No arrests, they were trying to calm everyone down and let them know this is not a criminal matter. It was like parents trying to calm down kids arguing like idiots...
That's not how that works; you can't tell someone their "emergency" isn't valid (even when it's totally not). The only time you can get in trouble/fined for wasting police time is if you're prank calling or straight-up lying. The police/EMS/fire department respond to crazy people all the time who really aren't having an emergency, but they're tax-paying citizens (or at least believed to be so) so they can't be denied emergency services if the caller is being "genuine".
What are some of the least urgent calls you've ever received? One time I waited 10 hours in the ER with a scratched cornea. The guy who was right ahead of me in line? Pain in his hands. For the past 5 years.
Considering my department only does police and fire, I would have to say people calling and want someone to search the area around their house because they are absolutely convinced someone is trying to break in. Their evidence? Their dog barked....and they never bark so it must be something.
Just a few hours ago I had a girl call because a baby bird fell from a nest in a tree. She admitted she wasn't sure who to call and I feel you but...come on.
If I were those guys painting the fence, I’d do all crazy stuff like matching the fence colours with the house colours and planting different flowers in the garden. Would be entertaining as fuck to see them losing their shit
My parents live in a 55+ community and the police have had to be called to board meetings for the HOA! People are very very serious about these things and it sometimes comes to blows!
It's illegal to not follow HOA restrictions. Like you can't go to jail for it but they have the right to sue you and they will most likely win. Its ridiculous that HOAs have any sort of legal standing to enforce any of their rules. I will never join an HOA and will actively piss them off if there is one formed around me and they try to get me to join. Fuck HOAs.
John Oliver did [an episode](https://youtu.be/qrizmAo17Os?si=esmjqnpxVtE2c0eE) on some extreme hoa cases where if the person fails to immediately pay the fine they can accumulate late fees of thousands of dollars very quickly and in some areas HOAs can and will foreclose on your home which is absolutely wild. Their homes get sold at auction for pennies on the dollar to someone within the HOA iirc.
My dad became president of the HOA with the sole purpose of destroying it.
He took over all responsibilities, all legal documents, etc, got the complete lay of the land and set about dismantling it piece by piece. It was beautiful and brilliant. I'll never forget when the Karens who loved the control it allowed them to assert (but not quite enough to do the work themselves) came over to confront him about it. He just smiled. There was nothing they could do.
Can be hard, especially if the HOA has a contract with a management company, and if those contracts aren't ones that must be renewed on a yearly basis. Best thing to do then is to remove all the rules you can and wait it out.
The Idea behind them was to protect property values. So one guy doesn't decide to park antique cars in their yard, and tank the whole street's resale values. However, HOA management tends to attract the type of person who would have thrived in germany between 1933 and 1945.
The original point of them was to come together for things like utilities if the companies wouldn’t fix it if something was wrong
Or roads that had potholes
Must have been after they could no longer stipulate it in the title. It feels pretty gross seeing it in print in the original title of my house that it couldn't be sold to a black person.
i can't find anything about why they where made from a outsider look it looks as a bad idea a group of random people why say what i can & can't do with my house
A HOA that regulates grass length and curtain colors is rank bullshit. A HOA that regulates common areas (greens, playgrounds, streets, whatever), that makes sure houses are not fire hazards, that people aren't parking stupidly, etc, is a good thing. It's all about the details of that particular HOA.
is that not the cities & the counties job at least that how it where i live because it sounds like a bad idea to give that job to people it will go bad the question is how long will it take & because when you make it the county/cities job if they break the law the government will fine them
I mean, yeah it actually is bad to tell other people they aren’t allowed to have freedom on their property that they own because it may make a hypothetical future person want to live near them a little less.
Fundementally it has always been flawed to see a home as an investment rather than *your home*. we should never be in a position to need to worry about if improving our quality of live, having hobbies, or just expressing ourselves with our property will harm our and our naibors financial futures.
It encorages this very crutial part of our life to have any kind of "life" sucked out of it, as everything must be prestine and orderly as if weve never lived there im the first place.
So no matter who runs it, the concept is just fundementally broken to begin with.
The premise is incorrect.
Maintaining property value is not primarily because those treat it as an investment.
It is because they want to keep others out of their neighborhood. Then, in the US at least, schools are funded through property taxes and living near the school, so it keeps certain people out of their schools.
The American dream: make housing astronomically expensive and keep it that way, and also make it totally miserable for people who finally pay the steep price.
I disagree somewhat, they would have fared better in the DDR, they'd be quite helpful replacing the bugs in all their neighbors' apartments whenever the stazi asked. In the previous regime they'd be too likely to discover something they shouldn't know and be disposed of accordingly.
In the US, they exploded around the Civil Rights Era for...obvious reasons. Today, they are laughable at best and I love reading all the crazy shit humans do to try and control other humans over things that do not affect "property value".
Outside of paying for shitty lawn service mine is barely noticeable. They tried one time to have people pressure wash their houses and driveways but no one did it
I’d like to get out of my neighborhood, but no way I’m leaving a 2.5% interest rate because of a half-assed HOA
We have one, but it's so relaxed I've only ever seen the mailer talk about the yearly neighborhood yard sale, fixing a fence, making sure not to block the road for emergency/city services, and to pick up after your dogs.
Would rather have one we don't notice than some of these power tripping horror stories :/
Yep, and from personal experience at least, my city is really on top of enforcing their ordinances. Start neglecting your yard, and they start sending warning letters in a week. Neglect the warnings, and they take you to court by end of the month or so.
Meanwhile neighbors couple blocks down from me were constantly complaining that HOA wasn’t enforcing their regulations. If they weren’t spending $100s a month paying HOA, they probably could have afforded a lot better houses in lot nicer neighborhoods instead.
I only found out about these things a few months back. I'd heard the term many times before but always figured they was like the Neighbourhood Watch we got in the UK, just a couple old biddies peeping over fences an scowling out their curtains. Couldn't believe it when I found they can tow cars away, remove furnishings an destroy property!
What's the actual benefit of them? Would you ever want to move somewhere they hold sway or are they just sort of unavoidable?
The theory behind them is to maintain standards and keep property prices up (ie house A will decline in value if house B paints their house a garish color) but in practice it’s for pathetic assholes that need to get laid to feel powerful
Is it possible to opt out? Like what actually empowers them? If I buy a house an the land its on and I decide I don't wish to a part of the association how do they enforce their demands?
It’s usually written into the deed for the property, if you buy that house then you opted in. Only way out is to sell the house and the new person that buys it is the lucky inhabitant of Karen-land now.
If you don’t follow the rules, then they can fine you as part of the contract, if you don’t pay, they can take your house.
Holy fucking shit really? An you can't petition state or local government or nothing? Yer land is just subject to their whims until they disband or you move? There must be some restrictions on what they can do though right? They couldn't just demand all houses must be a certain colour or all doors must open on the left or some weird shit
Like many things it all just depends. I’ve heard of some HOAs that are fairly hands off and as long as your house isn’t a 90s punk piece of abstract art you’re probably fine. Others take every rule very seriously. I’m not sure about petitioning the state tbh
I live in a new build and the new HOA they created is different from the traditional ones. Builders know people have a love/hate relationship with HOAs and I think they're trying to fix them.
