Next Door

[Irvrobinson]

That’s what I’ve seen too. Assholes on a power trip since they have no real power of their own. Overgrown classroom bullies really. I’ve never loved anywhere with an HOA but know plenty who have. It’s nice to set a standard for a community, because who wants to live next to a junkyard? But some of these guys and rules don’t even make sense. I’ve read more sensical ramblings from kindergarteners.

Then how do you know who the BoD members are? As for the rules (covenants),they have to be voted on by the homeowners. Most homeowners in HOAs in my experience want strict compliance for everyone but themselves. That makes being on an HOA board so much fun!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Then how do you know who the BoD members are? As for the rules (covenants), they have to be voted on by the homeowners. Most homeowners in HOAs in my experience wants strict compliance for everyone but themselves. That makes being on an HOA board so much fun!

Like I said, in fairness I’ve never lived with an hoa(thank god) but family members and friends have. I’ve only had to hear their side of it, which obviously is slanted. And I’m aware that sometimes people sign up for things(like living with an hoa) and act like “oh yeah, this will be rainbows and unicorns” and then find out that their own behavior sucks, and then act like everyone else is a lord helmet.
I agree, a lot of homeowners want rules for everybody but them. I can see why it might be fun to squash them.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I can see why it might be fun to squash them.

Actually, from my experience being on an HOA board is a PITA. My wife is encouraging me to get on our BoD, because all of the neighbors complain about how ineffective it is, and she thinks I'm just the sort of asshole to help fix it. Our HOA is huge, there are a couple of thousand homes and apartments in it, with numerous private streets and some homes with shared driveways, and I can't even imagine how numerous the headaches are. Just managing the management company must be horrible. (Every HOA uses a management company to manage dues and vendors.)

In my previous HOA which I was on the BoD of, the biggest issue was trees on some yards blocking other peoples' views. The HOA had a covenant making view preservation a top priority. And the BoD was split too, with some board members with view lots wanting to eliminate all trees taller than a roofline, and others (like me) thinking trees made the neighborhood more attractive. What a mess.

 

[panteragstk]

I'm lucky enough that my HOA doesn't really do much other than maintain our neighborhood pool. They have rules against fence staining and the like, but people just do what they want anyway and nobody does anything. That said, my neighborhood is also still being actively built so I'm told that the builders maintain the HOA until building is done. Not sure how much truth there is to that.

I just know that I'm pissed I keep missing the HOA meetings. Supposedly people are crazy enough to think that $400 per YEAR is going to get us more neighborhood pools.

 

[Irvrobinson]

That said, my neighborhood is also still being actively built so I'm told that the builders maintain the HOA until building is done. Not sure how much truth there is to that.

I just know that I'm pissed I keep missing the HOA meetings. Supposedly people are crazy enough to think that $400 per YEAR is going to get us more neighborhood pools.

It is the case in every HOA I"m aware of that in new neighborhoods the prime developer establishes the HOA and staffs the BoD. $400/year is cheap; I envy you. Ours is $110/month. Of course for that we get private streets in our compound, a gate, a roving security patrol for the area, and fully maintained parks. And as a bonus we get various review committees to approve everything but breathing and eating.

 

[panteragstk]

It is the case in every HOA I"m aware of that in new neighborhoods the prime developer establishes the HOA and staffs the BoD. $400/year is cheap; I envy you. Ours is $110/month. Of course for that we get private streets in our compound, a gate, a roving security patrol for the area, and fully maintained parks. And as a bonus we get various review committees to approve everything but breathing and eating.

Last neighborhood I lived in was like yours, but we didn't get private streets, gate, or security. I think HOA was something like $200/month. There were walking trails, lots of little parks and playgrounds and pools, but that's about it.

 

[davidscott]

Last neighborhood I lived in was like yours, but we didn't get private streets, gate, or security. I think HOA was something like $200/month. There were walking trails, lots of little parks and playgrounds and pools, but that's about it.

But you didn't get the various review committees.

 

[highfigh]

In the HOA where I live, the leaders are sandlot politicians. They couldn't get elected dog catcher, so they stepped down to HOA. Some of them were also unsuccessful lawyers. In my experience, they try to intimidate home owners, but in reality it's all bluff, as they are more easily intimidated.

Unfortunately, even failed lawyers know how to write rules in a way that makes it hard to skirt them.

 

[highfigh]

I've lived in five communities with HOAs, including my current one, and I'm a past president of an HOA. Most HOA leaders (meaning board of director members or committee chairs) I've encountered are not lawyers. Some are, but I would say the biggest groups I've encountered are retired people and empty-nesters who have the time for this sort of thing.

The overwhelming objective of every HOA I've been in has been keeping property values high. So exterior home maintenance, landscaping maintenance, any exterior changes (especially colors),which plantings you can make, placement of stuff like basketball courts and trampolines, I think you get the idea. And the HOAs have teeth in their enforcement, because in every state I've lived in the HOAs can fine you and put a lien on your property if you don't pay their sometimes high fines for non-compliance.

