HOA Boards Strike Again...

[disneydreamer1980]

In an old house we lived in a few years ago we planted flowers along the edge behind our shed in our backyard (it was in our yard but bordered an open field behind some of the houses) and received a letter from the HOA shortly after demanding that we pull up the flowers because apparently they weren’t “approved”. Never understood if the flowers themselves were somehow on some unapproved list or if we were just supposed to have asked permission first but we pulled them up without argument because we were moving soon anyway. I couldn’t believe they would make us remove something that beautified the area

 

[sam_gordon]

Isn't saying there shouldn't be HOAs because some of them are "bad" like saying there shouldn't be police because some of them are "bad"? Or there shouldn't be schools because some of them are "bad"? I mean, couldn't you say that about any organization?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In an old house we lived in a few years ago we planted flowers along the edge behind our shed in our backyard (it was in our yard but bordered an open field behind some of the houses) and received a letter from the HOA shortly after demanding that we pull up the flowers because apparently they weren’t “approved”. Never understood if the flowers themselves were somehow on some unapproved list or if we were just supposed to have asked permission first but we pulled them up without argument because we were moving soon anyway. I couldn’t believe they would make us remove something that beautified the area

In our county in particular there's a huge push to get rid of invasive species and also to return areas to prairie lands. They've been clearing out portions of local parks in stages to get this accomplished by getting rid of invasive plants and trees to foster butterflies, bees and other insects and animals.

For years a person who works as a master gardener for the county and also lives in our neighborhood has been requesting people cut down and get rid of honeysuckle which is an invasive species but one of which is just here naturally in the neighborhood due to seeds blowing in or animals planting it. They choke out other plants and trees.

There's a combined effort from a few of the states around mine including mine to get ride of bradford pear trees, one of which they will pay you to get another tree.

About 10 years ago and even up to a few years ago ash borer destroyed majority of the ash trees here. One of the nearby cities is removing one of the types of trees that is considered acceptable to plant for commercial and residential and instead adding more variety both in part to help try and prevent such devastation like the ash borer where you're left with no trees and to foster diversity.

I'm guessing the flowers you planted were harmless, pretty looking plants but I also understand how there might be a concern as to just what type of plants are planted. Our HOA doesn't really have that rule but no artificial plants are allowed unless the site condition prevents natural growth, while the clay soil we have can be difficult to grow some things I doubt anyone's site is so bad that no landscaping can occur and I've yet to see fake flowers driving around. It also could have been the placement of them that caused an issue with your HOA. Hard to say since you removed them and moved without asking them what they meant but there may have been a good reason for it.

 

[firefly_ris]

They are not my jam and I purposely have never purchased a home in one, but I can see why some people like them. They seem to be in more modern, densely packed suburban planned neighborhoods in the area where I live and that type of environment is not my preference so it was pretty easy for us to avoid them.

Where my parents live there is a total of about 12 houses in the neighborhood all on 1+ acre lots, and they don't have an active HOA, but they do have a set of covenants. Not sure how similar that is. I just know they aren't allowed to have above ground pools, fenced yards (around an in-ground pool only), no freestanding sheds, and you can't paint your house purple or whatever. These are all Georgian-style large brick homes so they want the neighborhood to keep a certain look. There aren't any fees or dues or an HOA board or anything of that nature, however. To me that seems like a decent deal.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We built a house 5 years ago and it has an HOA. We love it. We pay $220 per month and they do all of our yard work (moving, trimming, mulch, spraying, weed control) etc. They shovel our driveway, sidewalk, and front walkway when it snows.. We have monthly (or more) social activities (free dinner last Friday was the latest) that we attend when we can to chat with all our neighbors.

Yes, my front door can only be 1 of 15 colors, but I love my blue door and am glad no one can have pink or mint green. All of the houses are well maintained as required which I like.

No signs in the yards unless your house is for sale works for me.

As a group we had great dialogue and resolution on how to handle the solar panel issue.

