Info.. on HOA Rules

[Solja_Boy]

Originally Posted by Callie girl

I think so but this has had to go on for awhile to get that high. So where is the money going still? If they were in the hole we still haven't been using hardly anything for us that have been paying. It's frustrating me and I have not heard anything back from the president. I volunteered some help.

That is what happens to most HOA's. People slowly stop paying and then the association just falls apart. If you look at most new neiborhoods they have an HOA but older ones usually do not.

For the most part if you are not in a condo or a townhouse paying the HOA is just a waste oif money.

[Dymphna]

Depends on the HOA, how big it is and how much it is taking in. A big annoyingly restrictive HOA will get better results.

For the little neighborhoods we mostly have around here, the real answer to getting someone to pay up is hire an expensive lawyer, that you probably can't afford in the first place if people aren't paying dues, and hope the person moves soon because you will probably only collect through a lien on the property which will be taking from the top when they sell the house.

[kom526]

HOAs are just little dictatorships. Obviously hborror's HOA is run by idiots (probably democrats) who think that raising the fees (taxes) will get them what they desire.

Instead raising the fees for lawn cutting in common areas, maybe someone could suggest a COMMUNITY clean up day and assign people to grass cutting duties on their court or street.

[Dukesdad]

I got a call yesterday from a guy about a one of the men that works for me. Seems his HOA doesn't allow commercial vehicles (in this case a pick up truck with our logo on it) to be parked there overnight. My guy has one about every 7 weeks and parks it in his driveway but the neighbor called to tell me it was going to be towed next time he saw it. I told him that's why I don't live in a neighborhood, because of idiotic rules like that and his problem is between him and my guy and to leave me out of it.

[vegmom]

Originally Posted by Dukesdad

I got a call yesterday from a guy about a one of the men that works for me. Seems his HOA doesn't allow commercial vehicles (in this case a pick up truck with our logo on it) to be parked there overnight. My guy has one about every 7 weeks and parks it in his driveway but the neighbor called to tell me it was going to be towed next time he saw it. I told him that's why I don't live in a neighborhood, because of idiotic rules like that and his problem is between him and my guy and to leave me out of it.

WTF? How can he have a vehicle he does not own towed off someone elses property?

[kom526]

Originally Posted by vegmom

WTF? How can he have a vehicle he does not own towed off someone elses property?

The HOA rules all! I think Karl Marx would love to see an HOA in action.

[Callie girl]

Originally Posted by Solja_Boy

That is what happens to most HOA's. People slowly stop paying and then the association just falls apart. If you look at most new neiborhoods they have an HOA but older ones usually do not.

For the most part if you are not in a condo or a townhouse paying the HOA is just a waste oif money.

We do live in a townhouse and I think we pay a fair rate for the fees but not sure have not dealt with it anywhere else before.

Originally Posted by kom526

HOAs are just little dictatorships. Obviously hborror's HOA is run by idiots (probably democrats) who think that raising the fees (taxes) will get them what they desire.

Instead raising the fees for lawn cutting in common areas, maybe someone could suggest a COMMUNITY clean up day and assign people to grass cutting duties on their court or street.

But who raises it? Is it just the president that gets elected every year? I don't think a lawyer is an option if said amount behind is the truth. I guess there is really nothing I can do since I am not in charge but try and clean up what I can, which is bull sh*t.

[Dymphna]

Originally Posted by Dukesdad

I got a call yesterday from a guy about a one of the men that works for me. Seems his HOA doesn't allow commercial vehicles (in this case a pick up truck with our logo on it) to be parked there overnight. My guy has one about every 7 weeks and parks it in his driveway but the neighbor called to tell me it was going to be towed next time he saw it. I told him that's why I don't live in a neighborhood, because of idiotic rules like that and his problem is between him and my guy and to leave me out of it.

That's a common rule in HOAs, but there is a loophole...if it's parked on a county owned street (not in the driveway), the HOA can't touch it. We used to live in a huge, 1000+ home neighborhood who had a professional property management company and whose HOA was made up of lawyers, realtors and a county commissioner (Frederick County). There was always a line of commercial vehicles, RVs and the like parked in the neighborhood just out of HOA reach.

We were driving through No. Va. a couple weeks ago and there was this neighborhood we saw and a little service road backing up to it lined with boats, RVs and commercial vehicles. It would have been less tacky if they just let them park in the driveways.

[somdforever]

Originally Posted by Callie girl

I don't know to much on how HOA works besides following the rules buy what happens when things are not being done to keep up the neighborhood? I have heard that people are not paying and therefore they do not have the money for all the up keep. So how do you go about getting people to pay besides sending them notices and how much can the president do to enforce these rules? There has to be someone in charge besides the yearly president. Any help would be appreciated

First, and foremost, read your HOA governing documents (covenants, conditions, restrictions, By-Laws). If you are buying, you should have gotten a copy of them all at time of settlement. READ THEM CAREFULLY as they will tell you what the HOA board can/can not do, how much your dues can be raised each year without the homeowners consent, your right to attend meetings, your right to review and obtain copies of all financial records of the HOA, and what the rights and privleges you, as the happy homeowner, have. I know in many of the older neighborhoods in Wildewood, a HOA Board of Directors has a right to file a lien against a homeowner for non-payment of dues, and yes, they can proceed with foreclosure actions.

[Callie girl]

Originally Posted by somdforever

First, and foremost, read your HOA governing documents (covenants, conditions, restrictions, By-Laws). If you are buying, you should have gotten a copy of them all at time of settlement. READ THEM CAREFULLY as they will tell you what the HOA board can/can not do, how much your dues can be raised each year without the homeowners consent, your right to attend meetings, your right to review and obtain copies of all financial records of the HOA, and what the rights and privleges you, as the happy homeowner, have. I know in many of the older neighborhoods in Wildewood, a HOA Board of Directors has a right to file a lien against a homeowner for non-payment of dues, and yes, they can proceed with foreclosure actions.

I have a really old book somewhere, got to find it. It says all kinds of things they don't stick to. You are supposed to get permission to do anything to your house or yard but when I had finally gotten a hold of someone about changing my roof and shutters color his answer was whatever you want we dont care as long as it is not tacky looking. No one wants to be in charge so we don't really stick to the policies. I don't think we have a real board of directors and there is no one to enforce them.