If you in are in an HOA, will your next home not be in an HOA given your preference?
Or, if you are not in an HOA, will your next home be in an HOA?
Or, if you are not in an HOA, will your next home be in an HOA?
OT - Homeowners Associations: love 'em or hate 'em?
- Thread starter Rutherford B. Hayes
- Start date
Love 'em. If you would like to have nice standards for your neighborhood and don't mind conforming to those rules (possibly under penalty of a lean against your house), then they are great.
But if that idea seems communist, you are better off in unincorporated land outside of city limits or planned subdivisions.
But if that idea seems communist, you are better off in unincorporated land outside of city limits or planned subdivisions.
If you live in a neighborhood where the houses are on relatively small lots, you care about your property values, and you're not the one guy in your neighborhood who wants to park a car on blocks in the front yard, paint your house royal blue and pink, and spray roundup rather than mow your grass, then I'd say go for the HOA.
I don't think I could live with them long term, just because I was born and raised with plenty of land to roam on. That was never an excuse to junk up our yard, though. I bought my first house about 3 years ago, and it was on over an acre outside of the city limits. However, I would gladly take an HOA over the new neighbors I have right now. I swear I'm about to kill a dog and torch some junk in their yard. It's a nice neighborhood, too. Some people...
I may look at an HOA for our next purchase, but just make sure some of the rules aren't ridiculous like some I have seen.
I may look at an HOA for our next purchase, but just make sure some of the rules aren't ridiculous like some I have seen.
How would someone leaning against my house be a penalty?
Before one of you lawyer types pipes up....I know...lien
Before one of you lawyer types pipes up....I know...lien
Great, as long as you are not in charge
The best of neighbors turn into crazy mofo's when HOAs are involved.
The best of neighbors turn into crazy mofo's when HOAs are involved.
Here in Diamondhead, we are not making the transition from POA/County/unincorporated to a new Diamondhead city very well. Now, we get to pay both POA dues and city taxes. Very weird living here. The POA has "transferred authority" of Police and Roads to the new city. Anyhow, it's an odd situation.
I'm all for HOAs in neighborhoods but you have to be careful who you elect. We have someone on our board right now who apparently was bullied as a kid and he's gone overboard with some things he's done. For instance, after submitting a violation about someone parking a commercial vehicle in the neighborhood (a pickup truck with the company logo on it), he then immediately called the company and complained to the guy's boss to get him to get it out of our neighborhood.
Turns out the guy was only in the neighborhood for a short time anyway, he had lost his job in another city and was staying with friends for a couple weeks while he found a new place to stay. I'm sure it looked real good at his new job to have a HOA calling and complaining about him.
For me personally, unless I have some acreage to live on I'm going to have a HOA because some people are idiots and I'd rather have a board and a covenant to deal with those idiots than do it myself.
Turns out the guy was only in the neighborhood for a short time anyway, he had lost his job in another city and was staying with friends for a couple weeks while he found a new place to stay. I'm sure it looked real good at his new job to have a HOA calling and complaining about him.
For me personally, unless I have some acreage to live on I'm going to have a HOA because some people are idiots and I'd rather have a board and a covenant to deal with those idiots than do it myself.
They are a necessary evil and without them even nice neighborhoods would have
problems, especially in the South. Too many Rednecks and they have to be controlled**.
We have a guy were dealing with right now. 3 acre lots and he has some trees in the back. He used to park his trailers, broken down cars etc. in his driveway but now we have him forced back into his trees which works fine except in the winter. He is a large pain in the *** and a trust fund baby who had his house bought by his mommie so I think you can put two and two together. Without HOA I think there might be 40 cars in his yard.
problems, especially in the South. Too many Rednecks and they have to be controlled**.
We have a guy were dealing with right now. 3 acre lots and he has some trees in the back. He used to park his trailers, broken down cars etc. in his driveway but now we have him forced back into his trees which works fine except in the winter. He is a large pain in the *** and a trust fund baby who had his house bought by his mommie so I think you can put two and two together. Without HOA I think there might be 40 cars in his yard.
