HOA Rant!

quichebradford
quichebradford Posts: 327 Member
edited October 1 in Chit-Chat
Ok, so after my post this morning about our Texas heat, people got me thinking about our Home Owners Association. They get on my last nerve! I had no idea when we bought our home 10 years ago that these people were so horrible! We got a notice that we needed to paint our garage a few years ago, but before we could paint it, we had to submit swatches for their approval! Excuse me? Are you chipping in on the mortgage? Cause that seems to me how you can give ANY advice on what goes on over here! A couple years back lightening struck one of the trees in my front yard and it split in half. We called in a company to come and cut the tree down, next thing you know, we get a "reminder" that each house has to have 2 trees in the yard and that we need to plant another one!

How dare they try to govern me! :laugh:
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Replies

  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,066 Member
    I wouldn't own a house that was part of an HOA if someone gave it to me.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    Yeah you can't win for losing either cause I have been to some neighborhoods without HOA's and you have a rusty car up on blocks with old kids toys in the front yard and grass up to your waste in your neighbors yard. HOA's are a pain in the @ss but not having one is a pain in the @ss too. Common sense would go a long way on HOA boards but the don't have common sense, they have RULES, RULES, RULES and stupid ones at that.
  • southtowngirl
    southtowngirl Posts: 72 Member
    This is why I do, and always will, live "in the sticks". I can do as I please. ;-)
  • jeffsgal105
    jeffsgal105 Posts: 195 Member
    I wouldn't own a house that was part of an HOA if someone gave it to me.

    AGREED! Have never and would never. A friend couldn't fly an American Flag because of the HOA. Really?
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    That's what you bargain for when you sign into a HOA.....
  • southtowngirl
    southtowngirl Posts: 72 Member
    I wouldn't own a house that was part of an HOA if someone gave it to me.

    Me too. I'd gladly have a longer commute just to avoid it.
  • BeLightYear
    BeLightYear Posts: 1,450 Member
    This is why I do, and always will, live "in the sticks". I can do as I please. ;-)

    Hillbilly is the only way to live!:drinker:
  • janet_pratt
    janet_pratt Posts: 747 Member
    We almost rented one. It was gorgeous and I loved it, but because it was part of a HOA I asked to see a copy of the CC&Rs. After reading how involved they were in everything, right down to the color of the curtains visible from the outside, we passed.
  • alohabrie
    alohabrie Posts: 204
    They are the devil and a little power mad.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    This is why I do, and always will, live "in the sticks". I can do as I please. ;-)

    Me too. It's my yard and I can do donuts in it if I want to.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    This is why I do, and always will, live "in the sticks". I can do as I please. ;-)

    Hillbilly is the only way to live!:drinker:

    I have seen you post before belightyear and I just have to say everytime I see that the picture of your dog it's so precious and just makes me want to nuzzle the screen haha.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    We almost rented one. It was gorgeous and I loved it, but because it was part of a HOA I asked to see a copy of the CC&Rs. After reading how involved they were in everything, right down to the color of the curtains visible from the outside, we passed.

    haha were you in Reston va, cause that curtain thing is one of our rules too
  • Hattie2879
    Hattie2879 Posts: 131
    Nowadays, it's hard to find a new house in a nice neighborhood that does NOT have an HOA. It sucks and I hate HOAs with a passion. :explode: They are given rediculous control over what we can/cannot do... :grumble:
  • mikeyml
    mikeyml Posts: 568 Member
    I currently live in a neighborhood with a HOA and I will never live in one again. They're fine if their powers are limited, but as the years go by they seem to become very powerful. They should have basic rules like keeping the neighborhood looking tidy, snow removal, grass / garden maintenance of common areas, and maybe a social function like an annual cookout. But when they start telling people what color paints they can use or how many trees they need to have, they are already out of control. My HOA costs over $1000 a year and each year the price goes up. It's gotten so bad that they will send letters if your grass is a half inch too long. Oh, you went on vacation for a week and it rained and your grass grew? Too bad, $50 fine. I can't wait to move.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    I wouldn't own a house that was part of an HOA if someone gave it to me.
    Indeed...here's to no HOA!
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
    Yeah, and what about the neighbor next door who paints his house fluorescent yellow because there were no guidelines?
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    i got a notice that my tree in my patio is a foot too tall............. and then tried to solicit some gardening co. to come out and take care of it. LOL No thanks, i have a saw.

    i cant believe someone goes around looking at peoples trees? really?!?!?!?!?!
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    To mike,

    $1000.00 a year for HOA fees. Feel Lucky!

