Post your HOA complaints here : )

[Mad4Mickey]

My HOA sent me a letter to remind me that we could not have Christmas lights turned on before 11/26 and that they would like every house to have lights on it before the 1st.

Yeah well my DH is a fireman so he is gone for 24 hours at a time and is working overtime. We wont have our outside lights on by the 1st unless I get moved up on the list of the light guy , my DH will have to hang them this year so that wont be happening by the requested time .

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

I so would never live anywhere that had a HOA. If it's my house I'll put lights up when I want to and turn them on when I want to. I couldn't imagine having someone tell me what I can and cannot do with my property.

Not a knock against you, just my opinion on HOAs.

 

[disneystacy]

and what will they do if you don't have your lights up? Fine you? If you don't pay the fine (at least here in NC) they can't do a thing about it. The only thing that is enforcable is HOA dues. Even if it was enforcable I doubt a HOA would use HOA money to sue you for the fine money.

Relax and put up your lights when you want. BTW - if its not in your covenants it is also not enforcable.

 

[OhMari]

We just received a letter in the mail from our policy chief.
We have to get our moto-cross trailer off our driveway.
It is suppose to be behind our house, which is it.
On pavement, which it is.
But in a covered garage.
It says "all commercial trailers over 20 ft. need to be in an enclosed type structure." Plus all those other rules.

Our trailer is not a commercial trailer, it is classified as a RV.
So technically we are not breaking any ordinances, but I'm sure, an addendum will be added to the ordinance. It's a shame, because our small town is hurting carpenters, electricians, plumbers by banning commercial vehicles in driveways, just so the town looks residential.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

We have a HOA and I love it. No cars on blocks, motorhomes in the driveways, garbage in the front yards. Everything is very nice and tidy and even though some of the rules are a little irritating, I am very happy living in a community that has one. I don't know about the OP, but we received every rule of the HOA before we bought, so no surprises for us. We knew everything there was to know and agreed to it at the time of purchase.

We can put our lights out whenever or if we wish. We used to live near a community that would only allow white lights and greenery as decorations on their houses. I am sure they had to agree with that when they bought into the community, but anyway, it looked very nice and tasteful.

ETA: HOAs can fine you, and attach a lien to a property if the owner doesn't pay. When it comes to selling the house, the lien will show up.

 

[AKL_Megs]

No...garbage in the front yards...

Just out of curiosity... where do you put garbage? Do you have a community dumpster? Or are you not talking about REFUSE garbage, but rather JUNK garbage?

I have a family member in a HOA, and they also have Christmas rules... Lights must be white ONLY, and everyone who decides to light their yard MUST have one and one only inflatable Christmas decoration. The HOA's goal was apparently to make it "themed", but it looks like crap!

 

[jaminmd]

My HOA sent me a letter to remind me that we could not have Christmas lights turned on before 11/26 and that they would like every house to have lights on it before the 1st.

Yeah well my DH is a fireman so he is gone for 24 hours at a time and is working overtime. We wont have our outside lights on by the 1st unless I get moved up on the list of the light guy , my DH will have to hang them this year so that wont be happening by the requested time .

Well, sometimes I feel ours is too lenient. It is run by the homeowners & we have a management company handle the mailings, landscaping of common areas, etc.

Since it is run by "us" the HOA tries to be fair & give people time to make repairs, etc. Unfortunately, I am flanked by two families that do nothing to maintain their homes & the HOA really needs to grow a set & start proceedings against them. These people mow the lawn (not really a lawn since it is only weeds) 3 times a year!! And that is after multiple warnings from the HOA!

The other neighbors are just as bad with weeds, sloppy landscaping, etc. I hate these people. Seriously. I can't wait to move but it'll have to be when DD graduates HS.

I'm all for being fair, but I've been here for 16 years & it has been this way. We can't win either way!

 

[FireDancer]

I would never live in a community that has an HOA but people who do know the rules when they buy there. I hate being told what to do to the home I own and pay for monthly. I don't care if a neighbor has a trailer, it isn't effecting me at all. We are a nice middle class neighborhood and even without the property Gestapo standing over us no one has trash everywhere, a home in disrepair, or cars on blocks in their yard.