Used to tolerate 'em, now hate 'em. It may have something to do with the fact that when building our house, some old folks got upset that our house wouldn't be as nice as certain others on our street, and tried to get construction halted through the HOA. They didn't know it at the time, but everything about our house was specifically requested or set up by us, and not the builder, so they spent their efforts insulting our house. Then the HOA tried to stop our work crews from pouring the sidewalk that the city required in order for to get a final inspection. I put the kibosh on that right quick. After we moved in, they changed the covenants so that no one could build a house as "small" as ours ever again (2500 sq ft plus a full walk-out basement).
Oh, and they then also put a "reminder" in the newsletter about construction materials not being visible from the road. Guess what? We were the only house with anything like that, and it was a couple of pallets of bricks at the edge of the woods about 100 feet from the road. If they had just picked up the phone and called, I would've happily moved them. I ended up just throwing a tarp over them for a while.
The kicker was following all that up with a reduction in the community voting threshold for getting changes to the by-laws passed, giving the board the ability to raise dues by a certain percentage each year without a community vote, and a 120% increase in dues to pay for some "one-time" expenses. Since then, they've found some recurring expenses to eat up that extra income.
Oh, and they then also put a "reminder" in the newsletter about construction materials not being visible from the road. Guess what? We were the only house with anything like that, and it was a couple of pallets of bricks at the edge of the woods about 100 feet from the road. If they had just picked up the phone and called, I would've happily moved them. I ended up just throwing a tarp over them for a while.
The kicker was following all that up with a reduction in the community voting threshold for getting changes to the by-laws passed, giving the board the ability to raise dues by a certain percentage each year without a community vote, and a 120% increase in dues to pay for some "one-time" expenses. Since then, they've found some recurring expenses to eat up that extra income.
I've never understood people's hatred for an HOA
I know many people hate an HOA because "the HOA wouldn't let me do ______".
My thought is this. If the HOA tries to enforce rules on you that AREN'T in the covenants, then just tell them to piss off. It's your property and you can do what you want. If the HOA tries to enforce rules that ARE in the covenants, then you should obey them simply because you contractually agreed to them and should have enough character and integrity to abide by a contract you agreed to.
You read stories about this when an HOA tries to stop some old war vet from flying his flag because it violates the covenants. Everybody in the media sides with the old vet, but nobody says anything about the fact that guy is trying to violate the terms of something that he willingly agreed to.
If you don't like the covenants, then don't buy the property. You will ALWAYS know the restrictions before you buy the property. ALWAYS. Restrictions cannot be forced on you after the fact.
I know many people hate an HOA because "the HOA wouldn't let me do ______".
My thought is this. If the HOA tries to enforce rules on you that AREN'T in the covenants, then just tell them to piss off. It's your property and you can do what you want. If the HOA tries to enforce rules that ARE in the covenants, then you should obey them simply because you contractually agreed to them and should have enough character and integrity to abide by a contract you agreed to.
You read stories about this when an HOA tries to stop some old war vet from flying his flag because it violates the covenants. Everybody in the media sides with the old vet, but nobody says anything about the fact that guy is trying to violate the terms of something that he willingly agreed to.
If you don't like the covenants, then don't buy the property. You will ALWAYS know the restrictions before you buy the property. ALWAYS. Restrictions cannot be forced on you after the fact.
You point out the main pillars of why a HOA can suck
1. Corruption
2. Lack of discretion
3. Lack of common sense
1. Corruption
2. Lack of discretion
3. Lack of common sense
All in all, my HOA does a great job. That being said, there was one time when the HOA had a president who unilaterally (and without approval of the board) fired the guy who mowed the yards (and incidentally is an excellent handyman) in favor of hiring a close friend. A longtime board member simply went to each and every homeowner and got people to sign an override of the decision. Soon afterward the president resigned from the board.
Hated them until I served on a HOA board
Hated the board, and me and the other haters started a grassroot effort to get rid of the existing board and become elected ourselves. Found out a Hoa is a necessary evil for neighborhood communities, you would not believe the crap your neighbors will try to pull.
Hated the board, and me and the other haters started a grassroot effort to get rid of the existing board and become elected ourselves. Found out a Hoa is a necessary evil for neighborhood communities, you would not believe the crap your neighbors will try to pull.
HOA are a necessary evil.....