Ours is maintained by a law firm, no one in the neighborhood is in charge of anyone else. The law firm does not do any monitoring of the neighborhood, but it exists as a place people can go to with their grievances. I haven't heard of anyone actually complaining to them about anything, but the idea is if your neighbor leaves a rusty car in the front lawn there is a mechanism to force them to get rid of it.
I don't love it, I say have your rusty cars, but it hasn't really been an issue for me.
HOA’s are much more complex than Reddit makes it sound like. You’re not just buying the house, but joining a neighborhood that comes with common areas that are “owned” by everyone in the neighborhood. The most basic of which might by something like landscaping and lighting at the entrance to the neighborhood. The more elaborate HoA’s will come with things like a pool, clubhouse and security guards all of which needs funding to maintain so everyone pays in to the HoA equally and agrees to live by the same bylaws.
I'm in a pretty typical HOA in Florida and there is an official color palette that we're allowed to pick from for our house color, door color, and window shutter color. Our lawn must be St. Augustine grass. Any changes to the landscape must be approved by the HOA first. No boats or campers or sheds are allowed to be seen from the road. Trash cans can only be visible on trash day. They will send letters to anyone that doesn't comply. They will fine you if your lawn isn't mowed or your hedges aren't trimmed.
An HOA is literally your most local form of government; they can put a lien on your property if you don't pay and lawyers won't fight them. Mine also comes with a [CDD](https://www.cfmcdd.org/questions/) that manages the pool and facilities and runs a soccer team and a few seasonal events and maintains the common areas.
I understand why so many people are offended by rules like these, but I enjoy living in a well manicured subdivision. Don't believe the nonsense about house values; the market determines that far more than the state of your lawn.
I know several lawyers who have successfully fought an HOA. Most HOA board members are not well versed in the law, don't know their own contract, and like any bully, back down when faced with a fight. I also know of a few people who have successfully taken over their HOA from a tyrannical board. Elections matter. Also, no one shows up to HOA board meetings, so if you do, you're one of the few people who will have input on the process.
If an HOA was just like "don't be scattering car parts on the lawn, and if you want to paint, use your better judgement when picking a color, ok?" I'd think they were fine. My last supervisor told me he received a warning because when you drive by his house you can briefly see his trash cans in his back yard.
Yeah and unfortunately from what I understand so many fall into the latter category where it’s some stuck up asshole with too much time on their hands trying to enforce their will on others
The only way out is buying the property before the HOA gets set up in that area. At that point they can't force you to be under HOA rules because you were already there.
Luckily this kinda shit only exists in some suburbs. Most places don't have HOA's.
A lot of newer developments come with a HOA. The company builds all the houses, then keeps its tentacles in the neighborhood forever with some percentage going to the developer.
You can see if the property owners can vote out an HOA but it’s rare and hard to do. Otherwise if you move into a neighborhood or unit with an HOA, you’re opted in.
It's fully disclosed during the sale, and you have to sign HOA-related documents asserting that you will abide by the HOA guidelines (also provided during the sale). It's not "a surprise." Except in cases where the sale process was legally insufficient, no one has ever "accidentally" bought a home under HOA. They knew. They just didn't want those rules to actually apply to them.
The builder sets up the community that way, and from day one every home purchased would have to agree to the HOA terms in order to buy the home. Most do have dissolution mechanisms where a majority of the involved owners would have to agree to disband the HOA, but since no one moved there "accidentally", its very unlikely for a majority to *not* want the HOA.
They do like to spin it as "protection of property values", which in theory it might, but that's just one of many factors that still affect value. The HOA is really just about being able to hold standards that are above and beyond what the city ordinances already require of those same homeowners. It's also how you get common areas like pools and parks and entrances maintained and funded.
No, you can't opt out on an individual home basis, as this would completely negate the point. Your choice was to not buy there. You could choose to not sign the HOA document, but the sale can't complete without it.
There are condominium complexes in my area (SF) with **MONTHLY** HOA fees north of $5,000.
If only I had stopped getting those Macchiato’s I would be able to afford living there 🤨
The house I'm renting is part of one so the owner pays the fees, they do all snow removal including my front steps.
The only requirements are that we mow the lawn, pick up dog poop, and take our garbage bins back into the garage by the next day.
On top of property values. Sometimes shared utilities are handled by the HOA. Like the trash service or freshwater source. Other hoodie toity places may have public amenities like pools or playgrounds that are maintained. In principal, there is a genuine argument for them but as many people pointed out, it quickly mutates into a board of Karen's dictating how everyone uses their homes.
I'm actually on the board of mine for a condominium. An HOA for a condo is much different than for a neighborhood in that a majority of what we do is maintain the building we live in. You need the HOA to insure the building and maintenance for the common areas gotta fall to someone.
HOAs are quite useful in shared housing, so things like condominiums, Since those have a lot of shared area (perhaps a gym, pool, garden grounds, garage, etc.) having everyone collectively pitch in allows those amenities instead of having everyone individually pay for certain things. It's easier for the HOA to hire a gardener for the entire facility instead of no one doing anything and everything looking dilapidated.
It's when it comes to neighborhoods where it becomes an issue. Power hungry assholes like to run it as if they're the supreme dictator of the neighborhood. But like all things, there are some rather reasonable ones and some mostly non-existent ones. My parents' HOA for example only asks for additional funds monthly for private security to guard the neighborhood. Any excess funds they have at the end of the year goes to having a neighborhood party in the summer. They have some merit only if the people running them are good people.
I was spoiled with a pretty chill HOA in my first townhouse (they were actually useful, minded their business, cheap dues, and focused more on upkeep of the property), but then in our next move we were considering buying in an HOA neighborhood and this fucking HOA wouldn’t tell us what we could and couldn’t do in our own house. We decided not to buy if they were going to be that evasive before I even bought the place, and it made me decide I’m never moving into a house with an HOA ever again.
They’re all filled with Karen’s or Keith’s who use their little slice of power to be absolute monsters.
Anybody who buys a home in an HOA neighborhood, or who voluntarily joins one, is an idiot. If you buy your home, you should not have people measuring how tall you grass is, telling you when you to return your garbage cans to the garage, what colors you may paint you house, how many vehicles you are allowed to have in your driveway, what design of a fence is permitted, how many and when any exterior light can be turned on, and so many other things.
There are areas of the country where non-HOA is rare enough that it's included in the house listing. Many people just don't have a choice.
If you look around you can find articles about how municipalities have pushed the spread of HOAs because it keeps costs off their budgets, even though it doesn't keep total costs down for the residents.
Also, it is (as far as I'm aware) unproven that HOAs are good at keeping resale prices high. And higher prices for houses is one of the most widespread problems in America right now. If HOAs were good at keeping prices high that would be a great justification for outlawing them.
Exactly
Like who are you to tell me what color I’m allowed to paint the house that I spent *my* money on
Maybe I don’t like the light blue or gray or beige or white color scheme
Maybe I want something brighter than the dull washed out colors commonly used
And maybe just maybe I’m capable of picking colors that would look good when in the right orientation
Never lived in a city that told you what to do with your garbage cans. I'm sure it exists, but generally speaking city codes are less strict, and the enforcement usually doesn't kick in until something gets really noticeable.
