What is the DUMBEST / WORST HOA rule you have ever heard of?

[jrmasm]

Awwww poor baby! He was too sleepy to operate a vehicle but he did anyway. Now he ran over something as big as a car!

sorry, I just hate it when people think this way...

Mikeeee

We don't have that rule but are not allowed to park unregistered/non running vehicles or any type of work vehicle.

Parking on the street is fine by me, I just wish people wouldn't park across from my driveway. Our streets are narrow and I'd hate to back into someone. But if they do, I back out carefully. Not a huge deal.

 

[Robinrs]

I once lived in a subdivision without an HOA and it was like visiting a website with no moderation....

We had a neighbor who painted her house BRIGHT BLUE and had 4 pitbulls modestly gated in her yard. The house was on the way to the bus stop for the neighborhood kids and the dogs would bark like mad whenever someone walked by. They also built a strange fence that looked like barbwire... I don't want to THINK of why they needed that!

I live in a townhome development that has mostly sensible rules. My neighbor decided to put hers up for sale and painted her house red white and blue! She is a recently citizenized Japanese woman and thought it was beautiful. Well, she didn't think so when the HOA sent her a note to change it... NOW. She just cried and cried to me, wondering how could they do this to her??? Uh, did you ever think to ask? I guess not. Now she's out of the money to REpaint.

My only run in with them was about the yard sale I wanted to give. They have so many rules and it must be approved via letter or email. It took them two weeks to get back to me... and the President lives down the block from me! No problem, it rained every weekend since, anyway!!

 

[coliebird]

I could never live anywhere with a HOA- I can't stand that kind of dictatorship over something that I own! I would rather deal with a neighbor with fake geese on her lawn than to have to bend to a bunch of power hungry peoples rules.
I can't believe that they can tell you what color flowers to plant or what color to paint your house and even have to give permission for a fence- that is insane! When I buy a house I buy the property and the house and can do as I please- If my neighbor wants to paint their house purple I don't care, its their right as a homeowner!

MTE. There is no way I would let anyone tell me that I coulnd't hang certain curtains in my kids room or my living room window, and even though my Christmas tree has white lights it is because it is what I prefer, not because someone else said so. I can't imagine wanting to move into a neighborhood like that.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I don't know if this has been answered yet or not. But this is what I do for a living. Yes, you get a fine for noncompliance of the by-laws. If the fine is the only unpaid charge on your account we will not bother to pay a lawyer to collect. Someday the unit will be sold and you won't be able to do so without paying all your outstanding fees. I always get my $'s!

Yuck... what a job.

 

[sk8ingmom]

Whatever happened to common decency & pride iof ownership?
I've only lived in an HOA development once (for 2 years) & I've never had an issue with semi trucks, cars up on blocks, 2 foot high grass, or {gasp} visible ugly curtains. DH and I have had 8 houses in the 14 years we've been married, so I think I might have a statistically significant sample.

Heck my neighborhood in Alaska, you could see mounted hunting trophies through many of the windows. Yes, dead animals. I'm not laughing about the animals being dead, I'm laughing about flowers and curtains being such an issue.

Yes. Hanes or Fruit of the Loom crew neck only. If you wear a color or a different brand you may spend no more than 10 minutes visible on any given day. V necks are not permitted in visible areas at any time.

Can I wear a hat??
Like a big Carmen Miranda fruit hat?

What about my dog? She likes to sit in the front window. She is tri-color. Do I need to dye her white?

I know that this is a rule at Disney's Celebration development.

I know it is Disney and all, but Celebration scares me. I was a Disney Store CM in college and I always wonder if the folks who live in Celebration need to conform to the Disney dress code.

Somewhere down in Florida there were HOA rules that limited the number of guest you could have stay overnight and for how long. Apparently there were a lot of evil people in the subdivision giving refuge to hurricane victims. Everyone knows how charity, kindness, and good will drives down property values.

That is just insane.
How dare people help one another!

