Home Owner Associations - community standards vs control

[TGHusker]

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2014/06/26/vet-could-lose-home-for-displaying-small-us-flag-in-front-yard-because-it-violates-home-display-rules/

 

Over the years I've heard similar stories as the one attached. A vet is being sued by the home owners association (HOA) for flying small flag in his landscape - actually in a flower pot. The association in this case is suing for $8k and placing a foreclosure lien on his home. However, as the article reports, in the state of Florida homeowners can fly flags of certain sizes regardless of covenants, etc.

 

Sometimes I think HOAs want to act as totalitarian empires. I belong to one but our covenants are simple and not overly burdensome.

 

So, how much power/contol should HOA have ? Since the HOA is in violation of state law in this case, should the home owner be able to collect against the association for harassment?

[JJ Husker]

It's a double edged sword. Most people choose covenant protected HOA's to help prevent their neighborhood from going to the dogs. But also, many people move into these areas and have lower standards or expectations and they can end up crossways with the enforcement agency. Personally I think HOA's need to be willing and able to enforce their covenants otherwise those covenants will get ignored and it will defeat the purpose.

 

Our HOA is fairly aggressive with keeping people in line, to the point that they do act like totalitarian dicks sometimes. But I have seen neighborhoods that have no standards and I would rather be in an area that enforces than one that doesn't care at all. Having said that, the linked article is of course a ridiculous example of how things can go haywire.....just like the 1st grader who gets suspended for bringing a plastic knife in their lunch.

[TGHusker]

It's a double edged sword. Most people choose covenant protected HOA's to help prevent their neighborhood from going to the dogs. But also, many people move into these areas and have lower standards or expectations and they can end up crossways with the enforcement agency. Personally I think HOA's need to be willing and able to enforce their covenants otherwise those covenants will get ignored and it will defeat the purpose.

 

Our HOA is fairly aggressive with keeping people in line, to the point that they do act like totalitarian dicks sometimes. But I have seen neighborhoods that have no standards and I would rather be in an area that enforces than one that doesn't care at all. Having said that, the linked article is of course a ridiculous example of how things can go haywire.....just like the 1st grader who gets suspended for bringing a plastic knife in their lunch.

good comments - yes I'm glad for covenants as well. Our neighborhood is close to another one that doesn't enforce standards. You can tell the difference in appearance and values.

[darkhorse85]

I wonder what the previous suit was about. Sounds like the HOA was looking for a reason to burn him as an act of revenge possibly? This is really pathetic. Before I bought my current house I would ask our realtor to get a copy of the covenants for any HOA that a potential home would belong to if we were really interested. It actually drove my wife and I away from a home we really liked (covenants are a good thign in most situations but this set happened to be ridiculous). I think we're happier where we are now anyway. No HOA, only 6 houses on our street, no potential for building behind me, huge lot, and our neighbors are great.

[BigRedBuster]

Just like anything, when you get a governing body for a group together, sometimes they get out of hand. When I was a contractor in Des Moines, I worked in a lot of different neighborhoods with HOAs. Some are very reasonable and they have very nice neighborhoods. BUT, some get people on the board that have never had any power in their lives before and they think they are little dictators and they make people's lives hell.

 

I knew a guy who worked for a very large electrical contractor. He had a work truck with a logo on it. Now, this truck was a very nice truck, clean, well maintained...etc. He was not allowed to park his truck outside his garage. Well....every once in a while he would have something in his pickup that didn't allow him to park in the garage. Inevitably, he would get an angry call from the HOA simply because a vehicle with a company logo was parked out in the open. It pissed him off so much he finally moved.

 

Personally, I would prefer to not live in a neighborhood like that. However, I don't want to live in a neighborhood where the next door guy can let his place go to hell.

 

Ahhhhh....acreage in the country is for me. Screw the city life.