Any problems with Homeowner's Associations
 

Does anyone have/had any problems with homeowner's associations?

My wife and I rent a townhouse and we have had problem after problem. These people are Nazis and from what I understand there is nothing you can do about it. For example: I was on a long trip and had received my car registration in the mail, but did not get a chance to put the sticker on my tag, the car was parked outside of our townhouse, and came home to find a fine for not having "current registration". There was no reasoning with them about it either. The VP of grounds has followed my wife around to see if she does complete stops and the stop signs, and yelled at her for rolling through one in the neighborhood. This is extremely annoying, does anyone know of anything I can do? (besides having words with these people)

I will never again live in an association property for this reason (well a sky ranch would probably be OK). The kind of people who get themselves appointed to be the "cops" are usually losers who enjoy making others miserable. You know what they say about choosing your friends but not your family? An HOA is like a dis-functional family that you voluntarily joined :rolleyes:

I rent out the places I own...the association is actually good for rental properties, I can blame THEM when I have to ask the tenants to shape up ;)

If you think you are being singled out, go see a lawyer...with some of these people there is just no other way. They can enforce all manner of ludicrous rules, but they have to do it consistently or it's harassment. If you sue one of the clowns personally, I about guarantee you will be left in peace thereafter. Since they are invariably cowards, even a nasty letter on lawyer-letterhead would probably do the trick.

delete post... I misunderstood the OP.

Yup ...

Move. I will have absolutely nothing to do with HOAs for this, and MANY others like it, reason. Seems to me most of the people on the boards of the HOAs have FAR too much free time, and have nothing better to do than to meddle in the affairs of their neighbors.

We also received a fine for leaving my shoes outside of our door. This was, evidently, in the HOA rules and regulation. After I found out this member of the board yelled at my wife, it was all I could do to not give this guy an extra breathing hole.

Thanks Rick for the advice, we have a few months left on the lease (which after then we'll move)... so if it gets any worse we will get a lawyer involved. I'm not sure if a restraining order is a prudent thing to do, but if this guy continues to follow my wife around - I see no other way.

No need to get a lawyer involved. Whenever you do that, the only person who wins is the lawyer. Unless they obviously violate civil rights, break the law, or harrass you, I would just be the better citizen and move when you can.

AFTER you have moved / sold your property, file a listing on http://www.rottenneighbor.com/ and fully tell your story. If a buyer / renter does their homework, this will show up in a google search and they'll know. It won't change the HOA behavior, but it might change their property values.

When I got stuck out on a trip for the USAF, my grass got a little high and the HOA charged me $400 because they had to get it mowed. :mad:

Also, I returned home once to find the water main had broke under the road in front of my home. The HOA tried to sue me for unapproved construction (they didn't know it was the city who had done the digging in my yard ... not me). I got the last laugh though, I never told anyone that the City Water Department told me that everyone on the street should be boiling their water.

I will never again buy nor stay in a place with a HOA.

-Fatty

They were wrong about the registration thing. However, rolling through the stop signs is not. That is one thing that chaps my a$$ where I live. Also, I can't stand when people drive in the out gate to come in, and the in gate to go out. No i'm not on the board, but I am involved with our neighborhood watch program.

In the property where I live I own one of the few first lots sold and it was sold without the requirement to belong to the homeowners Association. They approached me this year and asked me to change my deed to require me to belong. They seemed surprised when I said no! I stated I pay the dues because they mostly go for upkeep of the common grounds and the community boat ramp. They are apparently having problems with someone and their lawyer said the case would be stronger if all properties were required to belong. I told them I always pay my dues by check with the notation it is for grounds upkeep & not membership and if they tried to attach any thing to my deed we were going to court. Never going to live anywhere again with a HOA they always go NAZI! It would be a shame if the guy that yelled at your wife fell and hurt himself when no one was around.;)

With an HOA you sign away a lot of important rights. I would rather live next to a hog farm because the wind doesn't always blow the same way.

10 Things a Homeowners Association Won't Tell You: Mortgage Center - Yahoo! Finance

Interesting read. My in-laws are going to be building a new house, and my mother-in-law cant wait to get into a place that is governed by a HOA. Granted, the neighbors down the street now in an upper middle class neighborhood have let their house get run down, but I would take that over a HOA any day.