We hate the city we live right now, so we are renting a house because we are leaving ASAP. This is a 2400 sq. foot suburban family home on a .5 acre lot in a very nice suburb & it is not cheap - rent equals the mortgage payment for my last 2 houses combined! Our lease had this huge section about "guests" & I realize that the property management company writes these things for the lowest common denominator, but I made them take that section out. I have no interest in calling to ask for their approval when my Dad wants to come visit and stay in our guest room for a week.

 

[diznygirl]

I know it is Disney and all, but Celebration scares me. I was a Disney Store CM in college and I always wonder if the folks who live in Celebration need to conform to the Disney dress code.

To answer your question - No.

Celebration doesn't have half of these annoying HOA rules that are listed here.

MTE. There is no way I would let anyone tell me that I coulnd't hang certain curtains in my kids room or my living room window, and even though my Christmas tree has white lights it is because it is what I prefer, not because someone else said so. I can't imagine wanting to move into a neighborhood like that.

You just have to read the rules before you move. There are plenty of HOAs that aren't restrictive.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

You just have to read the rules before you move. There are plenty of HOAs that aren't restrictive.

Yea, the CC&R's are available and should be read by anyone thinking of buying or renting before they actually do. We generally like the rules our association has (except the lawn one, but it's made up for by the other, good rules).

If someone doesn't bother to read the rules before they agree to them by purchasing or leasing the home, then doesn't like them, they have only themselves to blame.

 

[themarquis]

ETA: gf and I are in love with the idea of painting a house we get someday some kind of "crazy" color. We've talked about a bright purple or blue (not glaringly bright, but NOT pastel) w/ another fun color for a trim (picture on a cute victorian and you get the picture.)

Obviously, we could never get a house in a HOA, but apparently, even without one, doing such a thing with one's own home is considered terrible, tacky, inconsiderate, trashy, "crazy", (fill in the blank).

We love the idea and would consider it a well-thought out idea and an expression of our individuality and love for a home.

I find it kind of dismaying that people are so hostile to the idea of their neighbors making their own choices with how to decorate their own property.

Clearly, some people enjoy a HOA environment, and some poeple don't. That's fine, since people can choose whether to get a house with one or not. I just didn't realize that off of an HOA, everyone is so invested in everyone else's business! I don't understand why so many poeple have these strict internal "rules" that they think govern what kind of colors people "should" be "allowed" to paint their house, how high they should be "allowed" to grow their lawn, what kind of curtains are "tacky", etc.!

 

[KigerKat]

ETA: gf and I are in love with the idea of painting a house we get someday some kind of "crazy" color. We've talked about a bright purple or blue (not glaringly bright, but NOT pastel) w/ another fun color for a trim (picture on a cute victorian and you get the picture.)

Obviously, we could never get a house in a HOA, but apparently, even without one, doing such a thing with one's own home is considered terrible, tacky, inconsiderate, trashy, "crazy", (fill in the blank).

We love the idea and would consider it a well-thought out idea and an expression of our individuality and love for a home.

I find it kind of dismaying that people are so hostile to the idea of their neighbors making their own choices with how to decorate their own property.

Clearly, some people enjoy a HOA environment, and some poeple don't. That's fine, since people can choose whether to get a house with one or not. I just didn't realize that off of an HOA, everyone is so invested in everyone else's business! I don't understand why so many poeple have these strict internal "rules" that they think govern what kind of colors people "should" be "allowed" to paint their house, how high they should be "allowed" to grow their lawn, what kind of curtains are "tacky", etc.!

I always laugh at people who do something crazy as a retaliation against their covenants, like paint their house pink with baby blue polka dots. But deep down, I'm kinda happy I don't live next door to them.

Now please don't think I'm being rude (and I apologize if I come off that way), but if you do paint your house some unique color, what makes you think your neighbors would want to look at it? A "unique" house color can disrupt the theme of a neighborhood, and likely cause home values to drop. Is your expression really worth the value of homes in your area to drop even more than they already are?

Plus you have to think of the costs involved in painting a home. And then what happens if you decide to move? How likely is it that you will find a buyer with the same tastes that you have? Will you then incur the costs of re-painting your house a more neutral color for marketing purposes?

