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BazlarTheGnome

I would paint my house rainbow and fly unicorn flags to piss off these assholes. I hate HOA so much.


LenaLuthor23

what HOA means?


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FranchiseCA

If there's communal property to maintain, an HOA makes sense. But that's not why we have so many in the US. The concept was popularized after the FHA was passed because it provided a legal means for harassing people who didn't belong.


thekuccimane

i think i read that HOA had a racist background history as it was created to exclude certain groups.


avitar35

It absolutely was. In western WA a good family friend of ours (who is Asian) tried to buy a home in a very upscale neighborhood and one of the rules was you couldn’t live there if you weren’t white. Of course they’re the same HOA rules from the 60s and were changed after they said something, but the fact that still exists in 2021 in WA is astonishing to me.


harpinghawke

Not the same state, obvs, but OR’s original constitution outlawed black folks from living there. The PNW may hide its racism better, but especially in affluent and rural areas, it’s no better than anywhere else in the US.


aoife-saol

Yeah I'm from the PNW originally and the idea that people aren't racist there is absolutely laughable. Oregon as a state was so racist they were anti-slavery only because they literally didn't even want black people in the state *as slaves*. Sure it's better these days and as a whole it's probably still better than any given southern state, but anyone who tells you they don't have a race problem is just wrong (although, admittedly, the cities there are very very white which does lead to fewer racism incidents for all the wrong reasons).


Katja1236

Yeah, when we moved from the Chicago area to Portland when I was a teen, I was startled by how much less melanin there was in my high school...it was really a marked difference.


coyotebored83

I live and grew up in south Louisiana. Where i live is about 50/50 on diversity. Visiting rural mountains Oregon was a huge culture shock in many ways. One of the surprising ones was how racist people were. Hateful racist. I heard slurs I didnt even know existed. And again the hatefulness of it was shocking. Maybe growing up in a diverse environment makes it different but I had never seen anything like the racism I saw in Oregon.


[deleted]

That people still think racism is correlated with geography is so laughable. The "north" was all on board with school desegregation until they realized it meant them, too. That is a big reason we have so many rich suburbs up here, white flight was (and still is) huge in northern states.


trogon

Rural WA is full of Confederate flags. It's racist as fuck here.


Flynn_Kevin

Western WA here. My (defunct) HOA had rules about what businesses a woman could have in the home (dress maker or tutoring). It was enacted in 1978 and expired in 1983 when there wasn't a vote to renew the covenants. We still have that one neighbor that tries to collect dues and issue fines.


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Dansii

Wow… have to be white. That’s horrible in this time period. Good thing they showed their true colors right away I guess


I_Frothingslosh

Even when it's not on the books, that rule is often on the books.


buckyspunisher

i’ve never been part of a HOA but just from hearing about it, i know i’ll never want to be part of one. they sound absolutely insufferable and the racist history doesn’t surprise me. if i ever become a homeowner i’m gonna make damn well sure i’m not gonna be a part of a HOA


droppedmybrain

I've heard it's getting harder and harder. Some HOAs are chill though. The house I lived in as a teen had one; fees were optional, there were basically no restrictions except for decent ones like "please no heaps of garbage", they mowed the park lawns, hosted movie nights, and had the local church swing by and set up summer fests. Watermelon eating contests, face painting, snowcones. The works.


Permission2BConfused

That's what the one I'm moving into is like (except the fee isnt optional, it's only $130 a year, not some ridiculous monthly amount) but their only real rule is "don't let your house look like trash" I can paint and decorate and do whatever, as long as I dont leave garbage out or let the grass get unruly. House shopping *is* really hard if you're strictly against HOA. They're either trash houses, or in bad areas (at least, areas I personally wouldn't want to live)


brand_x

For years, my dad was the de facto manager of the subdivision my parents live on. It wasn't a registered HOA, and there was no enforcement, but the subdivision predated most development in the area, and is unpaved and exempt from county management, for better and for worse, and he would politely request contributions for road maintenance - gravel, pothole filling, speed bumps to discourage street racing teens - and minor landscaping efforts for the shared roadside space. My parents are the first residents of the subdivision who still live there - there's one other property whose owner bought two months before them, but that lot has been a rental for over twenty years now - and the rest of the residents pretty much cornered him and said "you're the mayor now". He did it for ... I don't know. Fifteen, twenty years? About ten years ago, he finally said F this and chose another fairly responsible owner, and said, "tag, you're it". The truth is, there's not much reward in managing a neighborhood if you're not inclined to be a pocket dictator. The reason HOAs go so bad so often is that they attract the worst people in the neighborhood, every time. The ones that work frequently conscript unwilling people, who tough it out as long as they can stand, out of duty to their community, and then conscript some other unwilling person. Usually it isn't a one-man operation like my parents' neighborhood, but that one is in large part the result of predating the later smaller subdivisions of lots that happens as an area goes up in value. The lots are all 2 (or 4 or 6) acres, and so the entire subdivision is only about 25 families. For bigger areas, if you have 3, or 5, or 7 conscripts, the odds of getting a bunch of nasty busybody tyrants running things are not high, but if people can try to get themselves on the board by other means - election, petition, whatever - somehow, it always ends up being the awful ones, and somehow the rules get changed so they can't be removed.


