Sometimes you just need to scream!!!
- Thread starter maryannette
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snickerd3
Taking suggestions
true true, but we ran into the same issue for empty lots, we wanted to see before we even considered looking at building.Probably because the current homeowners had never read them.
Dexman PE PMP
Internationally PMP'n his PE-ness
I have copies of mine and I actually skimmed through them before buying, but unfortunately did not thoroughly read through the entire 80 page document. From the sounds of it, about 75% of the people I've talked with wouldn't be opposed to eliminating or ammending the rule. My first course of action will probably be to attend a meeting, then probably start circulating a petition to gain support from more homeowners depending on how the first meeting goes.
Dark Knight
Silent Guardian
Seriously, What option do you have? Can you buy a house in a place and say...I do not want to be part of the HOA. You cannot. It is you buy the house and you have to be part of the HOA or else. The stupid organization has way too much power and it is nothing but a pitcher and catcher combo most of the cases. The friends of the guys/gals in charge grant contracts to their buddies and then, as a cherry in the cake, create, eliminate, and modify rules at their convenience..
Capt Worley PE
Run silent, run deep
Funniest HOA story I ever heard was a guy I worked with who crowed about this exclusive gated community he moved into. Every day was a new story of how great it was that the riff-raff was kept out.
Then one day he got a violation notice and fine for having his motorcycle in plain site. Didn't matter that it was a $13K Ducatti and he only had it out fifteen minutes to wash it. Motorcycles, so the HOA claimed, were unsightly and could only be observed either entering or leaving the garage and were not to be seen stopped anywhere in the development.
It wasn't so great after that.
Another friend of mine moved to a community and Beaufort and was informed he repainted his mailbox the wrong shade of blue. He told the President of the HOA he'd sell his house before he repainted the mailbox and did just that.
If we ever move, it'll be to a place in the country.
Then one day he got a violation notice and fine for having his motorcycle in plain site. Didn't matter that it was a $13K Ducatti and he only had it out fifteen minutes to wash it. Motorcycles, so the HOA claimed, were unsightly and could only be observed either entering or leaving the garage and were not to be seen stopped anywhere in the development.
It wasn't so great after that.
Another friend of mine moved to a community and Beaufort and was informed he repainted his mailbox the wrong shade of blue. He told the President of the HOA he'd sell his house before he repainted the mailbox and did just that.
If we ever move, it'll be to a place in the country.
knight1fox3
Jedi MASTER & Friend of Capt. Solo
Yea I know, but then if you want to live in those areas then you have to be willing to accept the conditions of the HOA.
Dexman PE PMP
Internationally PMP'n his PE-ness
The part that gets me is that the HOA is trying to dictate what happens on a PUBLIC street. The HOA doesn't provide roadway maintenance, snow plowing, etc, and the City zoning manager says these streets are 100% open to the public.
Dark Knight
Silent Guardian
RW, as Supe posted, it is very hard to find a nice place to live without dealing with an abusive HOA. I say abusive because that is what it is. The board members play with the rules as they want. Create, eliminate and change rules and fines in the moment without even thinking about it. Just because is on their best individual benefit. Landscaping contracts? Whoever got it most likely is a friend of a vocal member of the board, who by the way got a nice kick back out of it. Have to repair the community swimming pool? No problem, There is one HOA member who has a company that can do it, even when not a single person knows what was wrong with the swimming pool.
A former co-worker was the President of her sub-division HOA. She spent countless hours on the phone with other members planning how to screw residents in their sub-division. The HOA had rules against dogs over certain size, she eliminated that rule. As a matter of fact, that was the very reason the ran for President of the HOA and she told me that. She was next cube with a loud voice so I overheard her talking about the trees they were going to plant, even against the wishes of some residents that did not want trees in front of their properties. She had it against her next door neighbor because a problem they had about a dog. The guy ended up selling the house and she bragged about that.
They got me once, I can guarantee you, they will never get me again. No way I will deal with another darn HOA. I will buy a piece of land somewhere and build a house, as far as I can from that type of organization. They have too much power. In the state where I live they can take your house if you do not pay the fees. Can you imagine being evicted by the HOA because of that? Whoever law maker passed that bill I hope is burning in hell.
I had a major health situation about two years ago. Since I was taking care of the lawn every two weeks missed my usual routine. I had a threatening letter in my mailbox at the end of the third week. I mean, how much the lawn can change in one week? Sometimes I feel they have someone assigned to my house just to send me letters if they do not like something. Like when we were painting inside the house and I left the minivan in MY dog gamn driveway for two days. Guess what, another threat. I forgot to cover the name and the logo of my working van one night after arriving late at home. Another threatening letter. As you see, I cannot have appreciation for the tyrants.