If one is going to live in a development, restrictive covenants are a necessary evil. Necessary to maintain livability and protect property values. Evil in that one has to get HOA approval every time they want to repaint or build something on your own property. Potentially evil in that there is a risk of getting a board who loves to spend HOA dues on stuff like cookouts and parties and raises said dues to cover it. I'm not opposed to those events but they should be funded separately by those who want to participate & not the HOA. There is also the risk of getting a HOA that either does nothing or wields nazi-like power. If I had my druthers I would prefer to live without covenants but only if on enough land to separate me from troublesome neighbors. My advice to anyone looking to move into a neighborhood with restrictive covenants is to get a copy of the covenants first and READ them. Take a drive through the neighborhood to get a sense of how well they are enforced. Try and chat with a few neighbors, preferably ones who have lived there a few years, and ask them about their experience with the HOA and how the covenants are enforced. As far as covenants go, look for ones that are also restrictive on the HOA such as requiring a vote from the homeowners to change the covenants or raise fees. If its a new development beware of a builder or real estate company that owns multiple properties and thus enough votes to rule the HOA autocratically.
In the county where I reside in GA even if you live outside of a development there are ordinances that require you to keep your grass cut & prevent you from keeping a junkyard on your front lawn & stuff like that so one really can't avoid some level of control.
If one is going to live in a development, restrictive covenants are a necessary evil. Necessary to maintain livability and protect property values. Evil in that one has to get HOA approval every time they want to repaint or build something on your own property. Potentially evil in that there is a risk of getting a board who loves to spend HOA dues on stuff like cookouts and parties and raises said dues to cover it. I'm not opposed to those events but they should be funded separately by those who want to participate & not the HOA. There is also the risk of getting a HOA that either does nothing or wields nazi-like power. If I had my druthers I would prefer to live without covenants but only if on enough land to separate me from troublesome neighbors. My advice to anyone looking to move into a neighborhood with restrictive covenants is to get a copy of the covenants first and READ them. Take a drive through the neighborhood to get a sense of how well they are enforced. Try and chat with a few neighbors, preferably ones who have lived there a few years, and ask them about their experience with the HOA and how the covenants are enforced. As far as covenants go, look for ones that are also restrictive on the HOA such as requiring a vote from the homeowners to change the covenants or raise fees. If its a new development beware of a builder or real estate company that owns multiple properties and thus enough votes to rule the HOA autocratically.
In the county where I reside in GA even if you live outside of a development there are ordinances that require you to keep your grass cut & prevent you from keeping a junkyard on your front lawn & stuff like that so one really can't avoid some level of control.
Love them. You won't realize it until you have a neighbor from hell. But even then, some don't do their job/enforce the right things/etc. But all things being equal, I like to have an affordable HOA. Like many others have said, in a reasonably priced neighborhood, it's almost a necessity.
Only reason Jase Robertson bitched about it was so that he could act a fool and make a TV show. Skin your deer in the back yard and you have no problems.
Only reason Jase Robertson bitched about it was so that he could act a fool and make a TV show. Skin your deer in the back yard and you have no problems.
I hated my HOA until I served as a 5 year HOA board member and current president (formerly Treasurer). It opened my eyes as to how poorly some of my neighbors act (and pay). Without the HOA, this neighborhood of 141 homes would have folded during the foreclosure crisis. We had to fight banks that refused to maintain properties. On average, we lost 50% of our home values and I would estimate it would have been worse without the HOA to fight absentee home owners. When I took over, our former boards had neglected to fund the reserves. In the past 5 years and over 35 foreclosures later, I grew the reserves to over $50k while keeping our pool, tennis courts, and pavilion in top shape with only a $50/yr increase in the dues (average increases around here have been $200-$300 a year on top of $600/yr dues for neighborhoods comparable to ours). This is my last year on the board. It is a daily responsibility and board members are very rarely thanked for their uncompensated service. It is so easy for those that dont serve to play arm-chair quarterback and complain about the HOA, but they dont realize the value the HOA provides them.
From the stuff I have seen over the past 5 years, I would never live in a neighborhood without an HOA. That being said, I will never live in a neighborhood again. Once we get back above water on our mortgage, we plan to find us some land/house in an unicorporated area and get back to living our life instead of being worried about what our neighbors are doing.
