Sounds like many of the HOA's want to "bully" the residents rather than make an orderly housing area. VolovoGuy's is an excellent example of HOA ABUSE to a householder.Not clotheslines-but ANTENNAS-a freind of mine lives in an area that has a choosy HOA-he was going to put up his "ham" antenna no matter what.He and I installed it btween three trees-the wire between the trees was hardly visible.The neighbors didn't mind.The HOA there finally gave in when my freind put up some 400W metal halide floodlights I sold him from my light collection.The neighbor actually liked the lights,too.In that neighborhood just about every other house had one of those large trampolines or portable basketball nets.Any of those things are UGLIER than the antenna.And sat TV dishes had to be hidden in that neighborhood.Both of us informed the HOA folks there that the HOA CANNOT restrict sat dishes under FCC laws!Glad I don't have to deal with HOA folks!HOA's were great for areas that had poor rep builders-like Levitt-the HOA could help settle problems with the householders and the builder.
Illegal Clothesline Spotted
- Thread starter mrb627
- Start date
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twintubdexter
Well-known member
no clotheslines allowed here...
...although if they aren't visible to the monthly HOA gestapo neighborhood walk-through/inspection storm troupers then you'd be safe. I've used a line to dry big stuff like comforters. A heavy king-size one will dry in less than an hour when it's 115 and the humidity is like "0".
Of course in my case the no-clothesline rule is a blessing for my neighbors and probably helps keep property values from declining
...although if they aren't visible to the monthly HOA gestapo neighborhood walk-through/inspection storm troupers then you'd be safe. I've used a line to dry big stuff like comforters. A heavy king-size one will dry in less than an hour when it's 115 and the humidity is like "0".
Of course in my case the no-clothesline rule is a blessing for my neighbors and probably helps keep property values from declining
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
We had a local Vet, as in Veterinarian, got P'd because the city zoned a new development with lots of restrictions next to his home. He retaliated by painting every slat of his siding a different color. It didn't take long for the HOH of the new development to agree to a High privacy fence separating the two properties.
In our househunting HOAs are second on the dealbreaker list. They're ok for small stuff (shared site utilities, wells etc) but anything beyond that, imo if you're going to buy your own home, don't voluntarily live under somebody else's rules.
Dave, my only regret is that I wasn't with you during your HOA rep encounter. What a dream opportunity.
Dave, my only regret is that I wasn't with you during your HOA rep encounter. What a dream opportunity.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Our HOA here is next to useless. If you go to any of their meetings all you'd find is the board arguing amongst themselves all trying to be vipers eeking out every bit of power from each other. Just plain old garden variety power trippers and control freaks. If you ask about a rule or if you want to do something they don't like the only answer you'll get from them is "No, because I said so."
I found that if we just carry on without bothering them we'll be ok. It's the people who try to follow their rules that have the problems. We stay under their radar.
I found that if we just carry on without bothering them we'll be ok. It's the people who try to follow their rules that have the problems. We stay under their radar.
jerrod6
Well-known member
My neighborhood doesn't have a HOA but because it was designated historic it is bound by the rules of the historic commission. The commission has a picture of every structure in the neighborhood. It doesn't matter what color you paint your house and many people choose from the limited colors that were available in the 16 to 17 hundreds. I don’t like those drab colors so I choose white around the windows with cobalt dark blue shutters.
We can do whatever we want to do inside of our house unless the inside has been declared historically significant. There are a few houses like this and there is one office building nearby that wanted to sell a very large picture and this was denied.
You can have a clothesline in the back and no one cares but I have never seen one because you generally cannot see the back of anyone's home.
The restrictions come in other ways. If you are doing maintenance to your house and you want to replace anything then you must use the same materials that were originally used when your house was built. This means that if your house was built with wooden windows you had better replace with wooden windows. Many houses have copper gutters and rain spouts...these must be replaced with copper. There is a house down the street that had a shake roof. The replacement roof for this house had to be shake- I’m glad this wasn't my house. If your house was built with aluminum windows you replace with aluminum windows. All of our homes have brick exteriors and some with marble trim so that is the replacement material for exterior walls. Because all of our houses were constructed before vinyl was used in construction there can be no vinyl anything on the outside. If your house was built before there were storm windows you cannot install outside storm windows, but you can install them inside.
