Unreasonable Homeowner Associations

Attack on a home by HOA

Kimberly Bois has lived in her condominium in Portsmouth, N.H., since April 2008. While she was excited then to buy a home and plant her own garden, it hasn't been all roses. Her condominium association is suing to force her to remove the flowers she planted in her front yard, fining her $50 a day, demanding over $13,800 in fees and attorney costs. She started planting in the late summer of 2008.

I know someone is power mad when HOA's go nuts over flowers, of all things. It's gotten to where they tell you what kind of car you MUST own, what color your house must be, etc... It's ridiculous. If this woman had previous permission, then there's no need to sue her, fine her $25/day, bump it to $50/day, plus attorney's costs. Geez, they should just be happy someone is living in the dang thing and it's not rotting with busted glass all over the place. *shakes head at absurdity of it all*

reply to post by happyhomemaker29

What I seriously do not understand is, with all the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of horror stories about homeowners' associations, why the hell would anybody a) voluntarily live in such an area and b) be surprised when they pull some bull#### like this. It's not as if there hasn't been sufficient warning.

To make it worse, they've signed a contract, and the law is and has always been on the side of the HOA. There is no fighting them; stay the f### away from them, for pete's sake!

HOAs are for scared little conformists and the Fascists who love them. If you don't fit one of those descriptions, you have no business there....

I would put it off as long as possible, wait for them to screw up in their practices and getting too hardcore about it (which people like this invariably do), have documentation of everything and turn around and sue the crap out of the home owner's association for harassment and intentional emotional distress.

The only way these psychos are going to learn is by somebody stooping to their level and letting them have it where it hurts.

Stupid rule or not she signed the agreement, it was most likely in the CC&R's for the HOA, one of the reasons i will never live in a place like that.

reply to post by happyhomemaker29

I agree. They suck. I live in one. Snicker, snicker. I don't own a home here, just live with someone who does. The rules book is a yard thick. I think they invented the term Terms and Conditions. The thing about fighting them is one agrees to every one of the "rules" as a term before being allowed to move in. So you have little recourse to winning if it comes to a fight. The good thing is that the "rules" aren't "laws" and there is a big difference (in a fight).
The one brought by the OP sounds gestapo ish... move out.

Most of the rules are printed so as prevent lawsuits involving the HOA. "See? Thats against the rules, you signed on."

Most HOAs don't enforce them unless they have to settle disputes between members. CYA.
The whole idea of their agency is to collect as many fees as possible, pay out as cheap a service as possible and be ready for the sales of units that maybe they can get in early on.

And THAT'S why I dont agree, nor care about HOA's and will never voluntarily live within a community that has one.
If I pay for a home, it's MY HOME. If I dont wanna cut my grass today(iono, maybe I broke my leg!) then it's not done. unless someone buys my home, and gives it to me free and clear....there are no rules aside from my own.

reply to post by Ex_CT2


I agree.

I recently helped dismantle an old ham radio operator dismantle an antenna. It was a simple 2 meters vhf antenna that was only about three feet high and black, and it wasn't really noticeable at all. It struck me as odd that the HOA was mad about the small ham antenna but said nothing about one of those monstrous old analog tv antennas that have about 400 elements hanging off them.

Ridiculous.

Originally posted by Mapkar
reply to post by Ex_CT2

 

I agree.

I recently helped dismantle an old ham radio operator dismantle an antenna. It was a simple 2 meters vhf antenna that was only about three feet high and black, and it wasn't really noticeable at all. It struck me as odd that the HOA was mad about the small ham antenna but said nothing about one of those monstrous old analog tv antennas that have about 400 elements hanging off them.

Ridiculous.

See, this is another thing. Political connections, probably. Political connections with the people in power, who conveniently don't see one offense, but can't shut up about some other, much smaller offense. Kill me now....

reply to post by Ex_CT2


Such as with the rest of the world. Ugh. Connections, favoritism, and selective enforcement really are ridiculous. It's the people with connections vs the ones without. Much like in the less* civilized times, those who knew the king always had that little bit of leverage. Now it's who knows the cops, the judges, and the like.


I say less... But we really haven't progressed all THAT much.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
reply to post by happyhomemaker29

 

What I seriously do not understand is, with all the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of horror stories about homeowners' associations, why the hell would anybody a) voluntarily live in such an area and b) be surprised when they pull some bull#### like this. It's not as if there hasn't been sufficient warning.

To make it worse, they've signed a contract, and the law is and has always been on the side of the HOA. There is no fighting them; stay the f### away from them, for pete's sake!

HOAs are for scared little conformists and the Fascists who love them. If you don't fit one of those descriptions, you have no business there....

edit on 4/27/2012 by Ex_CT2 because: (no reason given)

I agree. You couldn't PAY me to live in one. Any home I'd own, it's mine. To do with as I please. But the thing is, it isn't really. The city will fine you for your lawn growing too much.

City fines man for overgrown lawn on forclosed home bank owns.

A year later, City Hall sent him salt for his wounds: a $300 citation for tall grass at 1900 W. 10th St. Telling the story, he swipes dried grass from his jeans and shakes his head. “The city dinged me for tall weeds at my bank’s house.” After another pull from the water bottle, Whitmire kicks a steel-toed boot into the ground he once owned. “You can’t trust anybody or anything anymore.”

In my old town, they would also fine you if your sidewalk was damaged. It used to be the sidewalk was city property and the city would repair them and shovel them in winter. Then cities needed money and the sidewalk became a "homeowner" issue. Trust me, they'll find ways to get you coming, and going....

Originally posted by benrl
Stupid rule or not she signed the agreement, it was most likely in the CC&R's for the HOA, one of the reasons i will never live in a place like that.

The problem is she moved in in '08 and got permission from the developer to plant.

She started planting in the late summer of 2008. She said she got permission from the developer, who was considered the "declarant" at the time, to plant in the 8-foot by 5-foot garden before she moved into the newly built home. But when the newly elected condo association board took over landscaping responsibility in October 2010, they said otherwise.

From the sounds of things the condo board is making things up as they go along. Ridiculous! If you are there before the board, then you shouldn't have to alter your home to suit them. I could see if you moved in AFTER the rules, but don't make the rules after someone moves in and say, "Whoopsy, now you got to do what we say. We're in charge now!" Where does their idiocy stop?