Houses in our neighborhood have also been selling for 40% more then people paid a few years ago. I truly believe our HOA helps make that possible.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They are not my jam and I purposely have never purchased a home in one, but I can see why some people like them. They seem to be in more modern, densely packed suburban planned neighborhoods in the area where I live and that type of environment is not my preference so it was pretty easy for us to avoid them.

Where my parents live there is a total of about 12 houses in the neighborhood all on 1+ acre lots, and they don't have an active HOA, but they do have a set of covenants. Not sure how similar that is. I just know they aren't allowed to have above ground pools, fenced yards (around an in-ground pool only), no freestanding sheds, and you can't paint your house purple or whatever. These are all Georgian-style large brick homes so they want the neighborhood to keep a certain look. There aren't any fees or dues or an HOA board or anything of that nature, however. To me that seems like a decent deal.

Some of those rules are same for my HOA: no above ground pool, approved colors only (but there's quite a good variety these days you still aren't going to see purple lol), no separate structures which includes sheds.

The no fences rule I ran into a few times when I worked at the insurance company because we required all pools (above or in ground) to have a locking fence around it either the pool or the property and the only way we would be able to use an exception is if an HOA or ordinance prohibited it. Here the fences have to be black metal, for a short time they allowed wood but that was actually one of the amendments they did go through the lawyers/refiling with the city for.

That's not bad for your parents not having to pay dues for where they live.

 

[DCLMP]

We built a house 5 years ago and it has an HOA. We love it. We pay $220 per month and they do all of our yard work (moving, trimming, mulch, spraying, weed control) etc. They shovel our driveway, sidewalk, and front walkway when it snows.. We have monthly (or more) social activities (free dinner last Friday was the latest) that we attend when we can to chat with all our neighbors.

Yes, my front door can only be 1 of 15 colors, but I love my blue door and am glad no one can have pink or mint green. All of the houses are well maintained as required which I like.

No signs in the yards unless your house is for sale works for me.

As a group we had great dialogue and resolution on how to handle the solar panel issue.

Houses in our neighborhood have also been selling for 40% more then people paid a few years ago. I truly believe our HOA helps make that possible.

If they do your yard work and shovel snow at least you’re getting something out of it. Unless your someone that would prefer to save your money and do it herself. I’m sure you don’t get that option.

 

[sam_gordon]

If they do your yard work and shovel snow at least you’re getting something out of it. Unless your someone that would prefer to save your money and do it herself. I’m sure you don’t get that option.

Sure you do. Don't buy a house in that neighborhood.

Or do you think people are forced to buy there?

 

[DCLMP]

Sure you do. Don't buy a house in that neighborhood.

Or do you think people are forced to buy there?

You’re amazing at pointing out the obvious.

 

[sam_gordon]

You’re amazing at pointing out the obvious.

Hey, you said there's not an option to not pay the HOA fee.

 

[DCLMP]

Hey, you said there's not an option to not pay the HOA fee.

I think everyone know if you don’t buy a house in HOA you don’t have to pay fees. My question was can you voluntarily opt out of those services. I’ve never heard of HOAs doing your yard work unless you’re in a condo. Most single homeowners are allowed to design their own yards.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think everyone know if you don’t buy a house in HOA you don’t have to pay fees. My question was can you voluntarily opt out of those services. I’ve never heard of HOAs doing your yard work unless you’re in a condo. Most single homeowners are allowed to design their own yards.

I know my parents (just mom now) are in a retirement community with single family homes and part of their dues takes care of yard work. Don't remember who designed it.

 

[Travel60]

I think everyone know if you don’t buy a house in HOA you don’t have to pay fees. My question was can you voluntarily opt out of those services. I’ve never heard of HOAs doing your yard work unless you’re in a condo. Most single homeowners are allowed to design their own yards.

A lot of planned communities do mowing and landscaping services. Great for busy young families or older folks. Many also have rules about whether/what an individual can plant. If you don't like it, don't move there. Or get in the board and be an agent for change.

 

[gmi3804]

I think everyone know if you don’t buy a house in HOA you don’t have to pay fees. My question was can you voluntarily opt out of those services. I’ve never heard of HOAs doing your yard work unless you’re in a condo. Most single homeowners are allowed to design their own yards.

