HOA Stories. Whatcha got?

[Mikej]

When I lived in Arizona, I purposely shopped for a house that was NOT in an HOA. My wife's parents had bought a house in one and were suffering the consequences.

Bought a house in a nice neighborhood and didn't have any issues.

Then I moved up here and bought a house in a decent neighborhood next to a well-maintained and very cute restored farmhouse. It was inhabited by an attractive single-mom and her two young kids.

She moved out within 3-4 months and an unmarried couple in their 40's moved in.

Found out the owners of the house are a retired couple in their 80's and bought the house for their granddaughter to live in. She got cancer and had to move closer to a treatment center, so they rented the house out to the new couple.

That was about 4 years ago. I have been in a constant battle with them since. The boyfriend is a construction worker that rarely works and brings home piles of scrap from job sites when he does work. The woman is nice but likely abused.

They have a "troubled" (according to the city clerk) teenage son that likes to find trashy vehicles, then crash them, then park them next to my yard and dismantle them and throw parts in my yard.

The house has gone to a cute restored farmhouse to what looks like the result of the zombie apocalypse. It has surely affected property values and will make selling my home this year a challenge.

The city has warned them and they attempted a minor clean-up that lasted a month. The property is completely trashed and I am going to have to get serious about things this Spring as I get closer to listing my home.

No idea what rights I have or who to sue. Would hate to go after the old couple, as they are in their late 80's and are victims as well.

Don't think I will ever live in a town ever again. People are just going nuts and there is no sense of decency or self-respect in too many people these days.

Before the clean up:

View attachment 553522

View attachment 553523

After:

View attachment 553524

View attachment 553525

Since then, it has gotten much worse. Worse than the before pics.

This is what it looked like when I bought my house...

View attachment 553531

I lean on the side of NO HOA for the most part. I find it weird though that posters read and SEE your post/pictures and have no comment, or react in any way. It's like your post, and pictures, are invisible! And sorry, you folks that live out in the country don't relate to having neighbors, the kind who's homes are 20'-25' from yours? The homes that were kept proper, 'till they were turned into rentals, or sold to some damned millennial that doesn't believe in yard work. Oh yea, that f-ing city will hunt you down for their bridge/art tax but the non-working, homeless, druggie, tweeking trash living in the zombie house have rights!

Sigh....Just thinking of my hood, but still not sure I'd want an HOA. Though I have to believe that there are HOAs out there that aren't as restrictive as the stories here?

 

[AMT]

Wife reminded me of a couple.....

After our shop was built I was putting our cedar fence back up. About 3/4 through a car pulls up and a guy gets out. He says that he is on the committee and they cannot find where I had asked permission (filed out that effing form) to install a fence.

I tell him that the fence was removed so the shop could be built. Now that the shop was built I am putting the fence back. It is all in the paperwork that I filled out to build my shop.

He leaves. He comes back with a copy of the "request" and says, "It doesn't state anywhere that you were going to put the fence back once the shop was completed."

I look at him . What do you think I was going to do? Leave it wide open? No, I'm putting the fence back.

He says, "we never received a request so I'm going to have to ask you to stop with the fence until the approval is given. Which means you'll have to fill out the paperwork. Would you like me to bring you a copy or do you want to just download it from the website?"

I tell him that I'll download it. He leaves.

I never did fill out the paperwork.

 

[nehalemguy]

When we first started out the HOA management company was leaving love notes on the homes that were not part of the HOA for numerous violations. It was funny as all hell hearing the complaints at our meeting from two residents of said non HOA homes.

My father went through a similar event when he built his retirement home bordering next to a historical district. The home had already been approved and permitted by the county when he started getting letters for the historical district board stating that new buildings had to match the architectural style of the district and be approved by the district. He knew that he was outside the boundary so he would just round file the notices. Then he started getting letters threatening legal action so he sent his attorney to arrange a meeting with the district board.

In the meeting the district admitted that they knew the new home was outside their jurisdiction, but that they still wanted it to build to their standards. The attorney told them to pound sand and then hit them with a cease and desist order. Never heard another word after that.