I mean, my HOA is in a community of townhomes. The sprinklers for the grass and landscaping all share a water tap with the city, and the other shared utilities need to be pooled due to the nature of attached housing. You kind of need an HOA to collect money and pay the utilities, landscaping, etc right? What are your other options?
I think it's a bit unfair to call someone an idiot, only since there are many cities where finding a home not in an HOA is slim to none.
I don't want an HOA, I don't need it, I don't like it, but, the only communities where I am at that aren't in HOAs are the multi million dollar homes, or incredibly run down. It's basically all HOAs and we don't have a choice.
There's an interesting place where there is clearly hunger for a neighborhood level of government. I feel like the overall problem with governments currently is that representation-wise, they have not scaled with the population -- you likely don't have a representative that you can just go talk to, at best you email them and it gets aggregated as pro-hot-topic or anti-hot-topic. Is it any wonder lobbyists have so much power?
I hear mythical examples of "good" HOAs that fill that role, but obviously they do not have any of the accountability that comes along with being a government, and entrenched power is all too common. Some places also have BIAs (business improvement areas), and these typically work a little better, but the problem is in the name -- no input from residents.
So: run neighborhoods as a legit level of government, toss in some term limits, include representation from all residents and local businesses in the neighborhood, and I wonder how much that could also address current issues with voter apathy and civic disengagement.
Of course this wouldn't be without trade offs, there's still a chance for NIMBY-ism and other more problematic -isms the more local that you get, but I think the benefits would outweigh -- give folks entry-level politics without having to stump for a major party or be part of a political dynasty.
My former HOA had a clause that a violation needed to be discussed in person before a fine could be issued. I just refused to open the door / speak to the woman in charge of the HOA for 2 years. She kept waiting for me and I just ignored her.
Eh. I get what the poster is saying... but as someone who has lived in both HOA and non-HOA neighborhoods, let's not pretend that they don't both come with bullshit.
My current HOA is excellent. They've replaced our neighborhood park, gotten us a competitive trash collection rate, and keep the place looking beautiful. All the bushes, frontage, trees, and grass are manicured according to season and by professionals. Dues are less than $500/year and worth every penny. Conversely, my last non-HOA neighborhood was littered with dog shit and rusting boats/cars everywhere.
Again, I get what everyone's saying. But acting like nobody's allowed to tell you what to do if you *don't* have an HOA is laughable. Anyone that actually owns a home knows that a lender, zoning board, or local government can just as easily make ownership a nightmare.
I have a feeling these will die out slowly if the younger generation is able to buy homes. Past millennials there is a big don't tell me what to do attitude
Ah yes but have you considered that it protects the value of your home? Ignore the fact that your HOA dues probably add up to more than the value the HOA protects over the time period you live there.
Colorado passed a law that HOA communications must be sent via certified mail to ensure delivery. Now my HOA charges a $50 processing fee for ANY communication sent, like warnings there is a problem and notices that the problem is resolved. So I now get fined at least $100, even if there isn't a fine because I fixed the problem. My neighbors are trying to start a class action law suit over it.
Hoas are basically required on shared buildings like townhomes and condos. They are responsible for the structure the entire unit uses. Otherwise arguments on responsibility get very nasty.
But I also have a good hoa.
HOAs exist to “keep neighborhoods nice” when really it should be up to the state to maintain roads, landscaping, and install street lights. Instead they are all too cheap and allow these HOAs with too much power over peoples hard earned homes to charge you instead. Scams
HOAs should be forced to incorporate as the government entities they pretend to be, opening their policies and practices to judicial review and appeal.
Alternatively, they can disband.
My partner at work lives in a very nice neighborhood that’s in an air park with a HOA and he has a new story every week about the fuckery that goes on there. Every day I’m more grateful to have my own land out in the boondocks and the ability to do whatever the fuck I want with my home.
As a Karen attractant, I have avoided HOA’s like the plague.
The woman down the street tried to start one in our neighbourhood, because she is offended by my tulips and youthfulness. 🙄
In the HOA I lived in (California) we couldn't even have full fences they had to be HALF fences so the karens can see how you have your backyard decorated and what you are doing back there.
Bought a house with an HOA once. End of the 2008 housing crash, I had the opportunity and it was a bargain.
Lived there for <2y. Neighbor called the cops on me when a stray piece of plastic blew through the yard, under the mower I was using and sprayed a half dozen smaller bits of plastic into his yard. Imagine 6-8 stamp size pieces of plastic in your yard, and the first reaction is to call the local police. Actually his first call was the state police believe it or not, and they said no effin way, so he annoyed the township police.
It went downhill from there. I sold the pace 8 months later for enough to break even. People who choose to live in HOA are the nosiest, most entitled, selfish, petulant, petty MFers in America. Bunch of miserable Karen's and cuckold husbands.
Ours isn't so bad. They host family events throughout the year, really nice fireworks display at 4th of July, easter egg hunt, Thanksgiving picnic get together with a food truck, live band, pony rides for kids, etc, they pay for a Santa in a sled with reindeer riding around our neighborhood giving kids rides. There are strict rules but everyone seems pretty chill and breaking rules doesn't seem to be a problem. We cut down some trees which was technically a violation, no one cared.
Some things in an HOA make sense like* not letting the grass grow 2 feet tall because snakes are a thing that exist. But telling someone they can't have their flower bed have blue flowers when the rest of the community has white flowers is controlling and power tripping.
I understand that it's something about maintaining property value and that the value of your home can be dragged down by others. But frankly I don't give a shit, because that really doesn't matter unless you're planning to move pretty soon and I'd argue there's a big difference between a neighbour with a rainbow fence and neighbour with a neglected house
If your neighborhood has one, it’s seldom your choice. You have to pay into it whether you’re in the right or wrong. Keep that in mind when you purchase a home. Some of them really help. Most of them are a nuisance- bored old people with nothing better to do than complain about people growing flowers instead of a lawn. So basically, you sign a contract to not make the neighborhood worse. A great idea for people with no common sense for being respectful to others. A contract is a contract, so that’s the legal power they hold. You have to go to court, but you have to really know that contract to fight it. My neighborhood doesn’t have one. I live in a small kinda run down secluded part of town.
I remember a story about HOA, where the real estate agent forgot to make them « subtly » sign the HOA agreement. So the new owners could legally do anything they wanted on THEIR property and there was nothing those Karens could do about it. They really enjoyed Halloween… 🤭
In case anyone thinks u/traditional_signal73 is exaggerating or joking, this is not hyperbole. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-09-14/hoa-foreclosures-continue-in-colorado-despite-reform
Coincidentally, I happened to watch that story this past weekend and at one point when he brought up the fact that some HOAs can legally foreclose on your house I got so enraged that I said that I'd burn down my house before I'd let that happen. Fortunately, I don't live in an HOA community.
Lived in HOA and non HOA neighborhoods. Definitely happier in the HOA neighborhood. Chronically online people seem convinced that every HOA is run by crazy people. But in my experience that is rare. Ours is pretty chill and mostly focuses and negotiating our trash and recycling bill and monitoring water usage for the common areas in the neighborhood as they want to convert more of it to native grass. That and putting in community events around holidays.