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of "over the line" type of rules that a lot of HOAs have in their covenants. But something as big as house color (I think) is important. I would be devastated if my next door neighbor decided to paint her house white with lime green mickey heads all over it laughing: ). That's why it's so important that everyone read the covenants thoroughly before they buy into an HOA neighborhood.

 

[Papa Deuce]

ETA: gf and I are in love with the idea of painting a house we get someday some kind of "crazy" color. We've talked about a bright purple or blue (not glaringly bright, but NOT pastel) w/ another fun color for a trim (picture on a cute victorian and you get the picture.)

Obviously, we could never get a house in a HOA, but apparently, even without one, doing such a thing with one's own home is considered terrible, tacky, inconsiderate, trashy, "crazy", (fill in the blank).

We love the idea and would consider it a well-thought out idea and an expression of our individuality and love for a home.

I find it kind of dismaying that people are so hostile to the idea of their neighbors making their own choices with how to decorate their own property.

Clearly, some people enjoy a HOA environment, and some poeple don't. That's fine, since people can choose whether to get a house with one or not. I just didn't realize that off of an HOA, everyone is so invested in everyone else's business! I don't understand why so many poeple have these strict internal "rules" that they think govern what kind of colors people "should" be "allowed" to paint their house, how high they should be "allowed" to grow their lawn, what kind of curtains are "tacky", etc.!

OK.... Even though I am against a HOA, I'd be mighty PO'd if you went nuts with color, like what was going to happen in my neighborhood. We have one "bad" house on the street, in that it isn't taken care of properly, which is really a shame because the owners are actually VERY WEALTHY. They own the company that hauls trash in our township, and many around ours. The problem is, is that they use this house as a rental and obviously don't care what it looks like. Their own home is magnificent and meticulously kept.


So, one day a group of neighbors see the owner at the property and approach him about cleaning the place up, at least painting it. The owner hems and haws and things nearly break out into a fist fight. Finally the owner promises to paint the house.

One day I come home to find a house painted bright purple with windows that are painted like candy canes... red and white stripes.

Well, needless to say, the guy who lives across from him is not happy, and happens to be the same guy the owner almost got into a fight with. The guy who lives across the street probably spends 10K a year in landscaping and lawn maintainence.

Well, nobody could prove who did what, but the owner of the crappy house started getting his companies tires damaged. After a week or so, the guy decides to add some YELLOW to his purple, red, and white house.

A few days later the owner of the crappy house is found beaten up and is in the hospital..... 2 days after that, a painting crew comes out and paints the house a nice respectable blue and white.

So, before you paint a house all crazy and ridiculous, remember there are crazy people out there who might not take to it very well. And consider what your crazy colored house does to everybody else's home values.

Colored Christmas light? Who cares? They are temporary... Curtain color... ridiculous... but a rather "permanent" crazy color or colors of paint affects everybody around you.

 

[DevilDuckie]

Can I wear a hat??
Like a big Carmen Miranda fruit hat?

What about my dog? She likes to sit in the front window. She is tri-color. Do I need to dye her white?

Only if the fruit is white. I recommend garlic and white onions instead of fruit. The dog can have an exemption if she is at least 50% white and wears a white sweater. It goes without saying that her collar and tags will be white.

 

[DevilDuckie]

ETA: another rule is no satellite dish (for television). This is a clever rule though, because it makes sure that no muslims will buy into it, without you having racist rules. They all need their satellite dish to receive arabic channels.
The big problem with them though is that they are very loud (espacially at night) and cram way too many people in a way too small house/ appartment.

I will take my lovely Muslim neighbors over pretty much anyone- especially bigots- any day of the week, thank you very much. I wonder if you know just how prejudiced this sounds?

 

[Galahad]

Awwww poor baby! He was too sleepy to operate a vehicle but he did anyway. Now he ran over something as big as a car!

sorry, I just hate it when people think this way...

Mikeeee

Hate is such an interesting word....

