Avoid Homeowner Asocciations at all costs (kinda long)

"blacktruck18" (blacktruck14) 08/02/2014 at 02:14 • Filed to: None

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And if you happen to live in a community with an HOA or COA DO NOT accept a board member position.

Mrs Blacktruck and I currently own a Duplex.

Basically the below pic except with 2 car garages.

We have a Condo Owners Association, for some reason even though we have a duplex it is zoned as a condo. When we moved in I (dumbassingly) assumed the COA was a group we gave money to and they took care of shit around the neighborhood and old women would decide what color the flowers would be. FUCK NO, it is a giant pain in the ass.

A little backstory, we pay our money every month and that is supposed to take care of everything from the drywall inside the house and out, including the landscaping in front of the house and some other stuff.

About 5 months ago there was all kinds of shenanigans going on with the property management company who was supposed to take care of everything. So the COA president calls a big meeting and sends out letters to all of the homeowners inviting them to attend. I went just to bitch at the property management company for not sending out someone to quickly to fix a couple of issues we had a round the house. I went to the meeting, which was held at a conference room in a local library ( this will be important shortly). As the lawyer for the Condo association was talking about some super simple shit that people, as homeowners should have I known, I stood up and cut him off. I asked the COA president "are we paying this guy to be here and talk about this? Because I can say the same shit for half the money."

Then, when it came time to address the property management company I was the first person to stand up and complain, my bitching opened a flood gate of complaints about the property management company. The meeting ends up going way longer that it was scheduled for and we were about to get kicked out of the library because it was about to close. While everyone else is talking about when we should have the next meeting and blah blah blah, "we are getting kicked out what should we do?" I walked out to the service counter and schedule the conference room, for the next month at the same date and time which no one else seemed to be able to do.

Fast forward 1 month. I show up late to the next meeting because I got stuck at work. As soon as I walk into the meeting I get told I had just gotten nominated and voted onto the COA board.

Apparently this was because I spoke up at the last meeting and scheduled the current meeting when everyone else went into vapor lock.

So I have been on the COA board for 3 months now. Hasn't been a big deal go to a meeting once a month whatever, don't care. However I knew this could become a pain in the ass, and that happened tonight.

I go outside earlier tonight to clean up blacktruck. I get about halfway through cleaning him up, when I get bombarded by 3 neighbors bitching that the landscaping rocks in front of the houses are getting replaced with bark. Again whatever don't care, you people voted me in, you chose to have me not give a shit about the color of the goddam flowers or the rocks in front of your house. Leave me the fuck alone.

I end up spending about 90 minutes of my life listening to people bitch about bark and late fees for paying their COA dues late (I am sorry you pay your bills late, what the fuck do you want from me, pay the $22.50 late fee) It ended up taking me almost 3 hours to clean blacktruck and instead of enjoying my Friday night relaxation routine I have to listen to people bitch FML.

Thanks for listening have a C10.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:17

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That sucks I couldn't deal with people like that, after a while I'd tell them politely to go away, well in a not so polite way.

GhostZ > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:24

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What the homeowner's association thinks they are:

What they actually are:

blacktruck18 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 08/02/2014 at 02:28

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That's my problem, sometimes I am too nice and entertain people's bullshit. I really just need to start telling people to leave me the fuck alone.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:32

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I try to nice but after a while I just don't want to listen to peoples bullshit any longer.

Manuél Ferrari > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:36

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My Dad is currently engaged in a lawsuit with his HOA. Because it is corrupt. And terrible.

blacktruck18 > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:37

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Sorry for the grammar/ spelling errors I am super tired and wrote this on my phone.

claramag, Mustaco Master > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:43

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Grew up in a neighborhood with some stinging HoA folk. HoA approved exterior paint. HoA approved driveway material. HoA approved garage door direction.

Oh, that last one? If your garage faced the door they could, through some bs contractual shit, demand you rebuild your garage with the door facing away from the street. HS buddy's parents had to paint the exterior this hideous yellow and rebuild their garage of the house they just moved into.
The reward for HoA compliance? You got access to a tiny ass lake. Woop woop

blacktruck18 > Manuél Ferrari 08/02/2014 at 02:45

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Damn thay sucks. I hope it works out for him. What happened?

That reminds me, one of the shitty things about Washington and COAs/ HOAs is that the board members can't be held accountable for anything they do. The treasurer for the COA can literally decide all the houses should be pink, write the check, blow the money and nothing can be done to him/her. It's crazy.

Manuél Ferrari > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 02:49

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Thank you

What you described is all HOAs

Board members decide the rules

What started my Dad's legal fight is his neighbor refused to trim his trees to the height specified by the existing HOA bylaws. He tried for years to get him to do it and he wouldn't. He finally took it to the board and they changed the bylaws and took that rule out. Sucks because these are homes by the ocean and views are important to enjoyment and property values.

So my old man said fuck it and sued them. I hope he wins.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 08:16

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Allegedly we have an HOA, but it's been inactive for so long that no one even bothers with it anymore.

I never got a copy of the CC&R document as closing on my house, so as far as I'm concerned, there are none, as I was not made aware of any conditions, covenants or restrictions on my property.

Camry-Into-Canyon > claramag, Mustaco Master 08/02/2014 at 10:05

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What happens if you don't comply? I assume HOAs don't have legal power, so you can opt out and if they bitch, sue for harassment.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 10:13

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I got roped into our board as well. Luckily its pretty laid back in the year+ we've lived here. The annual meeting is 3 hours of stupid ideas ("let's put up security gates and get guards! and don't worry about figuring out how to pay for it.") but then everybody forgets as soon as they walk out

maximillious > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 11:22

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I work for a company who deals directly with thousands of hoas coas and management companies. The people who live and work at these places have really destroyed my faith in humanity....One woman complained because her neighbor spilled oil in his own driveway, one neighbor complained that their neighbor put stickers on their sliding glass doors (presumably to stop birds from hitting it) people do the prettiest shit at these places and it astonishes me... I will NEVER live in an hoa, I'd rather live under a bridge.....next Friday is my last day at this job. :)

claramag, Mustaco Master > Camry-Into-Canyon 08/02/2014 at 12:11

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IIRC, civil court. Breach of contract and such

Camry-Into-Canyon > claramag, Mustaco Master 08/02/2014 at 14:35

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What if you move in, but don't sign?

claramag, Mustaco Master > Camry-Into-Canyon 08/02/2014 at 18:33

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TBH i have no idea. My parents lived just outside the HoA zone (also just outside the DSL zone. Dammit) and I moved out a good 4 years ago. I just know driving through the neighborhood over the weekend ever house up to the zone has their garage door hidden away like marks of shame

blacktruck18 > Camry-Into-Canyon 08/02/2014 at 19:13

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Here's how it works when you move into (renting or owning) an area with a COA or HOA you have to sign the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R's) if you refuse to sign you can't move in. If you don't pay the monthly or yearly feel they can put a lien on your house to get the money in which case you will probably lose the house in court. If you don't comply with part of the CC&R's they will fine you you don't pay the fine samething happens. Usually the CC&R's are pretty thorough and you won't win in court. The only thing you can do to effect any real change is get the other homeowners together and vote out the board if they are being a big enough pain in the ass.

Camry-Into-Canyon > blacktruck18 08/02/2014 at 20:20

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Fair enough. My aunt worked her way up the board and essentially self-destructed the HOA by pissing all over every HOA busybody's parade, but that's her.