Florida residents force to remove garden or pay daily fines

Today, a garden in the front yard,. Tomorrow, a car or two on cement blocks. I live in an HOA community by choice. When I want to do something out of the ordinary, I submit a plan to the HOA for review. I have also gone before a committee to make my case. I like the buffer the HOA rules provide from people turning the neighborhood into a ghetto.

We're fortunate in our country that there is lots of land. If you want to do whatever you want, buy a few acres away from the cluster home neighborhoods and walk around in your underwear in your front yard if you want.

originally posted by: notsure1

Should it matter? My yard is my yard.

It may be your yard, but it's the neighbors view.

There are a few bad apple HOA's out there, but unless you are rural, it is exactly what you want to protect your investment.

Florida is a welfare, make-me state.

My HOA is 500 a year, with private beach, hot tub, sauna, pool, tennis courts, docks, dog walking spaces etc...

Thats not the best part, they fine my neighbors who have not paid their mortgage since 2012 next door. They have missing windows, overgrown everything, peeling paint, rats, snakes and roaches overflowing.
Aside from the hourly domestics, and disability trained children, it's been a real treat.

Nothing like working your ass off to get into a nice home, and have the neighbors I have.

They have been getting hit with fines, and have slowly started to fix the place.

Luckily, because I am all in on this house, they would take me down with them, if it wasn't for the hoa.

Read the HOA terms, and even speak with a few residents if you don't like what you hear, then pass on it.

If they think they have grounds for grandfathering the garden in, then they should put it in front of the board for a vote.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I have lived in terrible HOA's too. I've lived in non HOA's with problems too.

Yah okay, sorry for biting.

I don't have problems with the people living here either, just the rules. I always have problems with rules if theres too many.

originally posted by: AMPTAH

originally posted by: notsure1

Should it matter? My yard is my yard.

It may be your yard, but it's the neighbors view.

Lol, mind you own yard.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Wow, I didn't even catch that. It still did look nice though(garden). Not all rag tag , it seemed tasteful and presentable.
Right now im just glad I live where I do, I love my gardens. Teaching my kids to grow their own food is rewarding and fun. Shows them hands on responsibilities and the rewards of work. But, to each his own.

originally posted by: Hewhowaits
a reply to: Xcathdra

Wow, I didn't even catch that. It still did look nice though(garden). Not all rag tag , it seemed tasteful and presentable.
Right now im just glad I live where I do, I love my gardens. Teaching my kids to grow their own food is rewarding and fun. Shows them hands on responsibilities and the rewards of work. But, to each his own.

I can see both sides. Also its not like this just occurred. the changes were made back in 2013. Were the people who are fighting this in court involved in the changes or did they just stick to themselves and not participate or care about the changes?

Gardens can be very nice however if you let one person do it and the next person doesnt keep their new front yard garden maintained it can cause problems... Houses are expensive and when your neighbor does something that affects the property value, never mind the difficulties in selling a house next door to something thats not maintained..

you get the idea...

Also the sun moves from east to west. There should not be a major difference in sun exposure on the north or south side of the house given that fact.

a reply to: JAGStorm

You are correct and i wasnt thinking of those things you pointed out! Thank you and I stand corrected, i dont care for junk cars and long grass etc!

a reply to: Hewhowaits

So, they have supposedly had this garden for seventeen years, and somehow didn't know that regulations didn't allow it? Seems unlikely. I detest HOAs, and I suspect that one is the source of the problem here, but people choose to live where they live, and they surely were given a set of rules. By all means, people can push to change them, but to plant, knowing it's against the rules, and them complain?

The article states that the yard was filled with pots and stakes, so safety could be a concern as well. I also wouldn't call that an attractive garden, with all of that black plastic, or whatever that is, around everything. That said, it is their yard, and a well maintained garden shouldn't be an issue. Still, not sure I buy that they don't have enough light in the back. North facing? That's what greenhouse experts use to gain more light for a greenhouse. Recently heard a talk by a German fellow that builds awesome ones, and knows his business well.

originally posted by: AnonymousCitizen

originally posted by: FredT
Look as much as we want to rail against big government, this place is governed by an HOA. When you buy in such an area (no different than say an apartment complex) you agree to live by a set of rules. if you don't want to then you have to either move, don't buy, or attempt to take over the HOA.

It sucks for these people, but them are the rules

Not all HOA rules are actually legal. Just one example, the FCC has stepped in on several cases where the HOA has illegally tried to restrict antennas.

Very true. I know someone (in Florida, actually) who won a case against a place that tried to restrict the number of residents to far lower than state rules for home size. Some of these places are beyond ridiculous.

originally posted by: trollz
My parents got a house in an HOA in Florida and it's absolutely ridiculous sometimes. This one time, the HOA had people going around with a color palette to make sure everyone's mailbox color was an acceptable shade. If it wasn't, the homeowner had to repaint it.

My sister saw something about that bad! Their house needed repainting, and the rule was that it had to be very close to the original shade. Well, they chose the actual original color, but the HOA complained, because they house had faded over the years, claiming the shade was too much darker! They also complained if flowerpots on a front porch weren't all matched. Bunch of Naziz, in my opinion!

