Fayette.Talk

By Billy Gerkin

August 26, 2008 7:18 AM | Link to this

I’ve gotten them before about my lawn exceeding the weed-to-grass ratio. If I ever get another one of those, I’m going to copy it and put it in everyone’s mailbox.

By Ronda

August 26, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this

We got one of those about weeds in our yards even though I was out there at least 2 days a week doing 1-2 hours of yard work - from the HOA president who coincidentally had weeds in her yard. I took pictures of her weeds and emailed them to her with a comment that said “people in glass houses…”. She was out there the next day working on her yard and didn’t get a response back.

We moved thank God!

By Lee

August 26, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this

I appreciate them since the nieghborhood is doing its best to keep home values up and hte neighborhood looking good. They don’t bother me since I keep the house looking good- what really bothers me are the other home owners who benefit from our work, but let their houses go down because they’re too damn lazy to cut their grass, or hire one of the neighborhood kids to do it for them. People who live in HOA neighborhood sign contracts to keep their homes up to standards- what we have are slobs who want to benefit from other people doing thier part, but not doing their own.

By elfy

August 26, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this

You agree to abide by those covenants when you sign at closing. If you don’t want to have to follow those rules, find another home to buy.

By Melissa

August 26, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this

I received two of them, one about needing to put down some landscape edging in my front yard and another one about needing to paint the house and fence. This was about two weeks after I had beautiful colored and stamped concrete borders installed and about one week after I had my fence pressure washed and stained.

So I called the office and asked why I received the letters and they told me (of course) that it was a mistake, they loved the borders and the fence and would “encourage” other homeowners to try the company I used. :-/

And yeah, my HOA president can’t talk either, he lives next door and I’ve only seen him cut the yard twice this summer. And only the front, never the back. I’m glad I have a fence so I don’t have to look at his Field of Dreams over there.

By Connie

August 26, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

Ugh! I hate them. It wouldn’t be so bad if the HOA Lawyers actually came around to check out what is going on, but NO! they want the neighbors to rat out eachother. I recieved a notice of a fine and took it directly to the office and paid in pennies! I always write back explaining my case just so the lawyers earn their fee.

By Nature's Point HOA sux

August 26, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

HOA’s are the most useless ripoff SCAMS out there. Mine sucks (like most). It is the HOA for Nature’s Point subdivision in Douglasville.

Year in and year out we are in the red, because people refuse to pay the stinking $185/yr fee. So what have they done and continue to threaten, raising the HOA fees because of it!!!???

Tell me something…if you can’t get these slugs to pay the current fee how in the h3!! do you expect that they will pay a higher fee?? As always the only people punished are the ones doing the right thing - paying their fees on time!!

Our fees basically go toward a swimming pool that is poorly located in the subdivision (all the way on the end that only a select few use/vandalize), and maintaining a section of shrubs at the entrance to the subdivision. What a waste. I hope this thing is done away with one day.

By NotInHOA

August 26, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this

I purposely bought a house NOT in an HOA community because other people (hateful, miserable, petty people, as stated in the other post) get their jollies from telling you what to do and sticking their noses in your business.

If someone doesn’t like my yard, I can just tell them to fluff off.

By WestSider

August 26, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this

Sounds like the people beefing about HOAs are the ones who “forget” to mow their lawns or are too cheap to hire a lawn service. Their self-defense mechanisms are kicking in and suddenly people who keep their property neat and clean are the ‘petty’ ones.

By Jennifer

August 26, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this

Obviously not all HOAs are created equally, but all that I’ve had dealings with farm out the “drive thrus” to a management company. The management company actually does the drive thrus and sends out letters for violations. We have gotten letters for “improper parking in front of your townhome” (we lived in a single family home and parked our cars in our garage), garbage can being outside on the wrong day (we had more than one garbage service in the neighborhood and they weren’t on the same day). Of course residents do their share of complaining but the annoying letters are from the management company’s drive thru inspections for the most part.

The best way to get what you want out of your HOA is to communicate effectively (aka- don’t be an as*), volunteer for work days and get involved with the meetings.

By HOA_VP

August 26, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this

The HOA is a board of representatives elected by YOU. If you don’t like the way your HOA operates, YOU are responsible for making that change. Pick up the phone, knock on some doors, or write a letter to the people that YOU voted to be your representatives (you did vote, right? If you didn’t, you have no right to complain).