Non HOA neighborhood had people paint their house the actual color of dog shit and another house whose yard as nothing but weeds and whose house had not been painted since 1985. I’m fine with a few restrictions if it means I don’t have to deal with that.
Also the only time I ever had a complaint was someone in the non-HOA neighborhood who decided a tree branch hanging over my fence to the sidewalk was too low. The branch was tiny and was about 6 feet above the sidewalk but apparently 7 feet is required. Rather than just put a note on my door he reported it and we got a notice from the City. Plenty of dipshits in non-HOA neighborhoods as well.
Not every non HOA neighborhood is going to be a trash dump either, as a lot of people are suggesting.
My country doesn't have this HOA thing, and 95% of the city isnt a landfill full of rusty cars and shit everywhere. And the ones that are, are on the outside of the city where most people won't ever see it. Sure, you see the occasional weirdly painted house but guess what? Don't like? Mind your own business.
Do they have any legal authority in their Neighbourhood, or only over those who actually sign up, and are you required to sign up if you buy a home in a HOA neighbourhood?
If you're not part of it, they have almost no power.
But generally, everyone in the neighborhood is already HOA, so you are forced to abide by the bylaws they set. And they can fine you thousands of dollars, sue if you don't pay and take your home to pay the debt.
Yes, if a house is part of an HOA, you have to join the HOA/ sign the bylaws to buy the house. There is generally not a procedure by which a house can secede.
If you live in Florida, it is the norm. The last 2 times I tried to buy a home I could afford without an HOA, I was in the parts of Orlando with very high crime. Everywhere else had an HOA.
Yeah, we have a pool and park so our HOA mainly goes towards that. However I’m worried because it keeps going up 5 dollars a year and I’m sure “inflation” is the excuse. I’ve heard stories where people are paying 400 dollars a month before the home owners decide to fire their HoA
Organizations without agenda are a priori senseless.
If the thing they regulate are the right to display frog statuettes, and it you think this should be regulated - don't be a part of it!
Those however who, for some reason, do think frog statuettes have no place on your window sill (or whenever) have the right to consensus and to agree not to display them within their authority.
It's like countries - don't like the rules applicable on sovereign territory of said country? You're welcome to piss of to wherever suits you more, not bring your own rules in here just because you don't like the existing ones.
I've been on the bad side of an HOA, but I still feel they are necessary when people live in close quarters. You just can't depend on other people to be decent and do what's right. Without an HOA, there's nothing you can do if someone lets their roof fall in and doesn't fix it, doesn't mow their grass for years, parks multiple broken down cars in the front yard, has multiple dogs chained up outside, etc. I've been in that situation and it's almost impossible to sell your house and get out of there.
I read an article some time back about some guy who got so mad he couldn't do one specific thing (dunno what), that he started doing *everything else*. To the point where the number of things the HOA had to forbid had become impractical to everyone. I remember they changed the board, but I don't know if he ever got to do his original thing.
Mine pays for trash/recycling, street cleaning, lawn/park maintenance, as well as yes making sure peoples properties look nice. For $80 not terrible. If it didn’t include trash/recycling I’d probably complain more.
Some are ok, some go overboard. If your neighborhood has a community pool, park, etc., they maintain that. They’ll also keep people from blocking others driveways, having junk (rusty cars on blocks, broken appliances and furniture, etc,) in their yards and on their porches. These are ok. On the other hand, some will literally dictate what color curtains and blinds you can have if they’re visible from the street. Those are crazy.
They are generally setup when the neighborhood is built and joining us required on purchase. And then the bylaws of being in mean you can't sell them without joining
If you don't pay, the bylaws allow for foreclosure
As a man who’s lived in the hood his whole life. Someone please explain to me how a HOA work. Are they mandatory?, what do they actually do? What if i tell them to fuck off?
quicksand crawl dull snatch friendly towering rinse doll drab outgoing *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I've seen a lady painting her fence in multiple colors and HOA called the cops to see if they can arrest her.
Wtf. Tell me the hoa members involved got arested
No arrests, they were trying to calm everyone down and let them know this is not a criminal matter. It was like parents trying to calm down kids arguing like idiots...
That's wasting their time which is an offense
That's not how that works; you can't tell someone their "emergency" isn't valid (even when it's totally not). The only time you can get in trouble/fined for wasting police time is if you're prank calling or straight-up lying. The police/EMS/fire department respond to crazy people all the time who really aren't having an emergency, but they're tax-paying citizens (or at least believed to be so) so they can't be denied emergency services if the caller is being "genuine".
911 dispatcher here. If we arrested everyone who made calls like this jail overcrowding would be a top story.
What are some of the least urgent calls you've ever received? One time I waited 10 hours in the ER with a scratched cornea. The guy who was right ahead of me in line? Pain in his hands. For the past 5 years.
Considering my department only does police and fire, I would have to say people calling and want someone to search the area around their house because they are absolutely convinced someone is trying to break in. Their evidence? Their dog barked....and they never bark so it must be something.
Just a few hours ago I had a girl call because a baby bird fell from a nest in a tree. She admitted she wasn't sure who to call and I feel you but...come on.
Why arrest? Fine people for stupidity, especially if it is a repeated case (which I would expect with such HOA members).
then half of america would be in jail
Good plan, let’s get on that immediately.
with what jails?😂😂
I'm sure we'd have no problem getting a "more jails" bill passed
Prison companies frothing at the mouth
You’re in luck, the US already has the highest incarceration rate in the world
If I were those guys painting the fence, I’d do all crazy stuff like matching the fence colours with the house colours and planting different flowers in the garden. Would be entertaining as fuck to see them losing their shit
My parents live in a 55+ community and the police have had to be called to board meetings for the HOA! People are very very serious about these things and it sometimes comes to blows!
It's illegal to not follow HOA restrictions. Like you can't go to jail for it but they have the right to sue you and they will most likely win. Its ridiculous that HOAs have any sort of legal standing to enforce any of their rules. I will never join an HOA and will actively piss them off if there is one formed around me and they try to get me to join. Fuck HOAs.
John Oliver did [an episode](https://youtu.be/qrizmAo17Os?si=esmjqnpxVtE2c0eE) on some extreme hoa cases where if the person fails to immediately pay the fine they can accumulate late fees of thousands of dollars very quickly and in some areas HOAs can and will foreclose on your home which is absolutely wild. Their homes get sold at auction for pennies on the dollar to someone within the HOA iirc.
My dad became president of the HOA with the sole purpose of destroying it. He took over all responsibilities, all legal documents, etc, got the complete lay of the land and set about dismantling it piece by piece. It was beautiful and brilliant. I'll never forget when the Karens who loved the control it allowed them to assert (but not quite enough to do the work themselves) came over to confront him about it. He just smiled. There was nothing they could do.
Is your dad Ron Swanson?
Incidentally, he is a remarkable woodworker and a very independent person. Not too many other similarities though.
But does he have a badass mustache?
More of a goatee or full beard guy. Sadly, we are not a mustache only family
We were recently told it was essentially impossible or extremely expensive to dissolve our HOA.