From the stuff I have seen over the past 5 years, I would never live in a neighborhood without an HOA. That being said, I will never live in a neighborhood again. Once we get back above water on our mortgage, we plan to find us some land/house in an unicorporated area and get back to living our life instead of being worried about what our neighbors are doing.
This
Mine has HOA but does not enforce. had elderly neighbors move out-new ones have three dead vehicles in driveway that haven't been cranked in years-look like ****(+ 2 others that barely fit in the drive behind all the junk). City says all vehicles have to have current tags, cops came out months ago-still nothing.
Mine has HOA but does not enforce. had elderly neighbors move out-new ones have three dead vehicles in driveway that haven't been cranked in years-look like ****(+ 2 others that barely fit in the drive behind all the junk). City says all vehicles have to have current tags, cops came out months ago-still nothing.
Loved mine in Memphis, but here are examples of horror stories
I live in an older neighborhood now without one, and love not having one
Linkery
http://gawker.com/5830257/the-horror-of-homeowners-associations
I live in an older neighborhood now without one, and love not having one
Linkery
http://gawker.com/5830257/the-horror-of-homeowners-associations
Like others have said, they have to enforce the rules on the books. Otherwise 17 em.
My neighbor across the street is the biggest pile of **** on the planet. I thought he was installing a new lawn when we bought our house because the entire yard was tilled up. Much to my surprise that was one of the two times a summer he does this. He waits until we call the city and they fine him AND then cut his grass to the tune of $400. The grass/weeds have to be over 12 inches tall prior to the city intervening. So it looks like ****.
He owns a construction company. He has his workers come over with a tractor and till it up.
He has had a broken water heater on the front porch for 14 months.
His truck broke down and had a roter issue too. It sat on blocks on the front end for a month in the street. I finally had the city tow it after 5 "warnings" from our HOA.
The only thing they have ever done to him is make him pay his dues. It only took them three years to collect though.
Worst part is the mother17er has six other properties in town with a professional crew doing their landscaping, not his own damn house though.
it's not what's in the covenants, it's not knowing what they will enforce. you may sign it because the one or two things you disagree with are balanced by plenty of other things you don't do but now your neighbors can't either. then you move in and find out they only enforce the things that negatively affect you. and there's nothing you can do about it, it's easier to fight City Hall than an HOA.
plus, the only way to beat the HOA is by being the neighborhood A-hole. whatever the HOA is nitpicking you about, there are tons of worse things you can do fully within the covenents. but that makes the neighborhood hate you. gotta decide if you don't mind being that guy before you sign. i don't.
plus, the only way to beat the HOA is by being the neighborhood A-hole. whatever the HOA is nitpicking you about, there are tons of worse things you can do fully within the covenents. but that makes the neighborhood hate you. gotta decide if you don't mind being that guy before you sign. i don't.
I don't understand HOAs or the need for them.
Obviously let me start by saying I have never lived in a neighborhood with one. But if the city/town in which you live has rules/laws/codes, why do you need a separate HOA with it's own laws. I lived in Metairie, La. for a few years and we had a Civic Association for our neighborhood, which I was involved in. But I certainly didn't have to pay any dues and any code enforcement stuff was handled by the Parish. Basically, all the Civic Association did was have a quarterly meeting so that Parish officials could come by and give updates on area issues/projects.
A few questions:
What does the money you pay in HOA dues get used for?
For those of you who have been on the board, when you say things like "you'd be surprised what the neighbors would try to get away with" what do you mean?
Can you just refuse to sign an agreement with an HOA?
I guess you could consider me one of those "it's my land and I'll do what I want on it" yahoos. But I also try to be respectful of my neighbors.
*** ETA
Sorry for the reply fail. This was supposed to be a general reply. Not a reply to a specific post.
Obviously let me start by saying I have never lived in a neighborhood with one. But if the city/town in which you live has rules/laws/codes, why do you need a separate HOA with it's own laws. I lived in Metairie, La. for a few years and we had a Civic Association for our neighborhood, which I was involved in. But I certainly didn't have to pay any dues and any code enforcement stuff was handled by the Parish. Basically, all the Civic Association did was have a quarterly meeting so that Parish officials could come by and give updates on area issues/projects.
