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We are currently living in our 4th HOA community and are about to rent a home in yet another one. We have had zero problems with any of them and, quite frankly, we like them. We like living in a place where we know all the neighbors have agreed up front to make sure things don't end up looking tacky.
In every case, we read the documents before buying (or in this current case, before leasing) and we were fine with them. Otherwise, we simply wouldn't have moved there. No one forces anyone to live in a HOA community "just to have a roof over your head". It is your choice to live in an HOA community.
Perhaps we've just been lucky to never have HOA problems, but I don't think so. In all our homes, the HOA representatives have been dedicated, hard-working, sincere and reasonable folks. Well, all except one (there's always going to be one in every crowd, right?). And all of them have been volunteers.
Seems like I'm in the minority because I see so many posts demonizing and railing against HOAs. Or perhaps those of us who are happy with HOAs just don't post much about it . But I can tell you this: based on our experiences, it is more likely that we will continue to seek out HOA communities than not.
Those clubs do not levy fines and even threaten property seizure forcing your family homeless also if you do not pay.
Those clubs you mention, like the VFW for example, do not infringe on your personal rights and you have all the right to leave it without being forced to move.
If the HOAs were so great, then why force people into them when they buy a house?
People have a right to restrict themselves. If the developer of land wants to say you have to follow these rules, he can do it.
You don't have to buy the house if you don't want to follow their rules. It's that simple.
Nelly & Silver -- While this thread, from it's title, is clearly a place to gripe about HOA's, each of your posts are refreshing to read. I've lived in a community for 20 years and have served in various volunteer positions on and off over the years.
Nelly has given great advice to all -- READ the Rules & Regs, By-Laws and anything else you can get your hands on before you make a purchase or sign a lease.
And once in a community - get involved. It's a good way to protect (and perhaps enhance) your investment.
I possibly would have never purchased a home here if my "Realtor" would have furnished us the HOA rules and guidelines before we purchased....As long as we "home owners" keep their property looking nice, I believe should be no neighbor or anyone else's business., unless a home is tackless, old cars sitting around, oil leaking on the road, items of this nature...but where we live most are retirees' and properties are very nice...
Some HOA's think they are all that, but actually most have self esteem issues..
People have a right to restrict themselves. If the developer of land wants to say you have to follow these rules, he can do it.
Correct, the right to restrict themselves, not others who do not wish to be. The developer has all the rights in the world to do as they please up to the point they no longer own the land, how would you like to buy a house from someone and the former owners still tell you what you can do with it? You probably would not like it and that is the same poitn with the developers, once they sell the property that should be that, there should not be allowed any rules or laws past federal, state and local that property owners have to abide by.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverfall
You don't have to buy the house if you don't want to follow their rules. It's that simple.
Nice excuse, almost the same as telling a black person if they don't like the discrimination then they can move. A person should not have to poke around and investigate in this "free" country for a place to live to enjoy property rights.
And who is "their" rules? Again, I see no basis on how an HOA can exercise authority over anothers property.
Yes, and this is what living without HOAs gets you--people who REFUSE to maintain their lawns--grass is two feet high; people who have POP MACHINES on their front porch; people who have GARBAGE on their property; people who work on their cars all weekend (oil stains, looks like Appalachia); people who's dogs pee and crap in your yard; people who have white trash garage sales all weekend every weekend.
These are things that have happened in my neighborhood. If an HOA means you occasionally get a letter for leaving a garbage can out, so what? If a letter goes out by mistake, is your life that much more miserable? (If it is, the problem is with YOU, not the HOA) If it deals with the white trash mentality, I say "Bring it on". I can't help but wonder how many people raging agains HOAs are the ones behaving like white trash.
Are there bad HOAs? Of course. Are there good HOAs? Of course. To lump them all together is truly stupid.
forget about how it relates to the look of a property. They can be critical when the issue affects the life of others in the community.
We had small lots in NC. The rules prohibited dogs in kennels in the backyards. A new owner, who obviously did not read the covenants, immediately put up a kennel on the edge of his small property and put the dog there. Dog barked at squirrels, people, etc. all day long. Did not fall under noise ordinance.
What is the problem: The kennel was right next to the bedroom window of the neighbor's baby. The new owner did not care.
Solution: letter to the homeowner to remind them of the rules and consequences. Kennel gone.
I think in many places, the HOA is also in place because lots are so small that what some consider normal activity affects the lives of many others often in negative ways.
Boats, cars, pickups, PODs flowers etc. Silly. Life affecting issues. Serious.
I never heard about an HOA telling you what color flowers you can have....and I own properties in different HOA communities and before I bought a property in '05 I never had owned ahome in the US and never heard or knew what HOA's were, so IMO it is no excuse not to know the rules. If I can found out how it works than so can a person who was born and raised here.
I wish we don't a HOA but I'm glad we have. So many people don't want to pick up their papers from the driveway and since we are in Fl. and the sprinklers are on, on a regular base + the sun, they get to look horrible after a few days and we still have many people to lazy to pick them up. When they put out the trashcan twice a week they put it right next to the news papers and still leave them there. Than you have the lawns that they don't care about and hedges that are growing higher than the windows, pick up trucks are allowed but no business cars...but 3 big trucks won't fit and the garage...well that is used for yard chairs and to drink not for a car...and these are the people who complain in my neighborhood....since I'm on the ACC I hear more and I have been sitting in for the convenants committee and people are indeed good in twisting the truth.
When people come up with a reasonable explanation it will be handled very reasonable, just like watching the program "cops" and listening to the excuses and b.s. that people try to sell.....same at HOA's, so next time think about there are 2 sides to every story and don't hesitate to go to a meeting and tell your side, if they won't listen to a reasonable story, maybe the wrong people are serving on the committees, or too many people have already used the same story.
Yes, and this is what living without HOAs gets you--people who REFUSE to maintain their lawns--grass is two feet high; people who have POP MACHINES on their front porch; people who have GARBAGE on their property; people who work on their cars all weekend (oil stains, looks like Appalachia); people who's dogs pee and crap in your yard; people who have white trash garage sales all weekend every weekend.
These are things that have happened in my neighborhood. If an HOA means you occasionally get a letter for leaving a garbage can out, so what? If a letter goes out by mistake, is your life that much more miserable? (If it is, the problem is with YOU, not the HOA) If it deals with the white trash mentality, I say "Bring it on". I can't help but wonder how many people raging agains HOAs are the ones behaving like white trash.
Are there bad HOAs? Of course. Are there good HOAs? Of course. To lump them all together is truly stupid.
Where I live (without an HOA), there are county zoning laws that address most of these things, because they create health or safety issues. I complained to the county just recently about my next door neighbor who hadn't mowed the back yard in weeks, and had started accumulating junk back there. It was corrected within days.
HOA's aren't bad unless they are overzealous in the implementation. The OP is an example of over zealousness. HOAs tend to fill the gap in local zoning. Most people are looking for a well cared for neighborhood in which to live, and some assurance that the neighborhood will stay that way.
Most county governments are not proactive in the enforcement of zoning laws, and any action requires someone in the neighborhood to file a complaint. I've seen neighbor wars started as a result of one neighbor calling the county on another.
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(there's always going to be one in every crowd, right?). And all of them have been volunteers. 
. But I can tell you this: based on our experiences, it is more likely that we will continue to seek out HOA communities than not.
Well stated!
