User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:45:59 PM EDT
So last week the wife and I went house shopping in an undisclosed zombie free location (we are moving soon).
And we looked at some truly wonderful homes. But this one was one of the nicest.       It had everything we were looking for....nice, quiet neighboorhood, lots of square footage, hardwood floors, new kitchen appliances and huge master bedrooms and bathrooms. It was also well within our price range. But it had one thing extra I didn't want....a Homeowners Association. Now way I'm gonna lay out that kind of cash and sign away my property rights. Basically with an HOA you need permission for nearly everything from pets to prior approval for improvements. A HOA can dictate your life to you and if you DON'T do what they say they can put a lein on your home. No thanks. Everything was going swimmingly and we were in the nuts and bolts of actually buying this one when the HOA came up. The agent (from California) couldn't believe it was an issue at all and kept telling me how the HOA actually protects me and my property values, etc. In polite terms I told her "No thanks, not a communist and I'd never sign away my rights for a pretty house." It seriously perturbed the agent when even my wife started balking at the HOA agreement which dictated how many "approved" pets one could have and which breeds. The agent thought she had a "lock" as we loved the house and had a prequalifying letter. It was almost worth the look on her face when we got up and walked out. Too bad, nice house. I told her to call me if they ever build them in a "better" neighborhood. 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:48:31 PM EDT
[#1]
Good on ya! Don't support those HA fuckers. We actually have a "Homeowners Agreement" in our neighborhood. The agreement is that livestock is not allowed in the subdivision. Beyond that, nobody gives a shit.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:49:34 PM EDT
[#2]
WTF? You can have a helluva bit of fun fucking with the institution, let alone 99% of the people in a HOA don't give a shit and get totally ignore it(around here, anyway).
Just keep your lawn mowed and the noise down, and you'll never have a problem, you know BASIC LIVE AND LET LIVE, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T FUCK WITH ANYONE. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:49:58 PM EDT
[#3]
Good for U.
I agree 100%. Damn commies. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:51:39 PM EDT
[#4]
Associations have their place though, provided they're not 'communistic.'
IE my house is in a 30 lot subdivision with 2 acre lots. Pretty quiet, lots of space, everyone's the same age so it's a social place too which is fun. We have an association to maintain the common median, mow along the sidewalks, etc ...stuff like that. But also, it keeps someone from putting a tractor trailer on cinder blocks in their front yard, and collecting 40+ bags of trash out back. It exists to keep things in respective order and maintain property values, not to dictate how many and what kind of poodles you can have!!! That in my mind is absurd. No one in the world can tell me what color to paint my damn front door!!!! I hear ya Steyr, I really do. Sounds like that HOA/area is nuts. BUT...I will say that some HOA's, if done up properly, can be very beneficial to the homeowner. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:51:50 PM EDT
[#5]
that's good work, I've done the same. live free and all that.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:52:47 PM EDT
[#6]
Yeah until they find out he has scary guns, or some other ridiculous reason they pull out of their ass. Then it's fair game to make his life a living hell by enforcing the rules that nobody else follows. Why give them the opportunity? |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:52:55 PM EDT
[#7]
Hard to find a nice house in a nice subdivision without an HOA because they don't want some quack to move in and paint his house purple and put 50 flamingos in the yard. Sucks but that's usually the way it is. I applaud you for sticking to your principles though.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:53:18 PM EDT
[#8]
I'm UNWILLING to sign away my rights simply because the current caretakers of the HOA aren't inclined to use the power I just gave them. It is bad enough we have a government that encroaches upon our freedoms without giving them away voluntarily to a bunch of neighborhood nannies. If the contract ONLY mentioned cosmetic and maintenance requirements I'd have bought the house. But that isn't the case. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:53:59 PM EDT
[#9]
Really? We are SELLING because we Don't have an HOA. It's a two-edged sword. The Asshat that just moved in accross the street decided he was going to run a construction trenching business from his house. City has served a notice but still like a light industrial zone. We will be looking for an HOA in the next place. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:55:55 PM EDT
[#10]
a good case in point..... |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:56:40 PM EDT
[#11]
Steyr, what were some of the extra stipulations?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 12:59:27 PM EDT
[#12]
6 pages of bullshit that basically entail telling the home buyer what they are NOT allowed to do with or on their property. I'm not inclined to spend that kind of money and then have ANYONE tell me what to do on it. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:01:39 PM EDT
[#13]
HOAs were invented by Satan himself.
