Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
These references seem to be from laws that existed 60+ years ago.
The Fair Housing Act trumps it all.
My point was, some restrictions were thrown out on the grounds that they infringed on civil rights (the argument that people could choose other homes/areas, was not accepted), and, I say all such restrictions should be thrown out, as infringing on property rights.
Um - people's use of land has been restricted FOREVER!! Used to be cities and townships (zoning, nusiance ordinances) - but as they have found it more and more difficult to keep up with inspections, HOA's have become more popular.
Ours is pretty basic (still developer controlled). Fence, Shed, and no chickens.
Of course it could go insane when turned over to the homeowners, (Some are already rarin' to go).. but by then we'll have gotten our shed and fence, and won't care.
Also, ours has a provision that after 20 years a 3/4 majority of the neighborhood can vote to disband the HOA. Anotherwords the developer just cares that the neighborhood standards be kept up initially (while it reflects on their reputation). If after 20 years we want to disband it and all start keeping chickens, we can vote on it and do so!
YAY CHICKENS!
More of a 20th century thing. Most places had no restrictions on land use right up through the 19th century. Those that did were few and far between. My land in AK has no restrictions whatsoever on it. No building codes, no zoning, no permits, no taxes, nothing.
Most people building in an HOA in the midwest, would have previously been familiar with the old established 1950's neighborhoods/suburbs.
Those were governed by whatever municipalities ordinances (grass must be below 2 feet high in the front yard, no building a water tower, no collecting trash and attracting rodents, etc..) existed..
However, just as municipalities are making new developments take care of their own infrastructure (putting in roads and utilities) and those costs are being passed to the new homeowners, municipalities are also ceding control of asthetics to those new developments because it is EASIER for the municipalitiy to have the new developments police themselves.
this is becoming very common throughout the midwest for the majority of new developments/neighborhoods.
so far for us - it has not been burdensome (though dangit - I want those chickens!!)
I know this is an old debate but ... I'm just so PO'd right now.
I haven't been involved with HOA's for years and I swore that I would never do it again. However, I'm currently renting in a very nice neighorhood where there's an HOA. Because it is so nice and my bad experiences were so many years ago ... we decided to rethink our position and had pretty much settled on buying here (although we haven't, thankfully, bought anything yet).
Consequently, we decided to unload our stuff in storage from PODS, the well known storage people. They dropped off the POD in the driveway on Thursday and picked it up on Friday. It was always in our driveway ... it never blocked the street.
Even though the POD was there less than 24 hours, the HOA immediately fired off a letter to our landlord complaining about it. I mean ... these people must be overtly hostile ... waiting in the wings ready to pounce on anything. They never talked to us, they didn't even give it 24 hours ...
We don't have a right to unload storage items? Our landlord (who is not an HOA fan) told us that the HOA president is down the street and he's paid $10K a year to do this nonsense.
Whatever ... we won't be buying here now. It is, afterall, a buyers market with plenty of other places to go.
These morons can go harass someone else.
You have every right to feel the way you do -someone needs to have a chat with this guy. I think sometimes people are so concerned that renters are going to do terrible things that they over react. I have always had many of the same feelings about HOAs until.....we have a lovely upscale neighborhood nearby that has many older, gorgeous homes. Muli-million dollar babies. Not long ago a family moved into one - and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pink flamingos (I kid you not) in the front yard - weeds, junk. There is not an HOA. I don't live there but take that route occasionally because it's such a pleasnt drive and then...the eye soar. It upsets me and again, it's not my neighborhood. You really have to wonder what's wrong with some people. I'm sure the people that live there never thought it could happen in their neighborhood. Well, I believe this guy does alot of this intentionally just to make some sort of statement. I've been lucky so far but I can see the value of a "good" HOA - unfortunately, too many ppl abuse authority. Don't dwell on this - it really isn't healthy - you've got support here. $10,000!@#$%%
Mon Aug 4, 4:50 PM ET Farmer sends message to neighbors with car fence
HOOPER, Utah - A farmer has erected a fence in his backyard made of three old cars sticking up in the air to send a message to new neighbors that he can do whatever he wants on his farm. "This is just a fun way for me to say, 'Hey boys, I'm still here,'" said Rhett Davis. "This is my redneck Stonehenge."
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thank goodness for my HOA .
***********************************************
You can read the rest of the story (and see a lovely picture of his creation) either at Yahoo News or at the Associated Press (type "Redneck Stonehenge" in the search box).
Here's what you do... get a whole bunch of your other disgruntled neighbors together, and take over the HOA. It might take a year or two, but once you have power, then reduce the HOA rules to keeping your lawn mowed.
Then, impose a financial and ultra-restrictive property rights penalty on the idiots who were running it in the first place to teach them a lesson.
But I probably wouldn't have the patience and call in the mafia to take care of business... j/k
However, just as municipalities are making new developments take care of their own infrastructure (putting in roads and utilities) and those costs are being passed to the new homeowners, municipalities are also ceding control of asthetics to those new developments because it is EASIER for the municipalitiy to have the new developments police themselves.
Lucky for me I have no interest in living in a new home. I couldn't deal with an HOA. Not because I don't agree with some of the things they try to do; however, it's the tryannical methods that annoy me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MN2CO
Not long ago a family moved into one - and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pink flamingos (I kid you not) in the front yard
The horror. My pink flamingos are very well-behaved. They sit quietly and peacefully amongst the flowers in the front garden, and never do they wander into the neighbors' yards and poop, nor make a lot of squaking noises. They don't even clash with the yellow, pink and purple flowers. I think it's awfully considerate of them, don't you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelly Nomad
I found this on Yahoo News today...
I saw that story and loved it! People move into an agricultural area and complain about the dust at harvest, and the bugs? They deserve everything they get, and then some.
I have always had many of the same feelings about HOAs until.....we have a lovely upscale neighborhood nearby that has many older, gorgeous homes. Muli-million dollar babies. Not long ago a family moved into one - and OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pink flamingos (I kid you not) in the front yard
In Austin, there is a wonderful plant nursery that is at an intersection on the western loop around the city. High dollar neighborhoods all around, but not immediately adjoining the nursery. They put flamingos out once as an advertising "keep Austin weird" thing. The neighbors had SUCH a fit that they had to drive past this display and tried to shut them down throug legal means that it got into the newspaper - and guess who ended up looking foolish and entirely out of place in Austin and guess who else puts the flamingos (a giant flock of them) out EVERY year now and is famous for it?
In this case, it was the "upscale" neighbors who were considered to be "ruining the neighborhood" for the rest of the city. So it's all a matter of perspective.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
- it really isn't healthy - you've got support here. $10,000!@#$%%
picture of his creation) either at Yahoo News or at the Associated Press (type "Redneck Stonehenge" in the search box).