neighbors harrasing woman over small white gate (San Antonio, Anton: crime, lawyers) - Texas (TX) - Page 5 - City-Data Forum

RoamingWolves · 06-24-2010, 10:13 AM

I doubt it would have been taken this far if she had proof that she submitted her request when she says she did.

A friend that lives in a stone oak HOA has a neighbor that is constantly calling them in for violations. It has gotten stupid. I also do not think anything has ever come of one of the calls because they were not violations. They have all the forms.

Some neighbors are just stupid.

I do agree with a previous poster about the part where this little gate will not prevent anything for long. Then what. You put in a full size door and completely screen in your front porch. But remember its for the child so its ok. wait he wants to play in the front yard. So we need to put in a 5 foot chain link fence around the front yard.... for the child. He can climb that it needs to be 7 foot and wood. with the supports facing out to prevent the child from getting footholds. etc etc etc.....

If she followed the HOA rules she agreed to when she bought into the neighborhood then cool. But making an exception for the child is a slippery slope that I hope they avoid.

I know parents of autistic kids that for the same reasons want to put a lock on the outside of the child's room door but they cannot because it is against the law. And because the kid has special needs is not an excuse. One I know put a motion sensor a few feet from the front door so they will hear an alarm if the kid goes up to it. They have gone outside after the child a few times in the middle of the night when he wakes up and opens a door to go play.

There has to be a line. And that is what HOAs provide. Make a random exception for the child is not ok. Because people will always have reasons to break the rules. and if you keep making exceptions you might as well not have one. Then see what these neighbor hoods look like.

Years ago we stayed in Rockport in a wonderful home with its own channel access. The neighbors house looked like it had been converted into a junk yard. The home owner we were staying with said it happened when the new neighbor moved in about 18 months before. Her house had lost nearly 100000 in value because no one wanted to live next to the hoarder. He even had half sunk boat in his boat slip. It was horrible to see a 300,000 dollar home trashed and causing problems for the people that wanted to live somewhere nice. They finally sued him and got him to sell his house to them all. Now its a rental house they use to pay for the HOA they setup after he was gone.

Mom2Feebs · 06-24-2010, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoamingWolves

I know parents of autistic kids that for the same reasons want to put a lock on the outside of the child's room door but they cannot because it is against the law. And because the kid has special needs is not an excuse. One I know put a motion sensor a few feet from the front door so they will hear an alarm if the kid goes up to it. They have gone outside after the child a few times in the middle of the night when he wakes up and opens a door to go play.

Sounds like the people you know need to put some locks on the outside doors that the child cannot access...like deadbolts with keys? Yikes.

GlorifiedMalcontent · 06-24-2010, 02:33 PM

personally, i think she understands that line. she did not try to install a giant chainlink fence right off the bat then hide behind her son. she knew what was required by the hoa. she made an effort to make it as unobtrusive as possible. if she's really looking for a fortress to house her child in, there are probably easier routs then doing battle with an hoa. i'm not seeing her as a dastardly sneak trying to dupe the hoa into giving her everything she wants. again, personally as an outside observer, it really just seems like she took a chance getting a gate approved by the hoa, did not hear back from them, and decided to go ahead with the gate when they did not respond, as per the rules. and that should have been the end of it.

maybe the reason for the gate was for her autistic child and maybe that makes a good news story, but even if it was just because some homeowner wanted it for the sake of what-have-you, if they filed the paperwork and the hoa lapsed on their duties, then there should still not be an issue.

majormadmax · 06-24-2010, 02:49 PM

Look, the kid is autistic, not an idiot! The small fence may be all that is needed to remind him that he shouldn't go off the porch. Acting like he should be caged is ludicrous and insulting...

txmusicgal · 06-24-2010, 03:11 PM

I don't see what the big deal is its just a little white gate. The HOA's is being stupid complaining about something as trivial as a gate on the front porch. The gate is not hurting them and its not an eye sore. The HOA's and neighbors should be glad they have a gate. So they don't have to worry every time they drive by to make sure the kid is not in the street. This family just wants to protect their child so he doesn't get hurt. Geez they can't keep him locked up inside or keep him in backyard 24/7. The kid will get bored of the backyard real fast if he is in it all the time.

Lets say they didn't have a gate and kid kept going in the street. One of neighbors is bound to call CPS or the police to come out. Then the family would get in trouble for not watching their kid. They are saving themselves the hassle of what could happen if they didn't have a gate.

Be glad they have a gate and are taking proactive measures to keep their kid safe.

mamatotex97 · 06-24-2010, 03:17 PM

it kills me that there is all this fuss over a little gate...yet we live in a town where there is tagging everywhere and people just shrug their shoulders.

seriously, it's just a little gate that provides some safety/peace of mind.

RoamingWolves · 06-24-2010, 04:33 PM

Its not the gate that is the issue. If she filed for it and they dropped the ball on it that's cool. If she did not she should take it down regardless of why she put it up.

That's what it really comes down to.

The big argument seems to be that they should allow it because of the kid. I say screw that. You don't let people break the rules. I am on her side if she filed the form and they never said anything back. She was in the right. I do not think they would be pushing this this far if she had a properly filed request.

mamatotex97 · 06-24-2010, 06:21 PM

screw that? to a kid with a (dis)ability??? are you freaking serious?

Mom2Feebs · 06-24-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoamingWolves

Its not the gate that is the issue. If she filed for it and they dropped the ball on it that's cool. If she did not she should take it down regardless of why she put it up.

That's what it really comes down to.

The big argument seems to be that they should allow it because of the kid. I say screw that. You don't let people break the rules. I am on her side if she filed the form and they never said anything back. She was in the right. I do not think they would be pushing this this far if she had a properly filed request.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamatotex97

screw that? to a kid with a (dis)ability??? are you freaking serious?

I agree mama! I wonder, RoamingWolves, did you feel the same when the ADA required that sidewalks be reconfigured to allow wheelchair-bound folks to enter and exit an intersection? Just curious...

darnit · 06-24-2010, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I agree mama! I wonder, RoamingWolves, did you feel the same when the ADA required that sidewalks be reconfigured to allow wheelchair-bound folks to enter and exit an intersection? Just curious...

not a good comparison. Pubic property vs Private Property.