    I pay $2800 a year. and keeps going up every year
  • dragonbait0126
    dragonbait0126 Posts: 568 Member
    I used to live in a HOA and it was horrible. The neighborhood I lived in had both houses and townhomes. My husband and I owned a house. They required us to have our house repainted. There was only 1 color paint that was acceptable for the house and then 3 colors we could choose from for the trim. We had to pay for this out of pocket of course because we lived in a house. The people in townhomes got financial assistance to pay for the cost of painting. Those of us who live in a house did not. Same thing for the roofs. I'd get notices about my blinds, the yard, and anything and everything else under the sun. It was crazy. AND they never provided updates on what the funds gathered from the fees were being used for but there were broken sprinkler heads and ungroomed trees. They also supposedly had a neighborhood patrol. Which I find hilarious since my brother woke up one day to find a guy climbing through the window into bed with him with a 2nd guy right behind him. His car was broken into twice. My ex-roommate had her car broken into twice and then stolen. And at one point there were kids driving through shooting paintguns at the houses. But we were paying for a neighborhood patrol? I'd rather live without a HOA and have nosey neighbors who actually look out for one another.
  • BeLightYear
    BeLightYear Posts: 1,450 Member
    This is why I do, and always will, live "in the sticks". I can do as I please. ;-)

    Hillbilly is the only way to live!:drinker:

    I have seen you post before belightyear and I just have to say everytime I see that the picture of your dog it's so precious and just makes me want to nuzzle the screen haha.

    Aw shucks:blushing: :blushing: That is the reason I used it actually, makes me smile:smile:
  • amerr
    amerr Posts: 190
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
    Yeah, and what about the neighbor next door who paints his house fluorescent yellow because there were no guidelines?

    I rather live next a flourescent yellow house than follow all those stupid rules. That is why some people like HOAs and live in those neighborhoods and then people like me who think they are ridiculous and make sure we never move into an HOA neighborhood.
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    you have to be careful to read all of their rules and regulations as well as state stipulations on HOAs before you sign the mortgage or lease. Some HOAs are really out of control, it's true. But having lived in a neighborhood without one, it was aweful. and now that we have one up and running and actually doing its job... the property values are going up and the neighborhood is nice again.
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    You do realize that the homeowners' association rules are decided by.............the homeowners? If you don't like the rules, join the HOA board and work to change them.

    The rules are available for review before you buy your house. If, after reading them, you find them too restrictive, don't buy in that neighborhood. I wouldn't live in a neighborhood that DIDN'T have an HOA. I've seen the other side of the coin where my hillbilly neighbors ruined everyone's property values. No thanks.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
    Yeah, and what about the neighbor next door who paints his house fluorescent yellow because there were no guidelines?

    I rather live next a flourescent yellow house than follow all those stupid rules. That is why some people like HOAs and live in those neighborhoods and then people like me who think they are ridiculous and make sure we never move into an HOA neighborhood.

    But do you really want to live next door to the guy who's living room furniture is in his front yard? Or each car he's owned since he was 16 is parked by the side of his house? I'm just being devil's advocate here - I don't live within an HOA - never have, so I can't say I know what it's like to be told what to do, but I do feel like some of the rules are similar to safety warnings. Most of the population knows that they shouldn't blow dry their hair in the bath tub, but it's the select few that ruin it for the rest of us. Most people mow their lawns, paint their house a pleasing color and don't leave crap all over outside their home....but others really need to be told not to do those things, so everyone suffers for their ignorance.

    I wonder though if they did a study on property values of HOA governed neighborhoods and Non-HOA neighborhoods - I have a feeling the stricter HOA neighborhoods would win that one.
  • Pink_turnip
    Pink_turnip Posts: 280 Member
    My community doesn't have a HOA fee and it's just as nice as the surrounding ones which do. The only difference I can see is they have flowers along side the trees on their boulevards (we just have trees), fancier street lights, and a bigger community centre.
  • Pink_turnip
    Pink_turnip Posts: 280 Member
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
    Yeah, and what about the neighbor next door who paints his house fluorescent yellow because there were no guidelines?