E

 

[Geardo]

Also, several blocks away from my house, there is a house with a huge bubblegum LED American flag on the front of their house. Might be able to see it from space. They also have a God Bless America sign in what looks like maybe 24" letters in red, white, and blue. His neighbors are never selling their houses.

I have a neighbor like this too. Personally it makes me happy every time I walk by.

 

[Geardo]

I lean on the side of NO HOA for the most part. I find it weird though that posters read and SEE your post/pictures and have no comment, or react in any way. It's like your post, and pictures, are invisible! And sorry, you folks that live out in the country don't relate to having neighbors, the kind who's homes are 20'-25' from yours? The homes that were kept proper, 'till they were turned into rentals, or sold to some damned millennial that doesn't believe in yard work. Oh yea, that f-ing city will hunt you down for their bridge/art tax but the non-working, homeless, druggie, tweeking trash living in the zombie house have rights!

Sigh....Just thinking of my hood, but still not sure I'd want an HOA. Though I have to believe that there are HOAs out there that aren't as restrictive as the stories here?

I am not sure what the solution is. We live in a Non HOA neighborhood, with CCRs. When a violater becomes to annoying a bunch of us call the sherriffs office and they write them a ticket. Kind of a hassle but less annoying than an HOA IMO.

Our neighor across the street kind of lets her house get overgrown. I don't mind because it means anyone looking to break in will hit her instead of my well-kept well lit house.

We even have a little green space that somehow gets maintained.

I admit all this could go to crap when current occupents of the neighborhood die of old age, but hopefully we will be gone by then! Out in the country.

 

[Mikej]

I am not sure what the solution is. We live in a Non HOA neighborhood, with CCRs. When a violater becomes to annoying a bunch of us call the sherriffs office and they write them a ticket. Kind of a hassle but less annoying than an HOA IMO.

Our neighor across the street kind of lets her house get overgrown. I don't mind because it means anyone looking to break in will hit her instead of my well-kept well lit house.

We even have a little green space that somehow gets maintained.

I admit all this could go to crap when current occupents of the neighborhood die of old age, but hopefully we will be gone by then! Out in the country.

Overgrown is one thing, junked wrecked cars/construction debris another. Some people don't have the money/physical ability to keep a yard up. Like my neighbor lady. I just keep mowing my lawn right through her front yard too, trim the rhodie at the proper time, etc. Others don't relate, kinda like the "Device Zombies" that inhabit potland.

I don't know about thieves breaking into her house. Thieves might prefer people with the nice yard?nice things to the poor yard/poor things?

 

[Member 34319]

Why would anyone who espouses freedom, personal rights and criticizes overbearing and oppressive government want to live under the 'umbrella' of a HOA?
Seems contradictory to me.

When we moved here we looked at a lot of different neighborhoods in Beaverton and Hillsboro. Most of the homes we looked at in our budget were 20-60 years old. Most were in need of lots of updates and or looked like a big repair or such was around the corner. Out of those a handful were non HOA, and at that time we were able to see signs of those that like there freedom in confined spaces represents. One had a riced our Honda parked in the front lawn, just to be specific on the amount of freedom that neighbor was displaying.

Anyways we ended up finding a new development that was selling new homes. Under our budget and in an HOA. We were able to be part of the customization of our home during the design stages and were able to put in many upgrades at the very beginning that would have cost tens of thousands in an older home.

It was a no brainer to choose the home we did. In an HOA neighborhood. And since we chose this house, we don't have to look at those undesirable expressions of freedom like a junker car in a front yard, or a neon orange paint color.

 

[AMT]

When my shop was being built one of the CCR stipulations was that it had to have a "concrete or aggregate driveway" from the street to the structure. Ticked me off as I was just going to put down nice rock and keep it maintained.

Then a committee slug showed up and pointed out that my plans didn't have a "concrete or aggregate driveway" from the road to the building. I explained what I was going to do. They quickly squashed that by showing me a highlighted copy of the CCRs. (they came prepared this time ).