There can be no garage door opening to the front of the house. If you want to add a garage, the door must open to the side away from the street or the garage entrance can be in the back of your house.
If you are going to do anything that will cause drilling into the outside of your house - like to install a porch light, install a satellite dish or if you are going to modify the outside structure in anyway you have to submit plans to the zoning board and the historic commission for approval.
There is also the rule that you must maintain a certain amount of open space from the end of your house in the rear to the end of your property so if you want to add an addition to your house you must maintain this distance.
There are other rules that I can’t remember but the historic commission does send out an updated homeowners manual so that everyone knows what they can and cannot do and the real estate agents usually inform prospective buyers that there will be restrictions.
We can do whatever we want to do inside of our house unless the inside has been declared historically significant. There are a few houses like this and there is one office building nearby that wanted to sell a very large picture and this was denied.
You can have a clothesline in the back and no one cares but I have never seen one because you generally cannot see the back of anyone's home.
The restrictions come in other ways. If you are doing maintenance to your house and you want to replace anything then you must use the same materials that were originally used when your house was built. This means that if your house was built with wooden windows you had better replace with wooden windows. Many houses have copper gutters and rain spouts...these must be replaced with copper. There is a house down the street that had a shake roof. The replacement roof for this house had to be shake- I’m glad this wasn't my house. If your house was built with aluminum windows you replace with aluminum windows. All of our homes have brick exteriors and some with marble trim so that is the replacement material for exterior walls. Because all of our houses were constructed before vinyl was used in construction there can be no vinyl anything on the outside. If your house was built before there were storm windows you cannot install outside storm windows, but you can install them inside.
There can be no garage door opening to the front of the house. If you want to add a garage, the door must open to the side away from the street or the garage entrance can be in the back of your house.
If you are going to do anything that will cause drilling into the outside of your house - like to install a porch light, install a satellite dish or if you are going to modify the outside structure in anyway you have to submit plans to the zoning board and the historic commission for approval.
There is also the rule that you must maintain a certain amount of open space from the end of your house in the rear to the end of your property so if you want to add an addition to your house you must maintain this distance.
There are other rules that I can’t remember but the historic commission does send out an updated homeowners manual so that everyone knows what they can and cannot do and the real estate agents usually inform prospective buyers that there will be restrictions.
Good and Bad
I live in a condo community and our Board of Directors is reasonable with the rules, but if you let people get away with too much, the place will start to look junky. We only have 160 units and most people comply with the rules- They know them before they buy property. The HOA tends to everything outside so thats not an issue- but what you might find unusual is we can only use clear Christmas lights outside- no colors- It does actually look very pretty with all the clear lights, but I don't think a few colored ones would look bad. The bottom line is there aren't any rules here that bother me enough to move-- in fact, i like most all of them-- keeps the place looking great.
I live in a condo community and our Board of Directors is reasonable with the rules, but if you let people get away with too much, the place will start to look junky. We only have 160 units and most people comply with the rules- They know them before they buy property. The HOA tends to everything outside so thats not an issue- but what you might find unusual is we can only use clear Christmas lights outside- no colors- It does actually look very pretty with all the clear lights, but I don't think a few colored ones would look bad. The bottom line is there aren't any rules here that bother me enough to move-- in fact, i like most all of them-- keeps the place looking great.
xraytech
Well-known member
I'm one that could never ever survive in a planned community or anywhere with a HOA.
Being from a very rural area I'm used to doing whatever we want, If I want to change anything we can, we have a huge clothesline behind the house that's visible from the road, I have a huge garden, and we each own 2 cars at home and we have lots of company and the front yard turns into a parking lot, I'm used to being able to burn my paper garbage and do whatever I want whenever and however I want
Being from a very rural area I'm used to doing whatever we want, If I want to change anything we can, we have a huge clothesline behind the house that's visible from the road, I have a huge garden, and we each own 2 cars at home and we have lots of company and the front yard turns into a parking lot, I'm used to being able to burn my paper garbage and do whatever I want whenever and however I want
arbilab
Well-known member
What's their problem with colored xmas lights? Political? Religious? Racist? Gang signals? Light allergies? Epilepsy?
