HOAs overstep - watch yours carefully!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HOA has bylaws on the books that prevent children from walking/running/ touching the grass. They date back 40+ years. The neighborhood is now filled with children. We have received - as well as all our neighbors- notices from the HOA’s attorney our children violated the rules.

The HOA President has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years… she sees no reason to change. Unfortunately no one will challenge her as she seeks vengeance on all challenges.

Why would you buy into this HOA if you don't like the rules? That's what I don't get. We bought into a small HOA because of the rules. We had to sign a document at closing that we were aware of the rules.

A few people have recently bought into our HOA because it is a small gated community designed for retirees. It is in a larger non-HOA neighborhood in the most expensive neighborhood in the city. So younger people are buying in here so they can live in the neighborhood even though they can't afford the single family homes. Now they want to turn do away with the rules. Not enough of them yet to manage it, but with most in their 80s and 90s I am sure it won't be long before the quiet refuge this place has always been for older people will become bedlam given that it isn't built for a lot of people.

Well, when they are the majority, the rules will change and that's just how it goes, too. There's always that risk with an HOA -- that ownership will turn over and then make different rules. The young people might decide the want something else and that's just how it goes.

OP's problem is pretty specific -- sounds like their HOA has decided to try and colonize their property and is also violating its own rules. That sucks but it will have a remedy, either through the HOA (force a vote and it sounds like even other people in the HOA who understand the rules won't support what they are trying to do to OP) or legally.

But as a general rule, HOAs mostly function as they are supposed to. If the HOA is following its own rules and used democratic methods, I don't really understand why people complain. You can always buy a home without an HOA if you don't like the idea that there might be limits on what you do with your own property. No one is making you buy into an HOA.

We live in a condo building and have one owner right now who is throwing a perpetual fit about the fact that he's not allowed to do whatever he wants. Most of the stuff he wants to do would impact common areas on the building. And he's made zero effort to work with his neighbors to get people on board or build a coalition -- he's mostly just pissed off or alienated everyone else in the building. But then when we vote on his proposals and he loses, he get's mad and say we're impeding his property rights. It's exhausting. I truly do not understand why he bought in this building. He must have assumed everyone would just go along with whatever he wanted to do? Some people are idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a management company?
HOAs are led by volunteers. I’ve been stuck on ours now for about 5 years because no one else steps up. I know nothing about law and don’t even have a degree.
Maybe you and some of these lawyer neighbors should step up at the next election.

They have and I have three times, including currently. Did you read my OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Dad lives with us. I need to get a railing in our front porch. I’ve been dragging my feet because I need to deal with the HOA. Is private property covered in ADA?

They can’t stop you - state and federal law supersedes HOA and what you need is covered in ADA. Get letter from doc first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HOA has bylaws on the books that prevent children from walking/running/ touching the grass. They date back 40+ years. The neighborhood is now filled with children. We have received - as well as all our neighbors- notices from the HOA’s attorney our children violated the rules.

The HOA President has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years… she sees no reason to change. Unfortunately no one will challenge her as she seeks vengeance on all challenges.

Why would you buy into this HOA if you don't like the rules? That's what I don't get. We bought into a small HOA because of the rules. We had to sign a document at closing that we were aware of the rules.

A few people have recently bought into our HOA because it is a small gated community designed for retirees. It is in a larger non-HOA neighborhood in the most expensive neighborhood in the city. So younger people are buying in here so they can live in the neighborhood even though they can't afford the single family homes. Now they want to turn do away with the rules. Not enough of them yet to manage it, but with most in their 80s and 90s I am sure it won't be long before the quiet refuge this place has always been for older people will become bedlam given that it isn't built for a lot of people.

HOAs are made up of multiple people. There are two who cause all the trouble, one esp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HOA has bylaws on the books that prevent children from walking/running/ touching the grass. They date back 40+ years. The neighborhood is now filled with children. We have received - as well as all our neighbors- notices from the HOA’s attorney our children violated the rules.

The HOA President has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years… she sees no reason to change. Unfortunately no one will challenge her as she seeks vengeance on all challenges.

Why would you buy into this HOA if you don't like the rules? That's what I don't get. We bought into a small HOA because of the rules. We had to sign a document at closing that we were aware of the rules.

