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Old 04-24-2009, 09:06 PM
 
338 posts, read 1,620,811 times
Reputation: 158

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Norsky1 View Post
Hopefully they work it out with you. Good Luck!
Thanks. BTW, the comment I made was directed at my HOA. I'm sure there are some decent ones somewhere.
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Old 04-24-2009, 09:08 PM
 
Location: MN
761 posts, read 3,406,150 times
Reputation: 447
Thanks, I jumped on it thinking it was mine LOL. Keep us posted!
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Old 04-24-2009, 09:09 PM
 
120 posts, read 315,394 times
Reputation: 54
This is why I will never live in a community where there is an HOA. Sometimes, you have reasonable people in charge of these things. And at other times, you have whack jobs who suck in pseudo-power and pretend like they are the gods of the world.

Our last HOA was a nightmare. A scary old man with nothing better to do than walk around and try to fine everyone and their brother for minor infractions. We once received a notice that we weren't cutting our grass short enough. Apparently, by his ruler, we were 1/8" too long.

Seriously. That's what the letter said. When I fired back a letter (notarized, certified, the works) that asked what regulation stated the length of grass, I got a nasty gram that said that we were against him and that we were trying to take over his position on the HOA.

This man was crazy. We kept the letter and threatened to use it against him in court if he ever toiled with our time like that again.

So yes, there are decent people who run HOAs and they are looking after the entire community. Bravo for them. But unless I can get a full psychological evaluation of each member of the HOA before I write a contract on the house, I'll take my chances buying something in the general neighborhoods amongst the little people of the world.

I realize that this doesn't help the OP with her issue. But I had to share
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Old 04-24-2009, 09:12 PM
 
338 posts, read 1,620,811 times
Reputation: 158
Quote:
Originally Posted by mccamp View Post
This is why I will never live in a community where there is an HOA. Sometimes, you have reasonable people in charge of these things. And at other times, you have whack jobs who suck in pseudo-power and pretend like they are the gods of the world.

Our last HOA was a nightmare. A scary old man with nothing better to do than walk around and try to fine everyone and their brother for minor infractions. We once received a notice that we weren't cutting our grass short enough. Apparently, by his ruler, we were 1/8" too long.

Seriously. That's what the letter said. When I fired back a letter (notarized, certified, the works) that asked what regulation stated the length of grass, I got a nasty gram that said that we were against him and that we were trying to take over his position on the HOA.

This man was crazy. We kept the letter and threatened to use it against him in court if he ever toiled with our time like that again.

So yes, there are decent people who run HOAs and they are looking after the entire community. Bravo for them. But unless I can get a full psychological evaluation of each member of the HOA before I write a contract on the house, I'll take my chances buying something in the general neighborhoods amongst the little people of the world.

I realize that this doesn't help the OP with her issue. But I had to share
OMG! That is crazy!!!!
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Old 04-24-2009, 09:35 PM
 
120 posts, read 315,394 times
Reputation: 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueeyz911 View Post
OMG! That is crazy!!!!
That is crazy. And he was crazy. At first I thought that he was a lonely old man who needed some TLC. So we did nice things for him--like invite him over for Sunday dinner and the like.

Nope. Not lonely. Just crazy.

Geez, the entire experience almost made me move to Montana on a side of a mountain with my only neighbor being a mountain goat, who, when he thought my grass was too long, would eat it.
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Old 04-24-2009, 09:56 PM
 
338 posts, read 1,620,811 times
Reputation: 158
Quote:
Originally Posted by mccamp View Post
Geez, the entire experience almost made me move to Montana on a side of a mountain with my only neighbor being a mountain goat, who, when he thought my grass was too long, would eat it.
Now THAT sounds like a plan.
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Old 04-25-2009, 12:10 AM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
1,570 posts, read 5,972,394 times
Reputation: 1405
I don't know why you think the board members have miserable lives. Do you know them? All I know is that they volunteer to serve their community. You might consider do so yourself. It's not always appreciated but volunteerism is becoming a rare thing these days.

Here's what I'd suggest; Try to set your anger aside and try not to see yourself as a victum. If you work in a law firm you may notice that the lawyers don't get bad and resort to name calling in court. Take a cue from how they do handle a case. Approch the matter in a calm, professional and respectful manner. Get your evidence together - photos, dates, -- a time line can really be helpful. Put together a file and make copies for each board member. Assuming you will attend the next board meeting - contact your manager (or the Board President) and request that you are on the agenda. At the meeting - With the same respectful and professional manner a lawyer would address the judge - present your case, explain why the fine is in error, etc.

If you act in a respectful manner it's likely the respect will be returned. Rather than assuming you the taget of a mass of miserable people - try to bear in mind that this is your community and these are your neighbors. Perhaps you all care about where you life and the neighborhood you call home.
Best wishes & good luck!
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Old 04-25-2009, 06:05 AM
 
Location: Baltimore
1,802 posts, read 8,145,691 times
Reputation: 1975
Reading through this thread just reinforces my resolution to NEVER live in a neighborhood with an HOA. I'll take my chances that most people will care enough to maintain their own properties without meddling from a nanny state HOA.
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Old 04-25-2009, 03:32 PM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,575,377 times
Reputation: 15661
Many HOA's have changed their rules and regulations since many HO have similar violations over and over. Just as you they get a letter for weeds (mostly more weeds as you stated, but we all know that the people who get the letter never think anything is wrong), and than they pull some weeds and again they stop doing it and think it is okay...so tthe HOA's I deal with have changed the rule that if you get repeat letters for the same or similar issues the second time you immediately will get a fine. Do you know how much a letter sending cost...the management company needs to get paid for writing the letter, the letter it self, postage, so just as anything else there are administration costs and unless a fine is given, people keep doing the same over and over....

Do I agree, not in all cases, but we have similar things in our community and I"m a volunteer on the HOA ACC and have served on the fining committee for a few times when some one couldn't be there and in most cases if HO where reasonable and came to explain the fines were reduced or cancelled unless the next time the same thing occured.

Many HO though complain (mostly to other HO while never complaining to the people who can tell them how to solve the issue) and never show up to talk to the volunteers and just send angry letters and get a letter back that they have the right to come and address their issue in person and than never show up...I can assure you that our HOA is pretty reasonable, specially when people come in person or if they have limited time, they can do it by a conference call and solve it before interest will be added and later even liens.

So if you think you can avoid doing what you signed for when you bought the home in your HOA community and than after you have solved the issue can start keep doing it over and over...you are wrong and will have to learn the hard way.

HOA communities aren't so hard to live in, only for people who just never want to follow the rules and regulations..that is why some people keep getting DUI's and others never, some will get traffic tickets over and over and blame others....
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Old 04-25-2009, 05:08 PM
 
120 posts, read 315,394 times
Reputation: 54
Now why couldn't I live in a community where some of these HOA board members lived? Why was our HOA such a nightmare, and what can HO do to change these things? I know of five people in my community who were constantly harassed by this gentleman. They moved. And he started in on the new neighbors. It was such a shame. The other board members knew it was happening, but he had been there forever and they didn't want to show him the door.

It looks like there are decent HOAs out there. I wish I had encountered one of them.
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