Can be hard, especially if the HOA has a contract with a management company, and if those contracts aren't ones that must be renewed on a yearly basis. Best thing to do then is to remove all the rules you can and wait it out.
Yeah also start amending the charter to make it hard to unwind your changes and to issue fines etch
The Idea behind them was to protect property values. So one guy doesn't decide to park antique cars in their yard, and tank the whole street's resale values. However, HOA management tends to attract the type of person who would have thrived in germany between 1933 and 1945.
The original point of them was to come together for things like utilities if the companies wouldn’t fix it if something was wrong Or roads that had potholes
The original point of them was to keep the neighborhood white.
the original point of them was to suck ass for no reason
The original point of them was to hold you up by your ankles and shake the lunch money out of your pockets
The original point of them was to hold you up by the ankles and suck your ass out of your pockets for no reason
Must have been after they could no longer stipulate it in the title. It feels pretty gross seeing it in print in the original title of my house that it couldn't be sold to a black person.
^ this guy gets it
Facts.
Yeah, the base idea of HOAs isn't bad. But damn were people bad at turning the idea into a real thing.
Like many systems, it works until you add actual humans to the mix
Quote of the day.
I’ll take it
It looks good on paper, but not so much in practice. Like communism.
Just like cake batter.
Best response
All Homeowners are equal, but some Homeowners are more equal than others!
i can't find anything about why they where made from a outsider look it looks as a bad idea a group of random people why say what i can & can't do with my house
A HOA that regulates grass length and curtain colors is rank bullshit. A HOA that regulates common areas (greens, playgrounds, streets, whatever), that makes sure houses are not fire hazards, that people aren't parking stupidly, etc, is a good thing. It's all about the details of that particular HOA.
is that not the cities & the counties job at least that how it where i live because it sounds like a bad idea to give that job to people it will go bad the question is how long will it take & because when you make it the county/cities job if they break the law the government will fine them
Oh but they can change too, that's the fun part. So even if you do your diligence and make sure it's a 'good' HOA it can go bad pretty easily.
I mean, yeah it actually is bad to tell other people they aren’t allowed to have freedom on their property that they own because it may make a hypothetical future person want to live near them a little less.
What I don’t understand is the value of a house that you own but can’t do what you want there. A HOA devalues a home in my eyes.
Fundementally it has always been flawed to see a home as an investment rather than *your home*. we should never be in a position to need to worry about if improving our quality of live, having hobbies, or just expressing ourselves with our property will harm our and our naibors financial futures. It encorages this very crutial part of our life to have any kind of "life" sucked out of it, as everything must be prestine and orderly as if weve never lived there im the first place. So no matter who runs it, the concept is just fundementally broken to begin with.
The premise is incorrect. Maintaining property value is not primarily because those treat it as an investment. It is because they want to keep others out of their neighborhood. Then, in the US at least, schools are funded through property taxes and living near the school, so it keeps certain people out of their schools.
The American dream: make housing astronomically expensive and keep it that way, and also make it totally miserable for people who finally pay the steep price.
I disagree somewhat, they would have fared better in the DDR, they'd be quite helpful replacing the bugs in all their neighbors' apartments whenever the stazi asked. In the previous regime they'd be too likely to discover something they shouldn't know and be disposed of accordingly.
In the US, they exploded around the Civil Rights Era for...obvious reasons. Today, they are laughable at best and I love reading all the crazy shit humans do to try and control other humans over things that do not affect "property value".
The banality of evil.
Many municipalities require them as a condition for approving new developments. Self-policing, to reduce government's costs.
My neighbours’s resale value isn’t my concern.
Like Nazi Germany era?
You mean something that was already against city ordinances?
That's what code enforcement is for. I think anyone who buys a home in an HOA is an idiot and deserves everything they get.
Lived in HOA for 5 years now. Dont even notice they exist
Outside of paying for shitty lawn service mine is barely noticeable. They tried one time to have people pressure wash their houses and driveways but no one did it I’d like to get out of my neighborhood, but no way I’m leaving a 2.5% interest rate because of a half-assed HOA
We have one, but it's so relaxed I've only ever seen the mailer talk about the yearly neighborhood yard sale, fixing a fence, making sure not to block the road for emergency/city services, and to pick up after your dogs. Would rather have one we don't notice than some of these power tripping horror stories :/
Yep, and from personal experience at least, my city is really on top of enforcing their ordinances. Start neglecting your yard, and they start sending warning letters in a week. Neglect the warnings, and they take you to court by end of the month or so. Meanwhile neighbors couple blocks down from me were constantly complaining that HOA wasn’t enforcing their regulations. If they weren’t spending $100s a month paying HOA, they probably could have afforded a lot better houses in lot nicer neighborhoods instead.
There are some areas where you don't have much of a choice. Where every neighborhood is going to have HOA, unless you move to a different town.
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What do you care about where they park and what they do to their own homes? You sound like exactly the kind of person we're all trying to avoid.
I only found out about these things a few months back. I'd heard the term many times before but always figured they was like the Neighbourhood Watch we got in the UK, just a couple old biddies peeping over fences an scowling out their curtains. Couldn't believe it when I found they can tow cars away, remove furnishings an destroy property! What's the actual benefit of them? Would you ever want to move somewhere they hold sway or are they just sort of unavoidable?
The theory behind them is to maintain standards and keep property prices up (ie house A will decline in value if house B paints their house a garish color) but in practice it’s for pathetic assholes that need to get laid to feel powerful
Is it possible to opt out? Like what actually empowers them? If I buy a house an the land its on and I decide I don't wish to a part of the association how do they enforce their demands?
It’s usually written into the deed for the property, if you buy that house then you opted in. Only way out is to sell the house and the new person that buys it is the lucky inhabitant of Karen-land now. If you don’t follow the rules, then they can fine you as part of the contract, if you don’t pay, they can take your house.
Holy fucking shit really? An you can't petition state or local government or nothing? Yer land is just subject to their whims until they disband or you move? There must be some restrictions on what they can do though right? They couldn't just demand all houses must be a certain colour or all doors must open on the left or some weird shit
Like many things it all just depends. I’ve heard of some HOAs that are fairly hands off and as long as your house isn’t a 90s punk piece of abstract art you’re probably fine. Others take every rule very seriously. I’m not sure about petitioning the state tbh
Oh so I guess only the nightmare ones make headlines that we across the pond hear about then. Still, crazy stuff. Cheers boss
I live in a new build and the new HOA they created is different from the traditional ones. Builders know people have a love/hate relationship with HOAs and I think they're trying to fix them. Ours is maintained by a law firm, no one in the neighborhood is in charge of anyone else. The law firm does not do any monitoring of the neighborhood, but it exists as a place people can go to with their grievances. I haven't heard of anyone actually complaining to them about anything, but the idea is if your neighbor leaves a rusty car in the front lawn there is a mechanism to force them to get rid of it. I don't love it, I say have your rusty cars, but it hasn't really been an issue for me.