I mean really, the bottom line of the whole HOA phenomenon is a small clique of control freaks trying to dictate everything to everyone. Like you can grill hamburgers on your porch but not cheeseburgers because your neighbor might be lactose intolerant. You can't have flowers because they attract bees and your neighbor might get anaphylaxis. You can't open your windows because you might sneeze and give your neighbor a cold.
Well I guess all that ethnic and racial animus that's now politically incorrect had to go somewhere. [eyeroll]
I mean really, the bottom line of the whole HOA phenomenon is a small clique of control freaks trying to dictate everything to everyone. Like you can grill hamburgers on your porch but not cheeseburgers because your neighbor might be lactose intolerant. You can't have flowers because they attract bees and your neighbor might get anaphylaxis. You can't open your windows because you might sneeze and give your neighbor a cold.
Well I guess all that ethnic and racial animus that's now politically incorrect had to go somewhere. [eyeroll]
philr
Well-known member
Arbilab, your prevoius post about Nazis resumes exactly how I feel about our society. And where I live it's far from being that bad but there's a tendency to restrain other people's freedom that I hate. I think this happens when a place is getting overpopulated.
arbilab
Well-known member
Population density definitely has something to do with it. US wasn't like this at 200M but at 300M in essentially the same space, we are.
Google John B. Calhoun. He provided a colony of rodents all the resources they needed but confined their space as they continued to breed at nominal rate. At a population-density point called the 'behavioral sink' the colony became retrograde toward extinction with anti-survival--and psychotic--behaviors.
Watched the news lately?
Google John B. Calhoun. He provided a colony of rodents all the resources they needed but confined their space as they continued to breed at nominal rate. At a population-density point called the 'behavioral sink' the colony became retrograde toward extinction with anti-survival--and psychotic--behaviors.
Watched the news lately?
mikeklondon
New member
Suburbia UK
I live in semi-detached suburbia and as far as I know there’s no restrictions on a clothesline BUT there is a caveat in the deeds that forbids the parking of commercial vehicles. As most people in this neighborhood are self-employed we would have an empty street, If the rule was enforced. My problem is we put so much in the garden there's not a lot of space left for a clothesline
I live in semi-detached suburbia and as far as I know there’s no restrictions on a clothesline BUT there is a caveat in the deeds that forbids the parking of commercial vehicles. As most people in this neighborhood are self-employed we would have an empty street, If the rule was enforced. My problem is we put so much in the garden there's not a lot of space left for a clothesline
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Pity America doesn't sort out being a 'FREE' country rather than meddling elsewhere. I don't know what is the matter with modern society but i am with PhilR and Kenmoreguy89 that America is increasingly authoritarian. Its about time people stood up to these control freaks. I would be prepared to go to jail for some things i believe in as i don't believe in behaving like a sheep lol Pity there weren't more people who had the balls and stand up for what they believe in. Rules were made to be broken in my oppinion. wouldn't society be a much happier place if there was less rules and laws? In the mean time ill tick America off my holiday list lol.
.
.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Ben:
Don't believe everything you read about America.
And in the meantime, we Yanks will try not to believe everything we read about your 'elf and safety-crazed local councillors.
Don't believe everything you read about America.
And in the meantime, we Yanks will try not to believe everything we read about your 'elf and safety-crazed local councillors.
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
I was going by what some of the people on here said. Off topic but id love to visit Yellowstone National Park! Will go one day when finances permit.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Ben:
Please just remember that the little Hitlers on this side of the pond are no more representative of our nation than local councils taking doormats away from OAPs because someone might trip are representative of Britain.
Every nation has its problems and its unattractive side. And every nation has wonderful things to see, as well as wonderful people to meet. I hope you'll visit us soon.
