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.
Just because people are coerced to pay the state for not confiscating their property doesn't mean people should enjoy volunteering more opportunities to pay more people for not confiscating their property.
Just because people are coerced to pay the state for not confiscating their property doesn't mean people should enjoy volunteering more opportunities to pay more people for not confiscating their property.
I like knowing that well trained and experienced Police and Firefighters will respond, when and if I need them.
I like that my roads are in relatively reasonable repair.
I like it that my streets are cleaned, snow is plowed and the roads salted, in the winter.
I like my garbage removed, every Friday.
I like that we have an abundance of recreational opportunities, well maintained parks, playgrounds, a municipal pool, a library and award winning schools.
How would these things be paid for, if not by taxation?
A country full of renters does not have a good quality of life because investor landlords have no interest in quality of life issues.
Just because people are coerced to pay the state for not confiscating their property doesn't mean people should enjoy volunteering more opportunities to pay more people for not confiscating their property.
But paying property tax, while not voluntary, everyone knows that ahead of time and should be factored in to your decision to buy. Buying into an HOA is more or less voluntary, you know that you'll have non-deductible fees, you know you may have special assessments for repairs, you know you may have additional rules outside the overall local government. You know that all these are in addition to whatever taxes, laws, etc. are in effect locally.
We have two townhouse developments where I am and I have to say that the residents in those are bigger pains in the ass than the other 1700 people in town put together. They want the town to cut the grass in the HOA owned common areas, they complain because their parking lots don't have enough spaces and aren't plowed when it snows (I point out that I don't have enough space in my driveway and I shovel it out when it snows because it's private property just like the HOA lots, went right over their heads). A couple years ago they complained that they were paying for streetlights on the town road that bisects the development. I got our electric bills (each light is billed separately) and discovered that not only was the HOA NOT paying for the lights on the street but that the Town was also paying for the area lighting owned by the HOA. More recently the HOA at their monthly meeting, requested the Town install speed bumps on the Town street. I told them that I would recommend that, along with a couple other legitimate requests, as long as the HOA sent a letter requesting it (our process for stuff like that, speed bumps are controversial). I wanted it in writing because so much has been done over the years verbally and you often get 2 or more stories about who, when, why, etc. A month later and no letter and I get a call today asking when these items will be done. I asked about no letter and the response is, "well we don't want to put anything in writing."
I so far have had pretty good luck with HOA's. I have been on the board on my condo HOA since around 05 (have had a stint doing the treasury now for some time), but anyway of the 5 years of owning it we have only had one assessment and that was for new windows for your own unit, which in turn you get the energy efficiency credit along with cheaper heating bills. Being my condo is a rental unit, I also get to write that off as a repair to the unit.
Our home we have is also in an HOA (didn't want to go that route, but it was a house my wife had to have). So far so good, they lowered the dues from $250/yr to $200/yr which those dues cover sanitation pickup as well as trail and beach/dock maintenance. It seems more of an association to make sure the house doesn't get painted pink etc.., but if it were a typical HOA, I should have had a copy of the updated Rules & Regs, and probably would have had gotten a fine for having a overloaded trash can and another fine for coughing in the middle of the night, and one for not mowing my grass on Monday instead of Tuesday...
I love hearing HOA stories though.. seriously. They can be a complete PITA, but they are there for a reason I guess.
Assessments and the potential consequences for failure to pay those assessments, are known when someone buys in an HOA.
Failure to pay such assessments, creates the opportunity for the HOA to file a lien on the property, to secure payment of assessments.
Same thing happens when you fail to pay your property taxes, except that these liens trump all others and far more likely to result in a loss of property.
Yep, run up a fortune in legal bills to fight in court to say the home owner owes back fees or fines for aleged violations in addition to extreme amounts of penalties in addition to the HOA legal fees. Keep fighting until the home owner is so broke his only option is to give up, sell his home, and never again buy into an HOA.
Yep, run up a fortune in legal bills to fight in court to say the home owner owes back fees or fines for aleged violations in addition to extreme amounts of penalties in addition to the HOA legal fees. Keep fighting until the home owner is so broke his only option is to give up, sell his home, and never again buy into an HOA.
Oh my. Sounds like you had a bad experience. Sorry to hear that.
My HOA is 40+ years old and has never fined anyone, for anything. They did however, make a homeowner remove a just installed fence because the HOA does not allow fences.
The desire to preserve open spaces and therefore forbid fences is the golden rule, in this HOA. Not sure why a long time owner decided to do otherwise. The whole deal was unforntuate. And no doubt, this particular owner is probably none too thrilled with HOAs. He caused his own problem by violating a rule and incurred the consequences.
Some people want a fenced in yard because of pets, security, and to keep unwanted foot traffic out of their private yard. Sometimes the fence is a security measure if the owner is installing a private swimming pool or simply wishes to lay out in the buff should he/she wish to do so in private.
Some people want a fenced in yard because of pets, security, and to keep unwanted foot traffic out of their private yard. Sometimes the fence is a security measure if the owner is installing a private swimming pool or simply wishes to lay out in the buff should he/she wish to do so in private.
If you don't want to deal with a HOA and it's rules, don't buy in one. Not sure why that's so hard to understand.
PS--Many HOA's allow fences under certain guidelines, including the one where I live.
If you don't want to deal with a HOA and it's rules, don't buy in one. Not sure why that's so hard to understand.
PS--Many HOA's allow fences under certain guidelines, including the one where I live.
I don't buy into an HOA because of the potential for abuse of power which has led to people being evicted from their homes. I don't buy into an HOA because I feel if you own the land and home you should be free to paint it whatever color you want, plant whatever plants you want, put up fences if you want, and not get a fine because a dandilion or some other weed sprouted in your lawn. I have neighbors I don't like and they do things with their home that I don't agree with. But I don't let it bother me because it isn't my home. Unless they're doing something illegal or dangerous I don't worry about my neighbors' and their home. They can paint it tie dye for all I care. Only times I cared about my neighbors' homes were when some kids were throwing rocks at the home (I stopped them and notified the neighbor when he came home), when I saw someone trying to break into their home (called the police and they were caught), and when a neighbor's outside faucet broke after a hurricane (flying debris,...I shut off her water main until she returned home and I notified her of the damage).
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.
