patrick.net

What a silly question.
Regulated until they were outlawed.

City tax code should take over the role of HOAs.

Yes, we need people on the government payroll chiming in at the next HOA debate over the acceptability among the various shades of tan. I know my life would be better for it.

tovarichpeter says

Should HOAs be regulated

No, they should just be outlawed. It's not like people have a choice whether or not to go into an HOA because all neighborhoods in some areas have them even though few people want them. If allowed, they should have very power and no ability to put liens on houses or fine people.

HOAs definitely attract some of the biggest ASSHOLES in the community. In my one gated neighborhood, a lady on the board complained that the people in the condos next door walked in our neighborhood, and should be banned. She called them "the element". These condo people would be living in 2500-3500 plus square foot homes on a quarter acre just about anywhere else but the Bay Area, and the condo neighborhood is full of expensive cars i.e. not poor people by any stretch of the imagination.

This same lady thinks that original buyers in the gated neighborhood, some of whom bought when the prices were less than 40 percent of their present value, should only be allowed 40 percent votes in the HOA.

This same HOA several years ago had some real peaches on the board who engaged a reign of terror, and loved sending letters for the tiniest variations, including artisan stain glass doors and sliding door screens. They dragged new buyers in front of them for a hosing when they first arrived.

One crook Realtor tried to get all of the landscaping ripped out, a lot of it gorgeous 20 year old developed trees, to deliver a contract to his nephew's landscaping firm with him getting a "consultant's fee" i.e. kickback to plant a bunch of sticks.

Things have calmed down a lot since then.

turtledove says

Yes, we need people on the government payroll chiming in at the next HOA debate over the acceptability among the various shades of tan. I know my life would be better for it.

No that's not what the City would do, that's what HOA's do.
The City already has ordinances on color schemes and property upkeep.
Condo Taxes should also include any assesments for new paint jobs or other city ordinance requirements.
What you at least get rid of Moche Greenspan being the sole decider of how people live on their own private property.
If you're not disturbing the peace that the police can't do anything about your behavior on your personal property. Then Moche and his Bridge club parteners shouldn't be able to form a "Never Trump" campaign to ruin a condo owner, to ruin his life or make him lose his condo. That's just bullshit. YOu can't say one bad City scenario that would be worse than a HOA scenario.

Even the ones born out of mutual consideration.

My BIL had about 3 acres in upstate New York. Back in 2006 he built a new house on the property. The following years several other neihboring plots did the same. Then about 4 or 5 years ago, the last guy to build talked everyone into forming a HOA which he was elected Presdient of. My BIL would love to sell his property now and get the hell out of there, They have made his life and several other neighbors life a living hell.

It was supposed to just be to upkeep the access the road, they've gone crazy and assess 10's of thousands of dollars in crap every year.

What kind of ASSHOLE moves into a place with an HOA?

errc says

What kind of ASSHOLE moves into a place with an HOA?

In most of south Florida, you have no choice. Practically every place is HOA.

errc says

What kind of ASSHOLE moves into a place with an HOA?

People who don't know.
Most first time Condo buyers really think of the HOA fees as nothing more than their taxes, and the rules are kind of lose guide lines not real hard rules that you could be foreclosed on and a huge fine deducted from the sale over.

errc says

What kind of ASSHOLE moves into a place with an HOA?

HOAs are great ASSHOLE opportunities.

Why do you hate free expression?

Dan8267 says

In most of south Florida, you have no choice. Practically every place is HOA.

Ditto much of the Houston area (most of Texas, I dunno). We lack a lot in the way of building codes so as a way to make up for it HOA's exist. Part of the problem (in my opinion) is that they are code enforcers on steroids.

Tenpoundbass says

My BIL had about 3 acres in upstate New York. Back in 2006 he built a new house on the property. The following years several other neihboring plots did the same. Then about 4 or 5 years ago, the last guy to build talked everyone into forming a HOA which he was elected Presdient of. My BIL would love to sell his property now and get the hell out of there, They have made his life and several other neighbors life a living hell.

You can't be forced to join a new hoa in an existing area in most states including NY. So why did he join?

If you live in a condo/townhome complex, you can't escape them as maintenance is shared. But houses and HOA are a horrible mix. Too many horror stories.

lostand confused says

If you live in a condo/townhome complex, you can't escape them as maintenance is shared.

Common areas of Condominiums should be considered City property and they tax the residents of the building, and the City takes care of the upkeep.

At least if it was a City thing and not a private Dictoatorship that condo boards are. Then that way, there would be standard rules and accross the board no suprises from one building to another.
Also if you don't like the rules, you can vote the city officials out if the condo owners aren't getting their monies worth for their taxes.

tovarichpeter says

Raise your hand if you have ever lived in a community with a homeowners association.