There’s no need to create a verbal war, just politely explain how you’d like to see them, as your representative, handle things. If, after that, you feel they are not properly representing you, then vote for someone else next year - or better yet - run for the board yourself!

By John

August 26, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this

For the life of me, I don’t see why anyone would subject themselves to having their lives micromanaged by a bunch of nosey busy bodies who have nothing better to do in their life than find fault with everyone else. I would not live in one of those Gestapo establishments if you gave me the house for free.

By Jennifer

August 26, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this

When we discovered the condo buiding we were looking at moving in to had an HOA we were skeptical. But after speaking with the residents and being assured that that HOA wasn’t full of picky, ‘I have nothing better to do but complain’ folks, we moved in. And I am very glad we did because it’s a wonderful building. Shortly after we moved in there was a meeting and most folks attended, which was great. A spot on the HOA was open and everyone else had ‘already done their time’ so I was nominated. I guess that’s what I get for being the newbie- lol. But it’s been a great experience. It has allowed me to know my neighbors better and it has also helped me know what is going on with our property, what the money is being spent on, and I know that things are going to be fixed if they need to be. We do work with a property management company and I am very glad about that, too. That helps us get projects done faster since they already have a list of reputible vendors compiled.

I do have to say something about folks not paying their $185/yr. fee and still wanting the benefits of an HOA. In our building, each resident’s fee is based on the amount of space they have so some pay more than others. But you know that going in to it. We pay approximately $338 per MONTH. So only having to pay $185 per year and not doing it is laughable and they should be very ashamed. I have a friend who lives in Cherokee County and their HOA fees are only $50 per YEAR and they have folks who don’t pay that but scream when something isn’t maintained. Instead of upping everyone’s fees in order to make up for those who aren’t paying, why not just take those who aren’t paying to court? Sure, it’s costly. But that would be much better than having a bunch of irritated residents who are sick and tired of paying for the slackers in their community. And sending nasty letters isn’t going to get anything done, either. Some HOAs get carried away with things like that and they should really be embarrassed for themselves.

By Emma

August 26, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this

I agree with John (8/28, 11:07am), and find it amusing that it’s oftentimes the “big government is bad” conservative republicans who FLOCK to these “holding pens” where they PAY to have people dictate what they can and cannot like.

By Another John

August 26, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

I have to respond to Hellbent with another perspective. After living in a single-family house in unincorporated Dekalb (i.e., no covenants and no one telling me what to do) for 15 years, my significant other and I decided to purchase a condominium in a new building. We read over all of the condominium disclosure documents..knew all of the rules, and signed our contract..knowing full well that we were bound by all of the rules. We also expected all of them to be enforced, especially the ones concerning how many units could be rented out. It is a fact..one that I have now observed first hand…that people that rent units in what should be an owner-occupied majority building..usually do not show the same care as those of us that have invested a significant amount of money in the property. In my building it is the renters that seem to be above picking up their dog poop, it is the renters that take glass bottles to the pool…which will have to be drained if glass breaks in the pool..(and Dekalb county won’t let the pool be refilled). The renters invite their guest to come in and park in any space they find even though it clearly states “Reserved Parking Space”. Unfortunately, it is the crappy owners (and in my case the developers) that don’t seem to think it’s necessary for their tenants to know or follow the HOA rules…and then they end up being fined.

I supposed I would be one of those petty people that expected to get what I paid for, a portion of property that retained it’s value. Hellbent, when you finally decide to leave you can just finish your lease or run out on your lease, but you can just leave if you want. And considering that you are actually there illegally (the HOA could evict you), I wouldn’t complain aobut the parking. If I want to leave (and I do since the renters in our building don’t seem to be controlled) I have to sell my place (during a condo glut), and it would help if there wasn’t dog poop all over the grass, nor cigarette butts everywhere, nor uncontrolled “frat” parties at the pool.

And by the way, I had an older dog that also had a problem getting to the dog walk area. I spent the money and bought a dog carrier (like a dog jogger) for her..and I wheeled her out to the dog walk area every day.