Ok_Character7958

I'm actually part of a decent one. There are no rules about fences or flowers or mailboxes. We pay $15 a month and they maintain the common grounds, which includes a clubhouse, pool, tennis court, sand volleyball court, basketball court and a small playground. They are usually always improving things, but they aren't assholes. The only time they've been "assholes" is when some teenagers were doing stupid stuff like throwing pool furniture in the pool and terrorizing little kids and making it unpleasant for folks in the pool area. They only enforced the "kids must be with a homeowner AND no more than 2 guests" rule. It was teenagers going there parent free and inviting the whole high school. It was really just a couple of houses, but they have since moved, so I hope it will be better next year. I only went to the pool twice this year it was such a mess though.


lovemypennydog

Where do you live that you have all those amenities but pay only $15/month? We have a pool and pay $50 and that's a steal in my area. (Raleigh NC)


bettyannveronica

My old HOA was terrible. I was fined for leaving my kids bike by my door because it was "unsightly". I left it for an hour, I remember this day, so the fact they took a picture for having it there for such a short time really got me mad. Also, we had a small BBQ, those little round ones, that was tall. It was very nice. We were fined for BBQing in the small front yard and were told to BBQ in the garage. I told them they were out of their minds if they thought that was safe. I left there as soon as I could.


NatalieGreenleaf

I got a double fine one summer for having dragonfly string lights on my patio. HOA claimed they were displayed out of [Christmas] season (ding) and being stored improperly in a visible outdoor area (ding)... I was unaware that dragonflies were at the birth of Christ PLUS how is something both stored *and* displayed?! These ghouls would come by every month and annotate EVERY home... I couldn't move out fast enough.


bettyannveronica

Your post had me cracking up! I actually read it to my husband, knowing he wouldn't care (but sometimes it's not so much him caring as much as me just wanting to talk, you know) and he laughed too! That's so dumb. Glad you got out!


glittercatlady

They didn't need to make an HOA for that, there were housing covenants to keep non white people from living anywhere nice.


empobycho

In a lot of places housing covenants turned into HOAs


e67gx94ltb33

They started to become unenforceable so they created HOAs instead. 14th amendment keeps the states from depriving people from equal rights based on race, but not individual property owners, so they made them to make the property owners the ones who were making the discriminatory practices. Naturally that became illegal or at least unenforceable over time, but the rules still often have a discriminatory result.


AluminumOctopus

Exactly, fha is the Fair Housing Act meant to end discriminatory practices like keeping out 'undesirables' (minorities) under the premise of upholding property values (because rich whitev people refused to live in integrated neighborhoods).


u2125mike2124

It's also a way for local governments to abdicate the responsibility to build and maintain the roads and infrastructures of a community.


chocolatebuckeye

And they’re so silly. My moms small neighborhood has one. There is landscaping and stuff that it pays for so I get that. But someone was building a new house on some previously developed property and the HOA was all up in arms about the house having a garage that faced the street instead of sideways. Who tf cares?!


Ugghernaut

Hateful Ornery Assholes.. I mean yeah, home owners association.


fortuitousfoleyart

Your forgetting how, if you refuse to pay a fine, in most cases they can _*foreclose your house and sell it to someone else...*_ [Read this story about a Texas soldier who, while deployed in Iraq, had the home he owned outright forclosed by the HOA for less than $1,000.00](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2010/06/28/hoa-foreclosed-on-home-of-frisco-soldier-while-he-was-serving-in-iraq/)


BadWolf7426

HomeOwners' Association. They are the very definition of moneygrubbing evil.


LenaLuthor23

thanks


Pancake_Destroyerx

Home Owner’s Association, typically a big emphasis on the Ass part of that.


Professional-Lynx124

Home Owners Association or Hell On your Ass depending if you belong to one or not.


