Why I will NEVER belong to a Home Owners Association

**SyntheticShield** · 10-14-2008

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THAT is utterly insane. I pay for the house, I paid for the land how in hades do they have the right to tell someone how to maintain it? As long as its livable and not rotting to the ground or something unsafe like that, how does anyone have the right to do that, let alone anyone subject themselves to that.

Last year I had someone (who remains unknown) report me for my grass being too tall. Technically it was, but it wasnt out of control. It rained here like every other day for a week and a half and there was just no way to be able to get out and mow the yard.

All the while, my neighbors yard, outside his fence that leads to the little river behind my house, the grass and weeds out there were up to my waist and nothing was ever said. Everyone elses grass in the area was a little tall to due to all the rain but not quite as bad as mine due to the fact I had been putting out lawn ferterlizer and such to make it look nice and it was growing pretty quick with the rain.

Do people just not use common sense or even try and understand why a situation is as it is? If I had known who it was I would have taken a few gallons of Round Up to their yard I was so ticked.

I will never subject myself to a Home Owners Association. If I had not been in the city limits my yard last year would not have been an issue.

**gtpinsc** · 10-14-2008

there goes the neighborhood...lol...thats just retarded

**Warhellride** · 10-14-2008

What ever happened to just talking to your neighbor like a real person? People seem to forget that the house next door isn't just something they have to look at out their window, that there's a real live person just like them who lives there. HOA's (at least the more ridiculous ones) are the refuge of people who are so socially detached that they're incapable of dealing and respecting with people as individuals. It's a severely dysfunctional Human being who views a $1,000.00 fine a reasonable solution for not approving of someone's yard. I see this as a very depressing trend in our society.

**Abrasive** · 10-14-2008

What in the world is with the Exploder in the driveway with all the tires flat? He better get on that, I'm sure the HOA won't approve.

**Blown97** · 10-14-2008

Yeah I've heard about this from home owners around here in TX. I feel the same way!
If I buy it I will do what I want on my property.

I know why they have programs like this tho. It's so they can sell or rent a property easier, some folks do not keep their property up, thus property value goes down. No one want to buy a house next to a junk yard that hasn't been mowed since the 90s.

Usually 1 person owns the whole fricken block and he is looking just to get a return on it. Unfortunately there will always be someone who will accept the "required" terms. It is interesting to me that the first thing people do is flash their rights when they get into a pinch and yet give their rights away at the same time with no argument. When did we get so selfish and stop standing up for what is RIGHT?

I agree with you Warhellride, What is wrong with going to talk to your neighbor? I guess maybe we got more things to do with watching TV or being on the net, maybe its playing video games....you know real good communication skills builders!!

**SyntheticShield** · 10-15-2008

Warhellride and Blown97 I agree with you both. I have wonderful neighbors on both sides of me. The one I mentioned that had the tall weeds and grass around the fence moved off and a new guy moved in shortly after.

Well I was out mowing my grass at the same time he was and we stopped and chatted for a moment. He mentioned he did not know what he was going to do about the grass on the other side of the fence next to the river. He's an older guy, but not that old or incapable or anything, but he didnt have his own mower, he was borrowing a mower from someone in the family.

Well when I finished mowing my yard I went back to that area and proceeded to mow it all down, my area and his. He didnt ask me to, didnt hint at it, I just did it because he is a nice guy and needed some help. The previous people there had a mower, a riding mower at that and never once bothered to even open the gate to that area.

The neighbor on the other side of me, our yards are connected, its one plot of grass, half is mine half is hers and her family's. Since the day I have moved in, if I got out there and mowed my lawn before she did I mowed her side and she did the same for me if she got out there before me.

We've done that until recently when her son got old enough to mow the yard.

So I am with you both. The old saying great fences make great neighbors is just a way to keep everyone at arms length and not have to engage them. I personally interact with both my neighbors when I can.

**archemedes** · 10-15-2008

we get along great with our neighbors, what gets me is the people who think they are better than me telling me I have to paint my deck a certain color, and then expect me to pay them a fee for telling me that. I will not live in a neighborhood with an association, I will live in my car first

**Deezul_AwT** · 10-15-2008

I'm not defending HOAs, but if you bought a house, you KNEW the rules before you signed on the dotted line and could have walked away if you didn't like the rules. I had a co-worker who had two offers on his house fall out because of HOA clauses. Ignorance of the law is not excuse.

And for the record, I live in a subdivision with an HOA, but I've never had a problem.

**SyntheticShield** · 10-15-2008

I agree, but in the same aspect you're excited about buying a house and Im sure the HOA wouldnt exactly highlight a clause that says if your grass turns brown we'll fine you.

But I understand the subjecting yourself to the rules also which is why I agree with archemedes perspective as well. But of course I am in the minority in that people do it all the time without thinking and that just gives strength to the HOA organizations.

They have a certain air of exclusivity to them and people just cant resist being part of an elite or exclusive crowd. I just see no reason to pay for a house and land and then continue to pay to an organization to continue to live there and not be able to do what I want with my landscaping, yard, paint and whatever else. That is part of the joys of owning your own house. If I wanted to look like and be like everyone else Id live in an apartment or something.

**GR8racingfool** · 10-15-2008

H.O.A. are good for one thing...keeps wired people with no taste from painting their house some funky-ass color, so it does not fit in. I would hate it if some body next to me painted their house bright green, yellow, or pink!

But I agree, I would never want to be a part of one, nor move into a neighbor hood where you have to pay specials all the time to "maintain the area". (sidewalks, lakes...oops I mean mud puddles, and what not)

Most the new neighbor hoods going in try to fit as many homes as they can in that plolt of land so they can make more money. 6 houses per acre...ya...I want to really show what my 200K house gives me back when it looks like all the other houses in the neighbor hood.

