Nosy Neighbor Question

If home owners associations are called HOAs, why aren't the more active members of them called HOs? It's certainly fitting, seeing that they jump at the chance to screw you out of your cash.

There is clearly more to this story.

In reply to Appleseed:

I may or may not have missed my meds for the past few days, causing excess levels of snark to be purged. Thank God we no longer live in an HOA zone.

G_Body_Man wrote: If home owners associations are called HOAs, why aren't the more active members of them called HOs? It's certainly fitting, seeing that they jump at the chance to screw you out of your cash.

No, they are not called HO's, they are called Facists.

Can somebody explain the reason for an HOA? I'm sure they think their goal is make everyone behave and keep their property up so values stay high, but it seems like an HOA is a pretty big turnoff to most sane people. Am I missing something, like that fact that most people aren't sane?

Lived with no hoa for 5 years in the sticks. It was what we wanted at the time.

Looking to move but wanting to be in a neighborhood (kid can make friends, good schools) the non hoa neighborhoods looked like E36 M3. Run down. It was obvious.

At this stage in our life we are glad to pay for an hoa to have a pool in walking distance, people keeping the nneighborhood looking tidy, and snow and trash removal. Yeah..I can't really have extra cars around, I've made peace with that.

Sometimes they are just required by the city for maintenance of developer supplied infrastructure like detention ponds and set aside areas. Some it develops into a socialist regime bent on deciding your house colors. Depends on the HOA in question.

I guess that has always been my question about HOAs.. the keeping the neighborhood neat and the snow and trash removal.

Here in Southern NJ, we get the last two parts from the city unless you live -way- out in the unincorporated areas. The keeping things neat (such as cars on blocks and uncut grass) is usually kept in check by the police and city inspectors who drive around looking for issues before neighbors start to complain

BIL lives in one, they would have been fined $150 per day for the 2 days my racecar trailer was in their driveway when we visited if someone reported them. No trailers for any reason.

It's all a joke. To guys like us, it's a turnoff. To suzie conformist it keeps the guys like us out of her comfortable little beige camry life

patgizz wrote: BIL lives in one, they would have been fined $150 per day for the 2 days my racecar trailer was in their driveway when we visited if someone reported them. No trailers for any reason. It's all a joke. To guys like us, it's a turnoff. To suzie conformist it keeps the guys like us out of her comfortable little beige camry life

Exactly. My in laws live in an hoa neighborhood because they wanted the suburban life, conformity, and lack of guys like me.

I couldn't do it. They love it. My wife wants something in between, so I do my best to keep our property from looking like the set of Sanford and son.

HOA's are great when your neighbor is a PITA. They are horrible if you are the PITA.

At least based on the posts on this board.

I guess I have been pretty lucky.. I have only had one neighbor who kept their property badly.. and that was only because it was a postage stamp size piece of property that he kept his RV parked on.

the biggest issue I have now is the house across the street is for sale and they only mow the grass once in a while.

Now neighbors are a different matter. The family across the street are car door slammers.. and they come and go all day and night.. but I doubt even an HOA could cure that

G_Body_Man wrote: If home owners associations are called HOAs, why aren't the more active members of them called HOs?

I find that it's the bitchy control-freak people who get into the HOA, to ensure that nobody pees in their Corn Flakes.

I'm a control-freak myself, I just prefer to control my own destiny.

HOAs are composed of people who have nothing better to do with their free time than decide what color their neighbors are allowed to paint their front doors.

When we bought our house I told the realtor that if she toured us through a single home that had an HOA she would be fired on the spot. I certainly enjoy living in a nice neighborhood that isn't completely rednecked up, but there needs to be some semblance of balance and reason. We've got zoning laws to take care of the big issues and even that has caused me a little heartburn. Apparently, by ordinance the trash cans can be in the side yard in the middle of the grass and in full view of the whole world, but up against the garage doors in the driveway behind a parked car is a crime against humanity.

For the most part, though, the code enforcement peogle have a whole city to deal with and they report to a mayor and city council that need to win elections every year, so they don't take too many stupid hard-line stances. For example, it is against zoning to have my rv or trailer parked at my house but there is a specific exemption in the ordinance for short-term stays so I can have them here for an overnight or two when prepping for a trip.

It is nice to know that I can buy any trashcan I want, paint my door any color I want, and park any type of daily driver out front that I want (I have heard of HOAs that prohibit residents from parking brand-new pickups in driveways for crying out loud). Alternately, if my neighbor parks a junk car in the yard or tries to keep their appliances on the porch, I can call the city and have it dealt with.

The HOA in the complex my wife lived in when we got married had a rule against motorcycle parking in the driveway. Like ever, even to wash it.

I didn't last long there.

I've never lived in an HOA area, code enforcement took care of a lot of the "unsightly" issues in South Daytona and in the rural area I'm from in PA the township prevented front yards from becoming visible junk yards.

