Posted on 04/21/2023 5:01:17 PM PDT by daniel1212
In 2006 I was house hunting. Found a single house on 60 acres. A developer had bought it. I wanted to buy the single house on 10 acres. He was making the other 5 parcels into 10 acres each too.
His proposal was for 6 homes in the development, all under a HOA.
So I could not buy the existing 20 year old home, without HOA restrictions.
No deal.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. There are complaints because people are stupid and/or lazy and don’t read the documents, which, according to the law in every state in which I’ve worked, must be provided at the time they sign a contract to purchase the house. Most states also require a summary of the documents to be provided. The documents, especially as they relate to architectural control, are not particularly complicated, but many people when purchasing a house are more concerned about things such as what color countertop to get.
That is not an unusual scenario.
HOAs are only as good as the people that run them. Mine is fine but I live in a modest neighborhood that keeps out the riff raff to a certain degree but is not overbearing. A somewhat reasonable take on a HOA.
Because you never hear about an HOA unless someone is complaining about it.
I would guess, if they were ran the way they’re supposed to, I guess there would be no complaints, stories and reports. Right?
Back to the the question, why all the nightmare stories regarding HOA, if it’s all voluntary? 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?
Btw, the reports of complaints regarding HOAs are endless. It’s no secret.
The endless complaints about this were pathetic. This was what precipitated their action last year to try to disband the HOA -- as if it was the HOAs fault that they didn't read through their contracts of sale and their title documents at the closing when they bought their homes.
“These people will be the ones to turn us all in when the time comes.”
They will and they will be proud of themselves for doing so.
I suspect most of the “Karens” you see berating others for insignificant and minor actions are presidents or board members of their HOA. I’ve watched video of a lady practically terrorizing a young child of about four for writing on the side-walk with chalk. You know the large pieces of chalk that come in a package that is labeled “Sidewalk Chalk”.
It really depends on the specific HOA. I’ve lived in a neighborhood with an HOA for 35 years and I’m very pleased with it. Our neighborhood has beautiful parks and other amenities that I appreciate and that we wouldn’t have without it. Not too long ago we were going to be annexed by the city of Austin. Building on relationships forged through years of participating in the HOA were able to get legislation passed at the state level that prohibited the annexation. Besides the thousands of dollars that saved me on property taxes I know the HOA will never cause me the problems and frustrations that the city of Austin would have burdened me with.
I live in a 55+ gated community on a golf course, HOA is a necessity for the 24/7 guards at the gate, upkeep of the golf course and waterways throughout the community, landscaping year round, being in a 55+ community is far different than having a family with kids under an HOA, as you get older landscaping and such becomes more difficult!! Our HOA is very mellow BECAUSE they are seniors also and as you get older you tend not to sweat the small stuff OR have the energy to be a busy body!! When I was younger I would NEVER have considered living under an HOA!!
If an HOA has the wrong people in power, this is what you get. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uthSOYNEo
My farm is in an HOA that used to be like that. When I first bought the place, the HOA’s sole purpose was taking care of the shared driveway that runs through all the properties. A few years ago something changed. 3 members who were most persuasive about keeping the HOA limited moved away. Of those who stayed, the majority just wanted to avoid conflict, which means the one loudmouthed control-freak dominated. He’s an ex-cop from Chicago who had apparently been trying to ban farming in the area since he moved there 20-odd years prior, which as you can imagine didn’t go well in rural Wisconsin. He couldn’t convince the other HOA members to ban farming altogether, but he kept grasping at straws and arguing nonstop until people gave in on minor points just to make him stop.
So, now I can’t sell what I grow there until after I have my house built. I’m attached enough to my land that I’m not willing to sell it and go elsewhere. He’s old enough I doubt he’ll be around much longer, and I’m hoping with the way people feel towards HOA’s, it’ll eventually be possible to get enough votes to change the rules back to where it only covers the shared driveway, or gets dissolved altogether.
That was a long way of saying, keep a close watch on your HOA, to ensure that it STAYS low-key!
No.
But they do.
HOA’s are, by definition, owned by the homeowners.
Nope. HOA's are incorporated. They are a corporate entity.
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.
And yet corporations are buying them and making a profit.
There is a lot more money in a HOA then you think.
And a member of a cult would tell you that is perfectly fine. It is just one virgin sacrifice and it is so freeing to let dear leader run your finances for you.
They probably have already compiled a list of names. These are the very same people that ratted out all of the other little kids to the teacher in kindergarten. They get some sort of thrill from the tiny speck of power that they feel from that. I used to manage an HOA. I have met many people from both sides of the coin. The control freaks were the worst though. Some would have happily instituted capital punishment over color selections. Others seemed to take great joy out of trying to destroy a family over some perceived wrong.
I think you may be right. People do not read closing documents and their lawyers might not be concerned that the house will eventually be governed by a HOA. HOAs and condos can be fine for some people. It’s certainly better than having a next door neighbor with a sofa on his porch and multiple junk cars on the front lawn. That said, HOA boards can be awful and the board members don’t always read their documents either. It’s make work for lawyers!
Ellandra, get involved in your HOA and start contributing. Don’t just watch and complain. Do something positive.
I didn’t join the Branch Dravidians and commit my wife and daughters to unlimited sex with the Lamb of God.
I only promised to keep my yard trimmed and pick my weeds.
I am a vocal member. The HOA only has 14 properties, and I’m usually one of the 4 people to actually come to the meetings. That one where the guy tried to block me from farming was different, because he had gone around scaremongering with vague warnings about “the future of our neighborhood”. Usually its just me, Mr Chicago, and 2 other guys.
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