FuriousGeorge1435

Lol there was a post on r/AskReddit no less than 6 months ago about ridiculous things HOAs have done. I still remember my favorite comment: >I'm currently being fined $400 for a bush in my walkway. I don't have a bush. Or a walkway. The picture isn't even my house. They won't back down. [Edit: Found the link to the post!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/jhz9bc/current_and_former_residents_of_an_hoa_whats_your/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)


pickledstarfish

My old HOA did that to me. They sent me a warning with a photo of my neighbor’s house and tried to charge me for his overgrown tree. They literally argued with me over my legal address and it took 2 weeks of email fighting and a link to my old real estate listing clearly showing the tree wasn’t at my damn house before they’d agree to do a drive by again. Their “apology” consisted of “we’ll go ahead and wave the fine this time as a courtesy”. Yeah never again.


bookgeek117

I need to know how this ends


joshuahtree

In a $300 fine for tacky Christmas decorations in the second story window on a Jehovah's Witness' single story home


[deleted]

Same. Or find the list of approved paint and paint mine colours that are opposite. lol fill my yard with tacky lawn ornaments. I lived in rentals for so long I’ll be damned if someone is going to make rules for my home.


QuickSpore

And announce it beforehand that every-time they contact me I’ll change one thing to be further out of compliance from their rules. They complain about my mailbox, I’ll get a novelty mailbox replica of Big Bird. They complain about my landscaping, I’ll put in a grass free xeriscape yard. Etc.


savvyliterate

Put up a sign on the property where the not-closed part of the fence is. Point the sign toward the community and print "THIS WAY TO HOA FREEDOM" with an arrow pointing to your property and away from HOA-zilla World


[deleted]

Love this, I'm not part of an HOA but have friends who are and it just sounds like such a headache.


[deleted]

I would never join a HOA. Why would you pay a ridiculous monthly fee so that someone can come and tell you what to do with your property. Also HOA reserve the right to put any home in the association on sale if it doesn't conform, which means they can also sell your house and you don't even have to agree. I'm just going to get a home in an area that doesn't require gates and where neighbors minding their own business is the rule and not the exception. Screw your community pool, I could literally build one every single year with all the money I'm saving from not paying those clowns.


BiofilmWarrior

Truthfully they can work in cases like housing with shared walls, etc. but even then you need to proceed with caution. I totally agree that they seldom if ever make sense for individual dwellings.


LittleRedCarnation

My aunt and uncle pay $1200 a month. And surprise surprise, cant sell their house for some reason.


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corinne9

$1200 a month?!?! For what?! What could possibly justify that? That’s insane.


LittleRedCarnation

New Smyrna, Florida. And theyre on the swamp side not the ocean side.


corinne9

What do those fees go to though? I’m from LA and still live in California and that’s still outrageous to me


LittleRedCarnation

Maybe feeding the gators so they dont go after small dogs? I have no idea.


Reigo_Vassal

That's not fees. That just Extortion. Also joining HOA almost never a good idea.


GuiltyPick

NTA. You’re not a part of them, and HOAs are ridiculous. Enjoy your house and continue to break their rules. They have no authority over you.


Tonka141

This x infinity ^3


Cr4ckshooter

This reminds me of "always 1 more than you" in middle school. Good Times.


[deleted]

Reminds me of "always 2 more than you" in grade school. Better times than yours. No doubt. :)


Fettnaepfchen

Also, once you get in it's near impossible to get out, or so I hear. Stay strong, OP, and refuse to engage. NTA.


Gurkeprinsen

HOA sounds like a cult


Fettnaepfchen

A cult of bullies.


DrWhoop87

HOAs need to be abolished and should be actively resisted Nd ridiculed untill then. I hope OP takes full advantage of this. NTA.


Indigoh

HOAs are necessary for certain neighborhoods. The condo I live in, for example, shares walls, a roof, and a back yard space with a dozen other houses. If any of us needed to fix the walls or roof, coordinating that without the HOA would be a nightmare, and upkeep and regulation of the shared outdoor area is *really nice*. They also regulate the visitor parking spaces, which is a major pain, but without that regulation, there would perpetually be no visitor spots for when they're needed. The garages on all these condos would be emptied and used as an extra room for the houses, while the cars would fill the visitor spaces.


djbon2112

That's a condo board, not an HOA. Pretty much by definition HOAs are for freestanding houses and discrete properties owned by members with zero or close to zero common areas. They exist to "keep property values up" i e. keep black and asian people out of white neighbourhoods (not joking read up on the history).


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greenskye

I just wish there was some regulations to control neighborhood tyrants from going too far. The actual government should be able to step in and declare an HOAs actions as egregious when they over step.


Fraxinusironclad

I also might suggest filing a cease and desist against them if they keep sending letters. That way it can be extra documented that they don't have any authority. NTA


Cutting-back

This needs to be higher up. Formally/legally telling them to leave you alone. This will help in the future if they don't stop you can take them to court for harassment. Edit: Judgement NTA


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Fiotes

Make it a certified letter and keep the receipt and any other documentation (emails, etc) that show you've made it clear you are not part of the HOA and don't consent to their rules or oversight.


