Posted on 07/30/2010 6:41:27 AM PDT by rawhide
Edited on 07/30/2010 7:05:54 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
ODESSA, Fla. - It's hard to believe that A.J. Vizzi spent nearly $200,000 defending his right to park his own pickup truck in his own driveway.
When he first moved in back in 1997, Vizzi was told that parking his large truck in the driveway wasn't against the subdivision's rules. But years later, the Eagles Masters Association, which governs the entire community, said it did violate their rules and therefore, the truck had to go.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxtampabay.com ...
More info here:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/article1111730.ece
Really? I understand convictions and winning on principle but common sense would have told ya to spend the 300k getting a different house.
Most home owners associations I have ever dealt with are lil KGB Nazi wanna-be’s.
I have no use for any of them
A pick-up truck? I thought it had to be a tractor-trailer they didn’t want parked in the driveway. I think some people just need to find something to gripe about or they feel unfulfilled.
If more people would stand on their principals; our emasculated nation would be a better place.
No, the guy gets off for time served (in the courtroom), the homeowners association pays everything, and the lawyers win. As usual.
He won and the HOA has to pay his legal expenses; plus their own.
Good for Mr. Vizzi. I’d have sued their t!ts off too.
Too bad damages weren’t awarded (or sought?) as well to really compensate the homeowner for all of the time and travail of the lawsuit.
Naaaaaaah, they'll pick on someone who is less tenacious and less willing to spend money to defend his legal rights.
I won’t buy a house with an HOA - It’s ridiculous that they might be allowed to foreclose on property because of trivial matters.
Now maybe they and other HOAs will think twice before placing their boot on the necks of other homeowners.
So, yeah, if you want to park your 10 foot truck in your 10 foot driveway, the guy who has the next house three feet from you is going to have a problem with it.
Again, these aren't houses like we used to think of houses.
Starts off at $500, you toss in another grand, then 2 more. You’re in for 3, go to 5. Etc. We’ve all had things snowball out of control and, if we knew the outcome in advance, would not have set off down that path.
Most HOAs are run by little tyrants ;and many homebuyers are NOT made fully aware of all the restrctions by the seller or real estate agent.Full disclosure might lose a home sale,and seldom happens.The potential buyer may well find only a reference to restrctions as on file ,meaning a trip to the county courthouse is needed to get the details.
I have seen the shock of a homeower when he finds many normal uses of his property are forbidden or restricted.
When you give a group power to control your neighbor be sure that power will be used against you as well.
I live in a neighborhood of scattered homes on a lake in S Texas. The deed restrictions said no mobile homes. A couple put in a very expensive double wide. Some of the neighbors tried to block it, but the court said the deed restrictions weren’t enforcable because none of the original property owners live here. Their double wide is one of the nicest homes in our area, LOL.
HOAs are a blight on the American dream of home ownership.
Did you see the picture of the house and his truck in the first link I posted? The house is a mansion with a three car garage. http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/hillsborough/homeowner-wins-right-to-park-truck-in-own-driveway-072810?ist=none
>> but common sense would have told ya to spend the 300k getting a different house.
As I read it, the owner of the truck is out of pocket for something less than $13k.
Yep. Starve the beast. When the presence of an HOA starts becoming a negative and making property values drop, then people won’t be so quick to organize them. It is just adding another level of government to the federal, state, and municipal rules that you already have to follow, and I can’t understand why any freedom-loving American would want to live that way.
Good, maybe that will wake up the neighborhood so that they will toss the little fascists off the HOA board and perhaps restore a little common sense. Nothing like a huge loss to the pocketbook to bring a little clarity to an unjust situation.
I've lived in all sorts of places from large acreage to subdivisions with 8,000 square foot lots. And let me tell ya, on 8,000 square foot lots you are going to have the jackass who thinks he can open up his 12 foot driveway into his own personal body shop, keep his three dogs outside barking all day, line up all his unused furniture down the side of his house and basically operate like he's on a 50 acre ranch.
I’m grateful he stood up for his rights it gives precedence. He won, he made his point and the home owner’s association had to pay.
Looks to be a Ford F-250 crew cab, not really that large of a truck. 'purt near standard issue in Texas and most of the South.
That doesn’t look like the house or the subdivision on the page of this link.
