toopie28

Our old HOA - townhome - anyway all of our mailboxes were falling apart and the only ones they would replace were the cul de sacs in which the board members lived - same with repaving the walkways.

They actually had the audacity to send out a letter saying the walkways were all chipped and needed to be replaced and so on - so we kindly reminded them that this was covered under HOA and then they promised to fix it/paint it when the summer days came around. We're in CA - where summer is 300 days of the freakin year... took them 7 years before they got around to repairing it.

So that's why I think they want to be on the board - stuff gets done quicker for them.

lansbury

This thread makes me glad I don't live in an area cover by a HOA. The city just has a code enforcement officer, and one guy can't keep 20,000 residents in line.

ScouseLaa

You are not far from me at all, I am in Sherwood, OR. When I bought the house we had the old owners re-side it. The HOA would not let us paint the house back the same colour that it was. Ridiculous

Beaverstate

Repainting your house here requires you to get the approval (of color) of 3 of your closest neighbors. The good is there are no purple houses around.

SultanOfSwing

The land of the free ...

And they say Americans don't get irony

Jerseygirl

I know...makes me laugh every time I enter the US (using a US passport) and I have to answer half a dozen questions from the IO.

SultanOfSwing

Jesus wept!

I entered (while still in Toronto) on my green card and all I was asked is, when he was told I was visiting an old school friend, did I play any darts and drink a lot of Guinness

Nutek

You CAN get irony if you have the approval of 3 of your closest neighbours..

I just realised, I dont KNOW 3 of my neighbours.

Jerseygirl

Since becoming a USC I am always asked....'what nationality are you', 'where do you live', 'where have you been', 'how long have you been there', 'what was the reason for your visit'?

When I had a greencard the IO used to say 'welcome home'.

SultanOfSwing

Good to know I have effectively wasted $700.00 then, as having the passport and ease of passing through immigration was basically the only reason I did it.

Jerseygirl

My favourite question is 'what nationality are you?'...while the IO is looking at my US passport. I really, really want to say something sarky...but daren't.

SultanOfSwing

I wonder what would happen if, perfectly innocently and absent mindedly, one forgot oneself and said 'British'?

The temptation to reply to 'where do you live' with 'my house' must be great as well ...

WEBlue

My (dual US/UK) family members noticed a change in the typical American IO's processing 'style' around 2004. Before that most seemed to be fairly polite, and occasionally downright friendly. After that, they got crabby, with some showing real paranoia.

This all makes a kind of sense since the Dept of Homeland Security took over INS in 2003 (after 911), & suddenly US IOs had a more serious job description. I don't know if they're even allowed to welcome anyone any more.

SultanOfSwing

I was welcomed as a permanent resident in 2008 by the bloke in Toronto. In Chicago, a few months earlier, I don't think even my American wife was actually welcomed. However, in my experience at O'Hare, they're all dicks there.

The guy in Toronto seemed like a genuinely decent bloke, though.

Jerseygirl

I must admit I have never encountered an IO in a bad mood or being crabby. Even though they ask the questions...they are not terse or rude.