Another HOA controversy

[bgirldeb]

IIn the pics, I see a playhouse that is highly visible fromt he road, and built very different from the homes. I can see how retentive people could have issue. Had they checked with the HOA, it probably would have passed if the play house had a brick facade. I mean, they spent 5k on this thing, I am sure that a brick facade was affordable to them.

I totally agree. When the story first came out, I couldn't believe the reason the playhouse was in violation WASN'T in the covenants, but the family was saying "it's just like the neighbors' swingset!". The family is hoping public opinion will sway the board.

Those parents are no dummies, they knew full well what they were doing. Beg forgiveness (and call the media) instead of asking permission. Since they supposedly read the HOA rules so carefully, I wonder why they didn't build the playhouse in the back yard instead of the side yard? My bet is that they didn't want the view from their OWN patio obstructed.

They should have asked for an accommodation to the rules prior to building the playhouse, but then they couldn't build it where they want it could they.

 

[jrmasm]

Too bad the HOA neglected to add a provision that says they can back up a truck and haul away the item that is in violation.

 

[PaulaSB12]

It's pathetic to you...but not to all. Personally, I don't want to look at people's laundry. I don't want to see anyone's vegetable garden. Or anyone's au natural idea of landscaping and yard upkeep. Or someone's stockage or chain link fence. It's not the look to a neighborhood that I enjoy. Hence, why a HOA works for us. Hence, why a HOA doesn't work for you. No one is right or wrong as anyone can control whether they want to agree to the terms of the HOA before they buy into a neighborhood that has one. Each HOA is different to some degree - so the obligation is upon us the buyers to do our research before chosing to live in a HOA community. Because once you sign, you are now obligated to follow the rules. No crying/whining about it later.

What is so offensive about some clean clothes? If you don't like them don't look at them. Also what is wrong with vegetable plants they can be verry pretty but also are useful. As for water shortages, obay the hoa or get fined by them but get fined by the authorities. Surely if there is a ban on watering lawns hoa's should obay that rather than expect owners to break town rules?

http://www.kvue.com/news/HOA-orders-residents-to-water-lawns-126896393.html

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX -- In the High Pointe community of Dripping Springs, the record summer heat has taken a toll. Many of the lawns are now brown and dry.

However, there may be an HOA policy against that.

Recently, several residents received letters informing them their lawns were in violation. Many, like Donna Heath, were floored.

“It’s frustrating,” Heath said. “I really don’t feel like living here.”

Last month, Heath said she spent $195 on water, after running her sprinkler system two times a week. Running it any more, she said, could have landed her a fine from the Lower Colorado River Alliance (LCRA).

Heath also said she spent another $100 on lawn care in July. Then, the warning letter came.

“That’s just disturbing,” Heath said. “I don’t want to break the law, but if I don’t I get fined.”

Others agree.

“Either you follow the LCRA rules or you follow the HOA rules,” resident Kevin Renker said. “And I think it’s more important to follow the LCRA.”

On Friday, KVUE News contacted Southwest Management Services, which works with the HOA to enforce the rules in High Pointe. KVUE did not receive a reply.

At this point, it is still not known what penalty the residents of High Pointe could face. The letters do not say how soon they are expected to fix their lawns.

 

[luvsJack]

Why does it matter to anyone if their neighbor has a play house in their yard? I mean, I understand "its the rules" but WHY is it a rule? Why is it so important?

 

[mickeysgal]

Why does it matter to anyone if their neighbor has a play house in their yard? I mean, I understand "its the rules" but WHY is it a rule? Why is it so important?

Our HOA doesn't allow them either. No sheds also. I would imagine it would have to do with the range of look and size they could possibly have. Plus there is the upkeep factor or lack of upkeep that could make the look less than desireable. Some people don't like having to look at them similar to not wanting to look at someone's boat or inoperable vehicle parked on the driveway all the time. HOA's tend to go for consistency. It would be hard to regulate quality because what looks fine to you and me would not be so fine to others because quality is so subjective. I think they have a hard enough time regulating colors and maintainance upgrades to the homes so why throw another stand alone structure into the regulation mix. So, I guess, to be fair to all - to those that don't mind them, to those that hate them, and to everyone in between, they ban them all.