There are several areas around us (north shore of Chicago) which are condominium ownership and the units are single family homes. In those areas, the HOA takes care of the lawn and snow removal, and the owner is not able to opt out of those items. "Condominium" refers to ownership, not architectural style.

 

[DCLMP]

A lot of planned communities do mowing and landscaping services. Great for busy young families or older folks. Many also have rules about whether/what an individual can plant. If you don't like it, don't move there. Or get in the board and be an agent for change.

It doesn’t apply to my neighbourhood. I’m surprised how many people are pro HOA. I guess works for you.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think everyone know if you don’t buy a house in HOA you don’t have to pay fees. My question was can you voluntarily opt out of those services. I’ve never heard of HOAs doing your yard work unless you’re in a condo. Most single homeowners are allowed to design their own yards.

The ones I know that take care of your yard work are usually in maintenance provided neighborhoods. Those can be single family homes but also duplexes (if we're talking about outside of condos or townhouses), most but not all are the 55+ ones at least around here.

To my knowledge some will allow you to do your own yard work (but others won't) but you normally don't get a refund towards the fees you paid. Often the services are provided with a set contract with a price and that is calculated in the budgets.

Our HOA uses a particular landscape company but from what I understand if you contract them out to do your own lawn or landscaping (as they do both) they can give you a deal since they provide for the neighborhood as well. The HOA also has a standing contract for the landscape company to put up the Christmas lights and wreath on the trees and water feature on the main road into the neighborhood.

There are some cities here where an HOA can contract out the street snow removal and treatment to a private company but at that point you're at the mercy of that company. My in-laws lived in one and they had so-so snow removal to poor snow removal. The snow removal also was for the street not for your driveway or sidewalk, that is something you'd need to be in a maintenance provided neighborhood to get covered for the whole neighborhood.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

If they do your yard work and shovel snow at least you’re getting something out of it. Unless your someone that would prefer to save your money and do it herself. I’m sure you don’t get that option.

No, you have to pay either way. We knew exactly what we needed to pay and what we received for the fee when we bought. We also had no desire to cut and maintain our yard anyway. We have the same setup at our Florida home. We do the mulching and landscape bed maintenance at our lake house which is enough. With multiple homes to maintain we do not have the time, energy, or desire to cut grass or do most yard work. We like to relax, float on the lake, or walk the beach. Much more fun.

 

[DCLMP]

No, you have to pay either way. We knew exactly what we needed to pay and what we received for the fee when we bought. We also had no desire to cut and maintain our yard anyway. We have the same setup at our Florida home. We do the mulching and landscape bed maintenance at our lake house which is enough. With multiple homes to maintain we do not have the time, energy, or desire to cut grass or do most yard work. We like to relax, float on the lake, or walk the beach. Much more fun.

Can they keep raising the fees? That’s generally what happens. It sounds like you’re wealthy enough to not care how much they raised them. Not the case for most of us.

 

[Christine]

Can they keep raising the fees? That’s generally what happens. It sounds like you’re wealthy enough to not care how much they raised them. Not the case for most of us.

Of course they can raise the fees. But they should also be providing each household with the spending plan/budget for the year. I mean, if the trash collectors raise their fees, the HOA has to raise it's fees. If the landscapers raise their fees, then the HOA who contracts with the landscaper has to raise their fees. If you contracted out for all of this stuff on your own, your fees would go up too and you'd shop around.

Our HOA reviews our trash and snow removal contracts annually and gets bids from local companies to ensure they are getting the most cost effective solution. It's helpful if the board members are residents because they are also impacted by the fees.

They don't just raise fees "because." It's all directly related to the expenses which, without an HOA you'd have them also such as trash pickup. I do suppose there are people who decide not to do that and drive their trash to the dump--not unheard of.

 

[gmi3804]

Can they keep raising the fees? That’s generally what happens. It sounds like you’re wealthy enough to not care how much they raised them. Not the case for most of us.

Some people become wealthy by not shrugging off extra costs.