A few questions:
What does the money you pay in HOA dues get used for?
For those of you who have been on the board, when you say things like "you'd be surprised what the neighbors would try to get away with" what do you mean?
Can you just refuse to sign an agreement with an HOA?
I guess you could consider me one of those "it's my land and I'll do what I want on it" yahoos. But I also try to be respectful of my neighbors.
*** ETA
Sorry for the reply fail. This was supposed to be a general reply. Not a reply to a specific post.
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There are HOAs because, for one thing, the rules are much more rigid than those of the city. The money is spent on neighborhood maintenance and upkeep for the neighborhood. Some of those things are cosmetic and some are just necessary, like mowing common areas. My neighborhood has a large lake that is maintained. The list is endless. And none of the board or committee members are paid at all (ours has a secretary that is hired).
The committees review all house plans, landscape plans, and the like before construction. Likewise for any exterior additions or improvements. Ours doesn't allow out buildings, so no metal sheds. The control trees being cut down, paint colors, colors of "window treatments" visible from the outside, and several other things.
The rules are all for the common good of the neighborhood. And the bottom line is ... if you don't like the rules, live somewhere else. If you don't agree to the rules you can't live there. The result is an attractive, harmonious neighborhood that maintains property values.
The committees review all house plans, landscape plans, and the like before construction. Likewise for any exterior additions or improvements. Ours doesn't allow out buildings, so no metal sheds. The control trees being cut down, paint colors, colors of "window treatments" visible from the outside, and several other things.
The rules are all for the common good of the neighborhood. And the bottom line is ... if you don't like the rules, live somewhere else. If you don't agree to the rules you can't live there. The result is an attractive, harmonious neighborhood that maintains property values.
HOA dues are used for.......
Upkeep and maintenance of common areas such as pools, clubhouses, athletic courts, playgrounds, parks, signage, etc. All of these require some levels of repair & maintenance, utilities, landscaping, insurance, security, etc. There is also costs associated with legal fees mostly for covenant violations. Some HOA's sponsor neighborhood swim and/or tennis teams and host activities for residents like fireworks, parades, cookouts, etc. although I do not think they should do the latter. Any HOA worth anything will have a budget that is available to all residents.
Upkeep and maintenance of common areas such as pools, clubhouses, athletic courts, playgrounds, parks, signage, etc. All of these require some levels of repair & maintenance, utilities, landscaping, insurance, security, etc. There is also costs associated with legal fees mostly for covenant violations. Some HOA's sponsor neighborhood swim and/or tennis teams and host activities for residents like fireworks, parades, cookouts, etc. although I do not think they should do the latter. Any HOA worth anything will have a budget that is available to all residents.
Local ordinances are not specific enough to address most property utilization/maintenance issues that are found in platted subdivisions. For instance, the size of a house to be constructed may meet the minimum footage required by local ordinance (say 1600 feet) but wouldn't prevent some ******* from building a 1600 foot house in between two 5000 foot houses. The dudes buying the 5000 foot houses need restrictive covenants to keep the 1600 foot ******* from pulling that ****. Local ordinances basically set the "minimum standard of behavior" for the entire jurisdiction. HOAs and restrictive covenants are for the defined area of just the subdivision generally speaking. Restrictive covenants are voluntary in that you don't have to buy in the subdivision if you don't want to be subject to them. Local ordinances apply across the board to everyone whether they like them or not.
And, no, you can't opt out of restrictive covenants. If you buy in a development that has covenants, you are subject to them. They are filed and referenced in the land records and automatically attach to the property you buy. Most of the time, they are referenced in the deed to the property you buy in that development.
Another issue is property maintenance. Most jurisdictions have basic rules on the condition of property (yards that look like ****, dilapidated condition of houses, all manner of junk and **** strewn around the house, cars parked in the yard, etc.) Experience dictates that the situation has to be to the point of a safety hazard before a jurisdiction will step in and deal with the problem. In the meantime, everybody close by gets to look at that **** and watch their values go in the toilet. With restrictive covenants, either the subdivision HOA or the neighbors can haul that ******* to court to fix the problems.
