[driven]

In the big picture of everything else that happened this season this is really not something that bothers me, but:

Last year and again this year someone vandalized my Christmas display in front of my house. I think it's one of the members of my HOA. (I was pretty vocal last year about the way they are managing the community.) I find this to be pretty pathetic, but really not a big deal. (What's the purpose of Christmas if you are going to be bitter?)

Would you all bother trying to figure out who it is, or just let it go? (As I'm apt to do?) (Only reason I'm asking is that my sister says I should be much more pissed than I am ...)

[Mafia]

my temper goes crazy with people like that, so I would find em. however if it doesn't bother you its not a big deal. If it bothers your sister and others around you maybe you should stand up for them and find out who it is.

[ringo]

This year: Let it go. It's too late to do much of anything other than stress out and be bothered.

Next year: Set up a non-obvious camera inside somewhere that has a clear view of the display and set it up to film a few seconds from each minute. If it's your HOA, embarrass them publicly with the footage and/or press charges afterward.

[jcadam]

Originally posted by driven:
In the big picture of everything else that happened this season this is really not something that bothers me, but:

Last year and again this year someone vandalized my Christmas display in front of my house. I think it's one of the members of my HOA. (I was pretty vocal last year about the way they are managing the community.) I find this to be pretty pathetic, but really not a big deal. (What's the purpose of Christmas if you are going to be bitter?)

Would you all bother trying to figure out who it is, or just let it go? (As I'm apt to do?) (Only reason I'm asking is that my sister says I should be much more pissed than I am ...)

Problem: Your Home Owner's Association causing you trouble, eh?

Solution: Piss the HOA off as much as possible.
Paint the exterior of your house bright purple with green polka-dots. Remove grass from front lawn and plant something obnoxious, like really big ferns. Get a big, vicious dog that barks. A lot. Leave him chained to a tree out front. Don't pick up his feces, it'll smell good (and help the ferns grow nice and big).

Picking up an old car from a salvage yard and putting it up on blocks in front of the house can also help.

Oh, and every once in a while walk into the front yard and toss out a couple of empty beer bottles, too.

[Mafia]

Originally posted by jcadam:
Oh, and every once in a while walk into the front yard and toss out a couple of empty beer bottles, too.

nude of course.

[driven]

Originally posted by jcadam:
Problem: Your Home Owner's Association causing you trouble, eh?

Solution: Piss the HOA off as much as possible.
Paint the exterior of your house bright purple with green polka-dots. Remove grass from front lawn and plant something obnoxious, like really big ferns. Get a big, vicious dog that barks. A lot. Leave him chained to a tree out front. Don't pick up his feces, it'll smell good (and help the ferns grow nice and big).

Picking up an old car from a salvage yard and putting it up on blocks in front of the house can also help.

Oh, and every once in a while walk into the front yard and toss out a couple of empty beer bottles, too.

Our HOA is omnipotent. I can't do squat outside without their permission. I can't even change my window dressings INSIDE my house without running it by them.

Example: We had some weeds growing in our flowerbed. (It's friggin DECEMBER!) Quite honestly with all of the other crap going on with my mom I didn't give it much thought. Well, they have a "right of abatement" to choose their own contractor to clean it up without notice and charge me for it. (Whatever rate they see fit!) If I don't pay it they can put a lien on my home. I'm glad that in this case they gave me a warning ... so here we were, my wife and I, outside on a rainy day cleaning up the weeds before their weed-stormtroopers got here.

I'll NEVER buy in an HOA community again. Ugh.

[driven]

Originally posted by Mafia:
nude of course.

Egads ... that might frighten people.

[Phanguye]

how did they vandelize the display?

[driven]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
how did they vandelize the display?

Just broke a bunch of stuff.
Nothing that can't be replaced. Nothing of sentimental value.

Mostly snowmen characters and the like.

[FulcrumPilot]

Forgive and forget. But put a sign next time saying "smile! you are on camera!"

[brapper]

i don't think I've ever experienced a community like that.
Sounds retarded to have to run everything by an association.
Sounds very pleasantville to me...

[driven]

Originally posted by brapper:
i don't think I've ever experienced a community like that.
Sounds retarded to have to run everything by an association.
Sounds very pleasantville to me...

Most HOAs have that kind of power. The experience highly depends on the benevolence of those who are on the HOA board. In my case .... well, I don't think too highly of those running it. :-( Any benefit of living in an HOA is negated by the manner in which ours is run.

Live and learn I guess.

[jcadam]

Originally posted by driven:
Our HOA is omnipotent. I can't do squat outside without their permission. I can't even change my window dressings INSIDE my house without running it by them.

