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As reported on Fox News this morning a homeowners association in a California community is going to enforce an ordinance that fines homeowners for not having green enough lawns!

Isn't California also fining people for watering lawns in their drought?

Darn if you do / Darn if you don't

BWH said:

As reported on Fox News this morning a homeowners association in a California community is going to enforce an ordinance that fines homeowners for not having green enough lawns!

Isn't California also fining people for watering lawns in their drought?

Darn if you do / Darn if you don't

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This should be something we can all agree on. There's a lot of HOAs that are totally out of control. Even here in Texas HOAs have way too much power. If an HOA here says your grass is too long and you don't cut it within a certain amount of time they will hire a contractor to cut it and charge the homeowner a lot more than the contractor would. And you don't have a choice of paying. The HOA can legally seize ownership of your home.

I would never sign an HOA. I'm surprised that so many people do. Many probably don't really know what they're getting into.

I think I'd rather live at the county jail or state pen before living under HOA rules.

Two-Stroke said:

I would never sign an HOA. I'm surprised that so many people do. Many probably don't really know what they're getting into.

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I don't think you have a choice whether to join or not. You don't here.

Mike88se said:

I don't think you have a choice whether to join or not. You don't here.

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I think it depends when you move in. If the hoa is established when you move in you sign up or don't move in. If the hoa is established after you move in your not obligated to sign up I have a customer in a hoa who lived there first and doesn't have to sign up even tho they get harassed to do so

exotion said:

I think it depends when you move in. If the hoa is established when you move in you sign up or don't move in. If the hoa is established after you move in your not obligated to sign up I have a customer in a hoa who lived there first and doesn't have to sign up even tho they get harassed to do so

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I think you're right. I live in an old neighborhood and there are some businesses in some houses and homes with water wells and such that are grandfathered in because they were here before the HOA was formed. And the HOA is pretty reasonable about things. I have a relative that lives in one of those like the one the OP mentioned. The least little thing and they'll have their lawyers (probably related ) fire off a registered letter... for $35.

I lived in a subdivision the hoa told me I could not have my race car in my yard because it did not have a tag on it.
So I bought 4 of the ugliest cars I could find and got tags for them.

You Mericans are nutz.:confused2:

I'm sooo glad i live in Canada :thumbsup:

I live in a house in an old city neighborhood that was built way before HOAs were invented. But instead of HOAs we have zillions of zoning rules that could be used to harass almost anybody. The saving grace is that the complainer (almost always a woman with too much time on her hands) has to convince somebody down at city hall to actually do something about it. :laughing:

I also have a house way out in the country where the only zoning rule (as far as I know) is that you have to have a proper septic system (you can't dump raw sewage into the ground water -- very reasonable). I'm sure the people around there would think it's absurd to have rules about mowing lawns and vehicles without tags. They do mow their lawns but they also have lots of vehicles of all types -- most without tags. :laughing:

HOAs are mostly a suburban thing. You don't see them in the city or in the country. I never thought of that until this thread. :confused2:

Carscw said:

I lived in a subdivision the hoa told me I could not have my race car in my yard because it did not have a tag on it.
So I bought 4 of the ugliest cars I could find and got tags for them.

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Ok :laughing::thumbsup:
I R&Red a special edition 300zx turbo...mostly in the driveway. People walking/biking/driving by were always stopping to chat and checking the progress. One day a couple was walking by and the guy asked about the car. We started talking and he became a regular. I found out later he was the pres of the HOA lol. He was seriously impressed with the car and what I was doing. I ended up doing some R&R on a 60's Mustang for him. Sometimes HOAs are cool.

The most common argument in favor of HOAs is that they protect property values. But that can work the other way. If a particular subdivision gets a reputation for causing its residents a lot of grief with an HOA, it can backfire -- people don't want to live there so property values decrease.

I agree there is a lot of silly rules/regulations in most HOA's, best news I don't have to live in one. I do live in a small town with ordinances of which are voted on in elections or passed by elected councilmembers. These for the most part are fairly reasonable and just protect your property values from the 1/10th of 1% that collect old refrigerators, washing machines, couches then place them in a circle so trash bags of household waste can be stored inside that circle.

To be fair I have to mention the large east coast bank that foreclosed on a house in town 5 years ago and must have forgot they own a house here never bothering to ever mow the lawn. When the grass gets over 12" tall the city usually attempts to grind it off, looks real nice plus our only funeral home is directly across the street (that's a lasting memory for a grieving family)

If there is an up side to all of this it has to be that it is a great haven for skunk's, possum's, rat's, and every other undesirable creature a community doesn't need!

Don't get me wrong I have been known to have a stock car in the front yard, If I have a purpose or intend on rebuilding a car in a timely fashion I have had unlicensed cars also, I even had a tractor and loader for snow removal. You can have things around and still have your property neat and trimmed up.

Mike88se said:

I don't think you have a choice whether to join or not. You don't here.

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You don't here either. You don't join you don't live here. Cost me $110 quarterly plus CDD fees.

I love hoa for 2 reason
1) I don't live In one
2) they are good for business

BWH said:

As reported on Fox News this morning a homeowners association in a California community is going to enforce an ordinance that fines homeowners for not having green enough lawns!

Isn't California also fining people for watering lawns in their drought?

Darn if you do / Darn if you don't

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Yep it doesnt make sense to me, and they are in a severe drought to last I saw.

I guess I am in the minority. I don't live in a HOA at the moment. I own my home and the land its on. But I like having strict zoning laws. Every now and then you get a hoarder or someone that lets their grass grow over 12 inches tall, or someone with dozens of animals and does not take care of them properly, or has loud parties that last until three in the morning. The zoning laws are all you have to try and reign in the crazies :laughing:.
Of course, fining people for not having green enough grass is nuts, but I doubt that type of rule is commonplace or it would not have made the news.

HOAs for the most part are okay, IMO. They are restrictive, but you should know that when you buy a place in one of the subdivisions that have HOAs. If you do not like the rules, then why did you buy a place in the subdivision in the first place? :confused2: They are supposed to be cookie cutter like in appearance, and that is what draws most people to them. Mainly older couples or people that do not have time to do their lawns or any outside maintenance like them. JMO.

SRJMow said:

I guess I am in the minority. I don't live in a HOA at the moment. I own my home and the land its on. But I like having strict zoning laws. Every now and then you get a hoarder or someone that lets their grass grow over 12 inches tall, or someone with dozens of animals and does not take care of them properly, or has loud parties that last until three in the morning. The zoning laws are all you have to try and reign in the crazies :laughing:.
Of course, fining people for not having green enough grass is nuts, but I doubt that type of rule is commonplace or it would not have made the news.

HOAs for the most part are okay, IMO. They are restrictive, but you should know that when you buy a place in one of the subdivisions that have HOAs. If you do not like the rules, then why did you buy a place in the subdivision in the first place? :confused2: They are supposed to be cookie cutter like in appearance, and that is what draws most people to them. Mainly older couples or people that do not have time to do their lawns or any outside maintenance like them. JMO.

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I agree... to a degree. Zoning laws and city/county ordinances and laws would cover most of your examples where I live.
The problem is that the HOA sometimes becomes a sort of prosecutor/judge/jury and enforces rules arbitrarily or overzealously for their benefit...not the community. For example I would bet money that there is a suspicious personal or financial connection between my relative's HOA and their lawyer. There was a news story here a while back about an HOA who tried to sieze the home of a US soldier who was serving extended deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan. I suppose paying his HOA dues kinda slipped his mind. HOA's seizing homes may not be common but I think it happens too often.