I lol at cookie cutter neighborhoods as we call them here. My brother and sister both moved into one. Ya, the homes are nice, but you don't have any room to breath. No yards what so ever, but still, people buy a riding lawn mower for a yard that takes 5-10 minutes to mow with a weed eater. I just don't get it sometimes. LOL.

~F~

**Reptile** · 10-15-2008

I don't even need to get started on this issue.
I'm not part of one, and I'm proud of it.

**archemedes** · 10-15-2008

Originally Posted by GR8racingfool

H.O.A. are good for one thing...keeps wired people with no taste from painting their house some funky-ass color, so it does not fit in. I would hate it if some body next to me painted their house bright green, yellow, or pink!

But I agree, I would never want to be a part of one, nor move into a neighbor hood where you have to pay specials all the time to "maintain the area". (sidewalks, lakes...oops I mean mud puddles, and what not)

Most the new neighbor hoods going in try to fit as many homes as they can in that plolt of land so they can make more money. 6 houses per acre...ya...I want to really show what my 200K house gives me back when it looks like all the other houses in the neighbor hood.

I lol at cookie cutter neighborhoods as we call them here. My brother and sister both moved into one. Ya, the homes are nice, but you don't have any room to breath. No yards what so ever, but still, people buy a riding lawn mower for a yard that takes 5-10 minutes to mow with a weed eater. I just don't get it sometimes. LOL.

~F~

it comes down to 1 thing, Americans are stupid, and want to show off how much more we have than the next guy. 30 years ago the thought of a group telling you want you can do with your property would have had everyone screaming, and calling names. Eventually you will give up all of your rights, and wear the uniform that whoever wants you to. As for weird houses, it still happens, hoa's have taken people to court over them, and if they never signed the form, they still don't have to comply

**GeddyLee** · 10-15-2008

Well I think some people here are missing the obvious. While I agree he was "supposidly" breaking the rules by having brown grass in his yard, but some people forget he was TWO months behind on his mortage payments. Most right thinking people would say ......... "I'd rather have a roof over my head before my grass is green and I dont live in the house cause I didnt make my three mortage payments." And then there is the HOA who says ........... "We don't care about your mortage, we want your grass green or be fined."

Yeah its a BRILLIANT idea to fine someone who is obviously finacially distressed to start with to lay another $1000 fine on him for his grass. It makes perfect sense to me! If you cant feel my sarcasism in those two sentences, then you are as blind as that guy's HOA. I am sure he is not the only one currently in this same situation with the given housing situation.

In all seriousness, I know there are rules you are suppose to abide by in HOA ruled area, but a little common sense goes a long way to make life easier for everyone. Granted he did mess up when he failed to appear for the court hearing. At least there he could have stated his case and probably got an extension to make the needed repairs to his grass. That part is on him. But it is also wonderful how the community around him helped to chip in to correct the problem started by the HOA.

HOA's are good for some things, but way worse for other things. I never understood paying for your mortage, then paying your property tax and then paying for your utilities and then to top it off to pay for some HOA fee..........for what? The HOA in his community could have used the money they horde each month from their homeowners to help pay for the new grass and then had the home owner repay them. But I guess that would make to much sense...........so that wont fly

**SyntheticShield** · 10-15-2008

Well stated.

TDCRacing · 10-15-2008

One of my brothers freinds lived in a HOA here in GA. He had to get written permission from all of his neighbors and the community owner before he could put up a wooden fence.

**QwikGT** · 10-15-2008

i woulda put down some nice "italian grass"....that woulda solved all the problems

**Warhellride** · 10-16-2008

Originally Posted by GeddyLee

HOA's are good for some things, but way worse for other things. I never understood paying for your mortage, then paying your property tax and then paying for your utilities and then to top it off to pay for some HOA fee..........for what? The HOA in his community could have used the money they horde each month from their homeowners to help pay for the new grass and then had the home owner repay them. But I guess that would make to much sense...........so that wont fly

This is something else I've never understood. Everywhere I've lived, the city has been responsible for maintaining the roads, sidewalks, parks, etc. If your HOA is doing all of this, shouldn't you get a reduction in your property taxes?

**TCO** · 10-16-2008

The development that our lake house is on is part of a HOA. One thing that the developer put in the HOA guidelines was that she got 9 votes for each piece of property that she owned, compared to 1 for everyone else. It is finally getting fully developed so she doesn't have much land left but before she pretty much got whatever she wanted passed. No one else could get enough votes together to beat her.

**UR LOSN** · 10-23-2008

My Dad was on the board of our old HOA back in Ohio. you woul not believe all the complaints they recieved from various people. they are building a tre house yada yadda yadda. I got so sick of hearing all of it. I understand they want to keep housing costs up, and stuff maintained.

We had the city called on us for having our grass too long as well. our neighbor to the left of us at the time was a yard freak....simialr to the one now at this house. IT hadnt rained in long while and REALLY dry, so we let our grass grow...it was dark green, while our neighbors gass turned almost brown. we were waiting to cut it so the grass did not die. I went out when we got the notice in the mail and cut the little strips of gass longer than 8" as stated in the homeowners agreement. pissed the neighbor off.

I hate them, and yet liek them at the same time. but I would compare them all to politicians nowa days.

**Sabrewings** · 10-23-2008

Can't get to the original post on the original forum anymore, but here is a compilation of the most epic thread ever for a HOA.

http://www.parkingenforcementforum.c...abbe67a46f2403

It was great fun reading the original thread, but now it says you have to be a member.