Anyone here have any HOA horror stroies?

[Archae]

I'm grateful I never had to deal with quasi-fascists like this.

Dispute brewing after veteran told to remove American flag from mailbox

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- There's a dispute brewing over a patriotic mailbox wrap in Tallahassee, Florida, after a homeowners' association said it's not allowed.

The Southwood Residential Community Association in Tallahassee sent a letter to the veteran who put up the wrap, asking him to remove it or face penalties. However, the veteran said he's not backing down without a fight.

"It’s not in consonance with their aesthetic values here in Southwood," said retired U.S. Navy Officer, John Ackert.
Ackert received the notice last week.

"As the holiday season comes to a close, please remove the American flag mailbox wrap. Decoration may be displayed 30 days prior and must be taken down 15 days after,” Ackert continues. "That’s been there for four years. It was put there 30 days after I moved into this house."

Now, Ackert is standing up for what he believes in. He wrote an appeal and hopes the SRCA changes its mind.
"I view this as a form of bullying to be honest. And I think people should stand up to bullying of any form, and particularly this," Ackert said.

http://www.wbay.com/content/news?article=438322613

[asiliveandbreathe]

1. From 2003 in AZ - Our community RMR - my brother visiting called it

Pleasantville. We have since been able to paint our homes 4 different colors of beige..LOL. All the houses look the same - but don't fly 2 flags (really is a nice community) - Just an HOA with a crown too heavy for it's head...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/article_327cd1be-ecc5-5484-892b-d75045fbe87c.html


The Union Jack flies with the Star and Stripes in Iraq, but put the same flags together in one northeast Mesa community and the homeowners association goes into action.

“The only flag permitted to be flown is the American flag,” reads a May 6 letter to Red Mountain Ranch homeowners E.J. and Isabell Mikeska. “Please take down the British flag. Thank you.”

The decision to force out the flag is only the latest spat in the East Valley's love-hate relationship with homeowners associations. Though many residents enjoy the uniform aesthetics of communities with HOAs, the active — sometimes zealous — enforcement of their rules has produced a backlash in recent years that has included attempts to legislate away some of their power.

A law passed last year prohibits HOAs from banning the flying of U.S. flags, though HOAs can still regulate the size of flagpoles. The flags of other nations, however, lack the same legal protection from HOA rules.

[kimbutgar]

8. My sister in law lives in one of those developments that forbid you from parking in your driveway.

You can park in the street and paint your house only 4 approved colors. She brought a trampoline for her kids but you could see part of it from the street and the HOA made them take it down.

I laugh because I live in San Francisco and one house in my neighbor is painted bright orange, another is purple and another one is an ugly brown color that reminds me of the contents of a toilet. Those Arizona HOA people would have a stroke seeing those homes.

[Doug the Dem]

2. Call 'em what they Are

Soviets.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. He should move

This resident bought his home KNOWING what the rules were.

This is like someone moving next to some railroad tracks and then bitching about the trains.

[marybourg]

5. "This is like someone moving next to some railroad tracks and then bitching about the trains."

That goes on all the time here, although our HOA has few rules and fewer complaints.

[Bengus81]

13. I agree....you know or should ask about a HOA BEFORE moving in....

They have to provide you with their covenants. Some are not that restrictive,some are ridiculous. I know of a couple around here (of course in very expensive neighborhoods) where your garage door can never be open unless coming or going.

You of course can't have a boat or trailer with jet ski's out on the drive but both of those HOA's don't even permit them to be parked inside the garage. Many will control your "permanent planting" of trees and shrubs and have to comply.

On the flip side we have a home in the area I live (no HOA) that is owned by an individual but basically abandoned on a corner lot. The yard is two feet tall in weeds,trees growing wild everywhere,pool liner has fallen down into an empty pool. But..these same people had a chance to start a HOA nearly 20 years ago in here and wanted no part of it. There are two home across the street on the side street who couldn't sell their home unless they did it at a give away price. We have pick-up trucks by the droves in here on the street that rarely move until the ocassional once or twice a year trip to the home improvement center.

[Weekend Warrior]

4. They can be a nightmare. They can be great.

They are run by people. I have stories of both the good and the bad.

Some don't understand why they might go as far as to institute rules pertaining to decorations. Some might also not understand how wonderfully colorful many Floridians can be.

[Major Nikon]

16. I wouldn't live in a housing edition without one

After an asshole moved in next to me and refused to stop parking his car on the lawn and the sidewalk (among other assorted assholery), the entire neighborhood went downhill. Good neighbors moved out and other shitty people moved in.

Code enforcement is one of the first things to go when so-called "conservative" politicians want to cut government budgets to the bone.

[brooklynite]

6. I believe the appropriate phrase is "the miracle of the free market"

The owner bought a house that was covered by a HOA and agreed to the terms as part of the purchase.

[DrDan]

9. and was provided with a copy of the HOA rules and regulations upon purchase - that's the

law in Florida

[mercuryblues]

7. When buying into any subdivision,

one should read the covenent at least twice. Yes they can very restrictive. I was checking out one SD where only 1 type of mailbox and post were allowed. You had to get permission to plant even 1 marigold. No flags or dog houses. No cars in the driveway overnight.

I feel no sympathy for this guy. The SD does not allow it, he should have known this before he bought the house.

[Vinnie From Indy]

10. I don't either

The guy knew the rules or was too stupid to read the rules.

He should move into a non HOA neighborhood and run wild with his flag decorations.

[mercuryblues]

11. For real

That covenant took me 45 minutes to read. A lot of it was silly stuff, but some of it concerned me enough that I said nope, no way. I loved the house and it was a great deal, but no way was some rule going to tell me that I could not have overnight company because their car would be visible from the road.

[womanofthehills]

17. I live in a subdivision where only one house is allowed on 40 acres

Our covenants are: no hog farms, no overhead lights

[NotASurfer]

12. Then there's the other end of the spectrum

HOA says no flagpoles and only seasonal decorative flags, but some ammosexual trumphole puts up a flagpole and runs up his Gadsden flag, and the response is "meh"? And if I get letters if they think my lawn isn't trimmed to regulation height.

Oughta buy a rainbow Gadsden flag and make some heads explode

[boston bean]

14. .

Have not heard any since the buzzard story.

[Hekate]

15. Nope. I'm about to join my second HOA (the prior one was 40 years ago) and anticipate no problems...

I know they can be bad, but I plan to attend the meetings, and if there is an opening I will apply for it/run for it.

The development we're moving to has only 30 houses, and the low monthly fee pays for a small park with tennis court and BBQ. We read the HOA rules. I don't find them onerous. The community itself is not gated, which I like.

[cwydro]

18. I would NEVER move into a place where others could tell me what to do.

Eek.

[KentuckyWoman]

19. He bought a house within an HOA and signed a contract.

His options are to follow the contract or face whatever is stipulated in the contract.

Legal actions may can get the contract changed but in my opinion the time to think about that was before signing in the first place.

HOA's are the devil.