I just had to convince the city that my ambulance is an RV and not a commercial vehicle.
I just had to convince the city that my ambulance is an RV and not a commercial vehicle.
When we were working on "kcbhiw" 's Challenge Tracer, he got a letter from the HOA saying they had received complaints that he was running a paint and body shop out of his house 
While he was on vacation, there was talk of getting pylon-orange vinyl that read "Hong Norr Paint and Body" to stick on his garage door. Damn. Shoulda done that.
I could see some yahoo protesting that by filling the city hall parking lot with sand and gravel.
confuZion3 wrote: How many forum members here live in HOAs (Home Owners Associations--why didn't I just spell that?) and have received threats to have their cars towed FROM THEIR OWN PROPERTY because they aren't registered or don't run? This kind of stuff is bull cookies.
You know, I just don't buy all the pissing and moaning about HOAs. You knew about the rules when you bought the property. If the rules are going to be a problem, don't buy the property. Don't assume they don't apply and then bitch about it later.
On the original topic, I had a car for sale parked in front of my house, pretty deeply into the grass verge between the gutter and the sidewalk because our street is narrow. It got 2 tickets at once:
Parking On Lawn or Unpaved Area
Car Displayed For Sale On Street
I took it down to the magistrate and said "Which was it? Was it on my lawn or in the street?" She looked at both tickets and ripped them up.
Movign back to Oklahoma in three motnhs, so i have been browsing online. There is a new neighborhood development that appears to not be selling well, despite the houses being quite a bargin and rather nice. I poked around there dreaming of taking over the miniscule HOA and reglutaing it like the other thread here.
"Hello, I Christian Mental Ward, and uh, we need to talk about your disregard of HOA agreements.."
"well, I know, but you see, I just got that car running..and uh.."
"No...that car has been running for three months, either disable it now, or get another non-functioning vehicle, and another thing...about your garage.."
"Well I know I leave the door closed, but my wife has Taurus."
"Oh I see, carry on then..."
What I love is the excuse for HOAs being "keeping property values up."
In the boom days, property values were going up regardless of what the HOAs were doing. And when the market bottom dropped out, property values went to hell, regardless of what the HOAs were doing. They neither went up faster, nor dropped slower, due to the actions of an HOA.
Sorry, you can't convince me that not allowing the garage door to be up for more than 30 minutes at a stretch affects property values one iota for ANYONE.
If they don't want garage doors to be opened require them to be side outlet doors.
Chris_V wrote: What I love is the excuse for HOAs being "keeping property values up." In the boom days, property values were going up regardless of what the HOAs were doing. And when the market bottom dropped out, property values went to hell, regardless of what the HOAs were doing. They neither went up faster, nor dropped slower, due to the actions of an HOA. Sorry, you can't convince me that not allowing the garage door to be up for more than 30 minutes at a stretch affects property values one iota for ANYONE.
QFT.
Nines times out of ten, HOAs are little people drunk on some semblance of perceived power.
My dad (lawyer, poly sci major, generally odd dude) used to go to HOA meetings in his neighborhood just to cause a ruckus by using their own rules against them, descending the meetings into chaos. It was a beautiful thing to see. None of these people had the first clue what they were doing, but hiding behind the rulebook was enough to scare off most challengers.
He actually helped an older couple get permission to build a house on the lot they had just purchased down the street from us. They didn't have room on the lot to set the house back far enough from the road per the by-laws, so he advised them (off the record, of course) that they could just refer to the back of their house as the 'front,' since the rule was so poorly worded. It worked, and they built the house.
I think I would like your dad!
SVreX wrote: I think I would like your dad!
+1!
In reference to getting a speeding ticket in your drive way- In the late 80's I was the proud owner of a Honda CBX. 1200cc's, straight 6 early super bike. I had gone to the neighborhood C store for something for the GF. On the way back, I opened it up, probably 120- 130mph. Cop passed me going the other way, immediately turned around and came after me. I saw him, but was only a few blocks away from her house, so just pulled into the driveway, put the bike on the stand, and pulled off my helmet. Just about then the cop pulls in. He takes a look at "The Old Dude" and said"E36 M3, I was hoping you were some young punk! Slow down out here, OK?" Yeah, sure Officer.
