NatashaB

We had a visit from our HOA chairman shortly after we bought the house. He turned up on our doorstep and noted down our details, and asked about our immigration status. He did stop just short of actually asking to see our green cards. Surprisingly we opted not to join the association (I think it was an oversight when we bought the property as all listings for other houses in our subdivision list membership of HOA as mandatory). We received a letter from them the other day telling us we had committed a violation. Our grass was over the regulation length.

They don't do any kind of maintenance work that I can see, the $200 a year fee just subsidises their ice cream social and pool party and probably pays the gas money for them to drive round measuring the length of everyone's grass.

Nutek

fatbrit

They're playing with fire. If it were me, I'd be dropping a quick email to the local ACLU office.

Bluegrass Lass

Yep, I would have told 'em it was none of their concern. Your immigration status is between you and the US government, not some busybody from an HOA.

Bootle

Unfortunately the ACLU will be no help either as the HOA is a private association and not a public authority. However, the SoCal HOA probably have some of the weirdest rules. A number of them include for how long you can leave the the garage door open and approval of paint choice and when a house is repainted. Funnily enough with the downturn in the economy a lot of HOA houses are going to renters which mean they don't give two hoots about the rules and the owners don't care either.

Nutek

Maybe they were hoping immigrants would know something about lawncare.

Seriously, it would hae been a VERY short conversation if they had come to my door. Busybodies, all of em.

Anian

My HOA is really only concerned about visible stuff, although they have never said a thing about the hops I have growing up the side of the house.

Last year, one guy tried to start a coup against the HOA, but all his charges were against the previous board that had already been voted out! This year he successfully managed to become the head of the board, and it is pretty funny the stuff that he is having to deal with as a result (one of the board members that he helped get elected was behind on his HOA dues by several months!). He is still a bit nuts and likes to flex his power, I'm guessing he won't run for re-election when it comes up.

Giantaxe

I am learning that painful lesson. I'm in a two-unit HOA and the other party consists of two lawyers. It's a nightmare.

Bink

I must admit I'm slightly dubious as to what they actually do too!
I got a letter maybe 2 weeks after I moved in complaining that my grass was too long and weeds were encroaching on the sidewalk. I mean seriously, my grass was in no way overgrown, it just had a couple of little tufts that had grown quicker than the rest. I think they like to try and assert their authority early on and come round looking for absolutely anything to do that. It irked me as I'm in a new section with a vacant lot next to me on one side and it's a damn site uglier than a couple of little tufts of grass being 1" longer than the rest. I was just waiting for another letter a few weeks ago when we had a lot of heavy rain, as my grass grew quickly but it remained too wet to cut it without destroying it in the process.

I do understand the general concept though. Our fee goes towards maintaing the common areas (lake, walking/jogging trail, upkeep of common flower areas etc) which I don't really mind, but I do wonder how much of it gets squandered on silly things.

fatbrit

Compliance with discrimination laws is not restricted solely to public bodies.

Bob

Fair enough about having a rule against having no shit stored there....seems a little heavy handed not allowing kids toys or veg pots though.

Each unit had a garage under the building anyway, for a lot of storage.

Bob

The place we were living in had to get a loan to cover getting the siding replaced and it's a 3 year project....apparently it took 3 years to get the roof done.

Folks in the HOA are all congratulating themselves that the work is great and slowly does it...but 3 years? And the balcony railings that they had replaced recently was shit and falling apart a year later and they never replaced any of the entry awnings that collapsed after the winters snow a couple years back...those things were needed as they stopped the water pooling up and freezing on the entry steps.

Muppets.

Steerpike

I live in a 2nd floor unit, and have no garage or storage at street level. There's also no elevator, just stairs - so I can't imagine carrying a jack, a rolling bed, and an oil-covered catching pan up and down the stairs, for an occasional oil change; not that that's the reason for them to want to ban it, I'm sure!

I imagine that's what they are focusing on - spills, disposal, etc. I used to change my own oil way back ... always managed to get a bunch of it on the ground ...

WEBlue

Yes, all this is why a garage is one of the husband's top priorities--a decent-sized garage with a door that can be shut so no one can complain about the oil stains. After all, what's a garage floor without a few oil spots?

Tarkak9

... and why anyone would want to be on a board is beyond me; imo they're taking on a good amount of vicarious liability. I've known people who have sued over HOA/board closed door meetings.

alot of people don't bother/remember to attach HOA covenants to their lease. (as it prob makes it harder for LL to enforce violations resulting from tenant wrongdoings).