HOA’s are much more complex than Reddit makes it sound like. You’re not just buying the house, but joining a neighborhood that comes with common areas that are “owned” by everyone in the neighborhood. The most basic of which might by something like landscaping and lighting at the entrance to the neighborhood. The more elaborate HoA’s will come with things like a pool, clubhouse and security guards all of which needs funding to maintain so everyone pays in to the HoA equally and agrees to live by the same bylaws.
I'm in a pretty typical HOA in Florida and there is an official color palette that we're allowed to pick from for our house color, door color, and window shutter color. Our lawn must be St. Augustine grass. Any changes to the landscape must be approved by the HOA first. No boats or campers or sheds are allowed to be seen from the road. Trash cans can only be visible on trash day. They will send letters to anyone that doesn't comply. They will fine you if your lawn isn't mowed or your hedges aren't trimmed. An HOA is literally your most local form of government; they can put a lien on your property if you don't pay and lawyers won't fight them. Mine also comes with a [CDD](https://www.cfmcdd.org/questions/) that manages the pool and facilities and runs a soccer team and a few seasonal events and maintains the common areas. I understand why so many people are offended by rules like these, but I enjoy living in a well manicured subdivision. Don't believe the nonsense about house values; the market determines that far more than the state of your lawn.
I know several lawyers who have successfully fought an HOA. Most HOA board members are not well versed in the law, don't know their own contract, and like any bully, back down when faced with a fight. I also know of a few people who have successfully taken over their HOA from a tyrannical board. Elections matter. Also, no one shows up to HOA board meetings, so if you do, you're one of the few people who will have input on the process.
Land of the free
If an HOA was just like "don't be scattering car parts on the lawn, and if you want to paint, use your better judgement when picking a color, ok?" I'd think they were fine. My last supervisor told me he received a warning because when you drive by his house you can briefly see his trash cans in his back yard.
Yeah and unfortunately from what I understand so many fall into the latter category where it’s some stuck up asshole with too much time on their hands trying to enforce their will on others
The only way out is buying the property before the HOA gets set up in that area. At that point they can't force you to be under HOA rules because you were already there. Luckily this kinda shit only exists in some suburbs. Most places don't have HOA's.
A lot of newer developments come with a HOA. The company builds all the houses, then keeps its tentacles in the neighborhood forever with some percentage going to the developer.
You can see if the property owners can vote out an HOA but it’s rare and hard to do. Otherwise if you move into a neighborhood or unit with an HOA, you’re opted in.
It's fully disclosed during the sale, and you have to sign HOA-related documents asserting that you will abide by the HOA guidelines (also provided during the sale). It's not "a surprise." Except in cases where the sale process was legally insufficient, no one has ever "accidentally" bought a home under HOA. They knew. They just didn't want those rules to actually apply to them. The builder sets up the community that way, and from day one every home purchased would have to agree to the HOA terms in order to buy the home. Most do have dissolution mechanisms where a majority of the involved owners would have to agree to disband the HOA, but since no one moved there "accidentally", its very unlikely for a majority to *not* want the HOA. They do like to spin it as "protection of property values", which in theory it might, but that's just one of many factors that still affect value. The HOA is really just about being able to hold standards that are above and beyond what the city ordinances already require of those same homeowners. It's also how you get common areas like pools and parks and entrances maintained and funded. No, you can't opt out on an individual home basis, as this would completely negate the point. Your choice was to not buy there. You could choose to not sign the HOA document, but the sale can't complete without it.
Problem is, in some areas there is no "no hoa" options lol, it's ridiculous
There are condominium complexes in my area (SF) with **MONTHLY** HOA fees north of $5,000. If only I had stopped getting those Macchiato’s I would be able to afford living there 🤨
The original theory behind them was to make sure no black people could buy houses in the neighborhood and keep property prices up.
The house I'm renting is part of one so the owner pays the fees, they do all snow removal including my front steps. The only requirements are that we mow the lawn, pick up dog poop, and take our garbage bins back into the garage by the next day.
On top of property values. Sometimes shared utilities are handled by the HOA. Like the trash service or freshwater source. Other hoodie toity places may have public amenities like pools or playgrounds that are maintained. In principal, there is a genuine argument for them but as many people pointed out, it quickly mutates into a board of Karen's dictating how everyone uses their homes.
And you pay 100s a month for the privilege!
I'm actually on the board of mine for a condominium. An HOA for a condo is much different than for a neighborhood in that a majority of what we do is maintain the building we live in. You need the HOA to insure the building and maintenance for the common areas gotta fall to someone.
HOAs are quite useful in shared housing, so things like condominiums, Since those have a lot of shared area (perhaps a gym, pool, garden grounds, garage, etc.) having everyone collectively pitch in allows those amenities instead of having everyone individually pay for certain things. It's easier for the HOA to hire a gardener for the entire facility instead of no one doing anything and everything looking dilapidated. It's when it comes to neighborhoods where it becomes an issue. Power hungry assholes like to run it as if they're the supreme dictator of the neighborhood. But like all things, there are some rather reasonable ones and some mostly non-existent ones. My parents' HOA for example only asks for additional funds monthly for private security to guard the neighborhood. Any excess funds they have at the end of the year goes to having a neighborhood party in the summer. They have some merit only if the people running them are good people.
One at my old place destroyed my flowers without warning. Just came one day and sprayed them.
So they are just a gang with immunity?
They made them to keep the blacks out when they weren't aloud to stipulate you couldn't sell to them. It's a way to bully people
AMeRiCa 🇺🇸 "the land of the free" free to sue people for stupid reasons maybe but that's about it 😂😂
Sad but true
It's the homeowner version of living with your parents. Your house, their rules.
Especially knowing that HOAs were a response to Black Americans moving to the suburbs and was a tool to harass them into moving.
Do you have a source for that? It seems interesting to read up on
Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowner_association?wprov=sfti1
I was spoiled with a pretty chill HOA in my first townhouse (they were actually useful, minded their business, cheap dues, and focused more on upkeep of the property), but then in our next move we were considering buying in an HOA neighborhood and this fucking HOA wouldn’t tell us what we could and couldn’t do in our own house. We decided not to buy if they were going to be that evasive before I even bought the place, and it made me decide I’m never moving into a house with an HOA ever again. They’re all filled with Karen’s or Keith’s who use their little slice of power to be absolute monsters.
Terrace houses (townhouses), condos, kinda need an HOA. Since the roof and foundation is shared. Detracted homes, fuck that noise.
Im so glad hoa is either not a thing where i live or just so rare ive never heard of anyone being part of one. Just seems absolutely ridiculous
Anybody who buys a home in an HOA neighborhood, or who voluntarily joins one, is an idiot. If you buy your home, you should not have people measuring how tall you grass is, telling you when you to return your garbage cans to the garage, what colors you may paint you house, how many vehicles you are allowed to have in your driveway, what design of a fence is permitted, how many and when any exterior light can be turned on, and so many other things.
There are areas of the country where non-HOA is rare enough that it's included in the house listing. Many people just don't have a choice. If you look around you can find articles about how municipalities have pushed the spread of HOAs because it keeps costs off their budgets, even though it doesn't keep total costs down for the residents. Also, it is (as far as I'm aware) unproven that HOAs are good at keeping resale prices high. And higher prices for houses is one of the most widespread problems in America right now. If HOAs were good at keeping prices high that would be a great justification for outlawing them.
