Posted on 12/08/2019 12:57:50 PM PST by bgill
“NEVER, EVER, buy a home that has HOA’s NEVER!!!”
Unless you are buying a condo with common walls and roof. HOA’s serve a purpose in such cases and include the outside maintenance
If you live in a place where your next door neighbor is less than 100 yards away from you, then an HOA is an effective way to keep your neighbors from destroying the value of your property by living like dirtbags.
"If you don't take action against the guy flying an Ohio State flag from his balcony, you're going to jeopardize your legal standing to take action when someone else decides to fly a Nazi flag from theirs."
Good grief, NO. That stuff will climb into their siding or bricks and take over. There’s no getting rid of it. Beautiful flowers but nothing you want near any dwelling. A trellis would be great but this is destructive stuff. We had some that came from out of nowhere - I loved the flowers but had to pull it all out. One day I picked a pod off the ground and my husband said, “don’t break it - they stink”. Did I listen? Of course not. I broke it and WOW, did it ever smell!!!
The problem with the foundation showing reminds me of an episode of Little People, Big World years ago. They built that huge porch in the front of their house and inspectors said it was too high off the ground and had to be torn down. Matt the dad, piled dirt up under the porch until it was a height from the dirt the inspector would accept and called him back out for a reinspection. It passed!
Had one for 20 years without any problem..not only outside maintenance but all parks, pools, grounds, boulevards. They were sure picky about the wrong color potted plant on stoops, tho’.
“We do alot of contracting work in HOA neighborhoods. The properties look the best and the home values are usually the highest.”
We live in an HOA of small mini horse farms. Lots of regulations.
We owned a house up the road, same HOA development and it sold in less than 10 hours after being listed and sold for 25k more than appraised.
We overbuilt our latest house and we have had 2 offers for more than we have into it.
Years ago I lived in a development that had some homeowners as pigs. I will take the HOA anytime.
That makes sense too......
I support HOA's but it's up to the residents to determine who sits on their boards. With that being said, the current and long seated president of my HOA is a retired school teacher and a liberal Democrat. But he and I get along great.......I would consider him a JFK Democrat.........
Do not ever do this.
Compacted organic mater (or dirt) next to the foundation will give termites a path into the structure. The foundation must be a certain number of inches above the earth which varies a bit depending on location and the type of termites found there.
Take the HOA to court, to prove they are a higher law than the municipal codes of the town.
Covering up the foundation can lead to moisture problems and insect damage.
“Do not ever do this.”
I can understand this on wood. However, based on the picture it is brick on top of concrete. If you have pine straw next to concrete or brick what is the difference?
How did you manage that?
You're not part of an HOA?
See what happens next year if you don't ever mow your lawn.
ML/NJ
One of my neighbors once went and put a whole bunch of plastic pink flamingos out on their property line after an HOA committee head neighbor complained about their little boat sitting in the driveway creating a neighborhood eye sore.
Quite entertaining.
They ended up moving away, so did we.
I am unsympathetic to this point of view. HOA "agreements" by their very nature are contracts of adhesion. They can be and occasionally are voided, particularly if there is selective enforcement or extremely onerous interpretation of the rules.
There are always a few people in a neighborhood who are constantly feuding with their neighbors. And there are always a few control freaks who want to use the HOA as a vehicle to harass and punish their neighbors over some perceived aggravation. It takes persistent vigilance to keep such people off the board.
The best an HOA can do is keep the common area landscaping in proper maintenance and wheedle various favors out of the city council.
I knew a guy who bought into an HOA...Before they sold and moved it was so bad they had nicknames for they're neighbors.
One was the "Sergeant", one was the "Commandant", one was the "Block captain", the "Buttinskis", across the street was "Gladys Kravitz" and others with not so nice nicknames I won't mention here.
Those are Sago Palms, they take ages to grow. My flowers did not cover the foundation either until they got some age on them.
So so very happy to be out of Texas and out of a HOA dictatorship.
If you ever buy in a condo or other HOA you have to know up front, and I am willing to bet that it was explained by the realtor but they just didn't pay attention, you can't do anything at all to the exterior or landscaping without written approval from the HOA Nazis.
All that being said the fines seem excessive.
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