't have a right to tell others how to live.
No vehicles on blocks on my property. The closest neighbor is a mile away. I don't know if they have cars on blocks but it's none of my business unless they leak contaminants into the water and seeing as how everything is so densely wooded, I couldn't see it anyways.
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