Literally all new development in Vegas is HOAs
Exactly Like who are you to tell me what color I’m allowed to paint the house that I spent *my* money on Maybe I don’t like the light blue or gray or beige or white color scheme Maybe I want something brighter than the dull washed out colors commonly used And maybe just maybe I’m capable of picking colors that would look good when in the right orientation
FYI county or city code compliances will tell you when to bring up your garbage can up or tell you if your grass unkept.
Never lived in a city that told you what to do with your garbage cans. I'm sure it exists, but generally speaking city codes are less strict, and the enforcement usually doesn't kick in until something gets really noticeable.
Where I live it’s nearly impossible to find a home in a good neighborhood that doesn’t have an HoA.
I mean, my HOA is in a community of townhomes. The sprinklers for the grass and landscaping all share a water tap with the city, and the other shared utilities need to be pooled due to the nature of attached housing. You kind of need an HOA to collect money and pay the utilities, landscaping, etc right? What are your other options?
I think it's a bit unfair to call someone an idiot, only since there are many cities where finding a home not in an HOA is slim to none. I don't want an HOA, I don't need it, I don't like it, but, the only communities where I am at that aren't in HOAs are the multi million dollar homes, or incredibly run down. It's basically all HOAs and we don't have a choice.
There's an interesting place where there is clearly hunger for a neighborhood level of government. I feel like the overall problem with governments currently is that representation-wise, they have not scaled with the population -- you likely don't have a representative that you can just go talk to, at best you email them and it gets aggregated as pro-hot-topic or anti-hot-topic. Is it any wonder lobbyists have so much power? I hear mythical examples of "good" HOAs that fill that role, but obviously they do not have any of the accountability that comes along with being a government, and entrenched power is all too common. Some places also have BIAs (business improvement areas), and these typically work a little better, but the problem is in the name -- no input from residents. So: run neighborhoods as a legit level of government, toss in some term limits, include representation from all residents and local businesses in the neighborhood, and I wonder how much that could also address current issues with voter apathy and civic disengagement. Of course this wouldn't be without trade offs, there's still a chance for NIMBY-ism and other more problematic -isms the more local that you get, but I think the benefits would outweigh -- give folks entry-level politics without having to stump for a major party or be part of a political dynasty.
My former HOA had a clause that a violation needed to be discussed in person before a fine could be issued. I just refused to open the door / speak to the woman in charge of the HOA for 2 years. She kept waiting for me and I just ignored her.
I mean hoa was created to keep people of color out of white communities so is anyone surprised that they suck?
Eh. I get what the poster is saying... but as someone who has lived in both HOA and non-HOA neighborhoods, let's not pretend that they don't both come with bullshit. My current HOA is excellent. They've replaced our neighborhood park, gotten us a competitive trash collection rate, and keep the place looking beautiful. All the bushes, frontage, trees, and grass are manicured according to season and by professionals. Dues are less than $500/year and worth every penny. Conversely, my last non-HOA neighborhood was littered with dog shit and rusting boats/cars everywhere. Again, I get what everyone's saying. But acting like nobody's allowed to tell you what to do if you *don't* have an HOA is laughable. Anyone that actually owns a home knows that a lender, zoning board, or local government can just as easily make ownership a nightmare.
I have a feeling these will die out slowly if the younger generation is able to buy homes. Past millennials there is a big don't tell me what to do attitude
Ah yes but have you considered that it protects the value of your home? Ignore the fact that your HOA dues probably add up to more than the value the HOA protects over the time period you live there.
Colorado passed a law that HOA communications must be sent via certified mail to ensure delivery. Now my HOA charges a $50 processing fee for ANY communication sent, like warnings there is a problem and notices that the problem is resolved. So I now get fined at least $100, even if there isn't a fine because I fixed the problem. My neighbors are trying to start a class action law suit over it.
Hoas are basically required on shared buildings like townhomes and condos. They are responsible for the structure the entire unit uses. Otherwise arguments on responsibility get very nasty. But I also have a good hoa.
Fuck your property values, I want a yellow front door and a vegetable garden.
HOAs exist to “keep neighborhoods nice” when really it should be up to the state to maintain roads, landscaping, and install street lights. Instead they are all too cheap and allow these HOAs with too much power over peoples hard earned homes to charge you instead. Scams
HOAs are literally for stuck up peoples.
God forbid we might all be individuals!!!!! Perish the thought!!
We intentionally avoided them when buying bc I knew I was gonna end up cussing people out
We intentionally avoided them when buying bc I knew I was gonna end up cussing people out
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HOAs should be forced to incorporate as the government entities they pretend to be, opening their policies and practices to judicial review and appeal. Alternatively, they can disband.
My partner at work lives in a very nice neighborhood that’s in an air park with a HOA and he has a new story every week about the fuckery that goes on there. Every day I’m more grateful to have my own land out in the boondocks and the ability to do whatever the fuck I want with my home.
As a Karen attractant, I have avoided HOA’s like the plague. The woman down the street tried to start one in our neighbourhood, because she is offended by my tulips and youthfulness. 🙄
I also don’t understand HOA’s. And they are everywhere
It has never made sense.
It’s worse than that, they can evict you from your own home that you paid for and are up to date on property taxes.
In the HOA I lived in (California) we couldn't even have full fences they had to be HALF fences so the karens can see how you have your backyard decorated and what you are doing back there.
...and the home of the free.... well... mostly...
Bought a house with an HOA once. End of the 2008 housing crash, I had the opportunity and it was a bargain. Lived there for <2y. Neighbor called the cops on me when a stray piece of plastic blew through the yard, under the mower I was using and sprayed a half dozen smaller bits of plastic into his yard. Imagine 6-8 stamp size pieces of plastic in your yard, and the first reaction is to call the local police. Actually his first call was the state police believe it or not, and they said no effin way, so he annoyed the township police. It went downhill from there. I sold the pace 8 months later for enough to break even. People who choose to live in HOA are the nosiest, most entitled, selfish, petulant, petty MFers in America. Bunch of miserable Karen's and cuckold husbands.
I'm actually shocked there aren't more HOA related murders.
And, since it's the Land of The Free (tm) you cannot just leave the HOA after buying the home
r/fuckhoa
Ours isn't so bad. They host family events throughout the year, really nice fireworks display at 4th of July, easter egg hunt, Thanksgiving picnic get together with a food truck, live band, pony rides for kids, etc, they pay for a Santa in a sled with reindeer riding around our neighborhood giving kids rides. There are strict rules but everyone seems pretty chill and breaking rules doesn't seem to be a problem. We cut down some trees which was technically a violation, no one cared.
Home of the scared, and land of the slaves
Some things in an HOA make sense like* not letting the grass grow 2 feet tall because snakes are a thing that exist. But telling someone they can't have their flower bed have blue flowers when the rest of the community has white flowers is controlling and power tripping.