By Time Out

August 26, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

Having moved from a neighborhood without a HOA in South Cobb (Mableton), all I can say is that these HOA’s are worth their weight in gold. You know when you buy a home that it has a HOA, so if you don’t want to be subjected to the scrutiny, please don’t buy in a HOA Community. I wish that my HOA was more forceful with my neighbors that constantly have their yard in shambles. The point of a HOA is to make sure all of your neighbors keep their property up to community standards, so that you don’t have people making noises at all times of the night and parking on the grass etc. I moved from that and I am still trying to sell the place. So my point is if you don’t like HOA’s please buy my old house.

By Jess

August 26, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

My HOA fee is alot higher than the ones listed so far and oh yea am I going to complain if my neighbor’s dog defacates on my property, if I see 5 foot high weeds if someone puts a shoe rack on their front stoop that holds 200 pairs of shoes! Some rules seem silly (like only having white blinds in the front of the house but many people ignore this) but when you can get top dollar for your house you’ll be glad the idiot neighbor didn’t paint the house purple or gid up the front yard and leave it that way for 3 years (that actually happened to me)

By Jen

August 26, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this

Hmm…I’ve never lived in an HOA community and never will. I do live in a historic community that’s trying to become an official Historic District, which to me is like an HOA and I’m against it.

I know what you HOAers say…it helps property values, community standards, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah.

But, it all comes down to the single rule of real estate: location.

If you buy in a desireable location then no HOA is needed, and might even be a detraction.

By Pompano

August 26, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

If all Homeowners took pride in their property and were respectful to their neighbors, we wouldn’t need HOA’s. In our subdivision, 95% of families follow the rules while the other 5% seem to do their best to trash our property values.

By Sam

August 26, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

People are aware of these HOAs when they buy the house. If you don’t want to follwo the rules, it is simple, don’t move in there!!!

You have a choice. I want to live in an HOA community to protect my home value and not have Sanford and Son next door! People whine about it, but they agreed before they moved in, so be quiet!

By Debora

August 26, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

I lived in Dallas Georgia for about 5 years. After the developer left and the HOA took over, I started getting letters almost every day. Most blatent lies as I kept up my property wonderfully and had a lawn service.

When I went to the HOA president, he said he was going to continue to harrass me until I moved. He hated my kind (lesbian) and the ‘hood needed to be a f** free ‘hood.

I told him that I was going to press charges and he said prove what he said, my word against his. He also stated, there were no laws in GA against discrimination against “your kind”

By ginger

August 26, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this

For the past 30 years, I lived in 4 different neighborhoods that were governed by an HOA. The one where I live currently (Cherokee County) is hands-down the worst one yet. My husband and I take pride in our residence and continually maintain the exterior. However, we have received numerous complaints about the landscaping. For example, the edging was not done to the “neighborhood standard.” We edge every time we mow so I have no idea what the problem is. I have extensively reviewed the documentation we received at closing 11 ½ years ago and have found nothing with regard to the neighborhood standard for edging. The HOA is now conducting a “stained roof” review. Those in violation are advised to clean their roof or replace it. My husband and I received a “stained roof” notice even though we replaced the roof two years ago. To make a long story short, the “stained roof” committee had written down our address for the neighbor’s house. I understand the value of an HOA. However, these organizations can be carried to extremes.

By Homeowner to the Left

August 26, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

Emma whines … find it amusing that it’s oftentimes the “big government is bad” conservative republicans who FLOCK to these “holding pens” where they PAY to have people dictate what they can and cannot like.

What does this have to do with political affilliation? I live in a very upscale neighborhood with an HOA that’s filled with Democrats. I know this because two weeks before every election most yards stake signs that support a Democratic candidate, and yes - the exective board is outspoken and included in the mix.

By Cindy

August 26, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

Jen,

Have you tried to sell a house lately? Let me tell you…you need more than location. I’m trying to sell a house in one of the best locations in the city..in Brookhaven. All of the feedback I have heard heaps praises on my property, but the prospective buyers hate my neighbors property…his yard looks like crap, and his carport looks like the city dump. It’s not a covenant area so there’s nothing I can do and eventually (I hope)someone will like the location and the rest of my neighborhood as much as I have and make an offer, but it ain’t just location that determines a property’s value.

By Debora's HOA President

August 26, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Hey Deborah, as I have told you before, it is not the fact that you are a Lesbian, we get that. I would be Lesbian too if I were a woman. It is just that you are a Militant Lesbian, lose the attitude and the Flannel, and were good. Yep it is definately the Flannel.

