Home owners association rant

[binny]

My next door neighbour, who has never been anything but nice to us, approached me a couple of weeks ago and asked if she could place a For sale by owner sign in my yard, it had an arrow pointing to her house. Im right on the corner at the entrance to our subdivision so she would get a lot more visibilty that way.

I said that was fine.


Well my HOA came by an ripped it out of my yard!! This was on MY property, not the associations, it was clearly on MY property!


There are NO convenants that say people cannot have signs in their own yard. I am really angry that they felt they could come onto my property and take down a sign.



They, of course, will not answer my phone calls.


Would this make you mad?

 

[RadioNate]

I hate our HOA. While I think they are necessary they are just really over the top about things.

I got a "courtesy notice" last week because my trash can was left on the driveway/sidewalk next to my garage instead of in my garage.

We need approval for everything. Before we bought here we did read the covenents and while strict we were ok with them. Now I'm not too sure. For example you need approvial for "landscaping" changes. I thought this ment big stuff. Nope, you need approval to plant flowers etc. And you have to know what you are going to plant and exactly where when you submit your "rendering" for approval.

editing to answer your queston. Yes I'd be mad. If there was some signage guideline I could see it (however, they should send you a notice or knock) but since their isn't who cares.

Are you positive it was the HOA and not some kids?

 

[pamlet]

So you did double check the restrictions for your unit?

The reason I ask is that I was on our POA (property owners association) board for over 10 years. We have 5 different units - with 5 differents sets of restrictions.

Some of the units restrict signage.

Now - we would NEVER have gone and taken a sign down. We would have contacted the homeowner with a copy of the restrictions.

Sometimes those boards get a little high handed - let me tell you it was a struggle some years when we got "newbies" on the board that wanted to play "tough guys"... This year is the first year I have not been on the board since we moved into our neighborhood.. man has it been peaceful!!

The best advice I can give you is to find a copy of your restrictions and go to the next board meeting and file a "formal" complaint with them. Let them know you KNOW what's what. That should keep them off your back. Be aware of what is going on with the board - it's the only way of a check and balance for that type of thing!

 

[binny]

yes Im positive it was the HOA they left their calling card
a note saying " You cant do this"


well YES I can , it was on MY property!



They tried to tell us we have to have approval for landscaping and I told them that until they start enforcing their landscaping rules to everyone, including 2 neighbours on my culdesac who dont even WATER their yard, I wont be letting them know anything!


THey are on such a power trip and Im sick of it.

They put a lein on my friends house for $50. in late fees. and yet 50% of the people in here dont even pay their fees and they do nothing about it.
grrrrrrrrrrr I HATE HOAs!!!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I hate our HOA too.

Back at the end of June, we were given notice of a meeting to take place in August about changes to the CC&Rs that needed to be voted on. Some of the proposed changes were STUPID as all get out. DH was incensed and made up a flyer, telling people to vote NO against the proposed changes and why he felt that way. He spent weeks walking around the neighborhood in his free time placing flyers on doors,cars,etc.

It was a RECORD turnout for the August meeting. We were told we'd have the results mailed to us in 3-4 wks, 6 wks tops. It is now mid-Nov and we have yet to hear from the HOA. Why? Apparently, they forgot to ask a lawyer to look over the proposed changes to make sure it would be LEGAL to make such changes if the vote went that way. And then, the property mgr has been dragging her feet on filing the changes with the county. We want to strangle her butt.

The council seems to be made up of nice people. If we could just get rid of the stupid property mgr though....

TOV

 

[Lucky4me]

I'd be very angry too!!!

I am SO glad we don't have to worry about this. Looking out my window at the street I see a camper, a boat, Halloween decorations and lawn ornaments I know would be violations in the neighborhods around here with HOA's.
We once had a neighbor who thought she would enforce the towns rules on us all without the help of a HOA. We called her "the Mayor". She was run out on a rail. :lol

I love my street even with it's violations. The people here are so laid back, but actually take very good care of their property without anyone telling them how to do it.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Our property mgr has tried to enforce rules WE don't even HAVE in our community.

"BUt...that's how it is in the other communities I manage!" is her excuse. Well..we don't even HAVE those rules, so you CAN"T enforce them.

Grr....

TOV

 

[Banzai]

Reminds me of the movie "The Colony"

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Hey..that's the name of the town north of us. I always thought the name was so boring..like they couldn't think of anything else or be bothered to change it.

When I was in HS..I didn't even realize it was a town. Every time I heard somebody mention "The Colony' I thought they were talking about a group of farmers way out in the middle of nowhere in some place that wanted to be a town but wasn't.

TOV

 

[MB MinnieGirl]

I can COMPLETELY relate.

I just sold my home after having it one the market for over a year. Then main problem? The HOA! Our dues had increased to $198 per month (double from when I bought it 7 years ago), and we had yet another assessment - this time $10,000 PER HOMEOWNER! And NO that is not a typo.

Thank God we are out of here in 2 days.

We're moving to my parents vacation home while my my house is being built. You better believe the first thing I checked out was the HOA - with a fine tooth comb. It is NOTHING like what I am faced with here - and I can't wait. It is a wonderful community.

Good luck to you - personally, I'd fight tooh and nail. I got it - put a sign inside your home with a directional arrow. See if they take that one down. Or you could always cement the sign and watch them break their backs digging it up. Tee hee!!