Example: We had some weeds growing in our flowerbed. (It's friggin DECEMBER!) Quite honestly with all of the other crap going on with my mom I didn't give it much thought. Well, they have a "right of abatement" to choose their own contractor to clean it up without notice and charge me for it. (Whatever rate they see fit!) If I don't pay it they can put a lien on my home. I'm glad that in this case they gave me a warning ... so here we were, my wife and I, outside on a rainy day cleaning up the weeds before their weed-stormtroopers got here.

I'll NEVER buy in an HOA community again. Ugh.

Uh, they can come onto your property without your permission to do yardwork?

That's called tresspass where I come from. The solution is thus

[Goldfinger]

What the hell is the point of a HOA ? Such things exist here but are ran by the government and they are only in town that have protected historical houses so I understand that you would have to have their approval to paint your exterior walls. But a private organisation saying what you should do and should not do with your house ? wtf. Do you HAVE to listen to them ? Sounds a bit weird that a private organisation can force you to do stuff like that.

[Randman]

Originally posted by driven:
Our HOA is omnipotent. I can't do squat outside without their permission. I can't even change my window dressings INSIDE my house without running it by them.

I'd move. And if that's not feasible, I'd break down from my belief that most lawsuits needn't be filed and I'd sue the hell out of them. And I'd make a fuss about to the local media, which would eat that kind of fight up, especially around the holidays.

Then again, why did you stupidly sign such an agreement in the first place?

[driven]

Originally posted by jcadam:
Uh, they can come onto your property without your permission to do yardwork?

That's called tresspass where I come from. The solution is thus

In our HOA covenents it's call "right of abatement". I have no say over it.

[driven]

Originally posted by Randman:
I'd move. And if that's not feasible, I'd break down from my belief that most lawsuits needn't be filed and I'd sue the hell out of them. And I'd make a fuss about to the local media, which would eat that kind of fight up, especially around the holidays.

Then again, why did you stupidly sign such an agreement in the first place?

That last question is one that I've asked a million times over.
The covenents weren't completed when I first purchased my house. I bascially signed something that said "I'll agree to whatever they say". Since 80% of new houses here are written in such a community I figured it was standard practice. (It is after all).

The idea is to keep the neighborhood upkeep in a nice attractive manner and to keep property values up.

The downside is what you see here. Quite honestly things would have been better if I never complained about the nazi-fashion that they ran the place and kept my mouth shut. Oh well.

To move? I'd like to, but it's quite expensive. Property values have gone up and I'd have to move even further from work to afford a similar house, which would involve my kids changing schools.

I'll bite my tounge for a bit and hold it off until it really gets bad. <sigh>

[hagheid]

Originally posted by driven:


Last year and again this year someone vandalized my Christmas display in front of my house. I think it's one of the members of my HOA. (I was pretty vocal last year about the way they are managing the community.) I find this to be pretty pathetic, but really not a big deal. (What's the purpose of Christmas if you are going to be bitter?)

I would take this to be a very big deal!
I'm seriously surprised that you don't have to submit plans of your intended Xmas display for approval; or is that on the agenda for next year?
Only answer is to buy a home, not a house.

[driven]

Originally posted by hagheid:
I would take this to be a very big deal!
I'm seriously surprised that you don't have to submit plans of your intended Xmas display for approval; or is that on the agenda for next year?
Only answer is to buy a home, not a house.

<gasp> Don't give them any ideas!

I'm certain that they didn't think of it yet!
(We have one fool who leaves his Christmas lights attached to his gutters all year, so I'm sure that they will think of it sooner or later!)

[hagheid]

Originally posted by driven:
<gasp> Don't give them any ideas!

Sympathies driven but you indicated the core of the problem in a previous post:-

idea is to keep the neighborhood upkeep in a nice attractive manner and to keep property values up.

To move? I'd like to, but it's quite expensive. Property values have gone up

Ironically by posting this story you may have had an adverse effect upon the 'VALUE' of 'Vaultville'. Surely no sane person after reading this would wish to move there!

On a more liberal note here's one of the few American's able to express himself freely albeit in another continent!

How's this for a neighbour?.... And it's STILL there!

http://www.headington.org.uk/history/misc/shark.htm

[driven]

Originally posted by hagheid:
Sympathies driven but you indicated the core of the problem in a previous post:-



Ironically by posting this story you may have had an adverse effect upon the 'VALUE' of 'Vaultville'. Surely no sane person after reading this would wish to move there!

On a more liberal note here's one of the few American's able to express himself freely albeit in another continent!

How's this for a neighbour?.... And it's STILL there!

http://www.headington.org.uk/history/misc/shark.htm

No argument!

I've already said that I'd never buy into a managed community again, at any price.
However, there are those that swear by them and will continue to buy them at breakneck speed. I wish them all the best. :-)

[Randman]

Freedom of religion, freedom of expression are guaranteed by the constitution. I'd grab a life-sized Buddy Christ for the front yard.

