Being Harassed by my HOA

[Jtorres]

So to make a long story short for the past two years my wife and I have received a few violations from our homeowner association for not being able to park two cars in our garage. In fact we can, the frame off restoration on my 67 F250 sits on one side of the garage and my 97 Tj sits on the other side. Why I'm posting is because after going to a few hearing boards on this and winning we still keep getting letters. I'm tired of this and would like to seek legal help. I've heard of car clubs that specialize in areas were people who are restoring cars and running into similar problems like mine. Has any one heard of anything that might help me? Any advise would be great, short of me moving ( which wont happen for a few years)


Thanks,,,,,


Joe

[elgemcdlf]

HOAs are signing up for communism. You pay someone else to tell you what you can't do. You are most likely stuck. You agreed to all of it prior to buying the house or at least should have. Pay the fines or move. Both options are probably far less expensive than a legal battle you will most likely lose. HOAs are just like drugs. Just say no!

[Ranchero50]

Ditto, just move.

[chad67]

I haven't got any experience with this, but...if you are cleared at the hearing board, can't they order the association to stop harrassing you over the matter?

[Mancar1]

Good luck to you. Although I wouldn't trade my career in the military for nothing, and feel I owe a heck of a lot to this great country. I have had enough of a dictatorship type lifestyle. I would move, Just my opinion. CPO USN Ret
(I love and fully support our military. It has to be that type of lifestyle. IMO)

[Madman]

HOA's=Nazi's. I passed on purchases of at least 5 properties due to them having an HOA. Like many, I don't believe in paying an exuberant amount of money for a house, then having some A. Hole tell me what I can and can't do!

[HIO Silver]

HOAs constitute a private agreement/contract among property owners to abide by the conditions, covenants, and restrictions (CC&Rs) of the HOA. Most folks are really wide eyed at finding the property of their dreams and disregard to read the CC&Rs only to find out that their practices/behavior run counter to what they agreed to when signing the transaction/mortgage papers.

HOAs have every right to enforce their rules because owners agreed to them. A violation is a violation in their eyes.... some are more reasonable than others. My brother's HOA got on his case for having a couple of oil drips on his driveway... He flamed 'em, wrote an open letter to every member, told the HOA board to F-off, and promptly moved.

Contact SEMA if you feel you have a case but have all your documentation at the ready. It has to be defendable.

[averagef250]

Good luck to you. Although I wouldn't trade my career in the military for nothing, and feel I owe a heck of a lot to this great country. I have had enough of a dictatorship type lifestyle. I would move, Just my opinion. CPO USN Ret
(I love and fully support our military. It has to be that type of lifestyle. IMO)

I'm with you 100%

HOA is anti-american IMO. If my neighbor does something that pisses me off I talk to them and likewise I expect the same. It's called COMMUNICATION.

If I was governed by some harassing HOA I would plan to move and then find some artistic exemption and erect a 40' totem pole covered with bright christmas lights and lingerie. Tie a few 40' chains to my bumper and drive through the neighborhood at 3 AM.

[motzingg]

some people are happy to trade their freedom for 'nice'

this website probably doesn't attract those folks, as they are likely driving around in generic plastic boxes.

they can keep it... and thank god they aren't interested in these old trucks, leaving more for us.

good stuff to know as i go into the home ownership phase of life, i've already passed on several apartments/condos with condo associations, much to my wife's chagrin, its a good reminder to hold steadfast when house shopping on signing my life away.


did anyone see the 'duck dynasty' where jace is up against the HOA? pretty good one.