We have HOA rules. Leaving cars in the street is against them. The streets are narrow. The rules are published. Don't like it, don't buy the house. Have a car, put it in your driveway. I hate it when people thing this way.....

 

[Papa Deuce]

Hate is such an interesting word....

We have HOA rules. Leaving cars in the street is against them. The streets are narrow. The rules are published. Don't like it, don't buy the house. Have a car, put it in your driveway. I hate it when people thing this way.....

I agree.... if you sign on with a HOA in your development, by and large you should follow the rules ( even though I am anti HOA, and some rules like what I can do inside my home I wouldn't follow ).....

However, if somebody hits an illegally parked car, they are still responsible for the damaged caused.... I've seen this on Judge Judy a 100X!

 

[Robinrs]

My sister's HOA has a clause that ONLY immediate family members are allowed to live in the house!

This, in it's own way, keeps migrant workers out intentionally, who regularly buy homes and fill them to the max. I once lived in a 2 bedroom one bath apartment with 20 people in the identical one above me!!

 

[Galahad]

However, if somebody hits an illegally parked car, they are still responsible for the damaged caused.... I've seen this on Judge Judy a 100X!

Oh, to be sure. But it doesn't make the guy who left the car there any less of a dweeb.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

We've never had a problem with the HOA as much as we've had problems with the mgmt company. We've lived here for about 7 years now and in that time, we've had SIX !!!!! different property managers. Our common areas (which have playgrounds on them) are constantly being defaced/vandalized. I went by one of the parks a couple days ago and one of the swings is broken. There is offensive vandalism on the inside of the playground equipment for about the third or fourth time now.

The last property mgr we had hired a certain company to take care of the community pool. The company did NOT take care of it at all. The first summer they had been hired, the pool was closed for serious repairs (due to improper maintenance) more than it was open. Over the winter of 06/early part of 07, it wasn't maintained AT ALL so that there was a lot of green mossy stuff growing IN the pool. Last spring, after we got yet ANOTHER new property mgr, they hired a different company to take care of the pool. The pool had to be sanded down and re-plastered because of all the mold. But it still wasn't taken care of properly, so it was only open about 4 weeks out of the summer.

We have yet another new property mgr and another pool company taking care of the pool this year. I'm hoping that this company will do a better job than the last one did. But I'm not counting on it.

 

[sk8ingmom]

Only if the fruit is white. I recommend garlic and white onions instead of fruit. The dog can have an exemption if she is at least 50% white and wears a white sweater. It goes without saying that her collar and tags will be white.

At least I won't have to worry about vampires.

The dog is a husky - she doesn't do sweaters.

 

[vegasnative]

We used to live in a HOA.
We were not allowed to have a vehicle parked at our house that had lettering or logos on it. So, what about people that only have company cars? No sympathy for them. We had our own business, and that van had lettering on it and we got a letter from the HOA. Had to park it in the garage from then on out.
Also, garage doors had to remain shut, they could only be opened when entering or exiting.
No kids toys were to be seen from the street. If my sons rode their trikes in the backyard and heaven forbid they left them at the gate where people could see them....oh no!!! No signs in the yards (political, landscaping) even knew of one HOA that wouldn't allow real estate signs. You had to get s sign from the HOA, therefore all the for sale signs would be uniform.

HOA's are nice for that one neighbor that has the junky cars outside that never move, or doesn't mow his 4-foot high grass. Other than that, they are too Big Brotherish for me. We do not live in one anymore and I really like it. If I want to paint my house then I should be able to, I shouldn't have to get the color approved first.

My friends mom got a warning letter one time because she left a garbage can outside her house until the day after trash day. It wasn't even hers, it was the neighbors! She also got a letter for having a light bulb out on her number plate on the house. Too much!

My mom can't put her trash out until after 6pm the night before trash day in her HOA. Also, they are not allowed to have Oleanders in their yards.

 

[jrmasm]

My mom can't put her trash out until after 6pm the night before trash day in her HOA.

We can't either but I don't see why this rule would bother anyone. Please enlighten me.