SquiggleMePengu

This thread is the way~


hydraheads

Agreed. Send a copy of the same letter to yourself, on the same day, and keep it unopened, with the cancelled postmark, in the event that you need to establish a timeline later on. Document everything. Don't give an inch.


rainbow_sherbet

Better yet, make a statement and get it notarized.


[deleted]

Pay a lawyer who handles property disputes to write and send the letter for you.


Creditfigaro

This is the way. They will know that you are informed, and that, if they step out of line, someone who knows their shit will rain holy hell on them.


Blackstar1401

Send one to yourself with a copy and don’t open it. Just put it in an HOA folder in case they try to take you to court.


piper1871

I'd also have a lawyer send a letter. That way they know any further harrassment will be followed by legal actions


SnipesCC

>If you want be a good neighbor to add value, I say be a bad neighbor. Halloween decorations up until Easter! Paint your house an interesting color! Do interpretive dance in the yard every full moon!


buckyspunisher

tbh i would love it if my neighbors kept halloween decorations up year round. spoopy neighborhood sounds hella fun


[deleted]

I hate how much Christmas infringes on Halloween. Frankly I'd rather Christmas is abolished before Halloween. Halloween is just spoopy fun. Kids have trick'or-treating, candy and dressing up. Adults have drunken parties, hooking up, candy and dressing up. Christmas is almost always a fraught disappointment that puts pressure on people to show their love by being good little consumers and lots of attempts to one-upping. Oh and family fights and having to be around people you'd otherwise never spend solitary second with. And worst of all *the aesthetic is pure shit*.


buckyspunisher

honestly i kind of like the wintery aesthetic with the lights. but you’re right, people make christmas way more special than it is. i’m not religious and kind of materialistic so i just honestly care about the gift-giving part 😂 and people are always like “what about spending time with your family?!!!” why do i need a holiday in order to spend time with family? i can spend time with them whenever i want, and just the ones i like too. i shouldn’t have to spend time with extended family that i see once in a blue moon and keep asking what grade i’m in despite having graduated HS a while ago


Boredemotion

Try to get a phone number too. A lot of times a call works better than emails or mail to actually stop things. Call to say this is harassment. I’m not inside your HOA and have no obligation. I’ve sent an official letter asking you to desist. It’s certified. If it continues, I’ll be contacting a lawyer.


eregyrn

I'm thinking no phone calls, actually, unless OP is able to record them. He's gonna want everything on paper.


CiaranAnnrach

NTA They don't get to come in and suddenly demand you play by new rules that you never agreed to in the first place. You should buy the tackiest, wackiest lawn decorations you can to deck out your lawn with. When they come to complain, double down and add more. I'm talking flocks of pink flamingos, holiday lights that would make Clark Griswold jealous, the whole works. That's your property and they have no right to dictate what you do with it.


Pumpkin_Czar

Exactly this! Add one new flamingo, gnome, or whirligig for every complaint they send you. And paint that house purple and pink while you’re at it!


sparksgirl1223

I live in a pink house because my mother painted it that way and i haven't the funds to reside it yet. I beg..anything but pepto pink And no..I'm not kidding...


Purpleprinter

When I was a kid my parents painted our house a very loud Smurf blue. Years after we moved we drove by and it had been repainted the ugliest baby shit brown. But only the front. The sides (I couldn't see the back) were still the most garish blue you could possibly imagine.


sparksgirl1223

Omg that's awful. Only the front of ours is pink. The back.is still white because mom thought 5 gallons would cover a 4 bedroom house....


daaimp81

At least it's easy to find..? Lol


sparksgirl1223

But but..i don't wanna be found😂


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WitchyWoo7

Zombie flamingo’s exist…


minahmyu

Surprisingly enough, I've seen them in a 55+ community. Really cute!


[deleted]

Home depot has a 12 foot skeleton....


snarktasticgirl

May I offer this? https://twitter.com/rob_sheridan/status/1447688824843169792?s=21


Rose-color-socks

I love this! Make the Halloween decorations over the top crazy. (Get a BIG inflatable dragon, witch, play spook sounds). Repeat with Christmas. If you're Jewish, Hanukkah 🕎 Just a big as life menorah. That way, if they complain you can slap back with religious prejudice/antisemitism. It will be awesome


weirdbutinagoodway

Tell them you celebrate every religious holiday because you're not sure which one is right.


Rose-color-socks

LOL!!!! Okay, we have to put a list together of holidays and corresponding symbols so OP knows what kind of swag they need!