Last thing. Most lay people simply don't understand that covenants don't mandate that the HOA has to act in response to a violation. There is nothing in the covenants forcing the HOA to take action. There are some consequences if the HOA knows about a violation and does not act, but nothing forces the HOA to act. If you are dealing with a bad apple in your neighborhood and your HOA officers refuse to act, your recourse is to take the offender to court yourself, or combine with other neighbors to deal with the ******* in court. Most people hate hearing that because at the end of the day they want someone else to display the balls necessary to deal with the *******. In other words, most of the complainers are essentially chicken **** and they want someone else to fix their problem for them so they can remain anonymous. Oh, and the complainer needs to understand that he/she gets to pay for the cost of enforcement of the covenants. Yeah, the covenants usually say the offender gets to pay the legal bill associated with enforcement of the covenants, but good luck getting the court to actually order the offender to pay the legal costs and you'll need even more luck actually collecting it.
And, no, you can't opt out of restrictive covenants. If you buy in a development that has covenants, you are subject to them. They are filed and referenced in the land records and automatically attach to the property you buy. Most of the time, they are referenced in the deed to the property you buy in that development.
Another issue is property maintenance. Most jurisdictions have basic rules on the condition of property (yards that look like ****, dilapidated condition of houses, all manner of junk and **** strewn around the house, cars parked in the yard, etc.) Experience dictates that the situation has to be to the point of a safety hazard before a jurisdiction will step in and deal with the problem. In the meantime, everybody close by gets to look at that **** and watch their values go in the toilet. With restrictive covenants, either the subdivision HOA or the neighbors can haul that ******* to court to fix the problems.
Last thing. Most lay people simply don't understand that covenants don't mandate that the HOA has to act in response to a violation. There is nothing in the covenants forcing the HOA to take action. There are some consequences if the HOA knows about a violation and does not act, but nothing forces the HOA to act. If you are dealing with a bad apple in your neighborhood and your HOA officers refuse to act, your recourse is to take the offender to court yourself, or combine with other neighbors to deal with the ******* in court. Most people hate hearing that because at the end of the day they want someone else to display the balls necessary to deal with the *******. In other words, most of the complainers are essentially chicken **** and they want someone else to fix their problem for them so they can remain anonymous. Oh, and the complainer needs to understand that he/she gets to pay for the cost of enforcement of the covenants. Yeah, the covenants usually say the offender gets to pay the legal bill associated with enforcement of the covenants, but good luck getting the court to actually order the offender to pay the legal costs and you'll need even more luck actually collecting it.
It sounds like you live in Stepford. I kid, I kid.
I guess I understand the need for maintenance of common areas. But I don't get the paint color/window treatment thing or the need for a HOA to review house plans or landscape plans. Nor do I quite understand why HOA rules need to be more rigid than city rules.
But whatever... sounds like it's probably for the best that I don't have to deal with one. Dealing with New Orleans City Council is headache enough.
This is a good example of why. Most jurisdictions don't have anything to stop this so covenants are the only line of defense.
I've had bad experiences with them
I built a home in a new development before they established an HOA. We had one guy in our subdivision who thought he was God. Our development had about 50 acres of common land with walking trails, ponds to fish in, and stuff like that. Most of us had four wheelers and would allow our kids to ride them on the common area. This guy had a hard-on for that, mainly because he worked at night and didn't like hearing them. So, he sought out to form an HOA and most thought it was a good idea. He named himself the president of the HOA and put his buddies on the board, and they unilaterally wrote a set of bylaws. The first bylaw, no ****, was not allowing four wheelers on the common ground. He set dues at $350 per year, and started sending out threatening letters about placing leins on mortgages if we didn't pay. Well, suffice to say, most of us didn't pay because the HOA wasn't set up correctly. It became a big mess. It all came to a head one day when one of my neighbor's kids was riding a four wheeler in the common area and this douche bag got in his truck, ran down the kid, knocked him off the four wheeler and injured him. Lots of cops, restraining orders, lawsuits, and stuff like that.
I built a deck off my back porch and he sent me a threatening letter telling me I had to tear it down because i didn't get permission from the HOA board. Never mind that the deck was behind my house, inside of a privacy fence and not viewable by anyone. I confronted him at an HOA meeting and told him to do what he had to do.