HOAs are a violation of rights. Typically, city codes take care of problems such as junked cars, trash, grass not being mowed, and the like. There is no need for anything else. I don't have to like the color my neighbor chooses to paint his house in order to respect his right to choose it. Same for well tended plants in the yard, decor, etc. The only restriction I'd want is on lighting that shines too brightly into a neighboring lot, because that's not the same property.

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
HOAs are a violation of rights. Typically, city codes take care of problems such as junked cars, trash, grass not being mowed, and the like. There is no need for anything else. I don't have to like the color my neighbor chooses to paint his house in order to respect his right to choose it. Same for well tended plants in the yard, decor, etc. The only restriction I'd want is on lighting that shines too brightly into a neighboring lot, because that's not the same property.

But you have to agree to buy a house in an HOA controlled development plain and simple. You are giving up your right to paint your house like the Simpsons home if YOU agree to buy one. So int hat light its not a violation of your rights if you willingly enter into that sort of contract.

originally posted by: FredT

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
HOAs are a violation of rights. Typically, city codes take care of problems such as junked cars, trash, grass not being mowed, and the like. There is no need for anything else. I don't have to like the color my neighbor chooses to paint his house in order to respect his right to choose it. Same for well tended plants in the yard, decor, etc. The only restriction I'd want is on lighting that shines too brightly into a neighboring lot, because that's not the same property.

But you have to agree to buy a house in an HOA controlled development plain and simple. You are giving up your right to paint your house like the Simpsons home if YOU agree to buy one. So int hat light its not a violation of your rights if you willingly enter into that sort of contract.

Oh, I agree, and already stated that they would be aware of the rules, and were wrong in that regard. It's the idea of allowing HOAs in the first place that I don't care for. They shouldn't be legal.

Lol, it's about par for the course in Florida, I've seen some pretty strict HOA places. I don't think it's much of a coincidence that in FL, the bulk of HOA residents are elderly. I've long-suspected it's a P/A control thing aimed at everyone else not elderly.
I lived in a condo for 7-some-odd years renting it from a family friend, we used to discuss some of the asinine rules & things they were lax on from time to time. For example, if you had birds, you could keep them on your porch just fine. You could have a hanging veggie garden on it just fine (let me tell you about the neighbor with the Tomato Jungle going on...) So long as it was "tidy" and didn't impact ingress/egress, you could pretty much put whatever the hell you wanted on the porch.

Changing the light bulb on the porch light required approval, however. If you switched color temperature, they bitched and threatened fines. Cool tones only!

No self-planted plants in your flower bed adjacent the porch, either. Only THEY could decide what when in your pathetic flower patch. People couldn't be trusted to pick something pleasant, I suppose.

Also, no outdoor/seen from the outdoors holiday decorations allowed. Want to string lights up on the porch roof edge? No, because f# your holiday spirit! They tried telling us once that we could not have window lights or clings. We (us & landlord) threatened to call a board meeting about it and that claim was promptly dropped.

Oooh, I almost forgot about the biggest Dick Move they ever did! We had a mentally challenged neighbor get away with Christmas Lights On Steroids for a few years, gradually expanding to gussying up the entire building, because none of the old fart control freaks on the board dared complain about the "handicapped man" and his holiday cheer. Until someone did, and they put the kibosh on it. It sucked, he did a really good, festive job of it, did it safely, AND paid for excess electric consumption on the complex's bill from using their exterior outlets.
Damn geriatric pricks.

Edit: And for some reason, they HATED trees. They had a knack for coming up with any excuse possible for cutting down perfectly healthy trees no matter how many residents protested. They got rid of 6 big trees one summer, pissed of half the complex that suddenly lost their heat protection shade.
It's funny how an HOA can demand you seek approval for a goddamn light bulb, but doesn't give 2 s#s about what residents DON'T want done to their shade trees.

originally posted by: trollz
My parents got a house in an HOA in Florida and it's absolutely ridiculous sometimes. This one time, the HOA had people going around with a color palette to make sure everyone's mailbox color was an acceptable shade. If it wasn't, the homeowner had to repaint it.

Brunswick Square in Brighton has a rule that every building must be painted "Brunswick Cream".

goo.gl...

It does look like the team of texture artists took the day off, but because it was designed in Victorian times, it has listed building status and has to be preserved.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Most states have solar rights laws too, meaning the HOA can't ban you from hanging your laundry to dry or to use solar.

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
Oh, I agree, and already stated that they would be aware of the rules, and were wrong in that regard. It's the idea of allowing HOAs in the first place that I don't care for. They shouldn't be legal.

But what would you in say a Condo complex? Someone has to take care of the common areas.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Most states have solar rights laws too, meaning the HOA can't ban you from hanging your laundry to dry or to use solar.

Hadn't heard that, but makes sense!!!

a reply to: Hewhowaits

The want to stop everyone from growing their own food. Its all about control through big agribusienss.

originally posted by: Azureblue
a reply to: Hewhowaits

The want to stop everyone from growing their own food. Its all about control through big agribusienss.

They can still grow food int he backyard