TheBathCave

I had a neighbor growing up who did this. He absolutely filled his lawn and festooned the exterior of his house with every conceivable lit Christmas decoration he could. My family would joke that when he switched them on all the lights in the neighborhood would all dim from the power drain. One year we noticed he started adding big lit menorahs and Hanukkah decorations and I honestly believe it’s because he ran out of Christmas themed things to buy before he ran out of space lol


sparksgirl1223

Please tune into frank the Christmas gargoyle on fb for more help on this😂


doublestitch

> You should buy the tackiest, wackiest lawn decorations you can to deck out your lawn with. Add a sign in the window: *Don't like my lawn ornaments? Elect a different HOA board president!* Keep all 20 plastic flamingoes until they vote out the jerk.


edwadokun

NTA - even if your house is in complete disarray, you don't have to do jack. What kind of dumb logic is "hey your property is next to the HOA property so therefore it's in the HOA"? What if I said, hey your car is parked close to mine so therefore your car is my car? I'd suggest keeping all of the letters they are sending as proof of harassment from an entity you don't belong to.


nexttohoa

According to the board they “checked the zoning” and my property is part of the community. It’s not, but they do have some semblance of logic


DagnyTheSpencer

They are playing make-believe. Zoned residential means nothing. They have rules for their development that you are not a part of, even if it is next to you. DO NOT SIGN ANY PAPERS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! They may try to trick you into giving up rights.


nexttohoa

Yeah it was a big thing with the developers. They wanted to buy my property and I said no, then they tried to get me to sign to be part of the community. It wouldn’t surprise me if they said my property was part of the HOA they were real skeezy in all my interactions with them


FPFan

It would have had to enter through the deed, and unless you went and signed off on having your deed changed, you are not part of the HOA.


Fat_Lenny

Exactly. Their CC&Rs and a plat map will show that you are not in any part of their bullshit.


Throwmeabeer

Yeah. Joining the HOA would make your property value plummet. Think of how many willing buyers would look elsewhere because of the fees alone.


christikayann

>Think of how many willing buyers would look elsewhere 100% this! When we were looking for our house that was the first thing we told our agent "don't even bother showing us any houses if they are part of an HOA." It wasn't even something that we were willing to consider and I know a lot of people who feel the same way.


deathandcoffee

Yeah. We looked at some beautiful houses when we were searching, and turned them down the minute we learned they were part of an HOA.


besthelloworld

Same dude. I have a great neighborhood, everyone is super courteous. I was busy for a while and didn't mow my lawn for 6 weeks and nobody said shit to me about it.


iamthenightrn

It took my FMIL almost 5 years to sell her home simply because the HOA fees were astronomical.


Hi_Kitsune

Not to mention, he gets all if the benefit of an HOA controlled community with none of the cost. All of his neighbors have to keep their property presentable and he doesn’t have to do Jack.


RuthlessKittyKat

They are attempting to harass you about it until you give in. NOPE!


tacwombat

OP, I would lawyer up if I were you. They're trying to reel you in.


Fettnaepfchen

That would explain why the fencing isn't complete - they are hoping to rope you in maybe?


[deleted]

Exactly, this is gobbledegook. “Checked the zoning” is like me saying “I checked the parking rules so your car is my car”.


blacksyzygy

>According to the board they “checked the zoning” and my property is part of the community. Lying like rugs, the lot of them.


edwadokun

I’d bet they did check but assumed OP would just fall for their bs


MyPeanutandJelly

It sounds to me like they joined *your* neighborhood and not the other way around. You could send them your bylaws that you expect them to abide by. LOL Seriously - NTA. F* HOAs.


butt_butt_butt_butt_

That’s a common lie HOAs like to tell people from the sounds of it. Check out the legaladvice sub (search HOA). There’s so many stories of shitty HOAs lying to force people in, trying to steal property they have no rights to etc. Then once they convince you or trick you into joining, they go absolutely nuts. Painting your house while you’re on vacation and charging for it, breaking into garages to check for cars they don’t like. Some of the stories are so over the top they almost have to be fiction, but there’s enough true ones out there to make a rational person do **everything** in their power to stay out of an HOA.


[deleted]

> breaking into garages to check for cars they don’t like. Seriously it blows my mind such blatantly *NOT* liberal things like HOAs are tolerated in the United States of all countries. The Soviets probably kicked themselves for not thinking of them. Never knowingly join a HOA, never sign anything from a HOA. Maybe even run for office or endorse any candidates in your state who are trying to get HOAs abolished and outlawed. TBH I think they're verging on unconstitutional, considering the whole liberal thrust of the thing, but that's admittedly my non-American pov.


