Do you have a Homeowner's Association?
 

An old friend used to say he never understood paying someone that only existed to take away your home, but he specialized in having opinions and data on topics that were new to him. The amount of facts, figures, and statistic for every topic imaginable was truly dizzying.

He also said he never understood intentionally choosing a car built around a part specifically designed to go out, a manual transmission.

Jalopnik had some article about HOAs. I guess there have been different ones before. I think this was the one about the Festiva that wore upside-down Camaro pants. The HOA ordered him to get rid of it, driveways were only for drivable cars.

Well, it was driveable, and street legal! https://jalopnik.com/awful-homeowner...gal-1818876834

An HOA discovered a resident had people sleeping in his garage, so they ordered everyone kept their garages open from 8am to 4pm: https://jalopnik.com/dumbest-hoa-eve...eep-1821886917

This guy made sure he could park his pickup in his driveway. Seven years later, they told him he couldn't. He sued, they appealed, and after $187,000 which his neighbors were refunding [involuntarily], the state Supreme Court ruled in his favor: https://jalopnik.com/5600495/man-spe...s-own-driveway

This deployed Army Captain lost his home because his depressed wife stopped opening mail, they owed $977.55 in dues, they illegally foreclosed, and sold the $315,000 home for $3,201. That buyer sold it for $135,000 and that buyer later stopped by asking for rent: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/fris...of-Frisco-5503

This old lady says she never realized her house had an HOA. When she was out-of-town on one of her frequent business trips, they foreclosed on her house over $300 in fees. Like the Army Captain, the HOA never called or stopped by, despite being neighbors. She did not appeal because she was afraid of legal fees: Elderly Woman Loses Home for Failing to Pay Homeowner Association Fees

According to this list: https://www.movoto.com/blog/real-est...st-hoa-bylaws/
Some HOAs prohibit all signs, including for sale.

I am sure there are more, but that is enough for now. People kept commenting on Jalopnik that if you buy a house with an HOA, you deserve whatever you get, while many pointed out that you can actually join the board and try to fix things, and that many are decent, actually maintain home values, and otherwise leave you alone.

I have previously mentioned that the City of Tempe threatened to fine and\or jail my old landlord for not trimming his lawn.

Jail. For having tall grass. Not Jurassic Park tall grass, just tall.

Nope living under an hoa is just some weird form of self loathing.

I have one.

They basically clear the snow, mow the common areas, and once a year send a team of inspectors around to make people repair the parts of the houses that are damaged (I got a notice this year because the siding on the side of my house was sloughing off, which I hadn't even realized).

I'm ok with that.

I didn't have a choice in my area whether to have an HOA (basically only historic areas don't), but I did find this correlation: The higher the HOA fees, the more dickish the HOA is. If you have to have an HOA, find the lowest fee one you can. $250/month HOA fees? Run far, far away... they'll be up in your business nonstop.

Sam

I have seen HOAs more expensive than that. When I looked at homes, many had them, and some provided water, sewer, outside maintenance, etc.
Some did not seem to offer anything.
For some of them, it seemed like they only charged about $35 a month more than what services would cost me on my own, but others cost hundreds, and for what?

There are enough people at work telling me what to do all day, I don't need anybody telling me how to live my life at home!

I'm in an older neighborhood out in the sticks on the edge of nothing, and of course I don't agree with everything my neighbors do (or don't do) to their houses and properties, but I couldn't deal with some HOA Nazi telling me I can't park in my driveway, or have company, or have a boat, or build a shed, or paint my house a certain color, or landscape a certain way, or (fill in the blank) . . . . . and I sure as heck wouldn't pay them to tell me!

Nope. Wouldn't have one, for all the reasons given. Did have one on my first place (actually a condo). The HOA manager embezzled all the association money.

Homer: So what does this job pay?
Lenny: Nothing.
Homer: D'oh!
Lenny: Unless you're crooked.
Homer: WOOHOO!

I'm not going to pay someone to tell me what I can and can't do.

Yeah you look at the amount of money taken in by these HOAs versus the services rendered, you're definitely paying for some ones cocane, hooker, booze and gambling habit.

There is no such thing in my country, but some areas have strict zoning laws. Some neighborhoods may have a community security council, but nothing as overpowering as the American model for HOAs.

I would never, ever be in an HOA, given the choice. I'm sure those are extreme examples, but I basically can't see paying a bunch of people who aren't paying your mortgage to tell you what you may or may not do with your house. I have met others who wouldn't have it any other way, and appreciate the orderliness. To each their own, I suppose. Others who live in an HOA neighborhood don't interfere with any part of my life, so I'm fine with the fact that they exist.