In the areas I've lived in behavior problems are the purview of the police, not the HOA. So herbu is probably incorrect in his assumptions. Even in HOAs with security patrols, like the one I live in now, they are typically powerless; their only course of action is to call the police. Often communities like my current one and the last one I lived in have private streets and gates, and that means road maintenance and parking enforcement. Yeah, parking enforcement, because the police typically do not have jurisdiction over private streets. So if some jackass blocks your driveway you have to get the HOA to have the car towed.

The most restrictive HOA community I've lived in had rules that any visible window coverings had to be white on the exterior-facing side, and you weren't allowed to park any cars in your driveway or the street unless your garage, and every house had at least a two-car garage, was fully occupied by cars. Parking in the street overnight wasn't allowed at all. We had a full-size Bronco at the time which wouldn't fit in the garage due to inadequate garage door height clearance, so we parked it in the driveway. That was an extended disagreement, but I prevailed because the HOA refused to pay for a better garage door. HOAs are a PITA, but they do increase property values.

I understand why HOAs exist, but the rules they write are often BS. If someone wants a Buddha in their back yard, obscured by shrubbery and in a place where nobody could see it from the street, what's the harm? Write the rule so it can't be seen by others. Flags- this place allows no flags, of any kind. If a decorated US veteran wants to put up a flag, they can't. This HOA isn't always up front with the restrictions, either.

Nobody wants cars on blocks, big trailers and boats in various conditions lining the streets and parked on the side of a garage- I get that and I don't want that in my neighborhood, but people like to make a house their home, by decorating it in a way they prefer. Sameness is boring.

Where I live, we don't have an HOA, but the local building inspector wants to bring in as much permit revenue as possible (apparently). I called about putting up a few fence panels behind my garage, just so the neighbor behind me wouldn't have to look at my compost pile, wheelbarrow and a few other things. I said I wanted to arrange them so t hey form a pen around the items and they would be movable. He told me he couldn't visualize it and that I should bring a drawing to him. I wanted to ask if he's really the person who should be in that position if he can't visualize it, but I held my tongue. He also told me I would need a fence permit- cost $65. Right- it's behind my freaking garage, couldn't be seen from the street and three fence panels would cost less than the permit. I asked if he was trying to save us from bad architecture.

 

[highfigh]

That’s what I’ve seen too. Assholes on a power trip since they have no real power of their own. Overgrown classroom bullies really. I’ve never loved anywhere with an HOA but know plenty who have. It’s nice to set a standard for a community, because who wants to live next to a junkyard? But some of these guys and rules don’t even make sense. I’ve read more sensical ramblings from kindergarteners.

Classroom bullies are easy to handle- stand up to them and it's done/ Besides, is an adult bully really going to punch someone who disagrees with them? Doubtful, because they don't know what the other person knows WRT self-defense and ass-kickery.

 

[KEW]

ass-kickery.

Word for the day!

 

[highfigh]

Word for the day!

I knew that getting up early today would yield good results.

I think I'll take a nap. I deserve it, right?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Classroom bullies are easy to handle- stand up to them and it's done/ Besides, is an adult bully really going to punch someone who disagrees with them? Doubtful, because they don't know what the other person knows WRT self-defense and ass-kickery.

Definitely not. Ass-kickery is often hard to read, but many people’s instincts are sensitive and they won’t engage.

Still, while obviously adult bullies are mostly blow hards, the mentality is the same.

 

[highfigh]

Definitely not. Ass-kickery is often hard to read, but many people’s instincts are sensitive and they won’t engage.

Still, while obviously adult bullies are mostly blow hards, the mentality is the same.

I met a kid in 4th grade and he was fine- freshman year in High School, not so much. Total turd- he looked like he lifted weights every damn day and he liked to intimidate anyone he could and at that time, I was one of his targets. It was more annoying than anything but it wasn't something I looked forward to in homeroom. One day, I stood up to him and that was the end of the trouble- the idiot in front of me was his friend and as he continued to mess with the book I was reading, I flicked his nose with my hand and that resulted in "Bob- he hit my nose". Bob made a menacing face and told me to go to him and I didn't. He continued and I sat there. Then, he said "Wait till after we leave" and the guy next to me said "Nice knowing you".

Bob could have kicked my ass all over school, around the block and down the street, but he didn't.

 

[Irvrobinson]

people like to make a house their home, by decorating it in a way they prefer. Sameness is boring.

You're definitely not a good candidate for living with an HOA.

Where I live, we don't have an HOA, but the local building inspector wants to bring in as much permit revenue as possible (apparently). I called about putting up a few fence panels behind my garage, just so the neighbor behind me wouldn't have to look at my compost pile, wheelbarrow and a few other things. I said I wanted to arrange them so t hey form a pen around the items and they would be movable. He told me he couldn't visualize it and that I should bring a drawing to him. I wanted to ask if he's really the person who should be in that position if he can't visualize it, but I held my tongue. He also told me I would need a fence permit- cost $65. Right- it's behind my freaking garage, couldn't be seen from the street and three fence panels would cost less than the permit. I asked if he was trying to save us from bad architecture.