It's not as if it were as simple as you knew the rules and if you didn't like them simply don't buy there. The rules are always open to interpretation and when you get a Nazi enforcement regime in place the whole character of the neighborhood changes.
As far as increasing the value of the neighborhood that's totally false. I've been in real estate for going on 30 years now and "I don't want to even look at a house that has an HOA" is one of most common statements people make. So an HOA limits your buyer pool which reduces your selling price.
We are in the process of gaining control of our HOA from the developer later in the month and the neighborhood forum has just been burning up with posts. Fortunately, based upon the posts, most of the people realized the potential for a huge problem and the silent majority base has begun to speak up with a cry for sanity.
We get to rewrite the rules to fit what we want and due to the amount of negative press HOAs have gotten over the past few years it looks as if the voice of reason will prevail. I could still be overly optimistic since the first meeting isn't until next week.
alex wrote: My dad (lawyer, poly sci major, generally odd dude) used to go to HOA meetings in his neighborhood just to cause a ruckus by using their own rules against them, descending the meetings into chaos. It was a beautiful thing to see. None of these people had the first clue what they were doing, but hiding behind the rulebook was enough to scare off most challengers.
That's the whole reason I'm on the board of mine. I got sick of the petty tyrants who read the first six words of the rule and didn't have the attention span to finish the sentence. I try to bring a little cool-headedness and even-handedness to the meetings.
Except I'm a lawyer, electrical engineering major, and generally odd dude.
However, one thing you have to remember about Houston (where I live) is that we have no zoning. Deed restrictions are the only thing that keeps someone from building a feed lot (or other nuisance of your choice) right in the middle of a subdivision. Ever try to win a common law nuisance suit?
Moreover, as a practical matter, it is much more likely that restrictions will be enforced when there is an HOA than places that rely on individual homeowners to enforce.
Again, while some of the rules are stupid, everybody knows (or should know) the rules going in. If you don't like it, don't buy there (or move).
For the record, I don't buy that subjective interpretation nonsense. I'm intimately familiar with our restrictions and architectural control guidelines, and very few of them are subjective. The ones that are are unenforceable if not enforced even-handedly.
Houston is the exception to the rule, almost everywhere else has zoning ordinances. Where we are is in the country so we don't have none of them fancy city rules, which is why most of us came out here. The can't leave your garage door open for more than 30 minutes, can't store/work on car in your own garage, can't have a vegetable garden where it is visible from the road at any angle (I kid you not) type of rules will be struck down.
I'd say common sense needs to rule, but common sense is no longer common.
And the subjective rules get enforced or at least they can make your life miserable with them. They've got the clout and hold the foreclosure &/or fines and penalties over the homeowner's head. What can most homeowner's do, threaten to spend mega bucks to sue? That's not fair and equitable relief.
The best was the meeting he went to after he caught wind that the new board (major pricks) were 'strictly' enforcing Robert's Rules of Order, mainly so they could bark down anybody who tried to speak against the board. He knew those procedures like the back of his hand, and I don't think a single issue even made it to vote at that meeting.
And he walked out chuckling quietly to himself.
carguy123 wrote: I'd say common sense needs to rule, but common sense is no longer common.
I think we can all agree to that.
carguy123 wrote: And the subjective rules get enforced or at least they can make your life miserable with them. They've got the clout and hold the foreclosure &/or fines and penalties over the homeowner's head. What can most homeowner's do, threaten to spend mega bucks to sue? That's not fair and equitable relief.
That's not been my experience. In eight years, I know of only one "subjective" call that was made, which I think was objectively wrong. Unfortunately, the homeowner backed down, because I was looking forward to my HOA losing the fight to give them a dose of reality.
I had two run-ins with my HOA before I was on the board. Both times they backed down. I've found that even a rudimentary understanding of the law allows a homeowner to cause a lot more problems for the HOA than the HOA can cause for the homeowner. Admittedly, I know more law than most, but you can have a lot of fun with an HOA for an hour or two of a good lawyer's time.
Foreclosure is also not a realistic threat unless you're not paying an assessment (in Texas, at least). In Texas the only thing an HOA can foreclose for is failure to pay an assessment. Some associations' bylaws allow them to divert payment of an assessment to pay fines, but I doubt very seriously this would stand up in court because it would eviscerate the law that prohibits foreclosing for not paying fines. I'm actually hoping someone challenges that practice one of these days.