[removed oversize inline image --tooki]

[hagheid]

Originally posted by driven:
No argument!

I've already said that I'd never buy into a managed community again, at any price.
However, there are those that swear by them and will continue to buy them at breakneck speed. I wish them all the best. :-)

driven
What are the promoted 'advantages' to living in one of these communities? i.e. What's the sales pitch?

We have a few of these sealed 'communities' appearing, mostly in England fortunately; barriers, security patrols, razor-wire, searchlights, tax-evaders, Mercedes Benz's etc.

Invariably they are inhabited by bemonied people who perceive that they have something to fear or lose.

I was hoping that this was not yet another U.S. trend that we will be expected to need!

[driven]

Originally posted by hagheid:
driven
What are the promoted 'advantages' to living in one of these communities? i.e. What's the sales pitch?

We have a few of these sealed 'communities' appearing, mostly in England fortunately; barriers, security patrols, razor-wire, searchlights, tax-evaders, Mercedes Benz's etc.

Invariably they are inhabited by bemonied people who perceive that they have something to fear or lose.

I was hoping that this was not yet another U.S. trend that we will be expected to need!

The idea is to help keep property values up.

We had certain areas of our country where folks didn't have enough brains to keep their home in reasonable condition and the local governments couldn't be bothered to enforce zoning laws.

So ... this keeps your neighbors from painting their house fushia, purple, pink polka-dots while keeping a beat up 1943 Ford on the front lawn and trash strewn about.

In theory these communities are a good idea. A community that polices itself and takes care of itself without involving local governments.

In practice they usually take things way too far. (Picture Cartman from "South Park" if you will ... "respect my authority!") I think that the reason for this is that those who end up running the community are usually the least qualified. Those that are the most qualified have no time for such things. So, you get the unemployed, under-educated folks with a bone to pick with the world and you make them head-of-government over a few hundred folks and their properties. (See the problem?)

Nothing is going to change until enough people get pissed-off.

[Randman]

In theory, communism was a good idea.

In reality, ...

[driven]

Originally posted by Randman:
In theory, communism was a good idea.

In reality, ...

Exactly!

[jcadam]

Originally posted by driven:
The idea is to help keep property values up.

We had certain areas of our country where folks didn't have enough brains to keep their home in reasonable condition and the local governments couldn't be bothered to enforce zoning laws.

So ... this keeps your neighbors from painting their house fushia, purple, pink polka-dots while keeping a beat up 1943 Ford on the front lawn and trash strewn about.

In theory these communities are a good idea. A community that polices itself and takes care of itself without involving local governments.

In practice they usually take things way too far. (Picture Cartman from "South Park" if you will ... "respect my authority!") I think that the reason for this is that those who end up running the community are usually the least qualified. Those that are the most qualified have no time for such things. So, you get the unemployed, under-educated folks with a bone to pick with the world and you make them head-of-government over a few hundred folks and their properties. (See the problem?)

Nothing is going to change until enough people get pissed-off.

I would not do well in such a community. I keep to myself and I LIKE MY PRIVACY. I am a professional who tends to work long hours, and don't particularly give a crap if someone is upset that I didn't mow my lawn last weekend. I also don't care if someone else doesn't cut their grass on time, every time, either.

... and I'm likely to not be very nice to someone (be it a contractor pulling weeds or not) that I catch uninvited on my property.

Well, now I know to ask about HOAs before moving into a neighborhood....

[hagheid]

The tragedy is that this tawdry fascist aesthetic aims to exterminate the essential spirit that fosters all creative endeavour.
Just think what these arseholes with their pathetic pedestrian concerns would make of this guy!

[removed oversize inline image --tooki]

[budster101]

Home Owners Associations are usually populated by people with very little to do, and too much time on their hands. I understand they wish to keep a consistent look to a neighborhood and not wish to have extreme looks to homes, but a nativity scene? This is just a bit much. This is 'you' yard, and this goes beyond the basic rules of a neighborhood when it begins to infringe on your freedom of speech and freedom from religious persecution.

I would summon the constable at once and have an investigation put under way. This is a hate-crime if nothing else, and the neighborhood should be made to understand that you will pursue these vandals and prosecute them to the full extent to which the law allows.

It's too late now maybe, but I'd set up a web camera along with a light motion-detecting spot light nexst time to catch the person responsible. They'll do it again.

[hagheid]

Perhaps an alternative view of these estates is that they function to keep the residents locked away from the 'normal' outside communities!

Good luck & keep us posted driven!

[Sherwin]

Solution: Move to the middle of nowhere and you won't have any more trouble with neighbours.

[tooki]

The only real way to deal with the HOA is to break it from the inside: become one of the members that makes the decisions.

tooki

[Eriamjh]

You could investigate if the HOA actually has any legal rights to do anything, but that would take a lawyer.

Did you sign an agreement with the HOA? Was there a contract? Do you pay dues?