By Just Asking

August 26, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this

Unibrow Emma somehow doesn’t understand that decent citizens have standards for things such as respecting other peoples’ property rights. Based on her thinking, she wouldn’t allow people of like mind to agree contractually to respect each others’ property.

Keeping one’s property maintained isn’t big government, but rather deciding in advance that the property owners will adhere to some basic standards. Since the property owners make a choice to associate themselves with the neighborhood that is governed by the covenants, it is elective by definition. You are pro-choice, aren’t you Emma?

Or is that above your pay grade? I’m Just Asking.

By No HOA for us - never!

August 26, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

One of the choices made when buying a home is HOA vs non-HOA. We formerly lived in Brookfield West CC/Roswell with no HOA. The owners have sense and pride enough to keep up to standard. They tried to renew the HOA, but once expired, no gain. We now live in Indian Hills Country Club/East Cobb, and again, no HOA. We have a Civic Assn. and am a volunteer. We have suggested covenants, but no HOA pressure. Again, another neighborhood where owners have sense/pride in their property. There is a move to reinstate the covenants, but it won’t happen. Most residents like others staying out of their business and take ownership in keeping up & improving their yards/home. After all, our homes belong to us, not an HOA. Have heard horror stories about anal retentive HOAs. We go to work to do what is asked of us and mind the rules, but when we come home, we as owners make the rules. Live decent, respect your neighbors, and maybe HOAs would not be needed. Some neighborhoods need them though, b/c every neighborhood has the village idiot. We just don’t have that many.

By Jen

August 26, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this

Cindy, I sold my non-HOA house in Gwinnett 2 years ago and move to Candler Park. Houses in CP move pretty fast. And you shouldn’t worry…you live in Brookhaven. While it’s not the same as CP or Inman Park it’s a really great community and with gas prices the way they are…people are flocking ITP. Your house will sell and it will sell because of LOCATION.

By JR

August 26, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

Two things to point out. HOA and Covenants are separate things. The HOA is there to enforce the Covenants. If the covenants have no teeth, it is hard to enforce them. If there is no clause in the covenants about what to do if someone doesn’t pay their dues, there is no way to force collection.

Second thing, if it isn’t in the covenants, there is no way the HOA can enforce it. Our neighbor hood says nothing about someone renting a house. The HOA tried one time to tell someone they couldn’t rent their house because it said so in the covenants. They were asked to show where it said that, and of course, they couldn’t.

The HOA is only as good, or bad, as the covenants let them be.

By Fed Up

August 26, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this

You only pay $185 a year? I pay $200 a MONTH, and what do I get for it? Water, trash collection and outdoor maintenance, which is in DIRE need of work. What are they spending this money on? Those slackers who don’t pay their fee and riding on the backs of those of us who DO pay. That’s why my fee has gone up 125% in 10 years. I’d rather pay for my OWN trash pick-up and water. I don’t use the pool (which is a crappy, tiny little thing that is being worked on more than it is available for use) and the “lawn” throughout the complex is pine straw, which they add to about every 5-6 years, so they aren’t paying for lawncare. I’m still trying to figure out why they wasted MY money on an 8’ black chain-link fence that goes only 2/3 of the way around our area. What did they think that was going to accomplish?

By sue

August 26, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this

My HOA fined me thousands…yes thousands because i didn’t ask their permission to put the same roof on my house as they have on their pool’s club house and on several of my neighbors homes…so they are not there to ensure a good looking neighborhood, they are there to dictate to you…they are reprehensible!

By Abused

August 26, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this

Yes, I agreed to rules and signed them when I closed on my condo. What I DIDN’T agree to was them changing the rules every few months to benefit themselves. I was never advised of any voting on rules, and only found out about them AFTER the HOA officers decided to change them. I finally sold my unit, and I found the WORST people I could to buy it. They are having a terrible time with my buyers now. And I have to laugh!!! Payback’s a b**!

By klee

August 26, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this

I have heard all of these complaints before. This is exactly why when I went looking for a house, I avoided subdivisions with HOA’s.

By Van

August 26, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

My wife and I moved into a neighborhood with an HOA and protective covenants just 4 weeks ago. I am glad to finally move into a neighborhood that affords some protection against unkempt yards and old toilets used as flow planters in the front yard.