A former co-worker was the President of her sub-division HOA. She spent countless hours on the phone with other members planning how to screw residents in their sub-division. The HOA had rules against dogs over certain size, she eliminated that rule. As a matter of fact, that was the very reason the ran for President of the HOA and she told me that. She was next cube with a loud voice so I overheard her talking about the trees they were going to plant, even against the wishes of some residents that did not want trees in front of their properties. She had it against her next door neighbor because a problem they had about a dog. The guy ended up selling the house and she bragged about that.
They got me once, I can guarantee you, they will never get me again. No way I will deal with another darn HOA. I will buy a piece of land somewhere and build a house, as far as I can from that type of organization. They have too much power. In the state where I live they can take your house if you do not pay the fees. Can you imagine being evicted by the HOA because of that? Whoever law maker passed that bill I hope is burning in hell.
I had a major health situation about two years ago. Since I was taking care of the lawn every two weeks missed my usual routine. I had a threatening letter in my mailbox at the end of the third week. I mean, how much the lawn can change in one week? Sometimes I feel they have someone assigned to my house just to send me letters if they do not like something. Like when we were painting inside the house and I left the minivan in MY dog gamn driveway for two days. Guess what, another threat. I forgot to cover the name and the logo of my working van one night after arriving late at home. Another threatening letter. As you see, I cannot have appreciation for the tyrants.
Dexman PE PMP
Internationally PMP'n his PE-ness
As far as I can tell, our HOA only exists to enforce the rules. We have no common areas (aside from detention ponds for storm runoff), there isn't a clubhouse or a swimming pool. Part of the dues pays for trash service, and that's it. I think all it would take would be one major legal battle to completely disband the entire system.
Dark Knight
Silent Guardian
That is a dangerous stunt. A lawyer may be in the board and you know what that means. They probably have a rule about that already.
Dexman PE PMP
Internationally PMP'n his PE-ness
I wasn't saying I was going to start a major legal battle. I just can't afford it. However, I am aware of similar HOA's essentially going away because no-one wanted to serve on the board due to all the legal issues the regulations were creating.
DK,
HOA board members aren't appointed to that position for life. In every case I've ever known they are elected to that position. If you feel that your current board members are abusing their powers then perhaps you need to talk with your neighbors about the situation and see about making a change to the board.
Dexman,
It's probably going to be easier to change the rules from within the HOA rather then try and have the whole thing disbanded via the legal system. Typically rules like that can't be changed by the HOA board, they have to be voted on by the residents. The hardest part of that process is actually getting enough people to cast a vote. I know, we've tried in our HOA before and it's a lot of work.
All in all, I don't have a problem with HOA's. I don't think ours is that bad (it might help that I'm on the board). Are there a few residents that think we are tyrannical and evil? Probably. But those are the people who constantly violate the rules of the HOA. I'd say 95% of our residents have never had that issue. I can say that all of our HOA rules have a purpose, while some residents don't always agree with that purpose that doesn't make them any less valid. If people really dislike them and they can get enough of their neighbors to agree with them then the rules can be changed.
HOA board members aren't appointed to that position for life. In every case I've ever known they are elected to that position. If you feel that your current board members are abusing their powers then perhaps you need to talk with your neighbors about the situation and see about making a change to the board.
Dexman,
It's probably going to be easier to change the rules from within the HOA rather then try and have the whole thing disbanded via the legal system. Typically rules like that can't be changed by the HOA board, they have to be voted on by the residents. The hardest part of that process is actually getting enough people to cast a vote. I know, we've tried in our HOA before and it's a lot of work.
All in all, I don't have a problem with HOA's. I don't think ours is that bad (it might help that I'm on the board). Are there a few residents that think we are tyrannical and evil? Probably. But those are the people who constantly violate the rules of the HOA. I'd say 95% of our residents have never had that issue. I can say that all of our HOA rules have a purpose, while some residents don't always agree with that purpose that doesn't make them any less valid. If people really dislike them and they can get enough of their neighbors to agree with them then the rules can be changed.
cdcengineer
Sharp as a piece of beach glass
Any HOA is government by the people - at it's finest.
It's for the people that it's by. They only join to get their issues dealt with. That's how I got on the board at a rental property we own. They sucked me in b/c I had a problem that needed correcting.
It's for the people that it's by. They only join to get their issues dealt with. That's how I got on the board at a rental property we own. They sucked me in b/c I had a problem that needed correcting.
engineergurl
Resident Sweet Cheeks
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Have to say, the last house not only did we have an HOA, but we had to deal with the Lake Association too... it took three years for me to get the lake association to understand that I was not going to pay the dues for the five years that were owed for the address that was next door to the property we bought. THAT association also was undisclosed to us at the sale and only met twice a year and was impossible to deal with... speaking of, I just got a bill for this years dues... my polite e-mail was "please check the deed books as we do not own this property." Let them do the leg work this time, what are they going to do? If they attempt to take a lien out on the house maybe THEN they will figure out we don't own it anymore (the whole lien thing was how they figured out I didn't owe them $6000 the last time I delt with them).
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