Home Owner's Association

[Benita]

What a bunch of nuts- anyone who would condemn anyone else for modifiying their Camper!! Nuts! That would be like them flaming anyone for re-decorating or re-modeling their house! *rolls eyes*

Obviously, you don't have a home owner's association.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Obviously, you don't have a home owner's association.

What's a home owner's association???

[Glen G]

What's a home owner's association???

You don't want to know

[Deb in MN]

OH my, I wonder WHY in the world anyone likes an association living?? AAAARGH.

I have a daughter living in a townhouse with an association- and geeesh- they can't even put out a sandbox for the kids! In the wintertime- her hubby slid on the ice and damaged their garage doors. They are SO worried because the Association wants them to fix it and right away- looks BAD, you know! Needless to say- they learned quickly they don't want to live there for very long.

[Byron Kinnaman]

You don't want to know

I can tell you I will do anything I can to avoid knowing about them. We have enough "can't dos". I just don't understand why anybody would subject them selves to more and pay for the privilage.

[Judy N]

Just like most things, there are pros and cons to Neighborhood associations. I lived with a condominium association (and served on the board) for over 10 years. It provided me with outside maintenance that I couldn't do myself; amenities I couldn't afford on my own (swimming pool, tennis court, etc), and it worked very hard on maintaining the value of my property by not allowing physical deterioration of the abutting property to take place. Yes, I had to give up some individual freedom, but the trade off was worth it for me.

Most people get into trouble with neighborhood associations because they don't take the time to read the "rules". They don't pay attention before they sign on the dotted line, then expect the association to "accomodate" them when they do something outside the rules.

Yes, they can seem to be autocratic (repair your garage door or else), but ythe person down the block who is trying to sell his property appreciates his neighbors property looking it's best so he can get good market value for his own.

[Morgan]

Well said, Judy N

Most people who have problems with homeowner's associations want to ignore the by-laws or the rules and regulations (but only as it affects them).

[Byron Kinnaman]

Well, You folks can give away your rights if you like, and pay for privilage. But for me, NO THANKS.

[Kathy & Doug Roach]

Just got finished paying off a huge fine to a HOA because of a basketball hoop. Unfortunately in some neighborhoods there are people you are never happy and are constantly reporting "violations" to the HOA. It is almost impossible to prove your side many times and the cost to hire your own lawyer and fight them is considerable. In this area the HOA actually has no responsiblities as there are no common areas. Can't quite figure out why they exist.

Like everything else there are good and bad HOAs. If we all practiced what we learned in kindergarten we wouldn't need such groups.

Kathy

[Mike Watters]

In the wintertime- her hubby slid on the ice and damaged their garage doors. They are SO worried because the Association wants them to fix it and right away- looks BAD, you know!

Too bad the HOA wasn't similarly concerned enough to do something about the frickin' ice in the first place...


mkw

[Mike Watters]

Like everything else there are good and bad HOAs. If we all practiced what we learned in kindergarten we wouldn't need such groups.

Kathy

Heck, I'd be happy if we just practiced what we should have learned from the Constitution.

mkw

(Obviously not a fan of HOAs)

[shirley munson]

My house has appreciated 48 times what I paid for it since 1954. Sure, its a good area- Marin Co. CA-but I think the tight zoneing laws and homeowner's oversight have contributed to the property values strong increase and quality of life here. We do have a few "eccentrics" that let the weeds get five feet high but we can't do anything about it until it becomes a fire hazard.
Another guy and I are the only ones in the neighborhood that have an RV in front but no one has said anything-yet. I do feel a little chagrined about it but the $35/mo. would feel worse.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Well, You folks can give away your rights if you like, and pay for privilage. But for me, NO THANKS.

I, like Byron, have chosen to forgo the use of a Home Owner's Association, in the selection of my primary residence. But, let me play Devil's advocate, here. I believe that that is a similar function to that of the Moderators of this Website.

We derive great benefit from giving up the "right":
1. to tell jokes in extremely bad taste,
2. to flame one another and get angry with one another,
3. to prostelitize our specific Religious beliefs,
4. to hawk our wares to a captive audience without contributing the true cost of this forum.

