My brother has a problem

[JettaKnight]

Well, I'm living in the house that my dad built and it was one of the first in our neighborhood. There has never been a HOA here, and people do keep up their properties. Most have lived here for decades. Why do you suppose these folks can be trusted to keep up properties while apparently others can't without some kind of enforced policies to keep them in line?

It's quite possible your statement about the past is true as much as it's possible that rose colored glasses are in use.

Think about this - let you grass grow, like twelve inches high. HOA or not, there will be a lot of social pressure on you to cut it. That's not force of law but societal norms.

I deal with 800+ homes and the only ones that have "maintenance issues" are the ones now owned by banks. The issues we see are fences in easements, building in common areas, snow removal, etc.

I can't believe I'm trying to defend the concept of an HOA when two years ago I was staunchly against it. Seriously, it's not great, but it's not as bad as you think. Well, unless you live in the neighborhood of the thread about flags, and in that case I'd be taking signatures to abolish the HOA.

 

[olhorseman]

Country living is great, different, but on the whole great.

FIFY, we are on 26 acres with a whole lot of nothing within miles (except for 1 g**d*** neighbor a half-mile away). Just kidding, they're great neighbors, but still too close for my taste.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It's quite possible your statement about the past is true as much as it's possible that rose colored glasses are in use.

Think about this - let you grass grow, like twelve inches high. HOA or not, there will be a lot of social pressure on you to cut it. That's not force of law but societal norms.

I deal with 800+ homes and the only ones that have "maintenance issues" are the ones now owned by banks. The issues we see are fences in easements, building in common areas, snow removal, etc.

I can't believe I'm trying to defend the concept of an HOA when two years ago I was staunchly against it. Seriously, it's not great, but it's not as bad as you think. Well, unless you live in the neighborhood of the thread about flags, and in that case I'd be taking signatures to abolish the HOA.

Well, I guess societal pressures used to be enough, but maybe they're not anymore (see my post about society becoming more mobile). Guess it comes down to the type of people that are living in the neighborhood. As I said, it hasn't been a problem (people letting grass get a foot high, letting their properties get run down, etc. - except for one loon that lived next door for a couple of years but I suspect he was seriously mentally ill) in our neighborhood, but they have a vested interest in the area because they have lived here for so long. Heck it used to be rare to even see a fence here, but now more people have them, and apparently without issue. Building in an easement should be a municipal (legal) issue I would think?

 

[JettaKnight]

FIFY, we are on 26 acres with a whole lot of nothing within miles (except for 1 g**d*** neighbor a half-mile away). Just kidding, they're great neighbors, but still too close for my taste.

Color me green with envy.

 

[JettaKnight]

Well, I guess societal pressures used to be enough, but maybe they're not anymore (see my post about society becoming more mobile). Guess it comes down to the type of people that are living in the neighborhood.

That's my point, it's societal pressures that take care of that stuff. Laws only come into affect for a few instances, usually when there's no one to feel the pressure (banks), or people that deflect it (renters).

Building in an easement should be a municipal (legal) issue I would think?

There's too much building without permits for them to know or care. Usually no one cares unless work is required, then the homeowners get pissed that you demolish the fence and garden they put up in an easement where they shouldn't have. In our neighborhood there's a covenant prohibiting structures within those utility easements, so as an officer, I'm required to enforce that.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That's my point, it's societal pressures that take care of that stuff. Laws only come into affect for a few instances, usually when there's no one to feel the pressure (banks), or people that deflect it (renters).



There's too much building without permits for them to know or care. Usually no one cares unless work is required, then the homeowners get pissed that you demolish the fence and garden they put up in an easement where they shouldn't have. In our neighborhood there's a covenant prohibiting structures within those utility easements, so as an officer, I'm required to enforce that.

Makes sense then I guess, in your situation. I still don't like 'em.

 

[Caleb]

Color me green with envy.

me too...hell, I'd take an acre over my apartment any day of the year