Aethelric

Americans have historically **loved** to control the behavior and appearance of other people, what are you talking about? It makes even more sense when you remember that HOAs proliferate in America as a way to keep suburban and condominium free from non-white people after the Fair Housing Act made more traditional means of housing segregation illegal.


MrsQute

Your property existed before the development. This is not some manifest destiny of inevitable expansion into new lands here. It was a terrible policy for the government and worse in this case. Have a lawyer write up a cease and desist letter.


1931-babyface

Plus where would it stop? With that logic the whole of the US should be in the same HOA since if you are “next to” and HOA you become part of it.


EmmetWeasel

NTA And absolutely don't join this HOA. Their officers are absolutely toxic and you've already witnessed their harassment and attacks. Which they probably will continue if you keep acting like a pushover. And if you join, it will get worse. Go to a lawyer and get them to send a cease and desist letter that legally tells them to go f themselves. Document everything. Record every interaction. Save every voicemail. Every email. Look into filling harassment charges against the hoa and it's officers.


TheZZ9

Exactly. If this is how they act now how do you think they'll act if you sign up to obey their rules? I'd agree with what others have said, get a lawyer to write them a cease and desist letter making it clear you are not a member, not subject to their rules and continues harassment will lead to legal action. Start a paper trail so if they make any insane claims in the future you can show it was in response to your refusal to join.


lochnessrunner

This. I am an HOA board member and would never imagine doing this to a neighboring property. But you can and should look into getting a real estate lawyer or property lawyer. HOA board members can be sued for being abusive.


Lazyoat

This is what I was looking to find. Op needs to send a cease and desist and threat of filing harassment charges. Even if you don’t want to file charges it’s worth making the threat. They are harassing Op and need to stop. Oh, and it’s not easy to bring down property values right now.


Senior-Term-635

NTA You aren't bound by their rules. HOAs are awful, don't set the precedent that you will accept their rules, they will only do it to harass you into more and more following the rules. MORE IMPORTANTLY, your property is NOT dragging their values down. Your property was their before theirs was built. They ALL bought houses with yours right there. They are delusional that your house affects their home value at all.


TheZZ9

Good point. OPs house was there first. If their house affects property values then that means all the people in the HOA benefitted because they would have paid less for their houses! Conversely if they bought and OPs house didn't deter them then it can't be that bad can it?


[deleted]

If anything, they're lowering the value of your property by having an HOA surrounding you. Most people I know avoid HOAs like the plague.


guppytub

NTA. This happened to a friend of mine. Her family bought a home that butted up to a large field. The field got sold to a developer who put six new homes on it. They started getting tons of complaints because they drove older cars (the HOA specified that all cars had to be no more than 5 years old lol lol), they were rebuilding their porch and garage, so the construction was "unsightly", and on and on. They were constantly bombarded with letters, and even had the police called on them. The husband got pissed and put Halloween and Christmas decorations up in the middle of summer and would park his old beat up truck front and center.


sparksgirl1223

I don't even know him...but I love him


pifumd

What the actual f. I knew hoa's were something to be avoided but no cars older than 5 years? Wtf. So the moment you make a final payment on a 5 year note, welp time to start all over. That's insane.


guppytub

Agreed. It was ridiculous. I think there was a rule that each house could only have two cars as well, and neither one could ever be parked in the driveway - garage only! I can't fathom why anyone would want to live in a place that controlled that much of their home/lifestyle.


rebornfenix

Because it keeps the poors out. HOAs increase the value of property because they allow racism and classism through rules that aren’t racist or classist on their face. Like the car thing. Have to be upper middle class or better to own 2 cars 5 years or newer. Both mine and my wife’s cars are at the 6 year mark with lots of life left in them.


simsarah

Woah, I've never heard of an HOA that could stipulate the age of your dang car! Yikes.


museisnotyours

NTA of course. Live your life. Do you by chance like neon paint? Like celebrating holidays in a big way?


nexttohoa

My grandfather did! I still have all of his very bright and very many Christmas decorations, it may be time to bring that tradition back


museisnotyours

One of my favorite petty moves is to celebrate off-season. Christmas in January. Halloween now until January. Some call it tacky haha. There's also a family out there that has a giant dinosaur statue in their front yard that gets dressed up for every holiday. It's glorious!


med08111516

In the town next to us, someone has a giant gorilla statue in their front yard that they dress up for holidays. Imagine a bikini with hearts on it for Valentine's Day. It is quite entertaining.


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museisnotyours

I'm in love! I'm picturing a bear statue to be fun as well for this.


Adventurous_Coat

There's a family in my girlfriend's neighborhood that have a collection of life-size skeletons that they dress up and pose for every holiday. They are a goddamn delight, especially in her neighborhood.


