W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Yea, I've heard that some of them restrict the number of number of abandoned cars you can have on blocks in your front yard. Where else would you chain your dogs?
Yea, I've heard that some of them restrict the number of number of abandoned cars you can have on blocks in your front yard. Where else would you chain your dogs?
Yea, I've heard that some of them restrict the number of number of abandoned cars you can have on blocks in your front yard. Where else would you chain your dogs?
Yea, I've heard that some of them restrict the number of number of abandoned cars you can have on blocks in your front yard. Where else would you chain your dogs?
Read the Deed Restrictions/Covenants for your property. You should have received a copy when you closed. Normally all "improvements" in existence at time of purchase are "grandfathered in" when a property is bought whether previously approved or not. In our HOA the President has to give a statement to the closing company that all dues are paid and that there are no outstanding issues before a sale can be completed.
"You might be a redneck if you mow your lawn and discover an abandoned car."
My wife was elected to an HOA board when we lived in Houston. (That she was recruited to run for the position after we lived there for only 6 months should have been a red flag, as in "no one who knows the situation will do it".) It was actually a rather benign HOA which didn't much use Gestapo tactics, didn't aggressively enforce minor technical violations and had never foreclosed on anyone in its 40 years of existence.I helped create a [-]monster[/-] HOA in our subdivision, serving on the initial board and later becoming HOA president. After two years I could no longer stand it and ran for my life. Something about HOA's seems to attract control freaks and nut jobs who lack both reason and common sense.
Yep, not all the neighborhood nut-jobs seek HOA positions. There seem to be three camps - the rule freaks who migrate to board membership, the anti-establishment types as you describe above, and us normal folks....as she was elected, she started getting bashed (along with other board members) by some militant anti-authoritarians in the development whose raison d'etre seemed to be finding joy in attacking the motives and character of the people on the board.
Yeah -- here's an example. There was a short-term need for an additional assistant to the one paid HOA staffer in the office. It was sporadic, part-time and only lasted a few months. The board wanted someone who was flexible and knew the association and the development well. My wife volunteered to do it.Yep, not all the neighborhood nut-jobs seek HOA positions. There seem to be three camps - the rule freaks who migrate to board membership, the anti-establishment types as you describe above, and us normal folks.
When we lived in a condo the associations were always like that. Lots of rotation among the council because every association meeting brought one or two real [-]obsessive[/-] outspoken [-]nutjobs[/-] owners that were disruptive and would not accept any views that did not match their own.No good deed goes unpunished. And we quickly learned why they were desperate for candidates to run for the board every year.
REWahoo said:Yep, not all the neighborhood nut-jobs seek HOA positions. There seem to be three camps - the rule freaks who migrate to board membership, the anti-establishment types as you describe above, and us normal folks.
Note to self: Never live anywhere with a HOA.
Yep, not all the neighborhood nut-jobs seek HOA positions. There seem to be three camps - the rule freaks who migrate to board membership, the anti-establishment types as you describe above, and us normal folks.
Two years ago, the HOA for the community where we have our rental townhouse, picked up a couple of new members; since then, they have been on a continual rampage of snooping, nit-picking, and threats. I believe none of these people must have any sex life; they certainly act like it.
Among our latest wire-brushings: Our townhouse is second from the end unit. The HOA told us, in a letter, that there is no architectural request on file for a fence between our unit and the end unit. They are demanding that we submit a "post-construction" architectural request for their approval, or face fines and sanctions.
Being the fourth owners since the place was built in 1995, we have no idea who erected the fence, or when. The fence could as easily belong to the end unit. The lot plat in our closing papers does not indicate a fence, even though it was there when we bought the place in 2003. The plat shows the deck that was also there when we bought the TH.
We cannot communicate with the HOA except through the management company (who are overwhelmed and hard to reach) or via scheduled, 15-minute evening "hearings." When we get our hearing, we fully expect the HOA to demand that we pay for a survey to "disprove" our ownership of the fence. This would cost about $500.
Are there any other reasonable avenues we can take? We're really stressed about this, on top of all the other headaches this HOA has caused. We usually support HOAs and covenants, but these folks are...well, what I said at first.
Amethyst
Two years ago, the HOA for the community where we have our rental townhouse, picked up a couple of new members; since then, they have been on a continual rampage of snooping, nit-picking, and threats. I believe none of these people must have any sex life; they certainly act like it.
Among our latest wire-brushings: Our townhouse is second from the end unit. The HOA told us, in a letter, that there is no architectural request on file for a fence between our unit and the end unit. They are demanding that we submit a "post-construction" architectural request for their approval, or face fines and sanctions.
Being the fourth owners since the place was built in 1995, we have no idea who erected the fence, or when. The fence could as easily belong to the end unit. The lot plat in our closing papers does not indicate a fence, even though it was there when we bought the place in 2003. The plat shows the deck that was also there when we bought the TH.
We cannot communicate with the HOA except through the management company (who are overwhelmed and hard to reach) or via scheduled, 15-minute evening "hearings." When we get our hearing, we fully expect the HOA to demand that we pay for a survey to "disprove" our ownership of the fence. This would cost about $500.
Are there any other reasonable avenues we can take? We're really stressed about this, on top of all the other headaches this HOA has caused. We usually support HOAs and covenants, but these folks are...well, what I said at first.
Amethyst
Exact opposite is in the local code in my town and most others in the area. The good side must face your neighbor.One way to determine who originally put up the fence is which way are the support boards facing. People who put the fence up normally face the support boards towards their neighbor and the finished boards facing their property.
Exact opposite is in the local code in my town and most others in the area. The good side must face your neighbor.
........
HOAs are like insurance companies. You pay them money and they claim to protect the value of your property.Note to self: Never live anywhere with a HOA.
Um, maybe not.I think all/most HOA's have this in Deed Covenants.
Ah hah! Now we know how so many of these nutjobs end up on HOA boards.I expressed by shock and concern for the situation, said I was certainly glad THEY were also concerned, indicated that I'd been looking for such a concerned neighbor in that section of the neighborhood, and wouldn't they be interested in taking over that position.