So I tell them, "Fine I'll put an asphalt driveway from the road to it."

You guessed it.... NO WAY!!! That was specifically against the CCRs. "Concrete or aggregate driveway" only!

So my concrete work went from about $6500 to almost $12K.

So, now that I have a driveway from the road, around the side of my house, into my backyard, and to the shop, I park my vehicles ON THE DRIVEWAY.

NOTE:

The CCR's also specifically stated that homeowners cannot have anything parked on the side of their homes, or in their backyards. No boats, motorhomes, utility trailers, NOTHING. Yeah, the neighborhood is nice and clean looking because there isn't junk/garbage/broken down vehicles parked in the driveways or side's of homes.

BUT, being my driveway is now extended around the side of my house and into my backyard, guess what.....??? Yup, you guessed it. I park on my driveway!

I've been given numerous "talking to's" and even a couple of "notice of infractions". My standard response is now "show me in the CCR's where it specifically states that we are NOT allowed to park in our driveway!"

They always argue and try telling me "that is an access to and from your shop, not a driveway."

I quickly point out that I have documentation that states I had to have a driveway from the street to the shop.

They get mad and walk away.

 

[Stomper]

uuhhhhh..... any driveway shall be "concrete or aggregate". Concrete is obvious enough.... "aggregate" is gravel, they wouldn't let you put down the nice rock you intended.... which is AGGREGATE?

 

[Geardo]

I don't know about thieves breaking into her house. Thieves might prefer people with the nice yard?nice things to the poor yard/poor things?

She has Been broken into several times, while other neighbirs have not had any issues.

 

[nehalemguy]

uuhhhhh..... any driveway shall be "concrete or aggregate". Concrete is obvious enough.... "aggregate" is gravel, they wouldn't let you put down the nice rock you intended.... which is AGGREGATE?

That is exactly what I was thinking. What are they defining as aggregate?

Also...asphalt is officially abbreviated as "HMAC"....Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete.

I have been able to beat a lot of these rules and regulations in my line of work simply because the people making the rules don't define what it is that they call out.

E

 

[AMT]

uuhhhhh..... any driveway shall be "concrete or aggregate". Concrete is obvious enough.... "aggregate" is gravel, they wouldn't let you put down the nice rock you intended.... which is AGGREGATE?

My bad on terminology. It was either cement, or the cement mixture with the aggregate mixed into it. (I forget what it is called). While typing all I could think of was "aggregate".

Again, my bad.

 

[Stomper]

My bad on terminology. It was either cement, or the cement mixture with the aggregate mixed into it. (I forget what it is called). While typing all I could think of was "aggregate".

Again, my bad.

Ahh.... you must mean "exposed aggregate" finish on the concrete. Gotcha!

 

[Caveman Jim]

I lean on the side of NO HOA for the most part. I find it weird though that posters read and SEE your post/pictures and have no comment, or react in any way. It's like your post, and pictures, are invisible! And sorry, you folks that live out in the country don't relate to having neighbors, the kind who's homes are 20'-25' from yours? The homes that were kept proper, 'till they were turned into rentals, or sold to some damned millennial that doesn't believe in yard work. Oh yea, that f-ing city will hunt you down for their bridge/art tax but the non-working, homeless, druggie, tweeking trash living in the zombie house have rights!

Sigh....Just thinking of my hood, but still not sure I'd want an HOA. Though I have to believe that there are HOAs out there that aren't as restrictive as the stories here?

