Anyone ever have to deal with an HOA? Who are these people and their stupid rules. Sorry I’m just so exausted with dealing with them. They should be outlawed
HOA’s and their nonsense
- Thread starter Drew0311
- Start date
You mean the rules you likely signed an agreement to follow? No one held you hostage and demand you sign it. If you don't like it, move.
I don't love some of the rules of ours but I'm glad some ******* can't put a tiny house or trailer, etc. on the empty lots next to me and destroy our property's value. I'm glad someone can't be like the ******* who used to live across the street from us who had his motor home in the street for 5 months. I'm glad the developer of our subdivision can't just say f it and put a Verizon tower in the middle because lots aren't selling as quickly as they would like.
I don't love some of the rules of ours but I'm glad some ******* can't put a tiny house or trailer, etc. on the empty lots next to me and destroy our property's value. I'm glad someone can't be like the ******* who used to live across the street from us who had his motor home in the street for 5 months. I'm glad the developer of our subdivision can't just say f it and put a Verizon tower in the middle because lots aren't selling as quickly as they would like.
HOAs work for some people...
...but mostly they suck. I just told our realtor "no" for any HOAs when we were house hunting a few years ago. We love our house and our neighborhood, we did plenty of research prior. I dislike the idea of someone (other than laws of the city/municipality) telling me what I can and can't do with the home and land I just bought.
My mom had an HOA and the people in it were the most miserable boomer, never leave their house, sit around all day complaining about a car parked on the road (OH NO) type of people. Even legally on a city street, mind you. Also they complained about too many potted plants on porches, about garages being open too long or too often, etc.
I'm sure there are a few good HOAs out there, but most experiences I've heard (75% ish) have been bad or at minimum felt like a waste of their money with little to nothing in return.
Some people I know that liked them said they did because the HOA dues went to snow removal & mowing with minimal "stupid rules" or nosey negative nancy neighbors. Just gotta do your research and find a good one, or avoid it altogether if it's not for you.
...but mostly they suck. I just told our realtor "no" for any HOAs when we were house hunting a few years ago. We love our house and our neighborhood, we did plenty of research prior. I dislike the idea of someone (other than laws of the city/municipality) telling me what I can and can't do with the home and land I just bought.
My mom had an HOA and the people in it were the most miserable boomer, never leave their house, sit around all day complaining about a car parked on the road (OH NO) type of people. Even legally on a city street, mind you. Also they complained about too many potted plants on porches, about garages being open too long or too often, etc.
I'm sure there are a few good HOAs out there, but most experiences I've heard (75% ish) have been bad or at minimum felt like a waste of their money with little to nothing in return.
Some people I know that liked them said they did because the HOA dues went to snow removal & mowing with minimal "stupid rules" or nosey negative nancy neighbors. Just gotta do your research and find a good one, or avoid it altogether if it's not for you.
HOAs are the absolute worst thing to ever be created and no one will ever convince me otherwise. For those of you saying "move", where exactly in the DSM metro can we move to? Basically all cities require them now if there is any "common space" in a development, and most all developments have that (retention/detention ponds being the biggest thing)
Our builder still controls ours and we have absolutely zero value from it. Might as well wipe my ass with the $250/year I pay into it.
Our builder still controls ours and we have absolutely zero value from it. Might as well wipe my ass with the $250/year I pay into it.
Yeah its about as close you can get to the ragged edge of "freedom vs security".
Do you want the security of knowing your neighbor cant build a homemade carport out of corrugated aluminum to cover his 82 Mustang on blocks? Well then you sacrifice your freedom to do same.
But as IcSyU said, you signed up to it when you bought the place.
I'd also say, if you got pinhead neighbors using it to harass people, the problem isnt the HOA rules per se, its the pinhead neighbors. Theyd be in your shorts without HOA rules, it just makes it easier for them. Some people get in charge of anything (even your porch potted plant count) and they go all Stanford Prison Experiment on everybody.
Do you want the security of knowing your neighbor cant build a homemade carport out of corrugated aluminum to cover his 82 Mustang on blocks? Well then you sacrifice your freedom to do same.
But as IcSyU said, you signed up to it when you bought the place.
I'd also say, if you got pinhead neighbors using it to harass people, the problem isnt the HOA rules per se, its the pinhead neighbors. Theyd be in your shorts without HOA rules, it just makes it easier for them. Some people get in charge of anything (even your porch potted plant count) and they go all Stanford Prison Experiment on everybody.
Why not just have covenants passed for your area that outlaws this stuff? Keeps the bad stuff out but doesn’t take any control from you. This is what we have. Our area doesn’t like sidewalks so we got it passed that they aren’t required for our area, can’t build certain size houses out here either, no HOA to deal with them.
Aren’t sidewalks governed by your municipality? I’m pretty sure they are here.
But, what’s the good of a covenant without a body to enforce it? HOA’s aren’t the issue, overly strict covenants are. Cause that’s what they are enforcing. If there aren’t rules in place about cars parked on the street or size of sheds allowed, then there’s nothing an HOA can do about it.
We lived in a house with an HOA for 20 years. Six blocks away, similar-priced homes had no HOA. After two decades, the difference was stark. Green Meadows North, with the HOA, was well-maintained, while the non-HOA area had fewer trees, clashing color schemes, chain-link fences, quirky mailboxes, and garbage cans cluttering driveways. Both neighborhoods, built 20-25 years ago by the same builders, started at comparable price points. When we moved to our new home, we were glad it had an HOA, though it seems less strict, which I’m not thrilled about.
I understand that some people don't like them, which is fine.
I understand that some people don't like them, which is fine.
This thread reminds me of the X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully pose as a couple to investigate some HOA.
Never had too much experience with them until where we live now. Guess when they told my neighbor to build his home on my property it kind of formed my opinion of them. They like to play association though.
They are your neighbors who may or may not of hired a enforcement company and decide the rules.
There are courts that can rule on major things like property lines that are well above the level of HOA’s.
Furthermore, was the HOA in charge during construction? Typically the developer runs those until the development is complete and then turns it over to an HOA.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
When we bought our house in 2002 there were a few covenants included in the purchase info from when the development went up in the 1970s. The only one I remember was that any fences had to end at the front-facing side of the house; no fences in the front yard.
But there was no entity in place to actually enforce any of these covenants. When we sold the house in 2021 I don’t think we passed any of that info along; our realtor said it wasn’t necessary.
We have an HOA. I complain every year when I have to write the stupid check. The only people that regularly attend the meetings are the retired boomers with nothing else to do. I don’t really have any beef with the rules we have here. Keeps people from letting their home value go to crap so that’s good. Outside of that giant waste of money
I THINK they automatically expire after 30 years unless they're renewed.
I think there is a guy who bought a house on a small lake, maybe a big pond , in the central part of Iowa , and he signed a hoa deal. The legal fees he has to pay after loosing in court are over $500,000 .
Every town is supposed to have a planning/zoning and a variance board that is supposed to do that.
Yes , sidewalks are/can be municipality. Ours allows it up to the building areas. If the home owners say they don’t want them in the area, no sidewalks.
Yes, by its own group and can put pretty restrictive ones on. If you just get basic building codes initiated, then you don’t have to worry about goofy stuff.