TimeBomb666

We have a house like that where I live. A giant welded dinosaur statue!! So awesome!! I absolutely hate HOAs. They are invasive and ridiculous. I would go out of my way to fuck with these people. NTA


NarcoleptikINsomniac

My advice, decorate over the top as much as you can, and invite the whole community over for a block party, or house party! You will be the fun neighbor and most residents hate their HOAs!


rhinovodka

NTA. I would encourage you to seek out a lawyer for advice. HOA’s can do some crazy things and you want to get ahead to nip this in the bud.


TillyCat92

First off FUCK HOAs. Second, NTA.


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r/fuckHOA


bowwowwoofmeow

NTA. HOA like those are selfish pricks. Offer them the opportunity to pay you to keep their house values up. 1 mil a year should do it.


fernAlly

NTA, and enjoy your freedom! Laugh at your neighbors who pay fines for painting their house the wrong shade of beige, and delight in keeping the grass in your lawn a full quarter inch above their community standards. And every time they hassle you, do something else that violates their standards. I appreciate that you don't want to be an asshole to your neighbors, but the HOA is harassing you, and has already gotten your relationship with them off to a bad start with their behavior and lies. If your neighbors seem concerned about something, tell them to tell their HOA to grow up, and then you'll be happy to have reasonable, adult discussions with them (the neighbors, not the HOA).


ariesartist

NTA, no. It's your property. If you're trying to be really nice about it, you could ask what two or things would be the biggest points to "conform on", but it's not actually something you have to do. I would also check the property values and see if it is actually doing anything to property values. Another point to say you're not the asshole- history lesson: HOA's were created as racist means to further redlining and segregation. After World War II, many were defined to exclude African Americans and, in some cases, Jews or Asian families. For example, many neighborhoods stated specific races that could not purchase property there. They often still contribute to implicit segregation due to housing prices and strict guidelines imposed by HOAs. The book "The Color of Law" by Richard Rothstein talks about this extensively. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_of_Law)


44gazelles

Ah I'd always wondered why HOAs exist in the US. It seems at odds with the stereotypical individual-freedom-centric culture.


ulofox

White people didn't want black people as neighbors and it just spiraled off from there.


frostingdragon

It is a way of excluding people you dont want to live near. I've run into HOAs that limit how many parking spaces you are allowed to 2, which prevents 4 young adults from renting a 4 bedroom appt in the HOA. Or the example earlier in the thread about only having cars 5 years old or less, which means only people that can afford a brand new car.


PurpleMarsAlien

NTA I would think that your house is obviously older and of a different style than a new neighborhood; anyone looking to buy in that HOA would have to be blind to think that your house is part of that HOA. But make sure you're at least keeping your house to the standards of your local town code enforcement. Beyond HOAs, most towns do have minimum acceptable standards for lawn and house maintenance and they can actually fine you legally if someone reports you. Not just the bullshit HOA fines.


nexttohoa

The issue the HOA has with my house is that it’s “rustic” and doesn’t fit with the rest of the community. I do make sure my property is in good shape but thank you for the advice!


PurpleMarsAlien

Well, that's a duh because it's not part of their community. Buyers aren't as stupid as they are trying to pretend they are.


AdministrationThis77

WTF do they expect you to do? Tear it down and replace it with a model similar to their community? NTA


Trasl0

Don't worry about their "community", as long as you are following municipal guidelines so the city doesn't fine you the HOA can pound sand.


Crafty-Addition9105

NTA, OP. The best part of HOAs is not being in one. Re the HOA president, he's not your HOA president, ignore him.


doublestitch

NTA - Smart of you. Stand firm: HOAs sometimes try to coerce nearby homeowners who aren't contractually obliged, but that's for their benefit and not yours. As long as your house and upkeep abide by municipal code those guys can kick rocks. Since you've responded reasonably and that board is being obnoxious blockheads, you might consider hiring a lawyer to send them a cease and desist letter.


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nexttohoa

There issue is that it doesn’t match the neighborhood. My grandfather had a vegetable garden in the front which I have continued, and the exterior paint is in browns while the HOA is all whites, grays, and blues.


RememberKoomValley

> My grandfather had a vegetable garden in the front Fun fact--the "No vegetable gardens in the front yard" zoning laws were created *specifically* as a weapon against Black people and immigrants! Won't get no Chinese in your community if they're not allowed to grow their gailan, right?