    I rather live next a flourescent yellow house than follow all those stupid rules. That is why some people like HOAs and live in those neighborhoods and then people like me who think they are ridiculous and make sure we never move into an HOA neighborhood.

    But do you really want to live next door to the guy who's living room furniture is in his front yard? Or each car he's owned since he was 16 is parked by the side of his house? I'm just being devil's advocate here - I don't live within an HOA - never have, so I can't say I know what it's like to be told what to do, but I do feel like some of the rules are similar to safety warnings. Most of the population knows that they shouldn't blow dry their hair in the bath tub, but it's the select few that ruin it for the rest of us. Most people mow their lawns, paint their house a pleasing color and don't leave crap all over outside their home....but others really need to be told not to do those things, so everyone suffers for their ignorance.

    I wonder though if they did a study on property values of HOA governed neighborhoods and Non-HOA neighborhoods - I have a feeling the stricter HOA neighborhoods would win that one.

    Just because there isn't a HOA fee doesn't mean you're in the ghetto...
    Yes there is going to be the odd house that really needs to be fixed up, but you're making it sound like as soon as you leave a community with an HOA fee, everywhere else is full of homeless people, and burning piles of garbage.
    That is simply not true.
  • dragonbait0126
    dragonbait0126 Posts: 568 Member
    You do realize that the homeowners' association rules are decided by.............the homeowners? If you don't like the rules, join the HOA board and work to change them.

    The rules are available for review before you buy your house. If, after reading them, you find them too restrictive, don't buy in that neighborhood. I wouldn't live in a neighborhood that DIDN'T have an HOA. I've seen the other side of the coin where my hillbilly neighbors ruined everyone's property values. No thanks.

    Not always. Our HOA was run by a property management company and the people who were on the board didn't actually live in our community. This may be a rare case (I don't know since I've only ever had 1 HOA), but we could attend meetings but the ultimate decision was up to the board. And I know better now, but I didn't get a copy of the CC&R's until after I moved in and then they were mailed to me. It was my first house, so I was naive and didn't think to ask for information before we bought the house. We were so concentrated on trying to win the bid and get the house it never even occured to me. The house was on the market for less than 24 hours when we purchased it so we didn't have time to think about anything. Not making excuses but lesson learned!
  • sunyg
    sunyg Posts: 229
    I think I would rather live next to the guy with the furniture in the lawn and car up on blocks then live with a HOA that can come take your house away. Just my humble opinion though.

    I live out in the "sticks" and most of the houses in our whole little city are well taken care of and not a HOA in sight.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    After living next to neighbors who let their weeds get so overgrown it attracted rats, who also blasted us out with music all hours of the day and night, we purposely bought into an HOA. Our neighborhood is beautiful, and thanks to the HOA will stay that way. Yes, they can bu unreasonable but you signed on for it and agreed to it when you bought the house
    Yeah, and what about the neighbor next door who paints his house fluorescent yellow because there were no guidelines?

    I rather live next a flourescent yellow house than follow all those stupid rules. That is why some people like HOAs and live in those neighborhoods and then people like me who think they are ridiculous and make sure we never move into an HOA neighborhood.

    But do you really want to live next door to the guy who's living room furniture is in his front yard? Or each car he's owned since he was 16 is parked by the side of his house? I'm just being devil's advocate here - I don't live within an HOA - never have, so I can't say I know what it's like to be told what to do, but I do feel like some of the rules are similar to safety warnings. Most of the population knows that they shouldn't blow dry their hair in the bath tub, but it's the select few that ruin it for the rest of us. Most people mow their lawns, paint their house a pleasing color and don't leave crap all over outside their home....but others really need to be told not to do those things, so everyone suffers for their ignorance.

    I wonder though if they did a study on property values of HOA governed neighborhoods and Non-HOA neighborhoods - I have a feeling the stricter HOA neighborhoods would win that one.

    Just because there isn't a HOA fee doesn't mean you're in the ghetto...
    Yes there is going to be the odd house that really needs to be fixed up, but you're making it sound like as soon as you leave a community with an HOA fee, everywhere else is full of homeless people, and burning piles of garbage.
    That is simply not true.

    No, I'm just exaggerating to make a point. Point is: You have no control over what your neighbor does without an HOA.
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