 

[okeydokey]

That's just crazy. I'd put them up on the 7th or 10th and see what they say about it.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Just out of curiosity... where do you put garbage? Do you have a community dumpster? Or are you not talking about REFUSE garbage, but rather JUNK garbage?

I have a family member in a HOA, and they also have Christmas rules... Lights must be white ONLY, and everyone who decides to light their yard MUST have one and one only inflatable Christmas decoration. The HOA's goal was apparently to make it "themed", but it looks like crap!

We don't have city pick up, we have to pay for our garbage pick up. It is back door pick up, so that's not a problem. We have bagged leaves/branch pick up on Thursdays and you are not supposed to put it out until Wednesday evening. Large items like boxes and such are picked up the 4th Friday of the month, so we put it out Thursday evening.

The garbage in particular I was referring to was garbage cans and black plastic bags. You just never see that here.

Your family member's HOA reminds me of the movie "Skipping Christmas" where every house in the neighborhood has to have a giant Snowman on their roof, and decorations accordingly. One couple decides to "skip" Christmas and go on a cruise and it leaves the whole neighborhood in a big up roar that they won't put up the snowman. Love that movie.

 

[Feralpeg]

Well, sometimes I feel ours is too lenient. It is run by the homeowners & we have a management company handle the mailings, landscaping of common areas, etc.

Since it is run by "us" the HOA tries to be fair & give people time to make repairs, etc. Unfortunately, I am flanked by two families that do nothing to maintain their homes & the HOA really needs to grow a set & start proceedings against them. These people mow the lawn (not really a lawn since it is only weeds) 3 times a year!! And that is after multiple warnings from the HOA!

The other neighbors are just as bad with weeds, sloppy landscaping, etc. I hate these people. Seriously. I can't wait to move but it'll have to be when DD graduates HS.

I'm all for being fair, but I've been here for 16 years & it has been this way. We can't win either way!

This could have come from me. I like my HOA, but they don't have enough power. In Florida, an HOA can only place a lein on a home if they do not pay their HOA fees. They cannot do anything about those who fail to live up to the HOA rules. Oh, they could take them to small claims court, but that is a lot of trouble. Right now, we have a bunch of homes in the area that are under foreclosure. No one is taking care of them. At the last meeting, we inquired about this and were told that we could take care of them if we wanted. The banks won't and the HOA can't afford to do so.

I really hate those people who drag down the entire neighborhood by letting the homes get run down. Sadly, the HOA reported that they have $208k worth of HOA dues that they have not been able to collect. That makes it pretty hard for them to do anything constructive.

 

[ericamanda01]

NEVER in a million years will I ever live in a community with a HOA. No way someone else is going to tell me what to do with my own home.

 

[AKL_Megs]

We don't have city pick up, we have to pay for our garbage pick up. It is back door pick up, so that's not a problem. We have bagged leaves/branch pick up on Thursdays and you are not supposed to put it out until Wednesday evening. Large items like boxes and such are picked up the 4th Friday of the month, so we put it out Thursday evening.

The garbage in particular I was referring to was garbage cans and black plastic bags. You just never see that here.

Your family memeber's HOA reminds me of the movie "Skipping Christmas" where every house in the neighborhood has to have a giant Snowman on their roof, and decorations accordingly. One couple decides to "skip" Christmas and go on a cruise and it leaves the whole neighborhood in a big up roar that they won't put up the snowman. Love that movie.

So you never get your neighbor down the road's garbage can rolling into your yard!

And I read that book, loved it! Now that you mention it, I DO remember the cover, with every house donning a snowman except one!

 

[jaminmd]

This could have come from me. I like my HOA, but they don't have enough power. In Florida, an HOA can only place a lein on a home if they do not pay their HOA fees. They cannot do anything about those who fail to live up to the HOA rules. Oh, they could take them to small claims court, but that is a lot of trouble. Right now, we have a bunch of homes in the area that are under foreclosure. No one is taking care of them. At the last meeting, we inquired about this and were told that we could take care of them if we wanted. The banks won't and the HOA can't afford to do so.