Please just remember that the little Hitlers on this side of the pond are no more representative of our nation than local councils taking doormats away from OAPs because someone might trip are representative of Britain.
Every nation has its problems and its unattractive side. And every nation has wonderful things to see, as well as wonderful people to meet. I hope you'll visit us soon.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Ben, look that I never expressed a comment or an idea even going near about the authoritarian speech you've about the whole America!
So just do not know how you could understand that, I beleive it is just you thinking that, nothing wrong about you expressing your idea, just try to do not speak for others or fill other's mouths with words or speeches they never said....
Obvious say I have to disagree with you and if only my computer didn't turn off because of battery cancelling the words I wrote from half an hour, I'd have posted a nice speech in response to your first comment where you mentioned me...
You'll have to wait until this evening cuz I have to get back to work.
For now.
I just say that you've a wrong idea about America....
So just do not know how you could understand that, I beleive it is just you thinking that, nothing wrong about you expressing your idea, just try to do not speak for others or fill other's mouths with words or speeches they never said....
Obvious say I have to disagree with you and if only my computer didn't turn off because of battery cancelling the words I wrote from half an hour, I'd have posted a nice speech in response to your first comment where you mentioned me...
You'll have to wait until this evening cuz I have to get back to work.
For now.
I just say that you've a wrong idea about America....
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
I don't think ill bother posting on here anymore. Not good at phrasing things and they come across the wrong way. People never understand what i am trying to say.
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
And i never said anyone allowed to call me Ben either did i?
westingman123
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2009
- Messages
- 1,541
Mike!
I can only describe your garden as LUSH! Such a lovely setting. I'm going to use your photo as an incentive to get to work on my borders as soon as this 4 inches of ice and snow are melted away.
I can only describe your garden as LUSH! Such a lovely setting. I'm going to use your photo as an incentive to get to work on my borders as soon as this 4 inches of ice and snow are melted away.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Ben, is this your name right? The name you filled in the profile, so I don't think I need permissions to call YOU with YOUR name.
I'm speaking to a human being to which their parents gave a name, so I believe is a form of respect calling you with your name instead of a sad nickname.....
If being called with your name upsets you just tell me how you'd like to be called.
Clarified this:
I just wanted to make the point about few things I wanted to do today but could not and decided to do that now even if you decided to do not post here anymore.....
Since you called me in a speech you did I just wanted to clarify it was not the concept I meant with my words, so pulled me out from what you probably supposed I meant.
I don't hide at all this thread left me distraught about many things, things I didn't think were just possible...it is also true this thread gives to talk mostly to people experiencing or who had experienced certain bad and extreme situations in fact of crazy HOA.... so in the +1000 people who have seen this post is comforting just 5 or 6 had such stories to tell....
I don't think it is a problem about a country being authoritarian or not here...nor about people having to fight for their rights and freedom...
Control freaks are a problem pretty much worldwide, I just have two in my condo wanting to decide everything from wall colors of the hall to a mandatory repainting job of the balconies and height of hedges in the common park....and lots of other things, an example is when one of these ladies called and paid personally on her expenses a painter and painted the hall in Barf color everyone disliked than her... another one is when they complained about the steam coming out dryer vents in cold days and asked the 8 families owning a vented dryer of 31 living in our condo to remove them and vent them internally! At condo assembly after the two gooses expressed this HUGE problem I just stand and replied with these kind words " who the hell cares about what you assume is a problem other than you two?" Got an applause from all the rest of people laughing so hard, condo administrator snigged....but we all know they're mad women and so ignored them as we always do...
Not a problem since they're just a few of bored houseviwes wanting to control others... they also complianed once about clothespins dropping accidentally on the condo lawn....
In Italy in the 2005 the lawsuits among neighbors reached the 212'000 in a year..... I bet more than half were because of contol freaks...or the most classical troublemakers maniacs....
But when there is an high concentration of control freaks in a single neighborhood, condo etc here we have problem like people wanting to decide what color you've to paint your internal walls, or when you can leave garage doors opened, christmas light colors and such crazy things.... things that as I said left me stunned!!! But that you can't fight if you're the only "sane" among "insanes", like in a opposite situation where your neigbors would be <span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps">filthy</span></span>, noisy etc.......