Our county is like that too. You need a permit to replace a hot water heater by a licensed plumber. If you want to install it yourself you need to take tests, which have fees. If you're not home when the inspector comes by, even if the work is outdoors, and you can't make an appointment for a specific time slot, and they won't give you a time window, $43 fine. You can imagine how I know.

 

[panteragstk]

Our county is like that too. You need a permit to replace a hot water heater by a licensed plumber. If you want to install it yourself you need to take tests, which have fees. If you're not home when the inspector comes by, even if the work is outdoors, and you can't make an appointment for a specific time slot, and they won't give you a time window, $43 fine. You can imagine how I know.

Same here. For certain things it makes sense, but they're mainly trying to keep people from doing shoddy work. Nothing like buying a hose that a DIYer owned that didn't know what they were doing. My brother-in-law is a plumber. He's told me enough stories about shoddy work that I'll just let him do everything.

 

[pewternhrata]

I understand why HOAs exist, but the rules they write are often BS. If someone wants a Buddha in their back yard, obscured by shrubbery and in a place where nobody could see it from the street, what's the harm? Write the rule so it can't be seen by others. Flags- this place allows no flags, of any kind. If a decorated US veteran wants to put up a flag, they can't. This HOA isn't always up front with the restrictions, either.

Nobody wants cars on blocks, big trailers and boats in various conditions lining the streets and parked on the side of a garage- I get that and I don't want that in my neighborhood, but people like to make a house their home, by decorating it in a way they prefer. Sameness is boring.

Where I live, we don't have an HOA, but the local building inspector wants to bring in as much permit revenue as possible (apparently). I called about putting up a few fence panels behind my garage, just so the neighbor behind me wouldn't have to look at my compost pile, wheelbarrow and a few other things. I said I wanted to arrange them so t hey form a pen around the items and they would be movable. He told me he couldn't visualize it and that I should bring a drawing to him. I wanted to ask if he's really the person who should be in that position if he can't visualize it, but I held my tongue. He also told me I would need a fence permit- cost $65. Right- it's behind my freaking garage, couldn't be seen from the street and three fence panels would cost less than the permit. I asked if he was trying to save us from bad architecture.

I'm not in disagreement with the fence, but its unfortunate to people who do routine maintenance around their house. Say you have a new neighbor move in and put up a fence, all well and good. Go on 4 yrs down the road when half the paint is stripped and missing half the bolsters. Now a 'simple' fence is an eyesore that you have no control over. Of course I'm not saying you would let yours end up like that lol.

We've all seen run down swingsets and sheds, and on those I'd prefer an HOA to protect values. Decor is sketchy, how many garden gnomes is too many? Bob can 3 bc it looks ok but sue gets only 1 bc her decorating ability blows? Personal taste on what looks good is up to the individual, maybe best to keep it inside?

 

[panteragstk]

I'm not in disagreement with the fence, but its unfortunate to people who do routine maintenance around their house. Say you have a new neighbor move in and put up a fence, all well and good. Go on 4 yrs down the road when half the paint is stripped and missing half the bolsters. Now a 'simple' fence is an eyesore that you have no control over. Of course I'm not saying you would let yours end up like that lol.

We've all seen run down swingsets and sheds, and on those I'd prefer an HOA to protect values. Decor is sketchy, how many garden gnomes is too many? Bob can 3 bc it looks ok but sue gets only 1 bc her decorating ability blows? Personal taste on what looks good is up to the individual, maybe best to keep it inside?

I look at back yards as "whatever" as long as you can't see what's in them from the street or your back yard.

However, my parents recently bought a new house and the way the two yards are sloped, you can see EVERYTHING in each others back yards for the neighbors behind them. Kind of weird. Not the case for neighbors next door though.

 

[Alex2507]

is an adult bully really going to punch someone who disagrees with them?

Depends on the topic.

 

[highfigh]

You're definitely not a good candidate for living with an HOA.



Our county is like that too. You need a permit to replace a hot water heater by a licensed plumber. If you want to install it yourself you need to take tests, which have fees. If you're not home when the inspector comes by, even if the work is outdoors, and you can't make an appointment for a specific time slot, and they won't give you a time window, $43 fine. You can imagine how I know.

No, I definitely am not a candidate for living with an HOA. Well, maybe, unless I can be the head and rule with an iron fist!

I don't know if they impose fines for not making an appointment, but the inspector showed up out of the blue, one time. Walked up my driveway with a folder and said "Did you know that there's no electrical permit for the garage? I did not know that, but after he agreed to tack the work onto the open permit I had for the circuit needed for the new furnace (it needs to be on its own, not sharing one), he inspected the garage and found several code violations. The fact that there was no permit didn't surprise me after seeing what sparky did wrong. That inspector's voice was very similar to Tommy Chong's and it would appear that he had a good time during the '60s, if you know what I mean.

The inspector and I went around and around about the requirement for a licensed electrician- I said that if I can demonstrate proficiency for the work needed, I should be able to pull a permit and do it. He disagreed and since he was the AHJ, he over-ruled me. I went in for an HVAC permit and he told me that I couldn't do that, either. I reminded him that he had said I could only a few years before- he said they changed it. Then, he asked if I had already installed the new furnace and I paused, then slowly said "maaaaaybe".