Posted on 04/21/2023 5:01:17 PM PDT by daniel1212
The need is driven by population density. The order of increasing freedom-sucking tyranny is: federal, state, county, city, HOA, wife.
I’m in Florida. From what I’ve seen. If you own a large parcel and want to sub divide it, the county demands you submit a proposal that details and structures HOA in the process. I don’t think this is voluntary in Florida. If a freeper knows more, this is the place to dispute what I think. Educate us all.
Thanks.
I live in a large gated community with HOA fees. You’ve got to have some sort of a mechanism to pay for the security at the gates and to maintain the roads and drainage. Worth it to keep the riff-raff out. Also pays for some pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, etc. It’s basically another layer of local government.
There are some rules I don’t much like, but the practical reality here is that many are observed primarily in the breach. For example, technically I was supposed to get a bunch of approvals to put in a low voltage light kit I got at Costco. I just put it in, no one cares, neighbors like it.
Something like this, with a couple of uplights as well:
https://www.costco.com/volt-6-piece-area-light-landscape-lighting-kit.product.100505043.html
Just don’t paint your house pink and you’ll be OK.
Can there be idiot HOAs? Sure. But there can be disadvantages without one as well. Life is all about tradeoffs.
Same here.
Lived under two HOAs. No problems.
Mow your grass. Don't let your front yard look like a used car lot or your driveway become a year-round flea market. I was fine with this.
Most HOAs exist to keep up property values. Of course, some are overbearing and run by busybodies. But we all have choices. Live under one of you want to, don't live under one if you don't, but if you choose to, you'd better read up on what's permitted.
That's the problem. Either people don't read the rules or they do read the rules but think that they don't apply to them.
And, yes, I realize the original story in this thread is about something completely different.
Except that being in a community with an HOA is voluntary. If you don’t want to be subject to an HOA, buy a property that’s not subject to one.
Well, like I said ... create an anti-HOA. Something that defeats the intent and purpose of such a statute while satisfying the letter of it.
It has to be possible.
The worst people you will ever meet are on HOAs or work for the democrat party.
If it's all voluntary, why are there so many nightmare HOA complaint stories?
Are people in HOAs stupid and don't read their contracts? Do they need a lawyer just to read it because it's 40 pages of ultra convoluted legal babble they hope you don't read?
Sounds like the presence or absence of a HOA can be a selling point or deal breaker for different parties.
HOA’s have WAY too much power. They’re no longer controlled by homeowners but rather big corporations.
I’d think her family would’ve been grandfathered in and not obligated to join, or pay attention to, any HOA.
People who live in HOA's are unnaturally interested in what their neighbor is doing.
Something like a cult.
And just like a cult they do not allow you to say you would rather not worship Dagon thank you very much.
It is really a sick, sad mindset.
These days, almost every subdivided community has open space, storm water management facilities or other facilities that need to be maintained by the community. A local government will insist that an HOA be formed as a condition of subdivision approval so there is a mechanism in place to collect funds for that maintenance. Local governments couldn’t care less whether those HOA’s have architectural controls. The architectural controls are included by the developers and builders so they can be sure that property values are preserved. I am a development attorney and have done the HOA documents for many such subdivisions.
We’re in an HOA that had reasonable protocols when we moved in and life was tolerable. Nice homes and yards. Good neighbors. Then the developer got greedy and began to build shitbox cookie-cutter houses that were sub-standard according to the rules — smaller than minimum required square footage, scrunched together.
The newbies across the street from us used theirs for short-term rental like Air B&B (also against the rules), so riff-raff was coming and going all the time. The HOA wouldn’t enforce the rules.
So HOAs ONLY benefit the developer, or the Board can decree whatever they want. An HOA is a mess. Hubby is from SoCal, so he likes the idea; I hate it.
Corporations can’t and don’t buy HOA’s. HOA’s are, by definition, owned by the homeowners. And even if a corporation could buy an HOA, why would it? HOA’s are not profit making entities. They typically barely have enough money to fulfill their obligations.
But when they start dictating what flowers or shrubbery you can plant (within reason), flags you can fly or even requiring that your mailbox match all others in the neighborhood (I’ve seen this), that’s when I’m out.
I’m in an HOA as part of a 2800 single home community. It’s a must with that volume of homes. No stiped colored homes. No lawn with two feet of grass. No cars on blocks. Only manicure lawns and basic color homes. It’s paradise! The HOA fee is only 115 a month and that covers all mowing in main areas along with maintaining three pools and three clubhouses. We have two golf courses and a restaurant. It is better then the other non HOA areas I pass buy with Terribly kept up property. Our home values are high compared to other areas as well.
Cult?
I had to mow my lawn and I couldn’t paint my house purple.
Problem is that you can’t be out. Live by their rules or face the consequences. I’ve been part of one, and I will never ever do it again. Funny thing is, my property values are increasing on par with theirs.
We’ve got something like that here. Dues are $5/year. Membership is optional.
The only expenses I recall them talking about - reimbursing an attorney (who also lives in the neighborhood) for copying. The attorney has argued against rezoning/development - sometimes successfully sometimes not.
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