HOAs Strike Again

[amylevan]

I’ve never lived in a HOA. But I’m always intrigued…why would it be my business what color someone paints their house or what they park in their driveway? And why would I live somewhere where someone has a say in what I do with my property?

Maybe in your experience but I'm just trying to give information for mine. It really doesn't slow down vehicles. Even those monstrous speed hills or dips built into the road people still sorta plow through them although I'm sure their cars take a beating. Doesn't seem to help on cut through traffic either. At least in our area cut through traffic is either due to distance the road is (meaning it's less out of your way than the other roads) or traffic on the main big roads. Having a narrow street with double parking on both sides doesn't really alleviate these factors. It's basically much more of a hassle than worth.

There's a difference in creating pathways for cars that take the strain out of other really busy roads and creating more of a mess and more disruption and dissatisfaction.

It really does slow cars down. There’s entire engineering philosophies surrounding it, road diets and traffic calming. Wide open roads = speed. Narrow roads, on-street parking, curb bump outs, bicycle lanes, large sidewalks = slower traffic. You’re always going to have idiots who fly over speed bumps or down a narrow road, but in general, traffic will slow.

 

[sam_gordon]

But I’m always intrigued…why would it be my business what color someone paints their house or what they park in their driveway? And why would I live somewhere where someone has a say in what I do with my property?

The issue is it COULD affect your resale value. If someone looks out the windows of your house and see a bunch of junked vehicles or a putrid color on the house, would it affect their choice to purchase (or how much they offer)?

 

[pahoben]

Well, if the HOA was doing this to protect the ducks, maybe, but they're not. They don't care about the health of the ducks, they care about being annoyed by ducks hanging around. Personally, I like ducks.

I agree but if it were penguins then I would support the HOA 110%.

 

[Christine]

I’ve never lived in a HOA. But I’m always intrigued…why would it be my business what color someone paints their house or what they park in their driveway? And why would I live somewhere where someone has a say in what I do with my property?

It really does slow cars down. There’s entire engineering philosophies surrounding it, road diets and traffic calming. Wide open roads = speed. Narrow roads, on-street parking, curb bump outs, bicycle lanes, large sidewalks = slower traffic. You’re always going to have idiots who fly over speed bumps or down a narrow road, but in general, traffic will slow.

We have a mix of non-HOA and HOA neighborhoods where I live. There is a very clear difference to the naked eye which neighborhoods have an HOA and which don't. In all the neighborhoods without one, there are many properties that appear to be overtaken by nature, grass up to the knees, etc. People who have traditional style homes with shutters have them hanging off or missing, or they decided that hot pink was a great color. They have wood rotting on homes that is visible from the street. One person has painted a mural on the whole side of the garage. People have boats and campers parked on their front lawn. This is not just one house, this is many. In fact when you ride through one neighborhood just up the street from me, the rare jewel of a well-maintained home is the one that stands out as unusual. While living in a neighborhood like this and looking at someone's choice of hot pink shutters wouldn't bother me more than an eye roll, it's definitely a detractor if you want to sell your home. If you maintain your home and take pride in it's appearance, none of that is going to matter when you want to sell it and your buyers get a look at the rest of the neighborhood. Of course, you might be lucky enough to find the buyer that doesn't care. Also, if you live in a neighborhood with 3-5 acre lots, this sort of thing really isn't going to impact the whole of the neighorhood because everything is spread out enough to dilute the appearance. But the places I'm discussing are predmoninantly large neighborhoods on maybe 1/3rd of an acre and all jammed in.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It really does slow cars down. There’s entire engineering philosophies surrounding it, road diets and traffic calming. Wide open roads = speed. Narrow roads, on-street parking, curb bump outs, bicycle lanes, large sidewalks = slower traffic. You’re always going to have idiots who fly over speed bumps or down a narrow road, but in general, traffic will slow.

I never said there aren't things that help slow, I was speaking to what the PP was saying, in the areas that I see it's not worth it. Putting in roundabouts and doing other things do more but narrowing the road making having both side have vehicles lining the road just annoys people not slow them down. You're definitely not going to see new neighborhoods be attractive in suburbia with cars lined it, no one wants to live I that congested mess. They'll find other ways to address traffic.

 

[kymom99]

I never said there aren't things that help slow, I was speaking to what the PP was saying, in the areas that I see it's not worth it. Putting in roundabouts and doing other things do more but narrowing the road making having both side have vehicles lining the road just annoys people not slow them down. You're definitely not going to see new neighborhoods be attractive in suburbia with cars lined it, no one wants to live I that congested mess. They'll find other ways to address traffic.

Agreed. When I look out my front window I don’t like seeing cars. Also if kids play, parked cars make it unsafe.