Persons who choose to live under a (properly administered) Home Owner's Association do get value in exchange for what they "give up." I don't begrudge them that. Many persons in that situation get to live in property that is in better condition than my sorry slum. I have no one to blame for it's condition but myself... But I also belong to a community that has the equivalent of of a Home Owner's Association, [b]this Website. And we are all the richer for it.

[Roger H]

I lived in the Clearlake Riviera with a Kelseyville CA address from 1990 to 1997. Clearlake Riviera had a homeowner's association to which we paid some unreasonable dues. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, it is just north of Napa County, east of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, and west of Yolo and Colusa Counties. It is wild fire country, has Mount Konocti (a dormant volcano) in the middle, and is riddled with earthquake faults.

Our beloved HOA did nothing about the fire hazard of thirty years of manzanita and other 20' tall brush. The streets deteriorated. They allowed modular homes to be built next to $200k architect-designed homes. They DID, however, insist on approving the color of paint for your house. Woe be unto the person who put up a fence without the HOA being involved. They went on a kick about hiding propane heating fuel tanks. The Association by-laws strictly prohibited visible propane tanks.

They actually paid someone to go around looking for violations! In due course I got the dreaded "fix it or else" letter directing that I needed to camoflage my propane tank in the approved fashion (4' x 8' wood lattice hung on 4x4 posts driven "x" number of inches into the ground... blah blah blah". After diligently searching my yard repeatedly, I couldn't find a tank to hide. And then I remembered that my house was all electric and I didn't HAVE propane!

I will never live in a house with an HOA again. The concept is OK, and as long as there are business people on the board who indeed are looking out after the fiscal health of the common community, you're probably ok; but when it's run by folks who have nothing better to do than annoy the neighbors while ignoring significant threats to the community... you're better off in a mixed economic base residential community.

Roger

[Gina D.]

Every community has a HOA, and we pay for it with county property tax. It's called Code Enforcement.

Mostly, these laws deal with very valid safety issues (Like the overgrown fire hazards etc), but they also deal with goofy stuff too.

My trailer is parked illegally in my driveway. No one has complained, so the county doesn't care. Whats wierd is, if a new neighbor moves in and cries.. I have to move it.

I and it were already here, and they can see it in full view when they buy. It's not a suprise.

Thats not right. It's on MY property, not the county street and creates no specific hazard for anyone. It also isn't falling to bits and isn't an eyesore.

I have seen some HOAs that will not allow a CAR to be parked in the driveway. It's like a ghost town in those tracts. No sign of life out front, no individualizm.. no character.

I agree tho, that piling dead cars, parts, building materials and other "junk" in ones front yard does effect others from a monetary standpoint. What I have in the back that no one can see, isn't illegal, toxic or hazaradous, is my business.. not the nieghbors.

I have nieghbors that call the county for any little thing.. on everyone. (Accept they like my trailer.. odd) They are here about 3 times a year. It's a weekend house only for them.

[Glen G]

"Whats a H.O. association ?"



Now you know what one is

[Christi V.]

I, like Byron, have chosen to forgo the use of a Home Owner's Association, in the selection of my primary residence. But, let me play Devil's advocate, here. I believe that that is a similar function to that of the Moderators of this Website.

We derive great benefit from giving up the "right":
1. to tell jokes in extremely bad taste,
2. to flame one another and get angry with one another,
3. to prostelitize our specific Religious beliefs,
4. to hawk our wares to a captive audience without contributing the true cost of this forum.

Persons who choose to live under a (properly administered) Home Owner's Association do get value in exchange for what they "give up." I don't begrudge them that. Many persons in that situation get to live in property that is in better condition than my sorry slum. I have no one to blame for it's condition but myself... But I also belong to a community that has the equivalent of of a Home Owner's Association, [b]this Website. And we are all the richer for it.

AMEN TO THAT!!

[Andy J]

Where we live, we elect 7 board members to form our HOA from among our neighbours each year at our annual general meeting. Not without it's challenges but works fairly well for the most part. At least each homeowner knows they could stand for election if they felt they could better contribute.

Andy