HOA

I had to look up HOA, what the fuck us wrong with people that they have to try and take over and infringe their way on everyone. If the neighborhood is as pleasant as you say it is, then why the need for any enforced change?

Some people move away from where they lived because they didn't like the way things were.
Then they try to change their new place to the way it was back where they came from.

It makes no sense.

Turning on the sprinklers probably would've worked if a 'fawk you, get off my property' isn't in your playbook.

I don’t understand the reasoning for HOAs.
I get wanting to keep property values up.
I just don’t need someone saying my grass is 1” to tall or I can’t paint my house whatever color I choose.
No working on cars in your driveway and whatever else.
Everyone wants to feel important. Sometimes people just need to mind their own business and worry about their household. Wanna piss them off, put your Christmas lights up. Let your grass grow, Have a BBQ on your driveway. HOAs lose their mind over that stuff. Hell, wear a banana hammock and go for a bike ride.

I understand HOAs for maintaining any common grounds, enforcing CCRs that existed at the time of a development, etc.

Where I go sideways with them is when they attempt to "change" existing rules and regulations that were established and heeded for years or even decades by homeowners.

I basically became persona non grata at my last HOA meetings because the "executive committee" decided that this one homeowner who operated a very nice day care from their home shouldn't be allowed to anymore and tried to enact a rule to ban it by passing a rule that no businesses could operate within the community. My kids were long past the age of daycare, and there were definitely a few extra cars driving down my quiet street between 6-8AM and 3-5PM, but nothing drastic.

The president of this dumbshit group seemed to think that he could ram this through but didn't expect me to call him on his bullshit. He operated a landscape company, and the address on his cards showed his home address. All calls went to his home office, and he had at least 3 of his company vehicles parked at his home each night. I encouraged the executive committee to pass the rule, as it would then need to begin fining and eventually seizing this asshole's property as well.

The motion to pass that rule never did go forward, at least while we lived there.

My battles with the HOA were legendary and very entertaining I’m told. The day we were moving in a lady walked up and handed me a lawn weed warning letter that included a threat of fines unless the weeds were eradicated. It went down from there for all of the 5 years we lived in that neighborhood.

After we moved away some of my friends took positions on the HOA Board. Everyone I heard from said they brought a more reasonable and neighborly approach to the process.

F an HOA. I will never again own a home in one.

I think a lot of the frustrations come when the only people in the neighborhood who want to be on the HOA "Board" are the retired people who have nothing else to do.

I have been 17 years in this house, the first 3-4 years we had one old lady who did nothing but walk around and look for shit to bitch about.

The next election we talked some "normal" neighbors into running for the board to get decisions back to reality. For about the past 10 years we have mostly had the same core group. A Fire Captain, an airline pilot, 2 business owners, an accountant. People that have real jobs that deal with real life, not to just try and control people for the sake of boredom or ego.

They got the budget under control, built up reserves, and stopped the nit picking over every little weed. Yes sometimes homeowners go too far and let the house (or yard) get into becoming an eyesore. But instead of sending threatening letters, they go knock on their door and talk it out. Even offer to help (if help is wanted). In most cases it fixes itself and helps build a better sense of "community".

But I think we are probably in the minority, because for most HOA boards it does just seem to be about control.

HOA’s have been keeping Karens & Todds busy for years. Totally understand the reason for them but it’s a joke when people of different cultures get in positions of power of them. My brother lives in a fancy neighborhood with one. Community pool and all that crap. His house is close to the pool, which in the summer is not cool, as the majority of people that are now living in the neighborhood are of Indian descent. Houses are super close too, so now the music choice at the pool is of nothing American. So if he’s outside at all it sounds like he’s in Bangladesh. No more Sweet Home Alabama or Free Bird. Meanwhile in my non HOA hood, if we see something up with a neighbor’s lawn or house we do the neighborly thing and ask if everything is okay, you need some help or such. Also we all actually know each other too. Only a couple A-holes in the hood of about 30. So it works out to normal A-holes % in the world I guess. HOA are a multi billion $ business annually, which always blows my mind.

Question from someone who knows almost nothing about HOAs:

What kind of legal power do they really have? Basically, if they tried to fine you and you told them to kick rocks, would they really be able to do anything to you or your property?

First thing I thought of when I saw this thread. hahaha

File leins for unpaid fines and potentially force the sale of the property to collect. That’s the extreme result, and may not take the same time and resources in every state.

I moved to a condo with an HOA and you better believe I abuse the piss out of it.