Homeowners Associations . . .

[backstept]

I got to thinking about this while reading a story about the recent 'Up' replica house where the homeowner's association apparently wanted the guy who bought the house to repaint it
http://thedailywh.at/2011/12/07/up-irl-of-the-day/

I started thinking about if I ever own a home someday I don't think I want to abide by some arbitrary rules some snob down the road thinks everyone should follow. If I want to paint my house a respectable shade of blue, I will. If I want to put up a treehouse in my back yard, I will.
Honestly . . . I own the house, what can they do about it other than writing passive-aggressive notes?

anyone here have to deal with asinine homeowners association rules? what's the benefit of an HA? are there any real penalties they can stick on you for doing your own thing, with your own things?



[edit] duh . . . now that I've read up on HAs I see that a buyer is essentially forced into it on purchase of a lot
. . . still think it's ridiculously stupid

 

[Spot's Meow]

I've never been a member myself and hope I never will be, but one of my friends is and she has had to deal with some really silly rules. We basically don't ever bother meeting up at her house because the rules about where guests can park are so strict. And she got a warning because the potted plants on her front patio were in green plastic pots instead of the light brown ceramic that is allowed. That's freakin crazy.

 

[sojourner]

HOA's can foreclose on you if things go to far. So, yes, they have some real teeth.

 

[backstept]

HOA's can foreclose on you if things go to far. So, yes, they have some real teeth.

this should be illegal

 

[Chaos Descending]

HOA's can foreclose on you if things go to far. So, yes, they have some real teeth.

this should be illegal

Why?

You have a problem against enforcing contracts?

I don't like some of the sillier HOA antics, but I knew about them BEFORE I bought my house in the HOA's area of influence.

 

[C. Cole-Chakotay]

My condo association has some rules, but I think our rules are reasonable - no hanging items from the deck balconies, certain color window blinds, and such. It make our neighborhood look really nice. They also have some rules about parking. For example, a car can't sit too long with a flat tire or oil leak.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Many HOA ban clothes lines. However six states - Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont and Hawaii - have passed laws that restrict HOA's rights to stop residents from using clotheslines. It the future further states might follow, and such laws might be extended to stop HOA's from banning solar panels and drought resistant gardens.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

my folks live in a gated community.. and how one house looks can affect the value of surrounding houses, i guess

 

[Starbreaker]

Many HOA ban clothes lines. However six states - Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont and Hawaii - have passed laws that restrict HOA's rights to stop residents from using clotheslines. It the future further states might follow, and such laws might be extended to stop HOA's from banning solar panels and drought resistant gardens.

There might be three people in the States who use clotheslines.

 

[The Green Mushroom]

I live in New York and use a clothesline, at least during the nicer part of the year. Its really useful to be able to just hang clothes up and not have to worry about them until I can get around to it.

 

[Finn]

Many HOA ban clothes lines. However six states - Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont and Hawaii - have passed laws that restrict HOA's rights to stop residents from using clotheslines. It the future further states might follow, and such laws might be extended to stop HOA's from banning solar panels and drought resistant gardens.

There might be three people in the States who use clotheslines.

What are you talking about? I see them all the time both in the cities, suburbs and out in the sticks.

 

[RoJoHen]

Its really useful to be able to just hang clothes up and not have to worry about them until I can get around to it.

It's even easier to throw them in the dryer.

What are you talking about? I see them all the time both in the cities, suburbs and out in the sticks.

I haven't seen a clothesline since I was about 7 years old.

 

[backstept]

Where I am it rains too much to regularly use a clothesline

 

[Miss Chicken]

I have two lines under my carport to use when it is raining.

When I was reading about some HOA banning solar panels the reason that was given was that they are ugly. i don't think that they are ugly at all and was wondering if anyone here thinks that solar panels are ugly.

 

[RoJoHen]

Depends on where they're placed. I think they can be ugly.

 

[backstept]

I recently saw some panels on a house and first thing in my mind was 'COOL!'

 

[Starbreaker]

I live in the south and have seriously never seen a clothesline. I just assumed nearly everybody owned a dryer nowadays. I mean... they practically come in sets with a washer.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm not opposed to the idea of clotheslines, but the weather is so unpredictable around here, and the summers can get so humid, that a clothesline wouldn't really be a good way to go.

 

[Lindley]

I know I used to play with clothespins when I was little, so that means there must have been clotheslines around....right?

 

[RoJoHen]

I know I used to play with clothespins when I was little, so that means there must have been clotheslines around....right?

That, or your folks were playing crazy sex games.