I really hate those people who drag down the entire neighborhood by letting the homes get run down. Sadly, the HOA reported that they have $208k worth of HOA dues that they have not been able to collect. That makes it pretty hard for them to do anything constructive.

See, ours is allowed to place a lien on homes that don't follow the rules. Some homeowners are so frustrated now that they may actually begin proceedings on some, but only for those that haven't paid their dues.

DH & I spend a fortune each year on weed control due to our neighbors. I also have other issues with them, as well, so my extreme dislike is warranted. They are lazy as can be. She has teenage children that do nothing. At first I was sympathetic because on is a single mother. Well, she's lazy and so are her kids. Period.

The other neighbors have 7 children but again, they do nothing at all. Lazy, lazy, lazy!

 

[disney1990]

We have an HOA, but we have NO rules associated with it.

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

We don't have city pick up, we have to pay for our garbage pick up. It is back door pick up, so that's not a problem. We have bagged leaves/branch pick up on Thursdays and you are not supposed to put it out until Wednesday evening. Large items like boxes and such are picked up the 4th Friday of the month, so we put it out Thursday evening.

The garbage in particular I was referring to was garbage cans and black plastic bags. You just never see that here.

Your family member's HOA reminds me of the movie "Skipping Christmas" where every house in the neighborhood has to have a giant Snowman on their roof, and decorations accordingly. One couple decides to "skip" Christmas and go on a cruise and it leaves the whole neighborhood in a big up roar that they won't put up the snowman. Love that movie.

Christmas with the Kranks! Love that movie! Especially when Tim Allen gets botox...LOL

 

[Mad4Mickey]

we did get a copy of the HOA rules at closing , that was not enough time to read anything . I would have bought the house anyway. I never would have thought that the HOA would take pictures of whatever you are doing that they think may be breaking the rules. Fred drives around on his security cart taking pictures of the weak bush I have on the left hand side of my house LOL

I do love where we live but sometimes the rules are really wierd. We cant have more then 2 trees in our front yard LOL and no more then 14 bushes .

They can fine you and you do have to pay it if you dont they put a lien on your house . I had to pay $ because we kept parking in the street in front of my house.

The Christmas light thing just struck me wrong today . To the poster that was talking about the blow up things in your yard they do not allow them out here LOL It is in the "rules"

I do understand why it is like it is because who wants a 500K house when you look outside and see a car on blocks and 2 dogs chained to a treebut come on they want them up by Dec 1st They have to be down no later then 1/5 .

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

We don't have a HOA...yet. Our subdivision is not completed, and we are still under 'covenants' that we signed when we moved in. We'll have a resident-approved HOA when it is finished. No covenants related to Christmas, thank goodness. We can have lights up whenever we want...even colored lights and inflatables. I'm a 'white lights and greenery' type of person, but I love the variety in our subdivision.

Now don't get me started on the clothes lines. I am a very 'green' person, and I don't like it that I can't have a nice looking, retractable clothesline in the summer

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

So you never get your neighbor down the road's garbage can rolling into your yard!

And I read that book, loved it! Now that you mention it, I DO remember the cover, with every house donning a snowman except one!

Yes, the book was much better than the movie. A rare "non courtroom" treat from John Grisham. I need to dig it out and read it this holiday.

And no running over the neighbors empty garbage cans, here, although two days ago in my DMIL's snooty neighborhood we had to stop the truck and have me get out to toss someone's garbage can back up onto their million dollar lawn..

 

[AKL_Megs]

Now don't get me started on the clothes lines. I am a very 'green' person, and I don't like it that I can't have a nice looking, retractable clothesline in the summer

I am a clothesline kind of person, too! In the summer, I am putting one up behind our garage!

Yes, the book was much better than the movie. A rare "non courtroom" treat from John Grisham. I need to dig it out and read it this holiday.

Good idea! I am going to dig mine out, too!