Crazy Neighbor/HOA

[Bunky]

Originally Posted by ten39

There are PLENTY of older, very appealing neighborhoods with mature trees/landscaping, well-maintained home exteriors, pride of ownership, and market values at or above new construction ($/ft^2), that have no HOA, and never have.

There are but not ALL. Like with any rule or law, it is to handle the small minority that seems to be less considerate of their neighbors...it just takes one inconsiderate one and you will see a need for some rules.

[15951]

Originally Posted by ten39

You couldn't pay me to live in a treeless new construction neighborhood with the HOA's, vinyl windows, pergo floors, and simulated wood siding. No way in [fill in the blank].

I think you prefer older, more established neighborhoods. That doesn't necessarily say anything about HOAs. I live in a community with an HOA, and I have mature trees, real wood flooring, and nothing "simulated" on my house. In addition, the low dues I pay cover all lawncare, and my house is painted every 5 years without me having to do much of anything other than pick a color.

I'm also assured that my neighbor won't be leaving broken down cars in his yard for years on end, and I don't have to worry about living right next door to a lime green house when I'm trying to sell mine. These are extreme examples, but so are yours.

[ten39]

Originally Posted by 15951

I think you prefer older, more established neighborhoods. That doesn't necessarily say anything about HOAs.

In my metro area (and most of the midwest/plains) these two are indirectly related. That's sort of what I was getting at.

Originally Posted by 15951

I live in a community with an HOA, and I have mature trees, real wood flooring, and nothing "simulated" on my house. In addition, the low dues I pay cover all lawncare, and my house is painted every 5 years without me having to do much of anything other than pick a color.

That's interesting. Is it a traditional neighborhood of single family homes with individual yard easements, fences, etc., or some derivative of the condo/townhome/patio home? I've never heard of anything like you've described with the former, but it's status quo for the latter.

[15951]

Originally Posted by ten39

That's interesting. Is it a traditional neighborhood of single family homes with individual yard easements, fences, etc., or some derivative of the condo/townhome/patio home? I've never heard of anything like you've described with the former, but it's status quo for the latter.

It's a typical suburban neighborhood - individually owned fee-simple lots with single family homes. We're not gated, but we (collectively) own the interior roads as well, so part of our assessment goes towards repaving every 15 years or so.

It's a pretty common formula in this area. The HOA does all lawncare, maintains the community pool and restrooms, paints every 5 years, makes sure repairs are done to common areas where kids play, etc. In return, we collectively agree to play by the rules we established, which I would do on my own anyway.

[OCKlasse]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, especially 15951!

Well, here's a little of an update to the situation:

Friday I had a detail at my house in which 100% of the job was done in the garage. When I was doing the buffing, a family member noticed that the buffer is particularly loud from outside the house and alludes to what is being done in the garage. Because of the constant fear and stress of senior family members, I have made a decision to go 100% mobile with detailing until I find my own place with a garage. It's sad that I have to do this, but I feel this will hopefully keep the peace (somewhat) in the neighborhood.

To end with a lovely feeling of double standard, the community has an online message board for neighbors to communicate. When someone asked for a good tailor in the area, the administrator (who is a high-up person in the HOA) referred the person to a neighbor WITHIN the community, noting her excellent tailoring skills.

I find it hilarious that I am being singled out for having a business while others in the community are being embraced...too funny...

[JimmyCutlass]

I've got one for you brother:

A week or two ago I got a call from a friend who I usually contract out lighting work to for a job. He wanted me to do a quick detail a Mitsubishi Galant while he installed underglow, wheel well lights, interior LED and HID's in his driveway I was polishing along happily for several hours (a couple more than expected) having a good time with my friend and making money at the same time. At the very end of the job the customer showed up to see if we were done. 10 minutes later NYPD was parked in the driveway with a spotlight blinding us.

Apparently his neighbor called the police telling them that she was "fearful for her life". Apparently my DA and rotary are weapons of mass destruction. We literaly had to wait over an hour for the police to leave, they demanded we stand still (couldn't finish up) until they ran the plates to see if it was stolen and harassed us suffuciently. My father is an LEO, I have plenty of respect for what they do but these guys were real douchers.

My friend and I got screwed out of over an hour's worth of work/pay because his nutjob elderly neighbor thought it would be funny to call the police. By the time it was completely dark and we had trouble seeing the adhesive we were trying to get off from the debadge we performed. It probably took us an extra hour just to turn off too! Nutty neighbors are the best.

[ten39]

Really though Jimmy, a potential neighbor owning a Galant with neons and LED's galore is the exact type of thing that make people want to seek out and enforce an HOA.

The neighbor that called the PD was just probably trying to expedite the removal of such a vehicle before the home valuations on the block took a permanent hit.

[Scottwax]

Originally Posted by ten39

Really though Jimmy, a potential neighbor owning a Galant with neons and LED's galore is the exact type of thing that make people want to seek out and enforce an HOA.

That'd be enough to make me gouge out my own eyes to make sure I never see anything like that again.

[JimmyCutlass]

Originally Posted by Scottwax

That'd be enough to make me gouge out my own eyes to make sure I never see anything like that again.

Oh guys I know, I don't really like import vehicles and I hate obnoxious custom lights and crap but come on guys are you really going to refuse to work on a car because you think its obnoxious? Should NYPD's time be wasted on hassling two teenage professional car-guys trying to make some money?

[TriumphGT6]

Originally Posted by ten39

There are PLENTY of older, very appealing neighborhoods with mature trees/landscaping, well-maintained home exteriors, pride of ownership, and market values at or above new construction ($/ft^2), that have no HOA, and never have.

I live in one.

You couldn't pay me to live in a treeless new construction neighborhood with the HOA's, vinyl windows, pergo floors, and simulated wood siding. No way in [fill in the blank].

At least that's the way it is in my neck of the country. HOA's are almost exclusively tied to neighborhoods built in the last 10-15 years, and most of the horror stories (on both sides) you hear come from such 'hoods in the middle-class and below demographic. I'm in that demographic, but somehow we get along just fine without an HOA, and have a much more aesthetically appealing neighborhood than the new homes in same price class with the HOA's. And the WT factor is zero. Go figure...

Our neighborhood is what you like. All of the houses were upper middle class in the 1970s and most are original or second owners. Mostly older people who understand what it takes to make a neighborhood work.

An HOA would just be an expensive nuisance. Everyone already paints their houses or sides(assuming they aren't brick) to keep things nice. Keeping lawns nice is some neighbors lives, the rest are always nice(albeit not flawless). Our neighbor two doors down has friends in high places and our road has been completed redone 3 times since the new millenium. Snow plowing is done quick as well; driveways are done if someone with a truck with a plow has time to get everybody. Just look out for people and things work out.

[OctaneGuy]

OCKlasse, you can always work from a shop! That's how I deal with my HOA problems. We could probably work out something if you want to do a detail at my shop north of you in Anaheim, since I don't detail every day. PM me if you want to discuss that.