 

[mickeysgal]

What is so offensive about some clean clothes? If you don't like them don't look at them. Also what is wrong with vegetable plants they can be verry pretty but also are useful. As for water shortages, obay the hoa or get fined by them but get fined by the authorities. Surely if there is a ban on watering lawns hoa's should obay that rather than expect owners to break town rules?

But I may not have the choice to NOT look at them if they're within direct view of my house or yards (front or back). I find them to be a general eyesore - but that's my general preference. Vegetable gardens - you're right - CAN be pretty but often they're not. They can be weed ridden (as my neighbor's is down the street) and another eyesore spot since it can be seen from the street. We all have the things that please us and those things that don't please us. Fences, above ground pools, vehicles, boats, cars parked in front of homes, types of grasses allowed, weeds, etc. etc. These are all items that HOA's usually spell out for you in their covenants.

Again, these are all nice talking points but go into a neighborhood with your eyes wide open. Read the HOA rules. Decide if it's your style or not. If it's not, move on and find another place. What is pleasing to you may not be pleasing to others. There is no right or wrong except when one decides to violate the terms that were already signed and agreed upon.

Methinks some of the folks here that dislike HOA are exactly those that agreed to live by the HOA rules at first until it didn't suit them.

 

[LuLuO]

But I may not have the choice to NOT look at them if they're within direct view of my house or yards (front or back). I find them to be a general eyesore - but that's my general preference. Vegetable gardens - you're right - CAN be pretty but often they're not. They can be weed ridden (as my neighbor's is down the street) and another eyesore spot since it can be seen from the street. We all have the things that please us and those things that don't please us. Fences, above ground pools, vehicles, boats, cars parked in front of homes, types of grasses allowed, weeds, etc. etc. These are all items that HOA's usually spell out for you in their covenants.

Again, these are all nice talking points but go into a neighborhood with your eyes wide open. Read the HOA rules. Decide if it's your style or not. If it's not, move on and find another place. What is pleasing to you may not be pleasing to others. There is no right or wrong except when one decides to violate the terms that were already signed and agreed upon.

Methinks some of the folks here that dislike HOA are exactly those that agreed to live by the HOA rules at first until it didn't suit them.

I'm sure that's true in a lot of cases, but for us, we specifically told our realtor that we wouldn't even look in neighborhoods that had HOAs. Just not for us and our lifestyle. But, I agree that if you buy a house in a neighborhood with an HOA then the HOA regulations need to be followed. I don't understand why people would buy into a HOA neighborhood and then think that the regulations shouldn't apply to them.

 

[luvsJack]

I guess I can understand why some people like HOA's and the rules for everyone to live by.

But I don't live anywhere near one and everyone around here has nice, up-kept yards, no junk in the yard, no cars on blocks, nice landscaping and anyone with a shed has one they purchased and they up keep it just like the rest of their yard. I can't even think of a house around here that doesn't look nice.

I guess I just don't get why someone would WANT to have some "board" telling them such ridiculous things as "you need to pick up your water hose"???

But, then I agree with everyone, if you choose to live somewhere with rules you should follow those rules.

 

[dngnb8]

Why does it matter to anyone if their neighbor has a play house in their yard? I mean, I understand "its the rules" but WHY is it a rule? Why is it so important?

Im my HOA, you can have a shed. However, the sheds facade has to follow the rules of the homes colors and facade's. In this case, they have red brick homes. Chances are, if the made a red brick play house, we wouldnt be having this discussion.

The reason for the rules is to keep a neighborhood from looking like a slum. Sheds can get dilapidated pretty quick. If they are visible from the front, they devalue all properties that can see it. To keep values up, they create rules like this.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Another example of a First World Problem.

I am really glad I decided not to live somewhere with an HOA.

 

[luvsJack]

Im my HOA, you can have a shed. However, the sheds facade has to follow the rules of the homes colors and facade's. In this case, they have red brick homes. Chances are, if the made a red brick play house, we wouldnt be having this discussion.

