'Natural' yard could land owner in jail

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 24, 2003 | By TERRY KLIEWER

[TopDog2]

She had a stroke. That she is now unemployed sounds like it is justifiable under that circumstance.

[kjam22]

Ummm... I guess. I've served as an officer for my home owners association in the past. We're not as picky as you've described... but we would have had a visit or two with the lady in question. Yep.

The good news is that we don't make anybody buy a home in our area. They all do it by their own choice and knowing what is expected up front.

[mewzilla]

I know. I just can imagine living in one.

[Bella_Bru]

Why would anyone want to live in a "community" run by a Petty Wannabe Tyrant Association?

[mewzilla]

Oops, that's can't. I've got more to worry about than what mu neighbors are up to. And I sure as Hades don't want them telling me what I can or can't do, especially esthetically speaking.

[FirstTomato]

I guarantee you that a lot of the venom against this woman is because she is evidently an alone, single, middle aged female.

There is tremendous intolerance against middle aged single women in this society--that is a fact. And most of the garbage spewed against them comes from younger married females. I don't know why this is, but it happens.

[HairOfTheDog]

Her grass is kinda long but otherwise I don't see the problem.

I don't think it is grass.... I bet it is some other kind of herbaceous ground cover.... perhaps with some grass and weeds, but not technically a lawn. Hard to tell from the little pic.

[kjam22]

It's not a matter of worrying. It's a financial deal. You spend 2.5k on a house..... you've got some bucks tied up. I'm all for protecting that investment within reason. God has made a lot of country side. People who don't feel this way shouldn't move into a neighborhood with a bunch of people who do. It's that simple. This country has a lot of vacant land that isn't door to door with your neighbors.

[Bella_Bru]

I'm not intrested in buying a nice home and having some bum move next door to me and trash out the neighborhood.

It's one thing to not allow people to park a '76 Pinto on the lawn, all four tires removed, up on cinder blocks, with the hood up. It's another to live in a community which tells you that you may not have a clothes line in your backyard, a basketball hoop in your front yard, or complains becsue you picked the wrong color flowers for your garden. Some HOAs are insane.

[Luna]

The Trees (by Rush)

There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest,
And the creatures all have fled,
As the maples scream "Oppression!"
And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
"The oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light."
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.

This song was the fist thing that popped into my head when I started reading this article. Just had to post it.

[Fractal Trader]

This is series!

Uprising By Shiites in Basra Underway; British Pouring Artillery into City

[Servant of the Nine]

But no one forces anyone to buy a home in a deed-restricted HOA-governed subdivision. Careful (or hell, even minimal) research before home purchase is the key.

No research needed at all, unless you happen to pay cash. Every Deed of Trust (mortgage) in Harris County involves a Title Insurance Policy. That involves being given a copy of the Deed Restrictions on the property. She knew exactly what she was agreeing to, however silly it might be.

SO9

[kjam22]

I guarantee you that a lot of the venom against this woman is because she is evidently an alone, single, middle aged female.

LOL... oh yeah. I've served on these things before. We didn't know half the people in the neighborhood, or even have reason to know or care who they were or what they were doing with their lives. It's not a gossip thing. It's a financial thing. It's protecting an investment.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[HairOfTheDog]

One of my neighbors has a "natural yard" - and the only thing he has to do is wait until June to cut the grass.

Well, I employ 'natural yard' principles in my yard too.

Your neighbor should get some lawnmowers like mine!

[longtermmemmory]

Just try and buy a new construction home that is not part of an association in a developed area.
Shrubery Nazis.

[Freedom4US]

That's not necessarily true, many cities have municipal codes requiring "weed free" lawns, regular mowing etc, regardless of any HOA. They'll often come out and cut the grass at $50 an hour here, if the homeowner refuses.

I'm ambivalent about stuff like this. Property values and conformity are one thing, but I have some rogue DNA that really chafes at "authority" telling me how I have to maintain a yard.

[sinkspur]

So you'd be happy to have some little clique

If I move into a neighborhood with a little clique, sign the clique's agreement, then yes.

Neighborhoods with associations are voluntarily moved into.

Don't want an association, move into a neighborhood like mine.

[bigfootbob]

I'll never understand why anyone would buy into an area with CCR's that prohibit your property rights.

I also suspect this gal is what I call a plant nazi.

Militant xeriscapers like her are zealots and I wouldn't be a bit surprized if she was being assisted by some radical leftist organization as a test case against CCR's, (just the ones she disagrees).

You can bet she'd scream bloody murder if the CCR's were reversed and someone wanted to establish a lawn on their property.

Since there are CCR's, I say conform or move!

[Xenalyte]

I work for the area's largest title company . . . you gotta love title insurance. It's a fascinating field. No, really.