HOA's Savior of Society or Cause of our Collapse, news at 11

TEXASBGE2018

I thought this would be an interesting thread. What are your thoughts on HOA's?

Now let me state up front that I have a love/hate relationship with HOA's. Mostly Hate.

I LOVE when HOA's actually work. They can provide a well maintained uniform environment that keeps property values up.
I HATE when they dont work. Which is most of the time. 

I don't understand a person who knowingly moves into an HOA neighborhood, and then essentially gives the middle finger to their neighbors and the LEGAL documents they signed. i.e. (putting a Bass boat parked in your yard for 3 weeks, 5th wheel parked in the street for a month making it difficult to navigate around, not maintaining your yard, installing whatever the hell structures you feel like (im looking at you Ninja Warrior Course Guy)). You signed a document specifically stating you would NOT do those things, then you go and do them.

Look im all for this being 'Murica and you having your freedoms and all. But why move into an HOA then? You have the freedom to go buy some land and put whatever the hell you want on it. Park 10 bass boats in your yard, and never mow your grass, I DONT CARE. Thats your choice, but when you move into an HOA, you forfeit parts of your "freedom" to ensure that your house and your neighbors both stay well maintained. 

I HATE the fact that I have to get approval for certain things too, but that's what I knowingly signed up for so I suck it up.
I HATE that the HOA takes my money each quarter and then does not enforce their own d@mn rules.

This is not about being a "Karen". Im not acting "privileged", I'm not asking every person that lives in an HOA to go buy a reel mower and mow their grass 3 days a week and to conform to MY way of doing things. Im saying you need to conform to the LEGAL documents that you signed that state you understand you are moving into a neighborhood that has certain standards set forth and that you will do the minimum required to MEET those standards.

RyanStl

I don't like how we can't install a nice shed to store the kids bikes. I guess bikes in the yard is better 

TEXASBGE2018

RyanStl said:

I don't like how we can't install a nice shed to store the kids bikes. I guess bikes in the yard is better 

Yes, that's pretty stupid.

I recently had my tool shed installed because our HOA allows it. I went through the city permit office and conformed to all the standards in the HOA documents and actually went beyond their requirements. I know for a fact that I am the only one in the neighborhood that actually sent in a request for approval because the HOA rep told me. Literally every other person that has put sheds up here just went and did whatever they wanted. They meet none of the requirements and yet, not a peep from the HOA on those people. She was actually kinda shocked when I told her there were about 10 people out here with sheds that have been built. 

TEXASBGE2018

Another insane one, we have had multiple people build pools as of late. NONE got approval from the HOA, and most didn't even get permits from the city? Now how is that possible

dmchicago

Love HOAs. When the do their jobs. 

I was on our board for awhile. We got sued because we couldn’t get a homeowners dog to stop barking. 

Guy sued the hoa and not the Homeowner.

we sent the homeowner multiple letters asking him to stop a dog from barking. But he kept denying it was his dog even though we had audio recordings standing in front of his house of his dog barking. 

The a hole who filed the lawsuit was asking for over $100,000 and damages because we jeopardize the peaceful enjoyment of his home. He was the only person that complained about this dog and he wasn’t even the closest house to the dogs house. After a year and a half we settled for $30,000. Shortly there after the guy sold his house and moved away and then we heard his wife divorce him. Sounds like she realize he was as big of an **** as we knew he was.
 

TEXASBGE2018

dmchicago said:

Love HOAs. When the do their jobs. 

I was on our board for awhile. We got sued because we couldn’t get a homeowners dog to stop barking. 

Guy sued the hoa and not the Homeowner.

we sent the homeowner multiple letters asking him to stop a dog from barking. But he kept denying it was his dog even though we had audio recordings standing in front of his house of his dog barking. 

The a hole who filed the lawsuit was asking for over $100,000 and damages because we jeopardize the peaceful enjoyment of his home. He was the only person that complained about this dog and he wasn’t even the closest house to the dogs house. After a year and a half we settled for $30,000. Shortly there after the guy sold his house and moved away and then we heard his wife divorce him. Sounds like she realize he was as big of an **** as we knew he was.
 

That is the slippery slope of HOA's, guy shouldn't be able to sue the HOA for something like that, but clearly he did and it worked. 

WeberWho

I'm in the city and that's too much at times. I couldn't even imagine more rules on top of the ones that are already in place. 

I'm not sure it's worth the risk vs reward with a HOA. I'm sure they work for some but you don't ever hear it. 

HeavyG

Sounds like someone else in the hood must have parked a bass boat in their driveway. 

Gulfcoastguy

No they painted their house the wrong shade of beige.

Legume

I’ve lived in an HOA controlled neighborhoods and uncontrolled.  The only real difference I’ve noticed is that people in HOA neighborhoods and the board are more prone to complain because there is an audience for that complaint.

edit: I think the argument that HOAs protect property values is BS 99% of the time, but that 1% probably sucks.

AnothaStolenGenrator

The problem with HOAs is the people who look to serve on them.  They are total zeroes.  Imagine an entire room full of LittleRascals.

fishlessman

dmchicago said:

Love HOAs. When the do their jobs. 

I was on our board for awhile. We got sued because we couldn’t get a homeowners dog to stop barking. 

Guy sued the hoa and not the Homeowner.

we sent the homeowner multiple letters asking him to stop a dog from barking. But he kept denying it was his dog even though we had audio recordings standing in front of his house of his dog barking. 

The a hole who filed the lawsuit was asking for over $100,000 and damages because we jeopardize the peaceful enjoyment of his home. He was the only person that complained about this dog and he wasn’t even the closest house to the dogs house. After a year and a half we settled for $30,000. Shortly there after the guy sold his house and moved away and then we heard his wife divorce him. Sounds like she realize he was as big of an **** as we knew he was.
 

A silent dog whistle may have made the dog go nuts inside. Destroy the door and window sills. That other guy though.....

BuckeyeFork

You can make and enforce rules or you can live by the rules a stronger man makes for you.  Your choice, but if you’re not on the board…baaaaa.

BuckeyeFork

TEXASBGE2018 said:

dmchicago said:

Love HOAs. When the do their jobs. 

I was on our board for awhile. We got sued because we couldn’t get a homeowners dog to stop barking. 

Guy sued the hoa and not the Homeowner.

we sent the homeowner multiple letters asking him to stop a dog from barking. But he kept denying it was his dog even though we had audio recordings standing in front of his house of his dog barking. 

The a hole who filed the lawsuit was asking for over $100,000 and damages because we jeopardize the peaceful enjoyment of his home. He was the only person that complained about this dog and he wasn’t even the closest house to the dogs house. After a year and a half we settled for $30,000. Shortly there after the guy sold his house and moved away and then we heard his wife divorce him. Sounds like she realize he was as big of an **** as we knew he was.
 

That is the slippery slope of HOA's, guy shouldn't be able to sue the HOA for something like that, but clearly he did and it worked. 

So who’s the wolf in this story?  He made you pay him $30k.  For nothing.

alaskanassasin

I know a someone that had a similar dog situation, he chucked eggs at the guys third story bay window randomly at night until it stopped.

alaskanassasin

You should sit on the board and go to war! Be the change!

Ozzie_Isaac

I find HOAs in theory beneficial.  Unfortunately, like most things in life, people get involved and hose them up.

In AZ HOA is big business.  There are corporations setup to manage and collect fees.

I prefer lots of land and no HOA.  I don't care what my neighbor does when I cannot even see him.  If I shared walls or yards, I would probably want an HOA.