The reason for the rules is to keep a neighborhood from looking like a slum. Sheds can get dilapidated pretty quick. If they are visible from the front, they devalue all properties that can see it. To keep values up, they create rules like this.

I guess it makes sense to an extent. I just don't see that many neighborhoods that look like slums around here or anyone letting anything look dilapidated. So, maybe that is why I don't get the reasoning.

I think sending pictures to people of non-existent "weeds" is a little much though. And I think that families should be able to have playhouses and such for their kids. But, then I don't live in a HOA and won't so I guess if someone is of a mindset to choose to live in one, they should be ready to follow the rules.

 

[ccgirl]

Im my HOA, you can have a shed. However, the sheds facade has to follow the rules of the homes colors and facade's. In this case, they have red brick homes. Chances are, if the made a red brick play house, we wouldnt be having this discussion.

The reason for the rules is to keep a neighborhood from looking like a slum. Sheds can get dilapidated pretty quick. If they are visible from the front, they devalue all properties that can see it. To keep values up, they create rules like this.

Exactly.

One neighbors idea of what is a "nice" playhouse/shed etc is not necessarily another homeowner's. And, if it is visible it can be quite the eye sore. Those not in a HOA need not worry. However, those in an HOA could certainly be in violation.

 

[sam_gordon]

I didn't say I get to decide what is important simply that I think HOAs tend to overstep their bounds regarding what someone does on their private property.

Actually, you did...

To me an HOA needs to focus on important things like cars on blocks in the front yard or a worn down structure or trash but a swingset or shed or playhouse in a backyard should be out of their domain..even if it peeks over the fence a bit.

I still don't think it is something an HOA should be worried as it is not a homely structure or run down or anything like that. A rickety old shed maybe but a nice little house..no. I see them intervening for things that are dirty or broken or filthy or rundown or not maintained..otherwise I think they should but out.

So, you think HOAs should make sure there are no cars in the front yard, no worn down structure, no trash, no rickety old sheds, and nothing dirty, but if HOAs say "stand alone buildings need to match the exterior of the main building" (for example... ours says something like that), that's bad?

My point is simply others may find something "important" that you don't care about and others might feel things you find important aren't in their minds.

There are regulations that overshadow HOAs... they can't, for example, prevent a homeowner from putting up an outside antenna to pickup over-the-air television. They can't prevent a homeowner from putting up a small satellite dish (a la Dish/Direct).

To everyone... if there's something in your covenants you don't like, you can...
1) Ask the board for a variance (which this couple failed to do)
2) Find out the steps to change the covenants. You'll probably need to convince the majority of owners in your area, but it should be possible.

 

[sam_gordon]

I guess it makes sense to an extent. I just don't see that many neighborhoods that look like slums around here or anyone letting anything look dilapidated. So, maybe that is why I don't get the reasoning.

OK, this is a little bit of a stretch, but... look at it like auto insurance... you hope you don't need it, but when you do, it comes in handy. They (whoever wrote the covenants) aren't worried about the first people who buy the houses, or probably even the second, but they're looking a couple sales down the line.

We are also allowed outbuildings, but they need to match (generally meaning brick) the facade of the main house. I agree if the playhouse would have been brick (to match the houses), there probably wouldn't have been a problem.

Oh, and for the PP who said home prices dropped even WITH the HOA, keep in mind these HOAs have been around for DECADES... well before the housing bubble crashed.

 

[castleview]

HOAs just give busy bodies a chance to tell other people what to do. If there are rules, they should be followed but modified where needed. As for the $50 a day - I don't think so. That doesn't even sound legal.

 

[daisax]

HOAs just give busy bodies a chance to tell other people what to do.

If by "other people" you mean those who specifically spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for the privilege of being told what to do by that particular HOA.

It's all voluntary.

I am on the board of my condo association. Fortunately it's a small development, and most people are reasonable, but every few years we get somebody who doesn't think they're responsible for their "share" of the common area, and we have to explain that that 100 page document they received before closing on their property was not a list of suggestions, but a contract they agreed to live by.

 

[luvsJack]

OK, this is a little bit of a stretch, but... look at it like auto insurance... you hope you don't need it, but when you do, it comes in handy. They (whoever wrote the covenants) aren't worried about the first people who buy the houses, or probably even the second, but they're looking a couple sales down the line.

