Homeowner wins right to park truck in own driveway

myfoxtampabay.com ^ | 7-28-1- | by Gloria Gomez

[rawhide]

ODESSA, Fla. - It's hard to believe that A.J. Vizzi spent nearly $200,000 defending his right to park his own pickup truck in his own driveway.

When he first moved in back in 1997, Vizzi was told that parking his large truck in the driveway wasn't against the subdivision's rules. But years later, the Eagles Masters Association, which governs the entire community, said it did violate their rules and therefore, the truck had to go.

[rawhide]

[rawhide]

More info here:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/article1111730.ece

[riri]

Really? I understand convictions and winning on principle but common sense would have told ya to spend the 300k getting a different house.

[BornToBeAmerican]

Most home owners associations I have ever dealt with are lil KGB Nazi wanna-be’s.

I have no use for any of them

[FourPeas]

A pick-up truck? I thought it had to be a tractor-trailer they didn’t want parked in the driveway. I think some people just need to find something to gripe about or they feel unfulfilled.

[HereInTheHeartland]

If more people would stand on their principals; our emasculated nation would be a better place.

[Technocrat]

No, the guy gets off for time served (in the courtroom), the homeowners association pays everything, and the lawyers win. As usual.

[SeaHawkFan]

He won and the HOA has to pay his legal expenses; plus their own.

[tgusa]

Good for Mr. Vizzi. I’d have sued their t!ts off too.

[BornToBeAmerican]

I agree, move and let someone else who wants to be dictated to live that way. Now do not get me wrong, most H/O A's are good and simple guidelines are okay, but .....

[adorno]

Really? I understand convictions and winning on principle but common sense would have told ya to spend the 300k getting a different house.

The way I read it, the homeowner is not the one having to pony up the 300k; it's the association that's having to pay. The home owner wins and gets to park the humongous pick-up on his drive-way.

[Truth29]

Too bad damages weren’t awarded (or sought?) as well to really compensate the homeowner for all of the time and travail of the lawsuit.

[ClearCase_guy]

"I think that maybe I was just being bullied by this group," said Vizzi, "and maybe now they'll think twice."

Naaaaaaah, they'll pick on someone who is less tenacious and less willing to spend money to defend his legal rights.

[RebelTXRose]

I won’t buy a house with an HOA - It’s ridiculous that they might be allowed to foreclose on property because of trivial matters.

[grobdriver]

Like Hell!
Rejoice!

Now maybe they and other HOAs will think twice before placing their boot on the necks of other homeowners.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

That's the key here. Posters are looking at this as if the government is coming in after the fact and imposing silly regulations. If you buy a house subject to a HOA, you are agreeing to live by its rules. Some of them are silly and Nazi-like and there is always a question of notice of the rules—that is what these cases usually turn on. If he had bought in the neighborhood and knew the rules, he should have lost.

[riri]

OK, my bad. Didn't really read it. The thing about many of these newer builds, especially at that level, they aren't like houses. They are more like big apartments. No storage, no driveways, no yards.

So, yeah, if you want to park your 10 foot truck in your 10 foot driveway, the guy who has the next house three feet from you is going to have a problem with it.

Again, these aren't houses like we used to think of houses.

[LearsFool]

common sense would have told ya to spend the 300k getting a different house.

Or a vehicle that would fit in your garage.

But yeah, perhaps the best idea is to move someplace where you fit in better.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Starts off at $500, you toss in another grand, then 2 more. You’re in for 3, go to 5. Etc. We’ve all had things snowball out of control and, if we knew the outcome in advance, would not have set off down that path.