There should be the need to laws protecting a Home Owner's freedom against control maniacs HOA, but this is a phenomenon raised in the time and recent years I guess...and I think soon will born organizations fighting the Crazy HOA....
But again, USA of course is not all like that, in a wide nation as USA is would be normal to find many extreme stories like these nationwide...it DOES NOT mean it is a problem in every neighborhood of USA the fact of crazy HOA or control maniacs.
My uncles lives in a wonderfull high class town in Maine, a vacation place also, sorrounded by wonderful hi-class rich Villas and properties....
Well, I never heard of such rules from their HOA's apart the two normal common sense ones everyone should and would follow like keep lawn decent and no trash around... no fence restrictions, nothing of the crazy rules mentioned above.
Well, regarding clotheslines, pulleys etc.. I've seen so many even in those hi-class neighborhoods and ugh, those houses are expensive as hell, I just cannot think if they had no clotheslines keeping value low!!!! LOL
Many had T shaped lines in the front near garage and some pulleys in the side of the home from window or balcony, many T shaped fix lines just on the Front entry of the expensive "On the Ocean Villas"...
Same was for the neat near town of Saco or Old Orchard beach....
Many even in Massachussets hi class neighborhoods (at least Marlborough ones)...
Not to mention NYC in Queens, Brooklyn etc....
It's all about locations and concentration of mad people all in one neighborhood, there're neighborhoods and neighborhoods... there're people and people.....
I'm speaking to a human being to which their parents gave a name, so I believe is a form of respect calling you with your name instead of a sad nickname.....
If being called with your name upsets you just tell me how you'd like to be called.
Clarified this:
I just wanted to make the point about few things I wanted to do today but could not and decided to do that now even if you decided to do not post here anymore.....
Since you called me in a speech you did I just wanted to clarify it was not the concept I meant with my words, so pulled me out from what you probably supposed I meant.
I don't hide at all this thread left me distraught about many things, things I didn't think were just possible...it is also true this thread gives to talk mostly to people experiencing or who had experienced certain bad and extreme situations in fact of crazy HOA.... so in the +1000 people who have seen this post is comforting just 5 or 6 had such stories to tell....
I don't think it is a problem about a country being authoritarian or not here...nor about people having to fight for their rights and freedom...
Control freaks are a problem pretty much worldwide, I just have two in my condo wanting to decide everything from wall colors of the hall to a mandatory repainting job of the balconies and height of hedges in the common park....and lots of other things, an example is when one of these ladies called and paid personally on her expenses a painter and painted the hall in Barf color everyone disliked than her... another one is when they complained about the steam coming out dryer vents in cold days and asked the 8 families owning a vented dryer of 31 living in our condo to remove them and vent them internally! At condo assembly after the two gooses expressed this HUGE problem I just stand and replied with these kind words " who the hell cares about what you assume is a problem other than you two?" Got an applause from all the rest of people laughing so hard, condo administrator snigged....but we all know they're mad women and so ignored them as we always do...
Not a problem since they're just a few of bored houseviwes wanting to control others... they also complianed once about clothespins dropping accidentally on the condo lawn....
In Italy in the 2005 the lawsuits among neighbors reached the 212'000 in a year..... I bet more than half were because of contol freaks...or the most classical troublemakers maniacs....
But when there is an high concentration of control freaks in a single neighborhood, condo etc here we have problem like people wanting to decide what color you've to paint your internal walls, or when you can leave garage doors opened, christmas light colors and such crazy things.... things that as I said left me stunned!!! But that you can't fight if you're the only "sane" among "insanes", like in a opposite situation where your neigbors would be <span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps">filthy</span></span>, noisy etc.......
There should be the need to laws protecting a Home Owner's freedom against control maniacs HOA, but this is a phenomenon raised in the time and recent years I guess...and I think soon will born organizations fighting the Crazy HOA....