We are also allowed outbuildings, but they need to match (generally meaning brick) the facade of the main house. I agree if the playhouse would have been brick (to match the houses), there probably wouldn't have been a problem.

Oh, and for the PP who said home prices dropped even WITH the HOA, keep in mind these HOAs have been around for DECADES... well before the housing bubble crashed.

Auto insurance protects me and my car. Some board telling me how long my water hose can lay in the yard isn't protecting me from anything. So, I don't get the comparison.

Of course, I do have to admit that from my yard I can't even see the next house. I can hear them and if I yell loud enough we can even have a conversation, but the trees keep me from seeing them. So I guess maybe that's why I don't see the attraction of such things as HOA.

And why on earth does it really a matter a hill of beans if the outbuilding matches the house? Do all the houses match too?

I am really curious, not knocking anyone's choice of neighborhoods.

 

[sam_gordon]

Auto insurance protects me and my car. Some board telling me how long my water hose can lay in the yard isn't protecting me from anything. So, I don't get the comparison.

Of course, I do have to admit that from my yard I can't even see the next house. I can hear them and if I yell loud enough we can even have a conversation, but the trees keep me from seeing them. So I guess maybe that's why I don't see the attraction of such things as HOA.

And why on earth does it really a matter a hill of beans if the outbuilding matches the house? Do all the houses match too?

I am really curious, not knocking anyone's choice of neighborhoods.

I agree with you on the water hose. Our HOA isn't that strict.

Speaking of our neighborhood, all the house frontages (and most of the rest) are all brick (although different houses have different kinds of brick). Like I said, it's in the covenants that outbuildings need to match the main building. It's a "look" thing. Is it important to *ME* that outbuildings look the same? No. But that's the rule. So if we put up an outbuilding we'll follow the rules.

Another of our rules is all pools (with the exception of inflatable/kiddie/temporary pools) need to be in ground. In ground pools look better I agree. If I put up an above ground pool, can I say "I don't agree with that rule" and the HOA shouldn't be able to do anything about it?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And why on earth does it really a matter a hill of beans if the outbuilding matches the house? Do all the houses match too?

I am really curious, not knocking anyone's choice of neighborhoods.

My theory...

By keeping choices clear and simple, then noone can argue on degrees of tackiness.

I know that in some historical communities--people are limited to what they can do to their home and what color they paint it. I totally forget what that is called (register of historical homes??)...

In any case it is to maintain a certain quality of appearance in the hood and one can't argue with the look if the main structure is approved and the outbuilding is identical.

What I haven't figured out in my neighborhood is that some homes can have privacy fences and sheds (if they back up to the woods) and some can't (if they back up to another house. The shed thing is because they are visually unappealing and the fence thing is to keep an open community concept.

The problem with that is--you can see the sheds anyway...

And the neighbor that I can see from my house with the privacy fence that backs up to the woods is still next to a house that doesn't and can't have a privacy fence. So it makes the fencing look ridiculous and inconsistent.

Not sure who wrote the rules...but in this shoebox community, it is silly and inconsistent for the sake of a consistent appearance and the open community concept.

But I signed up for it--but that is why my theory is just a theory.

 

[Bluestars]

We moved from a neighborhood without a HOA to a neighborhood with one. When we first moved in, we thought a small, very nice shed would be ok. We bought one and put it in our back yard. We have a corner lot, so it was only visible from a small area of the street, if you really looked. But the shed was higher than the fence, so we got a letter demanding that we remove it. We did and learned our lesson about HOAs.

We can't have our garage door open unless we are coming or going. One time I got a notice because I left the light over our garage on for several nights in a row. If we want to add rocks or brick to our landscaping, we have it get approval. Our neighborhood looks very nice though. There are pros and cons about HOAs, but hopefully the next house we purchase will not have one.

The people in the article definitely should have known something like that would require approval. That playhouse is nothing like a swing set. It's cute, but they should have at the very least put it in their backyard. Still, I think they knew better and did it hoping they could play the disability card if the HOA didn't approve.