Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Some people buy a house in an area with no HOA just to avoid silly rules.
It's OK with me if the neighbor wants to work on his car, motorcycle, jet ski, etc....in his driveway.
And for others....they like a neighborhood to remain free from junk cars and vehicle parts strewn all over the property.
That's why many, like me, prefer a well ran HOA.
I've never been part of an HOA that didn't allow an oil change or a passenger car to be parked in the driveway.
In my experience in the locations where I have lived (not lower income communities), without an HOA people take liberty to turn an otherwise nice neighborhood....into a messy, ugly eyesore.
Andrew:
Earlier in this thread you posted the following:
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Most middle class communities in my neck of the woods are rife with druggies and violent types. Yes...I need to move. This is my second move in three years attempting to get into a better community....but it's almost everywhere. Just yesterday a local moron was driving his four wheeler around the neighborhood streets going about 40mph. It's illegal...and children are at risk as well as being highly annoying. I wave the guy down and ask him to please stop and explain to him the reasons why. He flips me off and laughs as he drives off.
Afraid of my neighbors? Not really....but I would not trust them in times of crisis....let alone knock on a door with a problem.
Where I live (and have lived before this) people are nutty and have ZERO class.
Where you live currently, is there an HOA? Because if so, you certainly aren't describing a situation that I'd want to be any part of and you must pay a premium for this "privilege" ?
I don't live in the best part of town (though certainly not a bad part by any stretch of the imagination), despite being in close proximity to homes worth 5x as much as my own. Owners are a mixed bag, anything from teachers to doctors, surgeons, CEO's...etc. We have some low rent around the corner, and some more along a street that runs parallel. But those that live there tend to keep to themselves. I can cite some specific examples of problems that have popped up in the last 10 years (a bike stolen that one of my kids left on the front lawn, a Muskoka chair stolen from my deck by a University student, crack-heads checking car doors in case they are unlocked for spare change and some random drunk guy sitting on my deck one morning) but these are problems that something like an HOA isn't going to help. They are infrequent occurrences and generally things are nice. I do have a camera setup because of my kids leaving things on the deck, and to act as a deterrent of course. But referencing what it has recorded has only ever been necessary once.
Nobody cares if you are doing an oil change on the street, if you paint the trim on your house a funny colour, if your kids are running around the yard screaming as they splash in the sprinkler. Nobody has a clapped out Camaro sitting on their front lawn or letting their dog drop a meaty one on your walkway. Without anything legislating it, there is a level of respect that exists that allows everybody to live in relative peace and do their own thing without these freakish overbearing rules being enforced by some assigned governing body
When we lived out east our neighbours showed up at our door with food to welcome us when we arrived. My later best friend's dad showed up with a bucket of fresh clams. He was nuttier than a fruitcake (and a raging alcoholic) but friendly. People down the road would just drop in and say hi randomly. It was how it was out there. The guy that did septic tanks, well drilling and driveway clearing was also the local mechanic, LOL! People out there generally didn't have much but were so incredibly generous and friendly. Of course it wasn't perfect, we had the odd "incident" out there. The one couple down the street a ways (1/4 mile?) had a pair of unfriendly dogs that would chase bicycles and bite. The aforementioned nutter shot both of them and solved that problem. Anything that did come up had a way of sorting itself out without the police getting involved.
My parents now have a place out there that they own in town near where my dad teaches and a place here. Both places they are friends with all of their neighbours, everybody gets along....etc.
These places you guys describe sound so toxic to me. I can't understand the idea of intentionally living in a place that is so awkward and uncomfortable. Perhaps it isn't as bad as it seems, but that's certainly my take away from this discussion so far
Overkill,
Yes, believe it or not my current neighborhood is governed (not much) by an HOA.
I'll explain a bit here so as to not appear that I contradict myself.
My previous dwelling was one my girlfriend owned. It was not mine. It was in an extremely run down, crime ridden, and filthy area. I lived there with her and did my best to help her secure the home and protect the property from vandals and the like. She was in a very poor situation financially when I met her, including her home value.
After five years of working just about every angle to help her sell her money-pit of a home, we were finally successful.
Being that the sale was up and down and not a done deal until almost final closing time....we needed a place to move to quickly. I settled on where we are now out of necessity. The home itself is very nice, with a huge deck out back and woods to look at.
I knew when we moved here all about the HOA....and that from just looking around at the neighborhood, I could see that it wasn't being followed. Since we are renting this place and only plan on staying here until the lease is done....we both agreed to put up with the crummy HOA and it's lack of enforcement. The dues/fees are included in the rent.
I've brought up my concerns to the HOA about the lack of bylaw enforcement....all to no avail. This might be because I am just a renter and not a homeowner here....so they really don't care what I think I would guess.
My neighbors are pretty much rampant abusers of the HOA rules...as well as ignoring simple decent neighborly conduct. I do know a few that are nice and considerate though. But these are older folks. The younger ones tend to be problematic.
This is why our next move will consist of two realities. A higher income neighborhood and a real HOA that enforces the rules.