But again, USA of course is not all like that, in a wide nation as USA is would be normal to find many extreme stories like these nationwide...it DOES NOT mean it is a problem in every neighborhood of USA the fact of crazy HOA or control maniacs.
My uncles lives in a wonderfull high class town in Maine, a vacation place also, sorrounded by wonderful hi-class rich Villas and properties....
Well, I never heard of such rules from their HOA's apart the two normal common sense ones everyone should and would follow like keep lawn decent and no trash around... no fence restrictions, nothing of the crazy rules mentioned above.
Well, regarding clotheslines, pulleys etc.. I've seen so many even in those hi-class neighborhoods and ugh, those houses are expensive as hell, I just cannot think if they had no clotheslines keeping value low!!!! LOL
Many had T shaped lines in the front near garage and some pulleys in the side of the home from window or balcony, many T shaped fix lines just on the Front entry of the expensive "On the Ocean Villas"...
Same was for the neat near town of Saco or Old Orchard beach....
Many even in Massachussets hi class neighborhoods (at least Marlborough ones)...
Not to mention NYC in Queens, Brooklyn etc....
It's all about locations and concentration of mad people all in one neighborhood, there're neighborhoods and neighborhoods... there're people and people.....
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
I guess your right Freddy Have a nice weekend whatever you plan on doing.
Have a nice weekend whatever you plan on doing.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Thanks, you also!
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
I don't why but i thought you were in America lol Never heard of Valenza before but now i know its Italy.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
I live in Italy.
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Never been there before but i have met some nice Italian people here.
arbilab
Well-known member
Every nation or culture has its quirks and foibles if we zoom in on them like we're doing here.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I also live in detached suburbia (although now the town is relatively urbanized with many multi-story apartment buildings dotting the landscape). I strung a braided clear vinyl coated galvanized steel cable (1/8 dia) between the side porch and a light pole about 40 feet away at the detached garage. It's long enough to handle a full set of sheets and bedspread, which I usually line dry every weekend, weather permitting. Used to dry bath sheets on the line too, but they are softer if they get machine dried, so that's what I do. Also generally dry throw rugs on the clothesline, usually on a different day than when I'm drying sheets.
The line is not really visible from the street. Neighbors can probably see it but nobody had commented on it.
Pretty much we have city regulations to deal with. Fence heights at front of homes, keeping lawns weeded and mowed, no big commercial vehicles parked on street. OK to have an RV on the property if it's off the street. Don't know if visible from street is ok or not. Not OK to raise chickens in back yard. That ordinance has been questioned repeatedly and the city council has been dragging its feet regarding allowing a few chickens by permit. Didn't stop some of my neighbors from raising them anyway, and nobody complained.
I wish I could stop a neighbor's dog from crapping on my front lawn and front sidewalk (had to clean a mess there this afternoon after I got home from work). I think I know which dog it is, but the neighbor flatly denies his dog is ever loose. Which is a lie, since I see it running around down the block, and suspiciously a turd will show up on my property shortly thereafter. It's enough to make me want to shell out for a video security system to catch the pooch in the "act". But so far it's hasn't been worth the expense or bother.
The line is not really visible from the street. Neighbors can probably see it but nobody had commented on it.
Pretty much we have city regulations to deal with. Fence heights at front of homes, keeping lawns weeded and mowed, no big commercial vehicles parked on street. OK to have an RV on the property if it's off the street. Don't know if visible from street is ok or not. Not OK to raise chickens in back yard. That ordinance has been questioned repeatedly and the city council has been dragging its feet regarding allowing a few chickens by permit. Didn't stop some of my neighbors from raising them anyway, and nobody complained.
I wish I could stop a neighbor's dog from crapping on my front lawn and front sidewalk (had to clean a mess there this afternoon after I got home from work). I think I know which dog it is, but the neighbor flatly denies his dog is ever loose. Which is a lie, since I see it running around down the block, and suspiciously a turd will show up on my property shortly thereafter. It's enough to make me want to shell out for a video security system to catch the pooch in the "act". But so far it's hasn't been worth the expense or bother.
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