A few people have recently bought into our HOA because it is a small gated community designed for retirees. It is in a larger non-HOA neighborhood in the most expensive neighborhood in the city. So younger people are buying in here so they can live in the neighborhood even though they can't afford the single family homes. Now they want to turn do away with the rules. Not enough of them yet to manage it, but with most in their 80s and 90s I am sure it won't be long before the quiet refuge this place has always been for older people will become bedlam given that it isn't built for a lot of people.

Well, when they are the majority, the rules will change and that's just how it goes, too. There's always that risk with an HOA -- that ownership will turn over and then make different rules. The young people might decide the want something else and that's just how it goes.

OP's problem is pretty specific -- sounds like their HOA has decided to try and colonize their property and is also violating its own rules. That sucks but it will have a remedy, either through the HOA (force a vote and it sounds like even other people in the HOA who understand the rules won't support what they are trying to do to OP) or legally.

But as a general rule, HOAs mostly function as they are supposed to. If the HOA is following its own rules and used democratic methods, I don't really understand why people complain. You can always buy a home without an HOA if you don't like the idea that there might be limits on what you do with your own property. No one is making you buy into an HOA.

We live in a condo building and have one owner right now who is throwing a perpetual fit about the fact that he's not allowed to do whatever he wants. Most of the stuff he wants to do would impact common areas on the building. And he's made zero effort to work with his neighbors to get people on board or build a coalition -- he's mostly just pissed off or alienated everyone else in the building. But then when we vote on his proposals and he loses, he get's mad and say we're impeding his property rights. It's exhausting. I truly do not understand why he bought in this building. He must have assumed everyone would just go along with whatever he wanted to do? Some people are idiots.

OP here. Zoning is zoning and we legally own the lot. One dummy thinks she can do whatever she wants. It’s kinda hilarious actually. Too many people, though, think they have to accept what officers say, hence my post. It’s just not true.

[Anonymous]

The biggest reason for us to move from a townhome community to a no-HOA single house in 2021 is HOA and those people on the HOA board for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our HOA has bylaws on the books that prevent children from walking/running/ touching the grass. They date back 40+ years. The neighborhood is now filled with children. We have received - as well as all our neighbors- notices from the HOA’s attorney our children violated the rules.

The HOA President has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years… she sees no reason to change. Unfortunately no one will challenge her as she seeks vengeance on all challenges.

Why would you buy into this HOA if you don't like the rules? That's what I don't get. We bought into a small HOA because of the rules. We had to sign a document at closing that we were aware of the rules.

A few people have recently bought into our HOA because it is a small gated community designed for retirees. It is in a larger non-HOA neighborhood in the most expensive neighborhood in the city. So younger people are buying in here so they can live in the neighborhood even though they can't afford the single family homes. Now they want to turn do away with the rules. Not enough of them yet to manage it, but with most in their 80s and 90s I am sure it won't be long before the quiet refuge this place has always been for older people will become bedlam given that it isn't built for a lot of people.

OP, I like how you have a sense of humor about. I would be annoyed to have to deal with that.

Well, when they are the majority, the rules will change and that's just how it goes, too. There's always that risk with an HOA -- that ownership will turn over and then make different rules. The young people might decide the want something else and that's just how it goes.

OP's problem is pretty specific -- sounds like their HOA has decided to try and colonize their property and is also violating its own rules. That sucks but it will have a remedy, either through the HOA (force a vote and it sounds like even other people in the HOA who understand the rules won't support what they are trying to do to OP) or legally.

But as a general rule, HOAs mostly function as they are supposed to. If the HOA is following its own rules and used democratic methods, I don't really understand why people complain. You can always buy a home without an HOA if you don't like the idea that there might be limits on what you do with your own property. No one is making you buy into an HOA.

We live in a condo building and have one owner right now who is throwing a perpetual fit about the fact that he's not allowed to do whatever he wants. Most of the stuff he wants to do would impact common areas on the building. And he's made zero effort to work with his neighbors to get people on board or build a coalition -- he's mostly just pissed off or alienated everyone else in the building. But then when we vote on his proposals and he loses, he get's mad and say we're impeding his property rights. It's exhausting. I truly do not understand why he bought in this building. He must have assumed everyone would just go along with whatever he wanted to do? Some people are idiots.

OP here. Zoning is zoning and we legally own the lot. One dummy thinks she can do whatever she wants. It’s kinda hilarious actually. Too many people, though, think they have to accept what officers say, hence my post. It’s just not true.