One of my good friends lived in one that had a club house and stock pond maintained by the HOA which was kind of cool. Her father keeps on top of the HOA to ensure that they aren't getting too power mad with ordinances. It is a rural outdoorsy type area that also likes demo derbies and quarter midgets so most of them understand. It seems like a bit of a PITA but its fun to take my two year old out with her family to catch fish and barbecue at their clubhouse so I partially understand.

Personally I wouldn't want to live in one it simply because of the lot sizes and not wanting to keep on top of something else. The township is actually pretty good about keeping things in check so I don't see much reason to have another organization to contend with.

At least where I live, its easier to find a Cobra in a barn than finding a neighborhood without an HOA. I live in one with an HOA and in 9 years only once they sent me a letter to pressure wash my roof, which it needed. On the other hand, the place I lived in before they would tow your car if it was parked on the street and not on your driveway ... they were pita.

I can't understand people who would pay large sums of money to own property and then be happy with someone else telling them what to do with it.

failboat wrote: Lived with no hoa for 5 years in the sticks. It was what we wanted at the time. Looking to move but wanting to be in a neighborhood (kid can make friends, good schools) the non hoa neighborhoods looked like E36 M3. Run down. It was obvious. At this stage in our life we are glad to pay for an hoa to have a pool in walking distance, people keeping the nneighborhood looking tidy, and snow and trash removal. Yeah..I can't really have extra cars around, I've made peace with that.

I am at this stage in my life. The young kids need something close to town and activities. I've lived in South Carolina where the non hoa neighborhoods had boats sans trailer in the front yard. I want something in the middle.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

failboat wrote: Lived with no hoa for 5 years in the sticks. It was what we wanted at the time. Looking to move but wanting to be in a neighborhood (kid can make friends, good schools) the non hoa neighborhoods looked like E36 M3. Run down. It was obvious. At this stage in our life we are glad to pay for an hoa to have a pool in walking distance, people keeping the nneighborhood looking tidy, and snow and trash removal. Yeah..I can't really have extra cars around, I've made peace with that.

I am at this stage in my life. The young kids need something close to town and activities. I've lived in South Carolina where the non hoa neighborhoods had boats sans trailer in the front yard. I want something in the middle.

I gave up our secluded 2 acre lot and 28x28 detached garage in the country for a townhouse in the burbs. Wife got what she wanted, I got whats best for the family as a whole. At least I got a 2 car garage, we are at the end of a street and back to trees. I couldn't be more excited to move in next weekend.

My commute is now 10 minutes instead of an hour, and we actually have high speed internet.

failboat wrote: Lived with no hoa for 5 years in the sticks. It was what we wanted at the time. Looking to move but wanting to be in a neighborhood (kid can make friends, good schools) the non hoa neighborhoods looked like E36 M3. Run down. It was obvious. At this stage in our life we are glad to pay for an hoa to have a pool in walking distance, people keeping the nneighborhood looking tidy, and snow and trash removal. Yeah..I can't really have extra cars around, I've made peace with that.

This.

I live in a non-HOA neighborhood, but still fairly dense suburban. I totally wish we had a HOA to keep my neighbors in check. Its one reason I would like to move soon. Of course, they are going to make it difficult to sell

We are outside the city limits here. County ordinances regarding typical HOA things are basically non-existant.

I think many people have a very skewed perception of them because they regulate dumb stuff or are extremely anal. A lot of them are very basic and exist purely to keep you from putting your latest project on blocks in your front yard, letting the grass grow 4ft high, etc. That isn't bad and I would welcome it.

Dusterbd13 wrote: I couldn't do it. They love it. My wife wants something in between, so I do my best to keep our property from looking like the set of Sanford and son.

Me neither. Fortunately, by sheer luck I moved to a street of fellow "car guys" so half the houses look a bit like the set from Sanford & Son. So nobody cares about my collection of cars, although my neighbor (with mainly GM products) jokes about my tiny little foreign cars. I'm sure I get a pass because most are British (plus one Volvo).

I grew up in a town with pretty strict zoning laws. No boats visible in the driveway/yard. No commercial vehicles (permits were available and not difficult to get). It was fine. There was no need for an HOA; the town already took care of it.

An HOA can be a very good thing. It can also be very bad. The neighborhood around the golf course that I worked at in high school had one. Among their rules was no pickup trucks in the driveway, the windows had to be individual panes (no big window with a mullion/grill), and they limited the colors that you could paint your house to 4 colors. The last one was actually a good rule, and one that I wouldn't mind. The other two? No thanks.

On the other hand, my uncle lives in one. That HOA takes care of mowing the lawns (everyone's lawn), painting the sign at the entrance of the neighborhood, paying the lifeguard at the pool and pool maintenance, and throwing a big block party once a year. That is it. That makes a lot of sense to me.

mtn wrote: I grew up in a town with pretty strict zoning laws. No boats visible in the driveway/yard. No commercial vehicles (permits were available and not difficult to get). It was fine. There was no need for an HOA; the town already took care of it.

I don't think any town, city, village or whatever you call them has the right to make such rules. A HOA, yes, but not a governmental entity. Has the Bern already gotten elected?