Our first home, which is less than a mile away, had no such protective covenants, and while most people kept up their yards there were a few problem people. We always maintained our yard at our old house, so doing it at our new house is no big deal.

We have put in an application for a new fence. This is our first time dealing with an HOA, so I am interested in seeing how it goes.

By Cindy

August 26, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this

Jen,

Well I hope so.

Actually, I don’t live in Brookhaven..I just have a house for sale there. Guess where I moved also? We’re neighbors..I now live in Candler Park also.

I like both areas but there’s a little more to do in Candler Park. Now if I can unload the other place and enjoy CP. The other house was paid off a few years ago, but the taxes have gone up and I lost the homestead exemption.

By HCR

August 26, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this

My prior HOA had two seperate meetings once a month. One for all the condo owners to voice concerns out in the open. The second was a closed door session that homeowners were not allowed to attend. I never understood the closed door policy.

By Brock

August 26, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this

I like my HOA. I had a particularly nasty neighbor who put up this tent thing to shade her car(though she had a garage, still don’t know why she needed it). I turned her in, though the tent really didn’t bother me. She had to take it down, and soon she moved. Pays to be nice!

By michelle

August 26, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

i am a first-time homebuyer and very inexperienced with HOAs… i swore i would never buy into a neighborhood with one, but now we have kids and need more from a neighborhood than just a place to call home. so, here we were looking at a neighborhood with an HOA and thought it wasn’t going to be that bad. then i started actually reading the covenant and discovered that not only can the shrubs only be a certain height, but at any point that an HOA board member deems it necessary, they can waltz on your property free from trespassing citations and inspect the areas to report you for what are “violations”.

i was assured by a co-worker (who is a board HOA in her neighborhood), that “that only really happens when you first move in, to make sure the contractors didn’t leave any messes behind….nobody really comes to your property randomly like that.”

BUT, just like the government, the wording gives permission to do so and can be abused based on some nosy j*******’s perceptions of my property. i thought the point of owning your own little spot of land was that it was YOURS.

we are seriously reconsidering neighborhoods with HOAs…the covenants give too much power to people who don’t have any business dictating what i do with my property.

By courtney

August 26, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

Thank God for HOA’s. Just move into a neighborhood without one. It will become a ghetto in less than 5 years!!

By sue

August 26, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

michelle you have every reason to be concerned. I can only suggest you stay away from one particular subdivision in cobb county. MINE!

By DB

August 26, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this

Well, it’s true that many HOAs provide a valuable service, but my one experience with an HOA soured me forever on them.

When I was 8-3/4 months pregnant, we lived in a development that was still under construction, and the construction trailer was across the street from us. One day, when I was in the garage, a truck backed out of the construction lot and backed into my mailbox, knocking off the required “birdhouse” cover and crushing it. Due to my condition, I wasn’t very fast getting out there, and by the time I could get up, the red truck was gone. I waddled across the street, knocked on the trailer and reported it. They told me that, unless I had a witness, there was nothing they could do.

The cover was $65, and five days later, we had a baby by emergency c-section. I was in the hospital for a week, and the SECOND DAY I am home from the hospital, there is a knock on our door at 7:30 AM — a representative from the builder/homeowner’s association, reminding me that we had to fix the mailbox!! I stared at her, explained what happened, and then explained that now was not a good time, and if she wanted the damn mailbox fixed, they needed to do it themselves, since they are the one the broke it! She stammered and said, “OK, I’ll check back later!” and I told her “don’t come back without a mailbox cover!” After six months of my determination NOT to buy a mailbox cover, they finally coughed one up, but I had numerous “reminder” letters, each one I just stuck in a file and laughed.

By Organic

August 26, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

Our HOA used to do a good job, but the management company that has taken over on Buice Road in Alpharetta is nit-picky and often wrong. Everyone is riled up about all the incorrect warning letters can continue to land in mailboxes - what a waste of our Association dues! We too have the same problem of a few who don’t pay riding on the backs of the majority who pay. Trying to upgrade your neighbordhood to match all the swanky new ones when your neighborhood is 20 years old is a exactly the same as “trying to keep up with the Joneses”. Keeping your home and yard neat is a nice thing, but having a someone patrol the neighborhood to say your edging is crooked (because one piece is off by 1 few centimeters is a keen waste of time. Next stop, no HOA and a large property - one can only dream!

