HOA = Pain in the Patootie

[kadaten]

Originally posted by TheOtherVillainess
Melora..I totally feel your pain. We have had an unending battle with the HOA in our community because of our trashcans. The city says you can place them in a certain place but the HOA says they want them out of view of the community (even though there's nothing in the CC&Rs that states they HAVE to be out of view). We could build a fence around the cans but that's too much work. So we've been placing them where the city says we can place them. I could paper DS's bedroom with all the notices we've gotten about our cans. DH even went so far as to copy the city ordinance that says where you can or cannot place your cans and highlighted the relevant portions, which he then mailed to the HOA. He's called the HOA repeatedly, only to be told it would no longer be a problem, we'd not get any more letters, etc. But we STILL get letters!

TOV

Here in Virginia, HOA's rules are allowed to be stricter than city ordinances and must be followed! Personally, I think for the most part it's a good thing, but I know some people have a problem with all the rules. My advice to them would be to avoid HOA neighborhoods!

 

[tar heel]

Our neighborhood is like MelCald's -- the HOA rarely bothers anyone but has to exist b/c of the common areas. Our dues are $300 per year, and there's no way we could buy a pool and tennis club membership for that amount of $, so I think we have a good deal. When we bought in this neighborhood, we were accepting the covenants as written including architectural committee approval for fences, color changes, etc., no clotheslines, garbage cans not visible from the street, etc. Basketball goals are not allowed in the covenants either and probably half the houses have one -- I guess there's safety in numbers! I do wish cheaper fences were allowed, but I'm not losing sleep over it. We've lived here seven years and I can only think of two real changes made in the covenants. The tiny satelite dishes are now allowed in back yards and the rv/boat parking policy was tightened up -- don't have either so I'm not sure what it was.