I would never buy a piece of property with the stipulation that I had to get someone else's permission to make any modifications to. If I am laying out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a house I will so whatever I damn well please to the place and I'm not going to ask anyone if it's OK first. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:01:55 PM EDT
[#14]
yep. build houses on the side. in subdivisions. HOA is a selling point. helps maintain and increase the value of your home. but can be a pain dealing with HOA people especially if you live in one where a new resident is from Kalifornia and wants to institute lots of poltiically correct things (no christmas manger scenes) and have lots of spare times on their hands to drive other homeowners crazzy. personally i prefer 40 acres and a mule.. but that's becomming harder and more expensive to find these days.. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:02:48 PM EDT
[#15]
I don't mind mine but I haven't done anything to get their attention yet either. I did like it when my neighbors left empty beer cans in the front yard and when when the neighbors dog was shitting in my yard. After talking to him face to face with no effect I called the HOA and they took care of it. Our rules don't seem too bad nothing about pets but lots of stuff about the appearance of the house. Want to have fun? Get on the HOA Board and change the rules. I would prefer to live on a big enough piece of land where I can't see my neighbors but until I can afford it I will probably live somewhere with an HOA so the bubbas don't fuck up my neighborhood. |
||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:05:42 PM EDT
[#16]
you feel this way until Jose moves in next door, imports 40 or so relatives from parts uknown, roasts goats over open pit fires in the back yard on the weekend and has 3 or 4 ongoing automotive projects in various states of repair in the front yard.. i have actually seen this happen... you get the least sense of this you better sell right now because in a year your property values are gonna be on an endless decline... |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:07:19 PM EDT
[#17]
 Good on you! I agree totally. NO fargin HOA for me. My missus and I have walked out of more than one deal because of an HOA. That was one of the reasons we purchased our own land in a semi-rural area (It was then anyway!  ) on a pond. We can do pretty anything we want without the danger of some asshole telling me I'm breaking a covenant or regulation, and without some Central Party Committee controlling my life and taking my gold.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:08:38 PM EDT
[#18]
That's all good until a neighbor moves directly across the street from you and parks 20 unregistered vehicles out front, throws all his trash everywhere, chains a barking rottie to a picnic table, parties until 3am every night blasting gangster rap, won't fix the fence, sticks 4 pink flamingos at the end of the driveway, and puts a few sillhoutte profile characters on the front porch and a lawn orb by the mailbox that's hanging on by a single screw....and can unfortunately for you....match your gun collection in addition to your desire to not have anyone tell you how to conduct yourself on your own property. Then again, if you don't care about property values or the ethics of your neighbors......then I guess I can understand your distaste! If you live far enough apart from anyone, then HOA's wouldn't exist anyway. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:08:45 PM EDT
[#19]
Are his trenchers orange or yellow? |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:12:28 PM EDT
[#20]
And that is why towns have Code & Zoning. |
||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:13:14 PM EDT
[#21]
HOA's are a license to steal.
When subdivisions are originally platted, there are areas that are unable to be developed or are needed for other reasons other than house lots. These areas are politely called green space. When the subdivision is full, the developer washes his hands of taking care of the green spaces. These areas are ntolegally owned by anyone. The city doesn't want them because of the cost of upkeep. So the HOA gets them. The HOA is now in charge of upkeep, insurance, and taxes for these green spaces. Never mind that they are of no use to anyone. The areas are for drainage or are too small to put any playground equipment in. Nevertheless your HOA fees go to keep the spaces that you don't own in neat order. Now add in all the other regulations, some of which I don't mind and others are just plain intrusive on one's life. 1. Satellite dishes a. must be less than a certain size b. must be installed in pre-approved location on house 2. Storage sheds a. no larger than a certain size b. pre-approved color and exterior material 3. Extra vehicles a. parked in drive way don't block sidewalk 4. Recreation vehicles and boats a. do not park in street b. store out of site after typical use seson is over c. no storage in yard 5. Fences a. must be a pre-approved construction b. no chain link c. height limitations 6. Landscaping a. must be pre-approved plan for landscaping b. choose plants from certain types c. minimum amount of landscaping required d. required landscaping at certain locations on your own lot 7. Renovations or additions a. additions to homes must be pre-approved to conform with required colors and materials b. permit required to have construction equipment/vehicles/trailer parked at your house c. if painting, re-siding, or otherwise changing the look of the outside of your house - pre-approval requried Like I said some are okay, some not to so much. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:17:05 PM EDT
[#22]
and i've seen people drive down that road too.. for instance, know of a local new subdivsion. behind the subdivsion is about 5 acres of prime land owned by an old man that for years used it as a junk yard, tires, hundreds of refrigerators, old cars, building materials. some of the stuff is against epa regs.. now this will eventually be fixed i'm sure. but not before lots and lots of court time and expense. this has been going on for over two years.. its one thing to have ordinances. its quite another to enforce them. HOA put up a barrier right at the beginning and do a lot ot prevent such things from happening. |
|||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:18:41 PM EDT
[#23]
Good for you!