He finally was removed and the HOA was established with an elected president and board. The first thing this guy did was go and paint his house blue, in direct violation of neighborhood covenants.
I guess the moral of the story is that if the HOA has the best interests of the neighborhood in mind, and the board members aren't just there on a power trip or a desire to serve their own interests, then it can be beneficial. I moved out of there and live in a much nicer neighborhood that does not yet have an HOA, but it's a small subdivision and everyone seems interested in taking care of their property so maybe we don't need one.
I built a home in a new development before they established an HOA. We had one guy in our subdivision who thought he was God. Our development had about 50 acres of common land with walking trails, ponds to fish in, and stuff like that. Most of us had four wheelers and would allow our kids to ride them on the common area. This guy had a hard-on for that, mainly because he worked at night and didn't like hearing them. So, he sought out to form an HOA and most thought it was a good idea. He named himself the president of the HOA and put his buddies on the board, and they unilaterally wrote a set of bylaws. The first bylaw, no ****, was not allowing four wheelers on the common ground. He set dues at $350 per year, and started sending out threatening letters about placing leins on mortgages if we didn't pay. Well, suffice to say, most of us didn't pay because the HOA wasn't set up correctly. It became a big mess. It all came to a head one day when one of my neighbor's kids was riding a four wheeler in the common area and this douche bag got in his truck, ran down the kid, knocked him off the four wheeler and injured him. Lots of cops, restraining orders, lawsuits, and stuff like that.
I built a deck off my back porch and he sent me a threatening letter telling me I had to tear it down because i didn't get permission from the HOA board. Never mind that the deck was behind my house, inside of a privacy fence and not viewable by anyone. I confronted him at an HOA meeting and told him to do what he had to do.
He finally was removed and the HOA was established with an elected president and board. The first thing this guy did was go and paint his house blue, in direct violation of neighborhood covenants.
I guess the moral of the story is that if the HOA has the best interests of the neighborhood in mind, and the board members aren't just there on a power trip or a desire to serve their own interests, then it can be beneficial. I moved out of there and live in a much nicer neighborhood that does not yet have an HOA, but it's a small subdivision and everyone seems interested in taking care of their property so maybe we don't need one.
That paint job doesn't bother me in the least...
But I also live in NOLA where houses are every color under the sun and it just adds to the character of the neighborhood. I wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood where all the houses look the same. But that's just me.
But I also live in NOLA where houses are every color under the sun and it just adds to the character of the neighborhood. I wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood where all the houses look the same. But that's just me.
This is the biggest issue I have with my HOA. Our common area consists of about 2-3 total acres of land, which is only an open grassy area that requires to be mowed and kept during the growing season. I just want to know what my money goes toward throughout the year. I don't think that's too much to ask. I will not buy the upkeep of common areas as legitimate. They did attempt to plant some evergreens along the common area fence line to eventually block out the growing businesses nearby. However, I think they tried a do-it-yourself trick because they all died within a few months. Not one made it through.
With that said, I have no problem paying to live in a "protected" neighborhood. But don't feed me a line about where the money goes without sending me a financial statement at least once per year when you send my invoice. In fact, I would pay more to maintain my property value and keep problems out of the neighborhood if I knew that the funds went to legitimate sources and not overpaying a friend's landscaping company to spend an hour a week for 2/3 the year to do nothing special.
Id rather pay double and see the money go to a good cause (i.e. charity...) than pay what I do now and not know where the money is spent.
With that said, I have no problem paying to live in a "protected" neighborhood. But don't feed me a line about where the money goes without sending me a financial statement at least once per year when you send my invoice. In fact, I would pay more to maintain my property value and keep problems out of the neighborhood if I knew that the funds went to legitimate sources and not overpaying a friend's landscaping company to spend an hour a week for 2/3 the year to do nothing special.
Id rather pay double and see the money go to a good cause (i.e. charity...) than pay what I do now and not know where the money is spent.
The house color restriction is about property value
You may not mind living down the street from Rainbow Brite, but 80% of people do. Property values reflect it.
You may not mind living down the street from Rainbow Brite, but 80% of people do. Property values reflect it.