"Not allowed" - driveway oil change in my community

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: GMFan
I was reading somewhere on the interwebs that some HOAs do not allow a PICKUP TRUCK parked in a driveway and if you own one you are mandated to keep it in the garage. Is there such a thing as HOAs that actually have this rule?


I've read where some HOA's won't allow home owners to park their work trucks where they are visible at ANY time of the day/night. I'd tell them to shove it if they don't like my work truck. I guess they think blue collar work is beneath them.

 

[Mr Nice]

Affluent folks don't want those 'glitter and glam' optioned $50,000 pick up trucks in the neighborhood. Even though these trucks are not work trucks and only go to Home Depot for 2 bags of mulch and fertilizer for garden.

 

[aquariuscsm]

The work trucks I was talking about are utility trucks/box trucks/work vans. I find those white trash Cadillacs (the lifted diesel bro trucks that are always spotless that show no working history or evidence) to be completely repulsive.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Affluent folks don't want those 'glitter and glam' optioned $50,000 pick up trucks in the neighborhood. Even though these trucks are not work trucks and only go to Home Depot for 2 bags of mulch and fertilizer for garden.

You can't blame them. First you let in pickup trucks. Then people are rolling coal through the neighborhood every day.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: hatt
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Affluent folks don't want those 'glitter and glam' optioned $50,000 pick up trucks in the neighborhood. Even though these trucks are not work trucks and only go to Home Depot for 2 bags of mulch and fertilizer for garden.

You can't blame them. First you let in pickup trucks. Then people are rolling coal through the neighborhood every day.


Hahahaha
hatt, that's a winner!

 

[HTSS_TR]

HOA are usually in private area of a city, homeowners are paying monthly dues to upkeep common area including street light, landscaping, swimming pool ...

Some HOA rules are reasonable, some are so strict but either can be changed if enough homeowners petition and vote for the change(s).

My previous home had HOA due about $200/mo, the HOA rules were very reasonable, we just need to keep the front lawn clean, house is needed to paint once in about 8-10 years, don't park a vehicle on a street more than 72 hours without moving it, don't do extensive car repair on street, oil change is okay ...

Current house has no HOA, but the area is fairly nice and quiet, nothing unusual is going on here. Some light car repairs here and there, didn't see any vehicle repaired on any street for more than few hours.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I see NO benefits to an HOA. I also see alot of sect 8 in HOA's.


It's a forest vs trees problem. Without the HOA, prices would probably be higher. A developer can probably squeeze in more units in a piece of land and have an HOA than trying to put all single family houses on the same size lot. You just see the effects afterwards, not before. Just compare the price of two properties in the same area, the single family is probably going to be higher than the one with an HOA.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I see NO benefits to an HOA. I also see alot of sect 8 in HOA's.


It's a forest vs trees problem. Without the HOA, prices would probably be higher. A developer can probably squeeze in more units in a piece of land and have an HOA than trying to put all single family houses on the same size lot. You just see the effects afterwards, not before. Just compare the price of two properties in the same area, the single family is probably going to be higher than the one with an HOA.
In FL, pretty much every new, or newer, development is going to have an HOA. It's not really about cost, it's just how it is. From zero lot line to multi-acre tracts. You can buy a lot outside of a subdivision and build a similar house for similar money, as less, than one built inside by a big builder.

 

[opus1]

Actually, it is kind of about the cost, at least in my area. My city wants rooftops, but doesn't want to build the infrastructure and maintain it. My developer covered the SSA (Special Service Assessment) the city imposed for the roads/sidewalks/sewers, meaning that it was built into the cost of the house rather than another line-item on my tax bill for 30 years. The HOA covering my area has rules that really aren't all that outrageous, but the important thing is that my yearly dues ($360 or so last year) cover the landscaping of the berms, walking paths and so on, and the maintenance of the retention ponds. If the HOA is ever dissolved, there's another SSA line item that the city will impose to take over that responsibility and I guarantee you it won't be anywhere near $360 for the year.

Long story short, and as has been stated multiple times in this thread, if you don't like the idea of a HOA, don't buy in into an area that has one.

 

[cjcride]

Dumping used oil into the ground! Anyone would and should alert authorities.

 

[Nick1994]

Every time HOAs are brought up here, they're defended by people on here by saying they don't want to live in a neighborhood where cars are parked on the lawns, cars are up on blocks, and the grass looks like a jungle.

I don't live in an HOA neighborhood, and no one in my neighborhood parks in their lawn, no cars on blocks, and lawns look reasonable.

What am I missing? Maybe don't go move into the ghetto in the first place.

 

[xfactor9]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4

What I can't figure out is if he lives in a nice enough neighborhood to have a home owners association, why doesn't he have a garage? Even in my run down neighborhood with Police helicopters and search lights flying over 24/7 -- I still got a garage.

Not all HOAs are located in affluent areas. Mobile home parks can have strict rules but the homes don't have garages. I wonder if the OP lives in one.