Mike, there are some of us that just bide our time & pounce on a secluded parcel with the house we want to die in.... with no HOA or CCR's and the best neighbors.
It just so happens that I was working out of town in this area for 2 years (lived in Gig Harbor in an RV). Transferred there & we are still here.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Man, I got a major head ache reading this thread, holy crap batman that's a lot of chit to put your self through just to live in a home you own! Personally, I would be in Jail for a long stretch If I were forced to live under Nazi rule in my own home!
I have no idea how you can stand one second of that abuse!
When we first moved to PDX in 1980, we found a nicer little neighborhood, Non HOA, but with a few neighbors who were definalty busybodies with nothing better to do then harass us about this and that, your fir trees are too big, you have to many trees, your rose bushes shouldn't be allowed to grow above the gutters on your roof, your lawn should be watered only in the evenings and trimmed each and every saterday! GTFOMP was Dads standard reply to said busybodies and Plucked and trussed hens! WTF gets into peoples heads that they feel it's their right and business to tell others how to live!
I cannot abide having others with any sort of power over me, and those who think they do, very quickly find the truth, they are VERY VERY WRONG! Homey Don't Play Dat!

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Thank God my property isn't under a HOA. I've got an old tractor that doesn't run parked in a weed patch next to the barn. If anyone was dumb enough to tell me it violated their rules they'd probably wake up in a hospital room with a doctor standing over them scratching his head wondering how he is going to remove a tractor and a bunch of weeds from their backside.

 

[NW Backpacker]

When my shop was being built one of the CCR stipulations was that it had to have a "concrete or aggregate driveway" from the street to the structure. Ticked me off as I was just going to put down nice rock and keep it maintained.

Then a committee slug showed up and pointed out that my plans didn't have a "concrete or aggregate driveway" from the road to the building. I explained what I was going to do. They quickly squashed that by showing me a highlighted copy of the CCRs. (they came prepared this time ).

So I tell them, "Fine I'll put an asphalt driveway from the road to it."

You guessed it.... NO WAY!!! That was specifically against the CCRs. "Concrete or aggregate driveway" only!

So my concrete work went from about $6500 to almost $12K.

So, now that I have a driveway from the road, around the side of my house, into my backyard, and to the shop, I park my vehicles ON THE DRIVEWAY.

NOTE:

The CCR's also specifically stated that homeowners cannot have anything parked on the side of their homes, or in their backyards. No boats, motorhomes, utility trailers, NOTHING. Yeah, the neighborhood is nice and clean looking because there isn't junk/garbage/broken down vehicles parked in the driveways or side's of homes.

BUT, being my driveway is now extended around the side of my house and into my backyard, guess what.....??? Yup, you guessed it. I park on my driveway!

I've been given numerous "talking to's" and even a couple of "notice of infractions". My standard response is now "show me in the CCR's where it specifically states that we are NOT allowed to park in our driveway!"

They always argue and try telling me "that is an access to and from your shop, not a driveway."

I quickly point out that I have documentation that states I had to have a driveway from the street to the shop.

They get mad and walk away.

Hilarious stories! You should write a book!

 

[TTSX]

Not my sorry, but one I remember hearing. To keep it short, this guy's neighbor decided a tree in his backyard was blocking her view of the mountains and per some regulation or another, it became his responsibility to pay to remove it. He liked the tree and wanted to keep it, certainly didn't want to pay to remove it being very old and very big.... On a hillside. Last I knew he got sued for it

 

[clearconscience]

Wife reminded me of a couple.....

After our shop was built I was putting our cedar fence back up. About 3/4 through a car pulls up and a guy gets out. He says that he is on the committee and they cannot find where I had asked permission (filed out that effing form) to install a fence.

I tell him that the fence was removed so the shop could be built. Now that the shop was built I am putting the fence back. It is all in the paperwork that I filled out to build my shop.

He leaves. He comes back with a copy of the "request" and says, "It doesn't state anywhere that you were going to put the fence back once the shop was completed."

I look at him . What do you think I was going to do? Leave it wide open? No, I'm putting the fence back.

He says, "we never received a request so I'm going to have to ask you to stop with the fence until the approval is given. Which means you'll have to fill out the paperwork. Would you like me to bring you a copy or do you want to just download it from the website?"

I tell him that I'll download it. He leaves.

I never did fill out the paperwork.

I swear they find the biggest anus they can to enforce the rules.

I'd a kicked him in his sack

 

[AMT]

I swear they find the biggest anus they can to enforce the rules.

I'd a kicked him in his sack