I hate the HOA in my 'hood. We pay out a lot of $$$$ and nothing is done, totally ineffective. They are a pain in the ass. FOOK 'em!! |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:19:29 PM EDT
[#24]
Good move. HOA's are oppressive regime's populated by neurotic, "community-minded", "neghborhood activists" w/ a control issue obsession worthy of an involuntary commitment. Homeowner's associations are a value-reducing feature - a no-buy feature, really, IMO. The intrusion into daily life by some form of binding committee rule is persistent & omnipresent. Neighbors "snitch", & power-play tug-o-wars always loom.
Have a friend living in a HOA neighborhood. If she leaves the garbage can out on the edge of the property for more than 30 min. before/after the dump truck comes by, a fine gets levied. Ing Soc, anyone? Edited to ad "IMO". Surrender is a voluntary act. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:20:14 PM EDT
[#25]
when you buy a house in a subdivision with a HOA, you are presented with the cost and upkeep and it becomes part of the purchase contract. In some cases the green spaces are deeded to the county or city and they take care of it. in some cases (pools, tennis courts) the home owners are responsible for the upkeep. but in increases the value of your home. if the area is a true green space (kept natural) it requires no upkeep. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:22:46 PM EDT
[#26]
Too many neighbors for me.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:22:56 PM EDT
[#27]
all the above is true EXCEPT that it increases the value of your property. if you are willing to live with it. i know one guy, had a little scotty dog, got lawyer letters from the HOA because the dog sometimes accompanined the owner when he went to get the mail and the dog was not on a lease. even know of one complaint about cats outdoors and not on leashes. i have never seen a cat on a leash.... |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:27:12 PM EDT
[#28]
I belive by Federal law HOAs cannot no longer ban satellite dishes less than 1 meter in diameter (unless it is a historic district), tell you where you can put on your property, and you do not have to ask for permission or pre-aproval. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:32:34 PM EDT
[#29]
Screw HOA even if the rules aren't bad now, they can always be changed with a majority vote. I live my the assumption that the majority of people are stupid. I too have passed on houses in HOA.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:33:06 PM EDT
[#30]
Once you sign the agreement they have the power to do ANYTHING. And while they cannot remove a dish, they can legally put a lein on your home for NON COMPLIANCE. This the the main issue with an HOA, you give them the authority to place a lein on your home. As a result NOBODY with a HOA has any property rights. You have signed them away. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:35:48 PM EDT
[#31]
OMG....A voice of reason????? |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:38:20 PM EDT
[#32]
If they are blasting gangsta rap at all hours of the night and leaving trash everywhere or if his dog is a threat to the neighbors then call the police. Other than that I don't care how many vehicles he has, what he does with his fence (unless it infringes on my property or what he puts in his yard (flamingos, sillhoutte profile cowboys, lawn orbs or statues of the blessed mother). I won't have someone tell me that I can't hang a clothes line in my backyard, what color I can paint my house, what I can and cannot do in terms of landscaping, what I can and can't do as far as fencing off my property and what I can and can't do as far as putting things like sheds or hot tubs around my house. |
||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:38:48 PM EDT
[#33]
But that is the shit that actually makes LIFE interesting, not 30 McMansions all lined up ina row on .3 acre lots all looking exactly the fucking same, with perfectly manicured lawns and not a single "old car" or childs toy in site. Fuck that. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:38:54 PM EDT
[#34]
HOA can be alright. Depends on how nazi the terms are. Ours is $40 a month and they mow the lawn for us. Plus keep up all the roads and the community pool and basketball court. We get quite a few benefits and basically no annoyances for what we pay.
That said, knowing what they COULD do....I probably wouldn't buy in a HOA again. Then again my next house will hopefully be on big acres so there won't be any neighbors. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:38:56 PM EDT
[#35]
I'd munch Hitlery's carpet before I'd live under a HOA.