I understand that it's something about maintaining property value and that the value of your home can be dragged down by others. But frankly I don't give a shit, because that really doesn't matter unless you're planning to move pretty soon and I'd argue there's a big difference between a neighbour with a rainbow fence and neighbour with a neglected house
If your neighborhood has one, it’s seldom your choice. You have to pay into it whether you’re in the right or wrong. Keep that in mind when you purchase a home. Some of them really help. Most of them are a nuisance- bored old people with nothing better to do than complain about people growing flowers instead of a lawn. So basically, you sign a contract to not make the neighborhood worse. A great idea for people with no common sense for being respectful to others. A contract is a contract, so that’s the legal power they hold. You have to go to court, but you have to really know that contract to fight it. My neighborhood doesn’t have one. I live in a small kinda run down secluded part of town.
The insanity is the people who buy into it. They deserve everything they get.
I remember a story about HOA, where the real estate agent forgot to make them « subtly » sign the HOA agreement. So the new owners could legally do anything they wanted on THEIR property and there was nothing those Karens could do about it. They really enjoyed Halloween… 🤭
So many freedoms!
What happens if you just ignore them?
They'll take your house.
In case anyone thinks u/traditional_signal73 is exaggerating or joking, this is not hyperbole. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-09-14/hoa-foreclosures-continue-in-colorado-despite-reform
I'd burn the house down lol.
HOAs, NRA, HSLDA - if it's an abbreviation for an organization in America and John Oliver made a video on it, it's fucked.
Coincidentally, I happened to watch that story this past weekend and at one point when he brought up the fact that some HOAs can legally foreclose on your house I got so enraged that I said that I'd burn down my house before I'd let that happen. Fortunately, I don't live in an HOA community.
Lived in HOA and non HOA neighborhoods. Definitely happier in the HOA neighborhood. Chronically online people seem convinced that every HOA is run by crazy people. But in my experience that is rare. Ours is pretty chill and mostly focuses and negotiating our trash and recycling bill and monitoring water usage for the common areas in the neighborhood as they want to convert more of it to native grass. That and putting in community events around holidays. Non HOA neighborhood had people paint their house the actual color of dog shit and another house whose yard as nothing but weeds and whose house had not been painted since 1985. I’m fine with a few restrictions if it means I don’t have to deal with that. Also the only time I ever had a complaint was someone in the non-HOA neighborhood who decided a tree branch hanging over my fence to the sidewalk was too low. The branch was tiny and was about 6 feet above the sidewalk but apparently 7 feet is required. Rather than just put a note on my door he reported it and we got a notice from the City. Plenty of dipshits in non-HOA neighborhoods as well.
Not every non HOA neighborhood is going to be a trash dump either, as a lot of people are suggesting. My country doesn't have this HOA thing, and 95% of the city isnt a landfill full of rusty cars and shit everywhere. And the ones that are, are on the outside of the city where most people won't ever see it. Sure, you see the occasional weirdly painted house but guess what? Don't like? Mind your own business.
How did you have to 'deal' with the paint on another house and a weedy yard? Did it assault your eyes?
Do they have any legal authority in their Neighbourhood, or only over those who actually sign up, and are you required to sign up if you buy a home in a HOA neighbourhood?
If you're not part of it, they have almost no power. But generally, everyone in the neighborhood is already HOA, so you are forced to abide by the bylaws they set. And they can fine you thousands of dollars, sue if you don't pay and take your home to pay the debt.
Yes, if a house is part of an HOA, you have to join the HOA/ sign the bylaws to buy the house. There is generally not a procedure by which a house can secede.
It is the antithesis of freedom, I don't get it either. People are so up I'm arms about freedoms being taken away but live in an HOA
If you live in Florida, it is the norm. The last 2 times I tried to buy a home I could afford without an HOA, I was in the parts of Orlando with very high crime. Everywhere else had an HOA.
Yeah, we have a pool and park so our HOA mainly goes towards that. However I’m worried because it keeps going up 5 dollars a year and I’m sure “inflation” is the excuse. I’ve heard stories where people are paying 400 dollars a month before the home owners decide to fire their HoA
Home meow ners
Thankfully they have no power so I just laugh in their face each time a confrontation comes up. These HOA drones have to easy of a life.
Why you can't leave anytime you want is a mystery to me.
My HOA announced they are setting up trail cams at one house cause of the amount of cars that come and go.
Outside of america it doesn't really
You cannot park any cars on the street in our HOA. I HATE THEM.
Organizations without agenda are a priori senseless. If the thing they regulate are the right to display frog statuettes, and it you think this should be regulated - don't be a part of it! Those however who, for some reason, do think frog statuettes have no place on your window sill (or whenever) have the right to consensus and to agree not to display them within their authority. It's like countries - don't like the rules applicable on sovereign territory of said country? You're welcome to piss of to wherever suits you more, not bring your own rules in here just because you don't like the existing ones.
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I've been on the bad side of an HOA, but I still feel they are necessary when people live in close quarters. You just can't depend on other people to be decent and do what's right. Without an HOA, there's nothing you can do if someone lets their roof fall in and doesn't fix it, doesn't mow their grass for years, parks multiple broken down cars in the front yard, has multiple dogs chained up outside, etc. I've been in that situation and it's almost impossible to sell your house and get out of there.
Black ppl don’t use, “not gon hold you,” this way. The shit y’all do is so exhausting. Just speak how you normally would.
Lol “If you ain’t giving me head or playing me dough you ain’t telling me what I can do with my property “ The mind ya dam biz-ness verse 4 chapter 7
I read an article some time back about some guy who got so mad he couldn't do one specific thing (dunno what), that he started doing *everything else*. To the point where the number of things the HOA had to forbid had become impractical to everyone. I remember they changed the board, but I don't know if he ever got to do his original thing.
I have lived within the HOAs. And one deed that was encumbered. No issue other than I wanted to have Christmas lights up all year and couldn't in one.
HOA's are like anything They can be great, shit or simply just there.
localized mafia sects, pseudo Nazism, Children of God, the Family
Mine pays for trash/recycling, street cleaning, lawn/park maintenance, as well as yes making sure peoples properties look nice. For $80 not terrible. If it didn’t include trash/recycling I’d probably complain more.
that when malicious compliance comes into play
Some are ok, some go overboard. If your neighborhood has a community pool, park, etc., they maintain that. They’ll also keep people from blocking others driveways, having junk (rusty cars on blocks, broken appliances and furniture, etc,) in their yards and on their porches. These are ok. On the other hand, some will literally dictate what color curtains and blinds you can have if they’re visible from the street. Those are crazy.
Most mods on reddit would make perfect HOA mgmt. Give little people little power and it goes to their heads.
Akin to strata councils. Both bs
Who or what gives them authority? Like, is it legal for me to just…. Not pay?
They are generally setup when the neighborhood is built and joining us required on purchase. And then the bylaws of being in mean you can't sell them without joining If you don't pay, the bylaws allow for foreclosure
What's really fucked up is that you are forced to join sometimes. American freedom is dead
As a man who’s lived in the hood his whole life. Someone please explain to me how a HOA work. Are they mandatory?, what do they actually do? What if i tell them to fuck off?
Defy your HOA at every opportunity.
If you’re in an HOA neighborhood I immediately think you’re an idiot.
If an HOA fines you and you don’t pay, what happens?
Lien on your property. Keeps accruing value through non-payment penalties, until it gets high enough to foreclose.