Another Idiotic HOA

[daleduke17]

http://www.ksla.com/story/19523526/h...pink-playhouse

Really. They are trying to dictate the color of a playhouse? How does a pink playhouse lower anyone's property values other than a blue or green or any other color playhouse? It is in the backyard, in very good condition and appears to be well maintained. It is visible to, at most, 6 properties?

If there is not a covenant in their rules, the HOA better just suck it up and deal with it.

Why even have HOAs? Aren't there enough city codes to legislate everything?

[fireheart17]

I have to agree with one of the comments: maybe the person who's complaining had a kid who couldn't play in the house for whatever reason and threw a big tanty?

[draco664]

Why even have HOAs? Aren't there enough city codes to legislate everything?

Ostensibly, they're designed to improve the value of all the properties within the HOA's range. By ensuring that things that are not covered by city codes be adhered to.

You couldn't pay me to live in a house covered by a HOA. If it ever gets to a point where the majority of people feel the same, then a HOA will *decrease* the value of a property, and the heads of small-minded bullies all over the country will explode.

[tabbyblack13]

This is why I hate HOAs. There is no reason for them to be behaving like this. I will never live in an HOA area.

[Andara Bledin]

This fight is devaluing the neighborhood, not the pinkness of the playhouse. >_<

^-.-^

[Gravekeeper]

The first rule of any given HOA should be "Don't do anything that would end up in the news".

[fireheart17]

The first rule of any given HOA should be "Don't do anything that would end up in the news".

The second rule: "Petty details should not be subject to an argument."

Also, why the fuck do people give a shit about their house value unless they're planning to sell it?

[daleduke17]

The second rule: "Petty details should not be subject to an argument."

Also, why the fuck do people give a shit about their house value unless they're planning to sell it?

That is their reasoning for denying any kind of changes and trying to impose their rules on their neighbors.

[indigo]

You couldn't pay me to live in a HOA neighborhood - most of the ones I've dealt with have been ridiculous. Too many regulations over petty nonsense.

The worst one was growing up, we lived in a HOA townhouse community and we kept getting letters that we needed to pick up after our dog. We couldn't figure out why they were targeting us, since us kids were very diligent about picking up during walks. As it turned out, the person who kept sending us the letters didn't realize that female dogs squat to do all of their business - she swore that all dogs lifted their legs to urinate. Didn't like it much when I asked her if she stood up to pee.

[crashhelmet]

The last HOA I dealt with was run by my next door neighbor and constantly used it to their advantage. If we parked a car on the street, or had a guest over and they parked on the street, we'd get a nasty note reminding us that we couldn't park there for longer than an hour, and only if we were moving things in or out of the garage. Yet, they constantly had people over and would often times take up most of the street itself. We'd complain to the homeowner himself and it would go nowhere. As soon as the lease was up, we were gone.

[guywithashovel]

My neighborhood does not have an HOA. A few of my coworkers live in place or have lived in places that had them. Most of them seem pretty favorable to them.

They probably do a lot of good, but I can see where some people could use them to be bullies. It seems like HOAs tend to be set up so that everyone can know as much of everyone else's business as possible. Also, they seem to encourage so-called "Stepford Wife" communities--i.e., most houses look the same, most yards look the same, heck even the people tend to look the same.

[Andara Bledin]

I have a co-worker who lives in a gated community, which almost universally comes with some form of HOA.

So she got herself on the board and attends every single meeting they have. She's a major voice of reason for when people get stupid.

My aunt had a boyfriend who lived in another such community. When someone got pissy about his satellite being on his balcony (back when satellite dishes were huge), he replaced it with some hideous but completely unbanned plastic lawn ornaments. They relented and let him have his dish by the next meeting.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

I understand that they have to enforce all the rules, all the time, on everybody or lose the right to enforce them at all. And I can understand the advantages of them; Mom used to live near a house that had the whole yard stuffed full of old refrigerators. But why not set the rules at a minimal level, rather than being so nitpicky and precise in the first place?

[smileyeagle1021]

Also, why the fuck do people give a shit about their house value unless they're planning to sell it?

If anything, a lower property value is to your advantage if you aren't trying to sell.
You have no idea how thrilled my mom was when her home was re-appraised at $10,000 less, because she had no intention to move and it was saving her nearly $100 a year on property taxes.

[telecom_goddess]

Also, they seem to encourage so-called "Stepford Wife" communities--i.e., most houses look the same, most yards look the same, heck even the people tend to look the same.

Kinda like this