HOA Hate: Why I Don’t Like Home Owners’ Associations
by I never thought I’d live in a home owners’ association (HOA) community. Then I moved in with my love. Now neither of us want to live in a HOA community ever again. Here’s why.
Image by Andres Rueda via Flickr
4) I question their professionalism and responsibility. After getting married and moving in with my love, I took over the bill paying duties. Right away, my husband said that a few times we would receive a bill from the home owners’ association. Yet, never did a bill arrive and somewhere between our honeymoon, extended traveling for work, and surviving a natural disaster, I forgot about that specific bill. Then out of nowhere, my first piece of HOA-related mail arrived. It was a notice saying the HOA would send our bill to a collection agency. What a frustrating time! For some one who pays her bills on time, I was angry. I never received a bill during the first several months after being married and all of a sudden, they do send something saying we are way overdue in our payments.
After that experience, I set up a direct payment through my bank so as to never have to deal with something like that again. Everything seemed fine. I could see when the check arrived to the HOA as well as when they cashed each check. But out of the blue, we received a notice saying saying there were more missing payments and late fees. The whole time they were cashing our checks, but were neglecting to credit the payments to our account! They must not of had enough late fees for the month to cover their bills.
5) I am paying the HOA so they can identify and send me notices about violations that are occurring on my property. Violations like shrubs that are growing a few centimeters out into the walkway but aren’t impeding traffic flow. Or a shutters that are colored off white instead of egg shell and therefore are not well coordinated with my house color. With the shrubs, since they weren’t impacting the walkway, someone must have brought out the tape measure and ascertained that they had grown slightly passed the predetermined specifications in some guideline I have no desire to read. But I followed the mandate and cut my shrubs. Now they are quite ugly, with the front side looking dead because all that is exposed is bare branches. However, with those dastardly few centimeters gone, hopefully my HOA will be contented for a while.
Image via Wikipedia
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Post CommentCatelin Hoover
On March 22, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Julesita
Whew! You have my sympathies on this one. Sure glad I steered clear of such entanglements when I moved to OR. I may have had to deal with a lot of cheap installations on behalf of the seller of this adorable little house, but these are things I can fix. I still have a lot of surprises, but that is okay. And I can let my landscaping do as it will…good thing too with all this rain, hasn’t been dry enough to mow the front driveway strip!
Juhls
On March 22, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Hey Catelin – Thanks for the comment! Your home sounds very cozy and sweet. Hehe, I love lawns that aren’t too “perfect”. Enjoy the rain!!
Inna Tysoe
On March 22, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Sounds like a nightmare!
Inna
Toni Sellaro
On March 22, 2009 at 9:51 pm
I agree with Inna Tysoe, this really sounds like a nightmare. But I think you are just unlucky to have a HOA like this. I have lived in a community before where the HOA was really good; our youth organization worked hand in hand with our HOA. You are just unlucky on this darling. Hope you can resolve issues with your HOA so you can live in your place without annoyance and hassles. Goodluck.
Ruby Hawk
On March 23, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I published an article about this very thing a few months ago. HOA’s can be trouble and you have very little recourse.
Fresh Writing
On April 4, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Jeez…quite a tangle of unfortunate events (all of them leading from those darn HOA’s!). My best wishes for success in the future!
-Fresh Writing
Elizabeth Abbott
On April 7, 2009 at 12:21 am
They can often make you or brake you! Stand firm with your convictions. They know that there is power in numbers! Great article. Wonderful way of shedding light on them!
Phill Senters
On April 7, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I’ve heard countless horror stories about HOAs. I very happy to be living in the Forrest where there are none.
Juhls
On April 8, 2009 at 1:09 pm
@ Phill: You are very lucky, Phill! Next house – I want to be in the forrest : ). Skogfjorden here I come.
@ Elizabeth, Fresh Writing, Ruby, Toni, & Inna: Thanks for your support!
Ray
On April 8, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Excellent article, Juhls. We made sure not to move into a HOA area because of the reasons you cite.
Caroline1957
On April 9, 2009 at 6:19 am
Very good article,my sympathies are with you.
Jo Oliver
On April 16, 2009 at 10:10 am
HOA is there to ensure “class” division and ensure conformity within the groups that can afford the property. In other words, the snooty people get to ensure that no one can build a home that is bellow their own standards. They also ensure their property value remains at a constant by making it impossible for anyone that can afford the property can not devalue their own home or build a lesser value home in the community. In other words, the snooty people get to ensure that no one can build a home or let their home become bellow their own standards. They ensure their property value remains at a constant by making it impossible for anyone to devalue their own home or build a lesser value home in the community. The HOA has seen the fiscal opportunity of charging outlandish fees either out of their own greed or in an attempt to keep the rift raft away. As long as people are sucked in by the pools, clubs, and safe environment the HOA creates….they will continue to make life miserable for those just seeking a “good” living environment.
Great article and subject!
Juhls
On April 16, 2009 at 11:20 am
Caroline: Thanks for your sympathy!
Jo: Wow! Thanks for the insight! I can see the truth in your research. I feel much of the rules and regulations are very petty. It is unfortunate because technically, as you said, the neighborhood is a “good living environment”, but with the craziness of my HOA, it turns lovely living into frustrating living at times.
hiho
On April 16, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I’m from New Zealand but living in Australia so I don’t know much about HOAs. You might find the following websites useful: http://realtytimes.com – ask the HOA expert; http://www.hoanewsnetwork.com; http://www.hoatalk.com.
Juhls
On April 16, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Hiho!! Thanks for the links — I’ll have to look into it.
Unrelated: I love New Zealand (although I’ve only been to your home country twice), and I am excited to visit Australia some day.
ladybaby
On April 20, 2009 at 10:55 am
I think I’d rather be homeless than to have to live in such strict conditions. How can you feel at home when others are calling all the shots on how you have to live? There is no freedom in that kind of life.
writing4angels
On May 28, 2009 at 12:24 pm
A very thought provoking article. thank you.
What goes around comes around
On March 26, 2010 at 11:18 am
They should send you the bill for the new annual membership fee and the budget laying out all the expenses for the past year since it could be more or less each year. Some people did not do their job properly or being lazy. The more I read about the sufferings of many innocent people who have been mistreated by their HOAs, the more it makes me feel sorry. I wish that there is a way we can get rid of those HOAs, or there will be a law to protect the innocent homeowners from those HOAs. I’ve heard there are a lot of HOA board DICTATORS out there who think that they are very powerful and like to control and create problems for the innocent homeowners. They try to dictate people, take away our freedoms, create a lot of pains, cost us a lot of money and possibly lose our homes. To prevent a heart attack and a lot of headaches in the future, I would never ever want to move into an area that has HOA. They can do us more harms than good. HOA is NOT worth it.