I lived in Bordeaux Village in Dallas from 1981 to 2005--dues started out at $75/month and when I left they were approaching $200. The month after I sold in June, 2005, a special assessment was applied for a major renovation. It was a 215 unit apartment complex built in 1951 on 14 acres in three sections, bounded by Lemmon, Inwood and Mockingbird Lane. First phase on the west side was converted in 1980 and I bought at the end 1980, only one home left. Phases II and III completed by 1983 and sold out as soon as converted. We never had any serious problems and always had good maintenance companies. It's still beautifully maintained and I have a couple of friends who still live there. The main reason I moved was that between Dallas and Waco the fixed expenses in a year were $7,500 with $5,500 of it in Dallas (dues, taxes, insurance), so it only made sense to sell it. I put it on the market in April, 2005 and it sold in June. One of the downsides is that because of when they were built there is no firewall between units and the five units in each building share a common attic space. The attic access is in the ceiling of the closets of the smaller rear bedrooms and someone could break into a home at the end of the building and get access to every other unit through that access and that happened at one time. Also you could hear everything through the wall which I disliked.

http://www.dallasrealestate-homes.com/Dallas%20Subdivisions/Bordeaux%20Village.htm

Like most HOAs, ours sends out the minutes of each of its meetings. I seriously cannot figure out what is wrong with these people. Pages and pages of minutes discussing front yard flower choices and the distance between plantings. Pages of minutes discussing the differences between "desert sand" and "country wheat." I would fucking kill myself if I had to sit through a meeting like that. This goes way beyond maintaining an "overall look."

My neighborhood looks nice, albeit a tad unimaginative. Now, I could see shutting someone down if let's say.... I wanted to paint a giant Ibis on my garage door, and then paint my house and trim in the corresponding UM colors (Go Canes!). Or if I wanted to pave my entire front yard and convert it into a small parking lot for RVs. But I shouldn't have to consult the HOA Nazis over roses vs lantanas trimming my front walkway or two shades of the same fucking color of paint. And if the HOA had normal people on its committee, I should think that those people would resent having their time wasted on such truly immaterial issues. And the bottom line... They approve everything that people ask for. So, it's clear to me that most people aren't determined to make their homes look ridiculous and ruin the overall appearance of the neighborhood. Yet, hours and hours are spent discussing all this. Thank God they are volunteers. At least we aren't paying for their time.

The second we moved into our house, I received a letter from the HOA telling me that I couldn't make ANY changes (including plantings to the front yard) without HOA approval. These people are nuts!

turtledove says

Pages and pages of minutes discussing front yard flower choices and the distance between plantings. Pages of minutes discussing the differences between "desert sand" and "country wheat." I would fucking kill myself if I had to sit through a meeting like that.

turtledove says

The second we moved into our house, I received a letter from the HOA telling me that I couldn't make ANY changes (including plantings to the front yard) without HOA approval.

HOAs are dominated by people who have lots of free time, usually because they are retired and their adult children can't stand spending time with them, and want to exert control over other people's property to build a neighborhood pleasing to them but paid by you. It's basically a game of Sim Neighborhood in which they get their neighbors to flip the bill and do the work and they get to be little despots issuing edicts. They get a thrill from the power and lack of accountability.

The reason government is corrupt is that pretty much all people are corrupt. The few people who are not corrupt have no interest in government from the little HOA to the greatest super power.

Stocks perform better than real estate. Have you learned nothing from this site?

My investments have done very well. Meanwhile, your cardboard box and five-cent glory hole business have not appreciated at all.

Zero chance I would ever buy in an HOA

you people that choose to buy in an HOA are nuts

errc says

Zero chance I would ever buy in an HOA

you people that choose to buy in an HOA are nuts

In most areas in South Florida, you simply have little to no choice as everyplace has an HOA.

I don't believe that. I'm operating under the assumption that HOAs are for developments, and that houses in regular neighborhoods don't have them. I could be wrong

HOAs are typically created by developers building new neighborhoods. However, in south Florida pretty much every neighborhood created after 1970, which is most of them, was created with an HOA. So there truly is little to no choice.

KILL THE HOAs! KILL THEM ALL!

In our HOA, deadbeats are crucified on a quarterly basis right next to community gym. It's a truly delightful scene. We even merged it with the wine night social. Kids are invited to watch, the elderly race each other down developer paid streets to get to the front of the line. The attendance and the drinking has increased to the point that next day no one can believe what just happened. But, on a positive note, we have built up impressive reserves that we don't anticipate any special assessments any time soon.

tovarichpeter says

Raise your other hand if you ever wanted to punch your HOA in the nose.

I'd love to go AF on these people!

Dan8267 says

It's basically a game of Sim Neighborhood in which they get their neighbors to flip the bill and do the work and they get to be little despots issuing edicts. They get a thrill from the power and lack of accountability.

Best description ever. Ex-Officer types and Buttinskis are the prime candidates.