We recently had a house built in a nice, new subdivision.  

One thing that attracted me to build there was that there was a homewoners assoc. and it had rules I agree with.  Specifically that no house could be rented to anyone but a single family.  

I live in a college town and many neighborhoods have pretty nice houses but have turned all rental.  They have 4 different college students in them and cars parked everywhere clogging the streets, loud parties, etc... which is fine because there are no rules against it.

However, the subdivision manager is now waiving this requirements and builders are building spec houses so renters can come in.  3 houses near me in the last month are full of college renters not part of one family.  I am getting really pissed.  I think the HOA says the owners have the right to change rules, but at the same time I was signing my contract houses were being built by people for multi family rentals.  We have never had any letter from the subdivision owner or manager that the rules have changed.  It is just at their whim in order to sell more lots.

Shouldnt we atleast be notified that there were rules changes?

The subdivision is nice and I love our new home, but this was set up to be a subdivision for families, and now published rules are changing.  Do you think there is any recourse I could take?  the HOA agreement was drawn up by a lawyer.

I just feel the subdivision was mis-represented to us in writting no less.

Sounds like time for a HOA meeting........strength in numbers.....get people motivated and take action.

You're probably on the wrong board to be on that side of the issue.

IBT "I hate HOA's crowd" (of which I'm a member)

The home could be owned by one of the renters' families.
A few of my friends are doing that near College Park, MD, one kid's family owns the home, the other 3 kids are just renting rooms so its not a house rental.

Kharn

Quoted: The home could be owned by one of the renters' families. A few of my friends are doing that near College Park, MD, one kid's family owns the home, the other 3 kids are just renting rooms so its not a house rental. Kharn

which would be fine if only their family members were living there.  But it looks like it is an owners kid and 3 roomates.  Rules say you can rent to a single family.

For the anti HOA crowd, that is fine dont move into an HOA subdivision.  

Quoted: which would be fine if only their family members were living there.  But it looks like it is an owners kid and 3 roomates.  Rules say you can rent to a single family. For the anti HOA crowd, that is fine dont move into an HOA subdivision.

But what are the rules on renting out rooms? Most HOAs I've heard of allow that, on a limited scope such as 1 per bedroom.

Kharn

Quoted: Quoted: which would be fine if only their family members were living there.  But it looks like it is an owners kid and 3 roomates.  Rules say you can rent to a single family. For the anti HOA crowd, that is fine dont move into an HOA subdivision.   But what are the rules on renting out rooms? Most HOAs I've heard of allow that, on a limited scope such as 1 per bedroom. Kharn

The rules are you can rent to a single family only.

But a little loophole is that the owner and family can have 1 non-family member living with you.

Sounds to me as if the subdivision has not been turned over to the HOA, so the developer is still calling the shots.  There should be a clause in the convenants that states at what point the HOA takes over operation of the subdivision.

You're probably screwed unless you can win a class action suit that forces the developer to honor the set-up that was used to sell you a house.  A contract ought to cinch it.

I've never seen a HOA contract. Find a lawyer who knows the case law on this stuff.

someone will correct me if I'm wrong..........but don't you have to pay  some kind of continous "fee" if you move into a HOA?

Quoted: someone will correct me if I'm wrong..........but don't you have to pay  some kind of continous "fee" if you move into a HOA?

yes you are right.  I was told I would be paying HOA fees once I bought my house but no one has collected yet.  It is screwy, things were just misrepresented in general.  

Quoted: Quoted: someone will correct me if I'm wrong..........but don't you have to pay  some kind of continous "fee" if you move into a HOA? yes you are right.  I was told I would be paying HOA fees once I bought my house but no one has collected yet.  It is screwy, things were just misrepresented in general.

If the rules have changes, then don't pay the HOA fees.

Quoted: If the rules have changes, then don't pay the HOA fees.

then they'll just take his house, there was instance where people have lost their houses for less............HOA are like living in a little communist state, why anybody would want to move into someplace like that  is beyond me

Talk to a lawyer.

Quoted: Talk to a lawyer.

You might win a legal fight. Sounds like you should. But your neighborhood's going downhill. Move.

Build a huge shed, see how fast they come down on you.

Rent your home, they turn a blind eye.

Divisions with HOA's have spung up like fly from a disturbed turd around here. It took me 1.5 years to find a house that was not part of one.
I know a number of people that live in one and all I hear is them bitching about it. So and so parked where they should not have. Mrs. Smith planted an apple tree in her yard. Mr. Jones lets his dog crap in my yard.
If all it does is piss people off why bother? What ever happened to policing your own?

I am sorry but as far as I can see symapthy falls in the dictionary between sweat and syphillis.

[rant]

Has your HOA denied anyone the right to live in "your" neighborhood because their house was blue or because they didn't have enough flowers in front of the house?

Yeah, maybe you should have been notified, and yeah, your neighborhood is probably goin' downhill. But I will never have any sympathy for any HOA. If I lived in a neighborhood like that I would be tempted to paint my house with glow-in-the-dark neon pink paint and have a civil war cannon in the front yard fire a blank every half hour just to tickle the HOA.



[/rant]

Now I feel better.

Quoted: You're probably on the wrong board to be on that side of the issue. IBT "I hate HOA's crowd" (of which I'm a member)

+12134123412123589703210978

-Storm

Quoted: [rant] Has your HOA denied anyone the right to live in "your" neighborhood because their house was blue or because they didn't have enough flowers in front of the house? Yeah, maybe you should have been notified, and yeah, your neighborhood is probably goin' downhill. But I will never have any sympathy for any HOA. If I lived in a neighborhood like that I would be tempted to paint my house with glow-in-the-dark neon pink paint and have a civil war cannon in the front yard fire a blank every half hour just to tickle the HOA. [/rant] Now I feel better.

I haven't the slightest of cares that you dont like HOAs.  If they start an HOA afer you move in that is one thing.  However I am talking about families moving into a Subdivision with a known set of rules, paying large bucks for a lot and house, and then the manager changes the rules on us.  That is wrong, and we are organizing a meeting as of this afternoon.

White trash and other colors of trash are why we like HOAs and want to keep them out.

I freely admit I am a redneck, but white trash I am not.

Quoted: i wouldn't live under one of those commie HOA's if i was a refugee and it was the last house on earth. the very concept of them makes me want to puke.

+1, I really don't understand the attraction