[Jtorres]

Thanks for the advise. unfortunately I can't move at this moment due starting a new job. Our current location puts us in a great school district, down side is that all housing developments in the area are part HOA. Sucks having to be constantly watching over my shoulder when working on my truck or jeep. But the good news I solved the problem after a confrontation, that led to a discussion, that solved the problem.... For now at least..... Thanks again

[Jacksdad]

Glad that you've made some progress. Fortunately I've never had to deal with an HOA, but I've had my share of run-ins with neighbors who thought that we were living in one. I don't dress,think or purchase vehicles to please other people, and "normal" is not how we roll in my family. I grew up not really understanding my Dad when he'd say that he didn't care what people thought of him, but now I'm of an age where I agree with his sentiments and admire him for it.
Personally, I think you should pride yourself on rubbing the conformists the wrong way

[HIO Silver]

Thanks for the advise. unfortunately I can't move at this moment due starting a new job. Our current location puts us in a great school district, down side is that all housing developments in the area are part HOA. Sucks having to be constantly watching over my shoulder when working on my truck or jeep. But the good news I solved the problem after a confrontation, that led to a discussion, that solved the problem.... For now at least..... Thanks again

Ah Cordelia...... you're either in Seeno land or Green Valley. Yeah man, HOAs up the ying-yang in that area. IIRC, it's chock full of landscape and lighting districts too (a line on your property tax bill).

There are a few things to potentially keep the HOA off yer back while wrenching and pursuing your hobby.:

1. Of course, keep the front yard and areas visible to the public picked up. Meaning, avoid leaving parts, buckets, cherry pickers, etc. out overnight.
2. Keep all four wheels on the ground or installed as much as possible. You may have to plan/time your repairs to have it looked assembled although it is not. For example, if rebuilding the front end, plan ahead to at least reinstall the wheels so the vehicle looks like it is just parked.
3. Avoid leaving off body parts, throw 'em back on with a couple of bolts. But if ya have to leave off body parts, throw a car cover over it. DO NOT USE PLASTIC TARPS!!!
4. Use flattened cardboard boxes to minimize soiling the driveway concrete. Rinse off the driveway at the end of the day.
5. Avoid the look of a dusty and cobwebbed vehicle. Wash it and don't forget the windows.
6. Operate electric/pneumatic tools only btwn normal construction hours. Contact the City of Fairfield Building Division and get a copy of the noise ordinance (Cordelia is an "area" within City of Fairfield city limits). On weekends, use power tools no earlier than 9 AM and no later than about 8 pm during the summer.
7. Get a copy of your HOAs by-laws and review them. They're usually written with grey areas of subjectivity. Develop strategies to address potential complaints/citations ahead of time so you have a planned and logical response.

How do I know this stuff?? I'm a land use planner.... white collar by day, wrenching anytime else!

[motzingg]

awesome advice, i can certainly agree with #2, and 3, those two are easy and have helped me keep the city off my back.

another good one is put a plate on it, even if it is a old plate, some areas will ticket you for a non-plated vehicle in your driveway, just having a bogus plate on it will keep them off your back. when i lived in Milwaukee this was a huge concern, to the point that i had to park my project car with the back bumper up against the garage door so tight nobody could see down to tell it didn't have a plate, neighborhood services could put a sticker on your car and tow it within 24 hours out of your own driveway if it didn't have plate and reg.

[Jtorres]

Yeah Fairfield is full of the HOA’s and living in the lower green valley area no one really expects a frame off restoration in their neighborhood. Thanks for the advice HIO Silver and motzingg. I’ll keep in mind when I’m work on the truck or jeep or other family members cars.

[72 f100]

I would not recommend just sticking any old plate on the vehicle. If a plate is not registered to the vehicle it is on (at least here in VA,
it is a class 2 misdemeanor, altered registration, and you can get charged with it in your own driveway. Hio Silver has made some great suggestions, its to bad we have to go to that extent to wrench on our own vehicles. I completely udnerstand what the rules are intended for and for the most part agree with alot of them. We have to take the good and the bad when we sign up for houses in these neighborhoods.

I have had many battles with my HOA, (even got one of the staff fired). The worse part for me is I live within eyesite of our club house, where anything I do can be seen or heard. My cousin lives in a neighborhood where they get fined if they leave there garage door open.

If I have to wrench on a vehicle and it will be in pieces for a few days in the driveway, I will contact the HOA to let them know approx. how many days I will be working on it in the driveway. In all but one case, any complaint that came in to them from the neighbors was ignored. Now my approx. down time for the vehicle was never longer than 10 days . Dont expect to call them and say its going to be apart for 3 months and they say ok.