Does your HOA have a "no soliciting" policy?

[LJSquishy]

I don't like anyone knocking on my door unless I've invited them over...so to me, whether it's a Girl Scout, religious person, vacuum salesman, etc...I don't want them at my door. I find ice cream trucks extremely creepy. So, if my neighborhood had a policy on solicitors, yes, that would apply to ALL, including Girl Scouts or school students trying to sell wrapping paper. I do think it's maybe a little harsh to apply those rules to kids...but it is what it is and really they shouldn't be exempt. I never answer my door if I don't know the person.

 

[Colleen27]

Religious door knockers are exempt by supreme court decision.

Really? Well, at least I know I'm not missing out on any peace and quiet by living in an older neighborhood without a HOA.

OMG what is up with the meat selling people?

I had three different meat sellers last month. Why do unwashed strangers with those big round things in their ears think I would want to buy meat of unknown origins off the back of a truck?

No kidding. Someone must be buying, though, or they wouldn't keep coming around!

 

[Feralpeg]

Yes, but it means very little. People come around all the time. I just don't answer the door.

 

[MickeySP]

No HOA either, also would never live under one again. While religious soliciting is protected, proseltyzing is not. You can post a no trespass & if the begin conversion or preaching they are violating law & you can have them trespassed. Or you can do what I do, call my 90yo DM with Alzheimer's & let them chat with her

 

[Hrhpd]

My old city has the permit rule too. And our HOA forbids all solicitors except children involved in a school or scout function, charities and religious solicitors.

There have been several instances of thieves dressing up in valid company uniforms and going door to door to get information on which houses were prime targets for robbery. Think people dressed in ADT uniforms with clipboards asking innocent questions to see if you already have an alarm system, is it monitored and if you don't have one, are you gone enough to need an alarm system. Great questions for both an alarm system salesperson and a thief wanting to rob your house.

So, the local sheriff has told the neighborhood to ask for the city permit and if they don't have one, call 9-1-1.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Yeah, that would be 9-1-1 abuse here, but there IS a non-emergency number. However, police would never respond to a violation of an HOA rule, that's considered a civil matter, not criminal.

Exactly, and I am not fond of living in HOA housing. I have lived in 2 and one was a complete nightmare. The other one we lived there almost two years. I have no idea on their policy of soliciting. But I got tired of it and finally put up a sign for no soliciting. It did not stop a few. But it did work.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah, that would be 9-1-1 abuse here, but there IS a non-emergency number. However, police would never respond to a violation of an HOA rule, that's considered a civil matter, not criminal.

Remember you have to have a permit to solicit in this city so they can be called.

Makes not difference here. That could be something you report to code enforcement here, not Police.

Police don't even respond to many crimes here where the suspect is no longer on scene, you file a report online or over the phone.
http://portal.cityofsacramento.org/Police/How-Do-I/File-a-Police-Report

 

[usnuzuloose]

Makes not difference here. That could be something you report to code enforcement here, not Police.

We would be the ones in trouble for calling 911 for that issue.

 

[bcla]

i don't know exactly how this all works. There are certainly different kinds of HOAs, like those for condos or townhouses. Gated communities definitely have HOAs to pay for the services and private roads.

It may get a little bit difficult if you're talking public roads/sidewalks in a common-interest development where the HOAs might pay for security or other private services.

The thing that comes to mind about "no soliciting" is if it's a private road maintained by an HOA. In that case it could be trespassing for someone to enter the property in violation of their terms.

 

[indygirl99]

Yeah ours has a no solicitation rule but doesn't enforce it. But they do come around at 5pm to make sure your garbage can is out of sight.

I have a sign posted and usually have to ask solicitors if they can read.

I have a good friend who is a cop and she visits me often while driving the police car. One day I had one of the fake ADT people ring the bell. Expecting my friend I did answer the door. He started in on the speal about the "not monitored alarm system in this residence" and how he could give me a really good deal all the while trying to push his way inside.

I told him "move one step closer and you will see how fast the police responded to my non-monitored system". I saw my friend round the corner and said "Oh look there they are now". He got very pale and took off running. Too bad for him my friend runs faster. She did tell me they had been looking for this guy for awhile.

 

[Poohforyou]

I don't live in the hood.

I don't either but I do live in a neighborhood.

We have a no soliciting policy but it isn't really enforced. That said not many kids go door to door. It's more profitable to stand in front of the grocery store or have a parent take it to work.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

Our HOA has a no soliciting policy and our town has a no-knock list that was recently put into effect. I don't mind the kids fundraising for school, girl scouts, boy scouts or whatever, but that draws the line for me. The worst are those magazine sales teams. They are very pushy. Lately, I've been seeing a bunch of notifications on Nextdoor about solicitors in the area, so I guess our neighborhood has taken to social media to try to stop it.

 

[nkereina]

I personally wouldn't want to live somewhere that had so many rules.

It has pros and cons. If you know the rules before you buy and none are problematic for you, the HOA can be a good thing. It really helps the neighbors get to know each other, establish a community, and also keeps the look and integrity of the neighborhood in tact which is a great thing for property values.

 

[littleblackegg]

I don't live in a HOA personally, but a lot of the ones around me draw the line at "commercial" soliciting... They still allow Girl Scout cookies and Cub Scout popcorn, but no businesses trying to sell door to door. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Not having the door-to-door Jesus salesmen pestering me has always been one of the few attractions I can see in living in a HOA community so if they're still allowed on the grounds that they're not commercial enterprises I kind of wonder what the point of the rule is.

At least they don't get the creepy meat people, I guess.

I don't know what the creepy meat people are, but that sounds kind of awesome. And creepy. And like a good Halloween costume.