Because looks are so much more important than comfort

[HeiressofBickworth]

Saw this on KIRO 7 news:

Letters are being sent out to a neighborhood in Auburn warning of fines if residents don’t remove air conditioners from their windows.

Ten letters from the XXXXX Homeowners Association Board of Directors have been sent out to residents that warn of fines of $30 a day for not removing window air conditioners.

"Right now it's just a matter of survival. It's getting through this heat wave,” said XXXXX, who received a letter because she had the AC unit in her window.

"We just need to stay cool to get through this. So I was just disgusted that they don't care about the well-being of people,” added XXXXX.

Having a window AC unit violates the Homeowners Association's “community rules & regulations,” according to the letter.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/message-residents-use-your-air-conditioner-and-you/nmq6s/

And western Washington is in the middle of a heatwave (for us anyway). Their excuse, apparently, is that rules are rules and no exceptions can be made.

[Travis_0004]

1. They did agree to the rules when they bought the place

Since I'm not familiar with Washington, do people tend to have central air, or is usually so cool that most people don't have it?

[HeiressofBickworth]

3. Perhaps in the McMansions, but

I doubt most people have central air. We don't usually get this kind of heatwave -- its in the low 90's and for us, that's HOT! Most summers, a fan will do.

After living in this house for over 30 years, my kids finally got an air conditioner. It's a floor model, but still has to be vented through a window which would be visible from the street. (actually, ours in through a sliding glass door in the back). Fortunately, we don't have a Homeowners Association checking to see how we are getting through the hot weather.

Since we aren't known for heatwaves, checking a HO agreement for where an AC can be placed is probably not on anyone's radar and wouldn't have been a topic of discussion with a realtor.

[FuzzyRabbit]

4. What is central air?

I've lived in western Washington state all my life, and no one I have ever known had an air conditioned house. You don't need it when a typical summer has only a few days over 80 degrees. 75 degrees is unbearably hot for most of us.

[freshwest]

8. Like central heat. It's included in the price of southern homes, where many months are in the 90s.

[Warpy]

2. Be nice if someone has the means to lawyer up

and get an injunction against the HOA during the heat emergency. Heat kills, especially it kills older folks who can't regulate their body temperature well.

Those assholes have got to be stopped. They're completely out of control.

[HeiressofBickworth]

5. Great Point!

Perhaps they would change their tune if they were faced with the possibility of legal action in the event of death or injury to anyone. HOA's wouldn't like paying THAT legal bill.

[uppityperson]

6. I would respond with that. You must be very sure of your liability insurance.

[840high]

7. Same here. Allowed a/c units on back windows only.