Posted on 04/03/2006 11:20:58 AM PDT by iPod Shuffle
Homeowners Associations: Many Consider Them Fighting Words
Threats against boards by resentful residents seem to be on the rise. Legislation is proposed.
By Daniel Yi, Times Staff Writer
April 3, 2006
When police found 78-year-old Lucy DeAbreu in her Dana Point condominium, her face had been pummeled so badly that she couldn't speak clearly. The petite widow had to slowly spell the name of her attacker: M-I-N-E-O.
Charles Mineo and DeAbreu were neighbors in a tidy ocean-view complex favored by retirees and weekend sojourners. Mineo, a 47-year-old accountant, was angry at his homeowners association because it had penalized him for an unauthorized addition to his unit. One afternoon two years ago, he lashed out at DeAbreu, an association board member.
For as long as there have been condominiums and private subdivisions, residents and their homeowners associations have quarreled over parking issues, lawn ornaments, untidy backyards and how much to pay the pool cleaner.
The violence in DeAbreu's case was exceptional, but increasingly residents are lashing out at their homeowners associations with threatening letters, vandalism and in some cases guns, residents and property managers say.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What part of entering into a contractual agreement don't these miscreants understand?
Solution - don't move in to one of these places. Simple.
I seriously consider knowingly not doing business with people that are on HOA committees.
I would live in a dumpster before I would allow some tinhorn, power crazed, politbureau to have any say over so much as a single blade of grass on my property.
a homeowners association is what people join to be big shots and to feel better than everybody else. it allows them to stick their noses into everybody's business.
people sign into them in order to lord over the common folk. When they find out that the rules apply to them, or if they run afoul of someone on the board, they whine.
if you make your bed, you sleep in it.
i for one prefer freedom and minding ones own business.
No kidding, Neighborhood associations are bad too. A friend of mine says he can't put up a political lawn sign on his own front lawn - sheesh.
My HOA works well. They take care of community maintenance, repaving roads and driveways, putting on a new roof on our house, cutting the grass, etc., They also get on our neighbors for unapproved additions. The only thing they haven't done is keep our neighbor from parking in our driveway. Aside from that, no complaints. They are well worth they monthly fee.
Amen.
I dont plan to ever live anywhere that I cant shoot skeet in my backyard.
My new neighborhood has a homeowners asociation. I got the list of rules for my house (fences type, outbuilding, mailbox type, etc.) I threw it in the trash.
Done.
i'm sure they are very well - until they turn on you. be patient, you have a good chance of finding out someday.
if i can't feed the moose, park the motorhome, hunt from the back porch, etc. forget it.
HOAs suck. Everyone has a God-given right to park their car on the lawn and to store burned out appliances on the front porch.
< / sarcasm>
HOA - your property isn't yours anymore. It's the ultimate form of liberalism. :)
Do they let you look at the books?
HOAs are the tools of the Devil.
Our HOA Board had a secret meeting & passed a flock of new regulations without holding a meeting for us to vote on them. We found out when they brought copies around. Apparently they didn't read their own rules carefully enough to know that every change has to be approved by the community. You've GOT to keep an eye on these guys.
As with all things, there is good and bad. Ever had a neighbor park 20 cars on his lawn and street...you know the deal. Ever had a neighbor cement a yard sale sign in his front yard...you know the deal. Ever had a neighbor mow his lawn and find a car...you know the deal.
That is all a HOA is supposed to do. If that is all they do, then fine. You have other who are run like pseudo-governments telling property owners the color house, plant, even Christmas decorations they are allowed to have.
It is out of control. Basically if I pay taxes, I own it...someone should not have to give up freedoms to live where they want to.
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