When you live where there are NO zoning regulations, HOAs do have their place.
He spent about 200k, which the busy body HOA must now reimburse him!.. The HOA has to spend 300k for their own costs and to reimburse the man.. the HOA were the dumb ones here, they just cost their “community” 300,000 for nothing but their own arrogance.
Anyone who buys property with HOA or any covenents on the title IMHO are fools to begin with. All they are are run by busy bodies who are power mad and generally petty little folks.
We found a nice house that was exactly what we were looking for. No HOAs, no Gladys Kravitz types, just a nice middle class burb. We don't have a crappy looking neighborhood because we don't have an HOA, most folks here take pride in their homes and keep them up. You don't need a gun to your head to maintain a decent neighborhood, just don't move into the the crackhead part of town.
Yes. Most are busy bodies that have nothing to do and are simple minded idiots. Part of the wannabe power hungry that have to make up rules so they can act gestapo like and exercise their power. Remember the case of the guy that wanted to fly the American flag?
That’s exactly right. HOAs do have a place. The idea that they are all run by crazy zealots is a bit of a myth. The whole purpose of an HOA is to preserve property values and—generally—to impose common sense restrictions. I know of developments subject to “no large truck” rules and the reason generally is because of the size of the driveways and how close they are to one another, not because some busy-body doesn’t like the look of a truck in a driveway. As other posters point out, if you don’t like HOAs, don’t buy in a development subject to one.
You got that right!! Between my husband, our two oldest kids, and myself our driveway boasts 1 Dodge Ram, 1 Toyota Pickup, 1 Toyota 4-Runner, 1 Chevy Silverado and my husband’s 2 F-250 work trucks. :)
I have absoutely no argument to what you said.
Noting that the story said that the pickup "wouldn't fit" in the garage, I infer that the reason for this is that his garage is filled up with a bunch of his stuff.
I know mine is.
≤}8^)
Never volunteer for more government.
These particular lawyers scored one for the good guys. If only more lawyers would make their money protecting people against abuses of power instead of suing McDonalds for serving hot coffee, the world woud be a better place.
I had a nightmare situation with the last (and hopefully final) HOA I was with.
Ah yes, homeowners associations. Frustrated little Nazi-wannabees. Perfect examples of the adage, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
How about buying a home in Colorado and later learning that you cannot collect rainwater from your roof to water your garden/yard.
Home Owners Associations, Petty tyrants, bureaucrats, zoning laws & building inspectors: I understand Daniel Boone’s comment about when he could smell the smoke of a neighbor’s chimney then it was time to move.
(mutter, mutter, mutter.... /rant)
Normally I would agree with you but in this case the HOA tried to change the rules in the middle of the game. Reading the article, it appears that when the man bought what appears to be a sizable home, he ensured that he could park in his own driveway. Only after he had been lured into the neighborhood did the HOA try to alter the agreement.
Are you sure you value freedom?
What other "common sense restrictions" might there be?
People who want to live in sterile little cliques certainly should have the freedom to do so,just don't pretend it is good for everyone.
Among the many things commonly prohibited by HOAs are doghouses,children's playsets,grills,clotheslines,portable kiddie pools,propane tanks,CB,ham, or TV antennas,vehicles in driveway after certain hours ,painting one's home without committee approval of the colors,flags,flowerbeds,gardens,and more I'm sure.There probably are HOAs that prohibit firearms and pointy sticks,too.
It never ceases to amaze me that people might pay large sums of money to avoid the burden of freedom.
I did something a local old fart did not like, though it was permitted by CA laws which over rode the CC&Rs. I also did as much as I could to stay withing the CC&Rs. He melted down, threatened to have works arrested, called the city, and confronted me several times over it in public. Turns out I was not the only one he went after.
Finally I started pushing back. Unpermitted mods to property, his CC&R violations and those of his friends and family. They got him back in the box and my solar cells are doing nicely.
Having the HOA on the hook for a $300k tab truly rocks. I wonder how much per household that will be, and if he’ll have to pay a portion as well?
There are those who still maintain private wells,cisterns,and pumps,and even rain barrels. Several years ago,I read in the Cincinnati Enquirer of one community in northern Kentucky that was going to tax property owners for the amount of rainwater going into the city storm sewers while ,if I remember correctly,also prohibiting private collection of the rainwater.
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