By Organic

August 26, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

Our HOA used to do a good job, but the management company that has taken over on Buice Road in Alpharetta is nit-picky and often wrong. Everyone is riled up about all the incorrect warning letters can continue to land in mailboxes - what a waste of our Association dues! We too have the same problem of a few who don’t pay riding on the backs of the majority who pay. Trying to upgrade your neighborhood to match all the swanky new ones when your neighborhood is 20 years old is a exactly the same as “trying to keep up with the Joneses”. Keeping your home and yard neat is a nice thing, but having a someone patrol the neighborhood to say your edging is crooked (because one piece is off by 1 few centimeters is a keen waste of time. Next stop, no HOA and a large property - one can only dream!

By Debora

August 26, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

Courtney, all in the location you live. I am in City of Decatur for the past several years. None of the n’hoods have a*’tions. They are lovely, some old, but still lovely.

I don’t have to worry about ignorant bigots and rude rednecks - that is worth the property taxes in and of itself.

Locations rise and fall - Gwinnett, Midtown, Intown - and a bunch of nazis won’t control that with measuring the lawns with a ruler.

By Jen

August 26, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

Cindy, keep the faith. Your old house is in Brookhaven and that’s a wonderful community with a lot of young families moving in. It’s still pretty affordable so it’s getting a lot of attention. I’ve been recommending it to people who want to move ITP. Your house there will sell.

Welcome to CP! I’ve been here 2 years and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in Atlanta. Like you said, lots to do, and it’s good for families, also. Just wait until the CP FallFest in October. It’s a real fun festival. If possible, volunteer to work one of the tents…it really helps you get to know more of the neighborhood.

By Debora

August 26, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

ITP people. Isn’t it wonderful? Diversity, culture, interest. No strip malls on every corner. No giant Walmarts. All the houses don’t look alike. All the people don’t look and think alike. I would pop a tent on the Decatur Square before I moved back outside the perimeter.

Well, let me make my 5 mile journey home to work from home for a while. Later folks!

By courtney

August 26, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this

Debora,

You are correct. The community I live in is still a mixed community but I am afraid that if the HOA ever goes away, the people like myself who cares will move out and the remaining will tear it down. I want to move back into the city but the cost of living is very high. Hopefully I will be able to move in the near future. I really like a loft or condo in Downtown Decatur.

By Toni

August 26, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this

My HOA is horrible. We moved in December and they changed the payment from quarterly to yearly staring in January. We had been in our home (new state for us) for 17 days and received the nastiest letter from them threatening to sue us if we didn’t pay our dues. Our sub. is massive (ovewr 250 homes), they refused to open the pool and cont. sent nasty threatening letters (we hadn’t even had a chance to sit down and go over our mortgage papers or learn the neighborhood). Every letter caused me to push back pmt. I don’t care, they can get it when I move! A year (yes, a year) later they had the nerve to send someone to my door with a welcome basket of cotton balls, peroxide, a piece of candy and a welcome letter (pathetic). I wanted to kick them off my porch. I never use the pool so I don’t care but they allow cars to be parked on the street causing potential accidents in a very winding subdivision, lots of lawns uncut (ours is immaculate), trash on the streets, etc. They need to do away with that nonsense. My friends HOA lied about approval on work done before the former head left tried to charge per day $25 for 2 years and took them to court. In turn my friend sued them it’s cost my friend $5,000 in attorney’s fees and now they’re nervous and have no money to pay but even if they have to attach a lien on every house to get it they will. HOA’s are a joke. NO MORE SUBDIVISONS!

By Toni

August 26, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this

My HOA is horrible. We moved in December and they changed the payment from quarterly to yearly staring in January. We had been in our home (new state for us) for 17 days and received the nastiest letter from them threatening to sue us if we didn’t pay our dues. Our sub. is massive (ovewr 250 homes), they refused to open the pool and cont. sent nasty threatening letters (we hadn’t even had a chance to sit down and go over our mortgage papers or learn the neighborhood). Every letter caused me to push back pmt. I don’t care, they can get it when I move! A year (yes, a year) later they had the nerve to send someone to my door with a welcome basket of cotton balls, peroxide, a piece of candy and a welcome letter (pathetic). I wanted to kick them off my porch. I never use the pool so I don’t care but they allow cars to be parked on the street causing potential accidents in a very winding subdivision, lots of lawns uncut (ours is immaculate), trash on the streets, etc. They need to do away with that nonsense. HOA’s are a joke. NO MORE SUBDIVISONS!