HOAs aren't a problem except when someone moves in who never read the CC&R, then complains about the Nazi HOA on some forum, then the floodgates opens up with pro individual-rights people chiming in about how they'd never move into an HOA. The real problem is that the person should never have moved into the HOA in the first place

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
What am I missing? Maybe don't go move into the ghetto in the first place.


You're missing the fact that those things are extreme and aren't very common. But I've seen places that have an HOA and places that don't. There's an old development that's made up of a bunch of attached townhouses that are single families built in the 40's. If they were built today it would probably be a condo complex. Anyway, in that grouping of 4, you're going to see different roofs, different siding, some aluminium, some vinyl, and usually one of them is in nice shape and may one of them is run down. You can bet that the guy who maintains his house wishes his neighbor's house wasn't so run down. They just don't have as much curb appeal as a block of houses that are uniform in appearance and condition.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Every time HOAs are brought up here, they're defended by people on here by saying they don't want to live in a neighborhood where cars are parked on the lawns, cars are up on blocks, and the grass looks like a jungle.

I don't live in an HOA neighborhood, and no one in my neighborhood parks in their lawn, no cars on blocks, and lawns look reasonable.

What am I missing? Maybe don't go move into the ghetto in the first place.


I would say that you live in a decent community where you've not had issues....yet.

I do live in an HOA governed community. But still, many of my neighbors DO NOT follow the rules at all. When I bring these infractions up to the HOA...they just give me the run-around.

What issues do I have with the neighbors? Parking on the sidewalks....weeds and lawns that aren't mowed....trees/shrubs overgrown....houses badly needing a paint job...oil spills on street and in driveways....litter.....dog poop not picked up....adults and kids riding motorized vehicles in the street....speeding....pot smoking and cussing language (right in front of young kids)....music played too loudly.....fences falling down....and the list could go on and on.

Do I or others live in a "ghetto"? Well...I am beginning to think it is quickly becoming one. But being over 50 years old I have seen a nearly complete change in our culture and upbringing. All that brings on a very poor understanding of being a decent and courteous member of the community. It's getting to be almost everywhere now. At least where I have lived. HOA'a can help remedy some of these problems...but only if the rules are strictly enforced.

 

[Nick1994]

I couldn't care less if my neighbors grass was a little too long, or what they do, as long as music wasn't loud after 10:00 at night.

There's about 10 weeds out front of my house I haven't gotten to yet, my hose isn't put away, and my hedges are overgrown. Still looks fine to me out front. I'd probably be arrested in an HOA lol.

 

[MNgopher]

A good chunk of this is a difference in governance styles. HOA's aren't typical for single family homes here for the most part, and the neighborhoods generally look fine.

The reason for that? The local government has relatively solid ordinances and actually enforces them (at least when its brought to their attention).

Other places I've lived, where HOA's are common, the city/county/whoever is in charge takes a very hands off approach (whether by legal necessity or by choice/preference) and leaves most of this stuff to an HOA.

I also agree that one has to do their research on what is and isn't allowed in an HOA, and decide if thats a good fit for you... I live in a non-HOA neighborhood, and its fine. The City does a good job of code enforcement. I'm also not bothered by what color someone elses house is, that they park a boat or car on their driveway, etc...

 

[addyguy]

I'm in the same situation in a condo.

Rules used to be you couldn't do 'major' vehicle repairs in the parking spots. Last year, it was changed and underlined that NO vehicle maintenance of ANY kind is allowed in the parking spots.

I've been here just over 10 years, and I've never seen any other resident open the hood of their car for anything. I'm the only person who ever opens their hood to check oil or even add washer fluid.

I still do check oil and add washer fluid in my parking spot, but I expect to be told soon not to do it any more.

 

[HerrStig]

One way to deal with an aggravating board is to GET ON IT. It's a thankless job, and often the board is filled with ax grinders but sometimes a little common sense goes a long way.

 

[KitaCam]

Some old DDs here leak so much oil that after a couple of years their parking space had to be "re-asphalted"...
...while I put a heavy rubber carpet mat under mine to catch the onandoffagain daily drip...until someone stole it this week....

I thought I would have to use a larger one with a tire on it, and have to pick it up when I left my space...
...a new neighbor jerk took it....thinking it was just sitting there...he put it in front of his door!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I see NO benefits to an HOA. I also see alot of sect 8 in HOA's.


It's a forest vs trees problem. Without the HOA, prices would probably be higher. A developer can probably squeeze in more units in a piece of land and have an HOA than trying to put all single family houses on the same size lot. You just see the effects afterwards, not before. Just compare the price of two properties in the same area, the single family is probably going to be higher than the one with an HOA.


Probably the main reason I hate them. I like having a huge yard. Home ownership to me is having space and privacy. HOA neighborhoods are most of the time nothing more than huge apartment complexes. I hate seeing those disposable prefab cookie cutter McMansions lined up like cracker boxes on top of each other. No thanks!