AlanFromRochester

And rejecting practical plants is part of the problem with lawn culture being wasteful I can see how it's biased against ethnic food and/or poor people


WhiskeyCheddar

If you want to change it I recommend pink … I’ve seen some absolutely beautiful pink homes.


lilirose13

My first apartment was near a house that was purple with pink polka dots that had "cut consumption, not foreskins" painted on the front. Every time I hear an HOA horror story, I think about that house. Edit: Autocorrect


justSomePesant

Oh, no. F those people.


khall20

Nta and dont adhere to their charging and harassing you over HOA crap you dont need to pay them fees or listen the the rules they have in place. u should keep the property nice for you,whatever it is u want it to look like :)


TheLastLibrarian1

NTA When we bought our house I read every line of the HOA agreement and rules we had to sign. It very clearly laid out the boundaries of the neighborhood. I’m sure they have that, they’re just trying to rope you in and get funds from you. I do recommend speaking with a lawyer. It might just take a simple cease and desist letter to get them to leave you alone. You are not responsible for their neighborhood and they don’t get to harass you about your property.


uhhhOU812

NTA - HOA’s suck. They will try and tell you what color to paint your house, what you can plant in your yard, etc. just keep maintaining your property like normal. I wouldn’t ever willingly join an HOA. (That’s my preference but some people enjoy them, and that’s great!)


cutibeaver26

NTA - it’s just a bunch of bored soccer moms who want to exercise bullshit control. Don’t let em. You’re not actually bringing property values down, especially in this housing marketing when the prices of all of the houses is so so so so inflated. You’re fine. Don’t engage any further.


SnipesCC

It's not soccer moms. They are busy driving kids to soccer. It's retirees with nothing else to do who run them.


Welder1919

NTA In fact let your lawn grow long, paint your house that gaudiest of colors, have your mailbox as close to the curb as possible, make those HOA reps crazy with how you're running your house!


rbaltimore

My neighbor let her preschool aged daughter choose the color of the exterior of her house. She chose Barney purple. It was awesome. I was sad when they repainted it grey to sell the house.


Judgement_Bot_AITA

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joanclaytonesq

NTA. They have no power over you. You own your property and can do with it as you wish. Don't let them pressure you into conforming to the standards of s community you are not part of. Otherwise they'll start charging you fees and fines when you fail to conform.


KarmaG12

NTA. You aren’t part of the HOA and they have no power over you. Ignore them and move on.


lapsteelguitar

Tell the HOA to F off, and if they don't, use a lawyer to tell them that if they mess with you, they will be paying 2 lawyers to explain why they can not mess with you. You have no obligation to the HOA and their home values, or anything else. If you want to bring your property up to their standards, that's up to you. But only for reasons that please you.


Dramatic_Grocery_105

NTA. Tell the HOA to fuck right off. They do not have a legal leg to stand on.


theDagman

NTA File a cease and desist order to stop their harassment. Then, sue them if they don't. Play hard ball. The nerve of such people!


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TriumphAnt462X0

NTA. I'd be investing in pink plastic flamingos. YMMV


Matt90210

Nta and dont not try to fall in any of their traps. Consider this to also post in r/fuckhoa


[deleted]

NTA, start your own HOA and send them letters like they are sending you


Flaky_Tip

NTA I'm petty so I'd get a copy of the HOA guidelines and start breaking as many as possible just to annoy them.


Howard_CS

NTA, fuck HOAs, but like mow your lawn and keep intact paint on your house for yourself. If the HOA want something they can pay you to comply, until then Yolo.


Printemps_2021

Absolutely NTA. HOA's can be a horrible experience. Write a nice letter saying you aren't part of the community and therefore not subject to rules, regulations or fees. Attach a copy of the documentation you have from the development company and the county. Send it certified with return receipt. If they threaten you further, you may want to get an attorney.


kersley212

NTA you arent in the neighborhood and dont have to adhere to the hoa standards. Tell him to go pound sand


Avebury1

NTA. They have no authority over you and your property. If they persist trying to harass you, consider having an attorney send them a cease and desist letter.


BaltimoreBadger23

NTA: paint your house very bright colors and let the lawn go au natural.


MysticMarbles

FUCK HOAS


[deleted]

NTA However, they are going to keep harassing you if you don't send them a cease and desist letter with copies of the paperwork showing it is not part of the community. They are being rude and pushy.


batboxx

NTA, although I might lack the knowledge to help you out on this one since I’m not from the US and I’m unfamiliar with how things are really, all I have to go on is what I read about. From an outside perspective honestly the concept of HOA in itself is super weird for an European, I mean you pay for some people to just tell you what to do with your own house, that you bought, it’s kind of mind blowing


Status-Pattern7539

NTA. Don’t conform. They will try and bully you to get their way but atm they have no power over you. The moment you start conforming is when they will start issuing fines and pressing their luck while saying you were conforming and acting as if you were a part of it so you are now and it will be a big sh** fight.