For me, it was drive 35 miles to work but have 44 acres to play on, build my own shooting range, and be left alone by my neighbors or..... Buy closer to the city into a prepackaged tract development where my house looks identical to everyone else's, and we all play grabass and bicker for the next 20 years until the place gets run down. God damn, what a choice.  I'll never understand supposedly freedom-loving people living on top of each other under Housing Agreements. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:41:15 PM EDT
[#36]
Codes and zoning only goes so far....they don't dictate that you can't paint your house purple with black and white polka dots. Codes and Zoning are typically limited to things such as setbacks, number and square footage of dwelling(s), street width, wether or not commercial structures are allowed and so forth. Now, you may not care if your neighbor does this (paint his house as described above) and may even think no one would do such a thing. But I am just glad I did not live next to the guy who did this when I was in Eugene Oregon. Regardless, I think the number and type of pet thing is way overboard, but as Hokie pointed out...there is a place for HOA's. If you don't like them, do what you did and live elsewhere. |
|||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:47:06 PM EDT
[#37]
My wife and I also opted out of a house when we found that it had an HOA. HOA developments are magnets for authoritarian Stepford families who think that every facet of your life impacts their own. My neighbor has crap all through his yard,but I can live with it. That's what trees,privacy fences and hedges are for.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:51:32 PM EDT
[#38]
Look into a nice trailer park ?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:55:53 PM EDT
[#39]
What about RKBA? Would you live in a subdivision with a Home Owners Association/restrictions/covenants that prohibited firearms on your property?
I would never even look at a house with HOA. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:55:53 PM EDT
[#40]
Neighbors?
(Nelson voice) HAA HAA! |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:57:42 PM EDT
[#41]
HOAs... lol.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 1:57:51 PM EDT
[#42]
HOA are just BS. It is an excuse for many to be cowards and not work things out with neighbors and it also seems to let some old bag with nothing to do drive everyone batshit with complaints.
I have always avoided any thing like them. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:01:09 PM EDT
[#43]
NO I just found the law Federal law they cannot stop you from puting up a dish, cannot tell you where to put it and you do not have to ask. www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
|
|||
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:01:55 PM EDT
[#44]
Good for you! I have friends that live under HOAs and mysterious warnings show up almost instantaneously after any infraction. One told of getting busted because his garbage can was partially visible when viewed from one small area of the road.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:02:05 PM EDT
[#45]
SteyrAUG, talk to the seller to see if you can buy it without signing the HOA. If they're desperate to sell and especially if they've moved out of the area, you may can get away with it. My nephew paid a property owner an extra $250 to sell the property without the agreement. The HOA could go after the former property owner, but it's not likely due to the cost.
The worst local HOA I've seen was one that took a bribe from a muffler shop near the entrance to the neighborhood to put in speed bumps to intentionally damage the cars that drive through the neighborhood. One of the residents works for me, and he had to buy two new cars just to drive into his neighborhood since his old Camry and Celica would scrape. I've seen one resident with a 63 Corvette put his car on a trailer just to get it over the hazard then untrailer it on the other size of the hazard. The speed bumps are also annoying as crap to hear the cars slow down, then scrape over the speed bump with their engine revved to make it over, then the car is louder than it should be accelerating after having to slow down. The hazard is in front of his house, and the extra noise from the cars is annoying all hours of the day. The one good thing about the hazard is that there are no ricers in the neighborhood or driving in or out of it.z |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:02:54 PM EDT
[#46]
Yeah because that is the only other option.  I took the advice I gave the agent and found several "nice" homes in "nice" areas that DON'T have a HOA. And if my neighbors grass gets tall I'll ask him to mow it and he will do the same for me if I happen to neglect it. And NOBODY will get a letter in the mail about how you are going to have a lein placed on your property. And quite honestly, if my "nice" neighbor paints his fucking house PURPLE then I just have to live with it. After all it is HIS fucking house. Who am I to dictate what color he may paint HIS HOUSE? Not like I have to live in it. And if I decide I want it painted another color I am free to purchase it from him and paint it any color I may choose. That is what PRIVATE FUCKING PROPERTY is all about. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:04:18 PM EDT
[#47]
Never seen a HOA yet that allowed you to walk out back, load up the ol' pistol and begin shooting. So then, what the hell are they good for?
And the fees will NEVER go down, and you will get "special assessments" anytime they either run out of money or want to do something. [My dad is getting nailed for $$$$ because SOME of the garage doors are having problems. His are in perfect shape but he still as to pay to replace his so they all can match. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:04:38 PM EDT
[#48]
Good for you SteyrAUG!
We are already forced to a large degree to live by someone elses set of rules. It would be insane to willingly accept and pay for an additional set to live by. |
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:05:10 PM EDT
[#49]
MM, I'm not trying to say you are wrong and you are indeed correct about the Federal law. What I'm saying is once you sign an agreement giving the HOA to place a lein on your property (sorta like power of attorney) they can pretty much do anything they want. Once you sign away rights, you no longer have them. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 3/8/2006 2:06:40 PM EDT
[#50]
Not for dishes... but others things yes. |
||
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
