[Kartographer]

American founded to be a classless society is quick legislating and through bureaucratic actions creating a seconded class citizenry.

[SandRat]

Another reason to HATE Homeowners Associations.

[oh8eleven]

A war veteran who builds furniture in his garage ... for years
I'm 99% behind this guy, but there's that 1% of me that feels for the neighbors who might just be getting tired of all the hammering, power saws, sanders, and general noise all day, every day.

[mass55th]

He’s been doing this for 10 years. His neighbors have written letters of support, so I wonder who is pushing this.

[fwdude]

Who wants to live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood anyway?

[DFG]

“I may not paint, sand, cut wood or screw on the property at anytime,” he said. Can't even screw on his own property. The HOA is really hitting him below the belt.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I appreciate what he is trying to do, and Homeowners Associations can be overbearing, but some rules actually do have a purpose. He moved into that neighborhood to be in a nice environment. That environment is disturbed if someone turns their garage into a woodshop or furniture factory. The fact that he is a veteran or is making furniture for military families in need should not have a bearing on this. It should not give him special status.

[Vendome]

HOA are self serving, noxious, A-holes.

Hell, in ours the guards keep coming over and telling one neighbor to turn his music down.

We can’t figure out who’s complaining. Ain’t me, the behind me. Our music is louder and run parties at night.

Theirs is during the day on the weekend, so who frickin cares?

I told em next time to call me when they show up and I’ll be happy to put em straight.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

If you don't want to be subject to a homeowners association, don't purchase property subject to a homeowners association.

When you sign a contract, you are bound by that contract. Unless you are pResident Zero.

[OneWingedShark]

There's already a second class of citizen, and a third… in fact, if you count illegal immigrants^* there's probably about five.

1. The political elite — they have made themselves exempt from the general operation of law by tradition, but with ACA have begun to codify it.
2. The Enforcement caste — many of the laws exempt enforcement officers (e.g. gun laws), they also enjoy immunity from many of their actions.
3. The Bureaarchy — occupying a middle-ground between political-elite and enforcement, they enjoy a de facto immunity because they operate enforcement according to the wishes of the political elite— and provide the elite with deniability and means for escaping accountability/responsibility. (e.g. EPA's onerous regulations, probably [setting the foundation for] implementing a de facto cap-and-trade; or the Federal Reserve, which enjoys the power of setting the value of the dollar while providing congress a way of saying it's not us when questioned about it.)
4. Illegal Immigrants — These are more desirable to the Bureaarchy and the political elite than real citizens because what citizens regard as rights are privileges for them, which means that the government can alter or abolish them at will and without repercussion. This is in addition to being able to lord their guilt over them:

   “Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”
   ― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

5. The Citizen — This is the least-desirable member of this hierarchy: they have notions of liberty, and that the government exists at their pleasure and for their benefit rather than that the citizen exists for the benefit of the government… and legal precedence to back it up. For this reason they must be lulled until they can be replaced by members of the illegal immigrant caste — in this manner the whole of society will come under the power of the government.
   (Note: according to estimates, 1 in 20 to 1 in 10 people in the US are illegal immigrants — that's 5%-10%.)

^* — While not technically citizens, they enjoy much of the traditional benefits of citizenship plus an astounding amount of immunity from consequence of law-breaking.

[rockinqsranch]

Wonder why they jumped his bones after ten years. Makes no sense when his neighbors support his activities.

I can see somebody having a problem with the guy just starting out doing what he’s doing, but to let it ride ten years, and then bust him is not right IMO.

I have a workshop in which I build all sorts of things, but then I’m out in the sticks with no HOA.

[yuleeyahoo]

I have no sympathies for anyone running afoul of homeowners
associations. If you don’t want to deal with them, don’t buy a house in one.

[bgill]

Strange they’ve suddenly decided to go after him 10 years later. Unless there has been a new rule added to the HOA rule book, then they probably don’t have a leg to stand on if he wanted to pursue it.

Bottom line, NEVER EVER move into an HOA.

[Terry L Smith]

I think there is a loony in the HOA, that is behind this, and probably because, there is a furniture business or something like that.

Have ya noticed that it is becmoning a trend, for these worthless HOA’s to start any kind of trouble, with a vet, for any reason that crawls inside their alimentary canal?

[CodeToad]

HOA cannot tell a person what they can do in their garage.

[kimmie7]

. No HOA for me.