No real curb on our street. Our front lawn just sort of joins the street pavement (very shallow rain gutter).

Received a nastygram from the HOA's management company, complaining about the fact that wife's RAV4 was parked an inch or three onto our lawn.

Strict warning about parking on the grass. IT'S MY GRASS, ISN'T IT?

If you park there enough, and the grass isn't there anymore, can they still cite you for parking 'on the grass'?

There's never any shortage of HOA hate , but those are the rules you agreed to . It's your grass but it has limitations on what you can do with it . But you know that ...

Why were they on the grass? "Because we needed to verify no one was parked on the grass."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Hell would freeze over before I'd ever live in an HOA development.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Hell would freeze over before I'd ever live in an HOA development.

Unfortunately, there seem to be only three choices in this area:

• Houses with HOA. That choice sucks.
  
  
• Houses without HOA. Most of them have neighbors whose property looks like shit. That choice sucks.
  
  
• Houses without HOA on fair-sized piece of property without close neighbors. These are priced sky-high, and who knows when the adjacent property is going to be grabbed by a developer who will put in high-density construction for maximum profit? That choice sucks.

The "PH" part of PHPaul looks like a nice, small town. We got nothing remaining like that, around here.

We're 'lucky' to be in a non-HOA neighborhood.
Lucky to not have to deal with the typical HOA nannies.
Unlucky, to an extent, that there's some homes that could use some rules. Poor condition, junk cars, etc. Those are not the norm, luckily.

Did have a neighbor get a letter from the city about his grass being too unruly. So, even without HOA, there's some 'enforcement'

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
The "PH" part of PHPaul looks like a nice, small town. We got nothing remaining like that, around here.

It is, and 99% of residents take at least some pride in appearances. I can think of three places within half a mile of my property that are pretty ratty, but I'd rather drive by and shake my head than deal with HOA Karens.

No doubt would be more of an issue if one of the slobs lived right next door and I was trying to sell the place, but that's a problem for my heirs if it should work out that way.

I'll leave this property in a body bag...

July 2006 after very careful research on HOA restrictions we purchased a house.. 1 month later I installed a item in my back yard because there were no HOA restrictions on such item...Behind a 7 ft wood fence.... 18 months later the HOA president and 2 board members knocked on my door complaining about the item in my back yard... .... I advised them to go back and research dates of property purchase and concerning item installation vs HOA restrictions in effect at that time..... I then advised them that if they continued to pursue the issue they needed to hire a lawyer versed in federal court law because I was ready and willing because I was not messing with any lower court level... They got wide eyed and rapidly vacated my property... Have not heard another word out of the HOA Board in the 17 + years since that day. .......................................drill sgt.

quote:

IT'S MY GRASS, ISN'T IT?

If you live in a HOA it isn't your grass.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

quote:

IT'S MY GRASS, ISN'T IT?

If you live in a HOA it isn't your grass.

No sir, not true in this case., Some HOAs provide lawn maintenance, etc., but not this one. I (wife and I) own the land that our house is on, including the front and back yards and the grass thereon.

HOA owns the grass on the common property, but homeowners own the grass on their own lots.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

quote:

IT'S MY GRASS, ISN'T IT?

If you live in a HOA it isn't your grass.

No sir, not true in this case., Some HOAs provide lawn maintenance, etc., but not this one. I (wife and I) own the land that our house is on, including the front and back yards and the grass thereon.

HOA owns the grass on the common property, but homeowners own the grass on their own lots.

Refer to my post above . YOUR grass. THEIR rules . Done deal .

Do you mow that area in front of your lot?

Never have understood complaining about things you voluntarily signed up for when you join an HOA.

Our HOA sticks it's nose in everything. Our neighbor keeps parking their cars in front of our house on the street and we get written up for it. I keep telling them it is not us, and they come back with well why is it parked in front of your house, I tell them because the neighbor already has 3 or 4 other cars in their driveway.

quote:

Our HOA sticks its nose in everything.

Run for a board position. My HOA is pretty good. I served on the board for several terms. But declined to run again so others could have the fun.

Yeah, it’s a thankless job. But better than sitting around and bitching about how others do it.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:

Do you mow that area in front of your lot?

Yes. My lot, my grass, mine to take care of. Some neighbors let theirs get a little high, I mean just a LITTLE high, not ugly, they received a nastygram from the management company.

Similar but different. If you have to pay a HOA fee, ask the HOA toads to see "the books" (financial statements). Don't be surprised if they balk.

There have been several legal cases in Alabama involving HOAs, where money was embezzled or squandered otherwise, and a few HOA-types have gone to jail. The same goes for property management companies. One in the Birmingham metro area was busted just about a year and a half ago.

Sadly in Alabama, there are few regulations that specifically apply to HOAs.

BTW, I don't live in a HOA neighborhood myself.

No HOAs around here. The threat of legal action or possible physical altercation keeps things calm.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

quote:

IT'S MY GRASS, ISN'T IT?

If you live in a HOA it isn't your grass.

No sir, not true in this case., Some HOAs provide lawn maintenance, etc., but not this one. I (wife and I) own the land that our house is on, including the front and back yards and the grass thereon.

HOA owns the grass on the common property, but homeowners own the grass on their own lots.

If you owned the grass the HOA wouldn't be sending you nasty grams telling you not to park your car on your grass. When you live in an HOA you only have the illusion of owning the grass. I don't live in an HOA and never would and I can park my car anywhere on my property and not receive a letter telling me where I can't park my car on my property.