Mental wrote: Movign back to Oklahoma in three motnhs, so i have been browsing online. There is a new neighborhood development that appears to not be selling well, despite the houses being quite a bargin and rather nice. I poked around there dreaming of taking over the miniscule HOA and reglutaing it like the other thread here. "Hello, I Christian Mental Ward, and uh, we need to talk about your disregard of HOA agreements.." "well, I know, but you see, I just got that car running..and uh.." "No...that car has been running for three months, either disable it now, or get another non-functioning vehicle, and another thing...about your garage.." "Well I know I leave the door closed, but my wife has Taurus." "Oh I see, carry on then..."
this is funny though....you need at least one car that does not run in the front yard...hehehehehhe
carguy123 wrote: As far as increasing the value of the neighborhood that's totally false. I've been in real estate for going on 30 years now and "I don't want to even look at a house that has an HOA" is one of most common statements people make. So an HOA limits your buyer pool which reduces your selling price.
That was the case with us. We didn't even look at houses with an HOA.
Keith wrote:carguy123 wrote: As far as increasing the value of the neighborhood that's totally false. I've been in real estate for going on 30 years now and "I don't want to even look at a house that has an HOA" is one of most common statements people make. So an HOA limits your buyer pool which reduces your selling price.That was the case with us. We didn't even look at houses with an HOA.
Ditto. We're actually living in a "manufactured home" (ROFL! Didn't know what it meant until I pulled into the driveway) at the moment, because that's how far into the country you have to go to find such neighborhoods around here. Living in a trailer's not as bad as I thought it would be...
i can attest to the no hoa request..
when i bought my house i had just three requirements:
2 car or larger garage, and minimal 4 car driveway
no HOA
habitable
that was it.. sounds easy right? i went through four agents before i found one that understood them... 
billy3esq I'm in Texas and I've seen HOAs start foreclosure proceedings to collect back fees. Then theres the liens they can place on the property and the costs to get them removed and straightened out, and probably paid a second time, so you can sell.
Just starting a foreclosure proceeding, or at least getting the notice is cruel and unusual punishment.
dyintorace wrote: How would the car be parked legally but in violation of the deed restrictions? Not asking sarcastically, rather genuinely curious. I live within a fairly restrictive HOA community.
Ran afoul of this one in a most remarkably obnoxious gated community. I was not properly centered in the driveway.
No kidding. I almost got towed for not having my truck parked in the precise center of the driveway, squarely aligned with the edges.
For some strange reason, I chose not to live in communities like that.
alex wrote: The best was the meeting he went to after he caught wind that the new board (major pricks) were 'strictly' enforcing Robert's Rules of Order, mainly so they could bark down anybody who tried to speak against the board. He knew those procedures like the back of his hand, and I don't think a single issue even made it to vote at that meeting. And he walked out chuckling quietly to himself.
Is he available for hire?? I'd like him to join me at some of our HOA meetings.
well, back to the ticket in the drive way thing.
i'm in houston my self. my situation was a parking ticket for my ford straight 6 pick-up that was parked in front of my house. got the ticket in the mail stating the truck was blocking traffic by being more than 14" from the curb. this was on the same day neighbors down the street had the entire street packed w/ family and friends' vehicles for a party! i always made sure the truck tires were all on the grassy area. it was a $30 ticket and i was going to have to miss some work to contest the stupidity of it but i just paid it.
Per Wisconsin State Statutes 341.268:(a) “Hobbyist” means the owner of one or more reconstructed, replica, street modified or homemade vehicles who collects, purchases, acquires, trades or disposes of reconstructed, replica, street modified or homemade vehicles or parts thereof for personal use in order to build, reconstruct, restore, preserve and maintain a reconstructed, replica, street modified or homemade vehicle for historic or hobby interest. and(4) A hobbyist may store unlicensed, operable or inoperable, vehicles and parts cars on the hobbyist’s property provided the vehicles and parts cars and outdoor storage area are maintained in such a manner that they do not constitute a health hazard and are screened from ordinary public view by means of a fence, rapidly growing trees, shrubbery or other appropriate means.
You just need to have a car to slap a hobbyist plate on it.
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