By lc

August 26, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this

I live in a gated community with a militant HOA. Everything has to be approved. No parking in driveways after 9pm. No street parking after 9pm for guests. mailboxes, fences etc. have to all be the same color and at xmas, we must all string white lights on our fences. Is our neighborhood too perfect looking, yes, the individuality is gone.

By Ashley

August 26, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

The one thing to remember is that HOA’s are usually just some of the neighborhood people who have volunteered their time to help manage the subdivision. It is a HUGE pain that someone has to do. The best thing you can do if you feel that something is wrong is call them to politely voice concerns. Remember — most of these folks have full time jobs and families as well and have volunteered to do a thankless job so that the subdivision will be taken care of.

By Lessonslearned

August 26, 2008 5:59 PM | Link to this

As President of an HOA, I have a lot of experience in this area. Courtney has it right, if it weren’t for the HOA our neighborhood would be the slums after only six years. People don’t have any common sense anymore. If they did, we wouldn’t need HOA’s or covenants. They also don’t do their homework when they buy, and when they find out they have rules, they become cry babies. Too bad! I bought here because there were rules, and they are simple rules to follow. My neighborhood started as a beautiful neighborhood until morons started moving in. Then came the SEMI’S, parking in the grass, people that NEVER cut their grass without having to be told, people that have siding covered with mildew, etc. I wanted a covenant-protected neighborhood, because I moved from a neighborhood without them, and guess what, it’s the slums now. Why? No covenant protection. Good for you if you live in a neighborhood where people have common sense, not all of us do. I wanted the protection of covenants, and trust me, even WITH them, you still have an uphill battle with some of the idiots that don’t care about your property value and certainly not theirs. They should have moved into an apartment. Houses require maintenance outside, but MANY people don’t care to do it. I would NEVER buy another house in a neighborhood without the covenants and an HOA to enforce them.

By Rodney

August 26, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this

When we moved to Atlanta we had very little time to look for a place to live. We decided to rent a home and then take the time to look for the place that we really wanted to live in later.

We rented in a fairly new development with less than 100 homes in SE Atlanta. It is a nice development and the house is great as well. Thank god we didn’t buy it, and if we had any inclination to buy, that went away the very first week. We arrived to move in on a Sunday. We had everything with us including our brand new boat. We hadn’t found somewhere to put the boat yet. By Monday the HOA richard head president who lives right down the street sent out a letter telling us that our boat was in violation of the covenant. He could have used this opportunity to be proactive, introduce himself, and welcome us to his little community as all of our close neighbors had done. A purchase of a home was actually hindered, which was counter productive to what the HOA was supposed to be accomplishing.

We also had to wait 2 months to get the fence put up in the back yard for our dogs which we needed desperately. The HOA had to “approve” it first and I was told by one of the neighbors that it’s customary for the HOA hobknobs to decline your request at the first meeting, so you have to wait until the grand poobahs meet again the following month.

Yes rules are a good thing to have, but the people who are elected to these positions are idiots. Idiots with low self esteem and sickly anal behaviors. No right minded person would ever want this position to begin with, as most of us who are, have better things to do with our time. So we get these OCD Nazi types who way over step their bounds.

We got a letter this Spring telling us that our lawn needed to be cut and edged and that our beds needed new mulch, both of which had already been done. The funniest thing is that there are several people who are friends with the president of this particular HOA and their yards are not up to snuff. I walk on the other side of the development and find that most of the homes on that side are not nearly maintained in the manner that they should be, yet we get needless letters all the time because we live on the same street as most of the HOA leaders.

It’s funny, but the same people here ragging on those who complain about the trivial pursuits of the HOA, are probably the very people that I’m speaking of. They never go anywhere. They never do anything. They just stay in their homes and complain about what everyone else is doing or not doing. Pathetic little creatures!

What a bunch of anal hypocrites and I will be more than glad that I can escape this ridiculous mess in December when my lease is up. Good riddance to those pretentious wannabes.