I hate HOAs and will NEVER live where there is one.

[driven]

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
You could investigate if the HOA actually has any legal rights to do anything, but that would take a lawyer.

Did you sign an agreement with the HOA? Was there a contract? Do you pay dues?

I hate HOAs and will NEVER live where there is one.

HOA legal rights: Yes ... more so than most governments.

Agreement: Yes: known as covenents and deed restrictions.
Dues: Yes

[budster101]

Originally posted by tooki:
The only real way to deal with the HOA is to break it from the inside: become one of the members that makes the decisions.

tooki

You have to read 'The Art of War' and then join them. Or, find violations with their homes at every opportunity.

[driven]

Originally posted by budster101:
You have to read 'The Art of War' and then join them. Or, find violations with their homes at every opportunity.

I'm not a petty vengeful person.
(Maybe I can learn to be) :-)

[budster101]

Originally posted by driven:
I'm not a petty vengeful person.
(Maybe I can learn to be) :-)

I would prefer to call it justice. What did they do to you? You are just showing them the error of there ways. Let he who is void of sin cast the first stone. Let he who has been hit with said stone, toss'ith it back to thy owner'ith.

[Randman]

If your display was vandalized, make a fuss to the HOA since it seems as if it exists to prevent such things from happening. At the very least, you'll make them look like fools and maybe have hem chase their own tails.

[wdlove]

It is always hurtful to your self esteem when someone destroys something that you have created. Very sorry to hear about your situation. Having security cameras might be an option.

[TubaMuffins]

what can an HOA do to you if you don't mow your lawn or paint your house funny, will they fine you? Is an HOA like a gated community? Anyway, sorry to hear about the vandalism, it always sux even when the item didn't mean that much to you.

[DigitalEl]

As for the whole HOA argument, I have to chime in that I'll look for a stronger HOA when I move next time. People who want old cars up on blocks in their driveway, dripping oil and what-not, need to move to the middle of nowhere. People who leave their garbage can at the curb three days after pickup need... Well, I don't know what they need other than just not to live next to me. And yeah, people who don't keep their yards up need to be dealt with, as well. A couple of weeds in December is one thing... But a-holes who move into a nice community and bring it down with their poor taste or cavalier upkeep need to be governed.

The bottom line is no one holds a gun to your head to make you move into such a community. If the master-planned thing isn't for you, move somewhere else. It's really that simple. Those of us there have all read the agreement, signed it... Now we abide by it. That doesn't make a master-planned development better than a non-governed one, just different. Weigh the pluses versus the minuses and live where you want.

If you're all about the mad individualism (pink, polka-dotted house and big ferns), go for it... That's your right. Just not next door to me.

As to the original poster's holiday display travesty, go with your gut. If it's really worth it to you to go after the perpetrators, go for it. If you find yourself not caring, let it go.

Can't we all just get along!?

[DeathToWindows]

Yeah, think I'll pass on ever moving into a HOA-ruled area... sounds like asking the facists to guard a free-speech zone.

Give 'em hell.

[Randman]

HOA=Paying for others to control the way you live.

No thanks.

[driven]

Just my opinion: There is nothing an HOA does that can't be done by the local governments through zoning laws and other such measures.

So: While you are still paying your local taxes, you've given their job to someone else, who you are paying yet additional money to. Ugh.

Local governments love managed communities. It frees up their resources for other spending projects.

If you like managed communities I think that's great. I wish I understood more about them before I moved into one.

[ringo]

Is an HOA something that you have advance notice of before you move in someplace?

What legal right does the HOA have to compel people in their community to join?

...just curious, I haven't had to deal with one of these before and would like to avoid the trouble in the future.

[driven]

Originally posted by ringo:
Is an HOA something that you have advance notice of before you move in someplace?

What legal right does the HOA have to compel people in their community to join?

...just curious, I haven't had to deal with one of these before and would like to avoid the trouble in the future.

Yes, you have to sign the deed restrictions when you close on the purchase of your home. In my case they weren't written yet (new community, I was the 1st one to close). I foolishly signed something that said I'd agree to whatever they come up with.

You can't move into the community without signing the deed restrictions.

If you violate the community covenents they can fine you. If you don't pay the fine they can put a lien on your home. If you fail to pay in so long they can actually foreclose on your home. (Even if it's only $50).

What started this is that I made a stink a while back about how they were governing the community ... they were having private meetings without publishing the minutes. They were doing work on common areas with their own businesses, they were failing to hold elections and basically just re-appointing themselves. They were changing the covenants at will without a quorum.

Since there is so little money involved I've never been able to find an attorney to help. All I did was make a lot of enemies on the HOA board and make my life misearable. Next time I have to learn to shut my mouth. :-)

Eventually I'll get sick of it and move. But I'll never get into this trap again.