HOA wont allow wire runs on condo walls

[ffemtreed]

Originally Posted by Lee L

Again, most HOAs are fine, it is usually a few or maybe one bad person that makes them difficult to deal with.

Personally, I like living where there are some limits. I agree, that it should not be super restrictive, but no, I do not want someone painting their door moo cow spotted or orange or any other wacky colors.

Also, as stated, the reason cables were not allowed on the exterior of the building in the OPs case is due to the fact that the exterior of the building is technically owned and maintained by someone other than the OP.

As far as grass growing chest high being a local code issue, most cities have rules that do not allow the grass to be over 12 or 18 inches high. This is way too high for a residential community. Plus, it takes the city forever to actually make someone do anythign once it gets that high.





This is the number one reason to get a management company. This way it is a neutral third party that they are dealing with for the money side of it. Seems really unfair to have to make the actual homeowners deal with this side of things. Talk about crapping where you eat!

Also, it gives somewhat of a seperation of powers so to speak. The daily money management is up to them. (the board of course meets and gets all the standard financial reports of course). Much less of a chance for someone to actually missapropriate funds or for there to be any way for someone to falsely accuse current board members of stealing as the info is there for all to see.

Our current management company charges about $60 per lot per year. I have seen ranges from around $40 to over $100 depending on the size of the community and the level of management you want.

Originally Posted by bobcamp1

Because the towns are so tiny they can't manage all the people living in them. That's why by law an HOA is mandatory for big subdivisions. I used to live near Lee L in Apex, NC. All the subdivisions NEED an HOA, because they are the ones enforcing the laws. That tiny town couldn't possibly enforce the laws or decide disputes on its own for all of the people living just outside of it.

For example, a neighbor put up a fence which created a blind corner for traffic. I called Apex town hall and they told me to contact my HOA if I wanted something done about it. The HOA immediately stepped in and forced them to move the fence back.

Another time, another neighbor was running a day care center out of her home. There were cars constantly coming and going, which created a traffic hazard, and they were parking on the neighbor's lawns! The HOA clamped down and shut her down. She didn't have a license, nor was the area zoned for business. I'm pretty sure the values of her neighbor's homes went back up after she left.

Up north, towns are actually sub-counties. They are huge in comparison. You pay a lot for the town tax up north, but they do provide everything. Down south, you don't pay hardly any town tax but you do pay an HOA fee.

Sounds like the town needs to get its finances straight. Any town should have a codes dept to handle its size. Are all these people in subdivisions not paying taxes to the town????

If the fence was restricting view of traffic I would hope there is a local ordinance against that. I know some jurisdictions are loose on fence laws for permitting purposes.

Again, running a day care out of the home in a zoned residential area and licensing issues. That is a zoning violation and the town already has laws on the books to be enforced.

HOA should not be used to enforce local laws. To me this is side stepping the due process and is the most anti American way of doing things. We might as well live in Cuba.

[rudeney]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Wouldn't those weeds be a local code issue? Why do you need a HOA for that? We pay taxes to the local town for code enforcement.

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Sounds like the town needs to get its finances straight. Any town should have a codes dept to handle its size. Are all these people in subdivisions not paying taxes to the town????

Because the city’s idea of properly maintained is much different from the neighborhoods. For example, the city won’t condemn property until it is consider a health or safety risk. Until it gets that bad, we may have to put up with years of broken windows, fallen gutters, rotting wood, damaged roofs, etc. Having houses in disrepair in the neighborhood drives down my property value, and that is not the city’s concern.

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

The general concept of the HOA's is sound, its unfortunate what it has evolved into. Does the front door color really detract from the neighbors home value? Does having a boat parked in my driveway really detract from the value? I don't think there are too many people out there that say, well gee wizz.. I am not living there because my neighbor across the street has a boat and I can't stand to look at that everyday, or wow I am not moving in here because two doors down has a moo cow spotted front door.

Actually, that does describe me! Our houses are small, so parking a large boat or motor home in the driveway is going to be aesthetically displeasing. If our homes and yards were larger to where these could be parked behind the house, then it might be different.

Originally Posted by Simmerman

One of the reasons I dont care for HOA's is that the strict ones make me work harder as an installer since the dishes have to be hidden.

You need to discuss OTARD with these HOA’s. Ironically, in our case, the HOA was aware of OTARD and we, the board, abide by it. It was a neighbor who complained about my dish and wanted it removed because it can be seen from the street (if you look for it). So, not all HOA’s are bad about this, and the ones that are need to be informed.

Originally Posted by Lee L

This is the number one reason to get a management company. This way it is a neutral third party that they are dealing with for the money side of it. Seems really unfair to have to make the actual homeowners deal with this side of things. Talk about crapping where you eat!
Our current management company charges about $60 per lot per year. I have seen ranges from around $40 to over $100 depending on the size of the community and the level of management you want.

Unfortunately, we can’t afford it. Our dues are only $150 per year and that has to pay for maintaining the front entrance, alleyways, and some fences, as well as street lights. We can’t raise our dues unless we get a majority to vote on new covenants, which would cost us $4,000 to refile. It’s just not going to happen.

[Lee L]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Again, what is the harm of someone running a cable so they can get TV?

Well, regardless of the opinins about HOAs in general, the reason in the OPs case is that the association is responsible for maintaining the exterior of the units. They ban cables running on the outside probably for many reasons.

Like what happens when they need to change the siding out and there are cables on it? People would scream that their service was disrupted. Plus, if a vendor had to be brought in to re-run the cables to facilitate teh siding, there would be a cost that was bourne by everyone in the community, nearly all of which get no benefit from one single satellite dish instal, why should they pay for that?

What happens if there is a leak due to the cable entering the unit? Now the association is liable to fix the leak and for mold. Again, this will cost everyone money.

What if the cables come loose and are a hazzard to people walking by, what if they just look like junk.

All of these are entirely valid reasons not to have the cables run outside.

Remember, the exterior is not the OP's property. How would you like it if someone decided to run their cable wires through your backyard without your permission? Essentially it is the same thing.

[rudeney]

Originally Posted by Lee L

Well, regardless of the opinins about HOAs in general, the reason in the OPs case is that the association is responsible for maintaining the exterior of the units. They ban cables running on the outside probably for many reasons.

Like what happens when they need to change the siding out and there are cables on it? People would scream that their service was disrupted. Plus, if a vendor had to be brought in to re-run the cables to facilitate teh siding, there would be a cost that was bourne by everyone in the community, nearly all of which get no benefit from one single satellite dish instal, why should they pay for that?

What happens if there is a leak due to the cable entering the unit? Now the association is liable to fix the leak and for mold. Again, this will cost everyone money.

What if the cables come loose and are a hazzard to people walking by, what if they just look like junk.

All of these are entirely valid reasons not to have the cables run outside.

Remember, the exterior is not the OP's property. How would you like it if someone decided to run their cable wires through your backyard without your permission? Essentially it is the same thing.

Lee, that pretty much sums it up! Great observations!

[ffemtreed]

Its the attitude of people that say things like "the boat hides the beauty of the house" and "looks bad" are why HOA's are HATED by 90% of the people who have to deal with them.

You really think having a boat in a driveway really drives down your property values. No of course 99% of the people don't, except the HOA pushers use that as an unfounded excuse to justify their needs.

Everything should be outlawed if you subscribe to the "What if" scenario. Maybe people in HOA shouldn't have stoves because they might leave food on the stove and burn the place down, that would surely affect everyone a lot more than figuring out how to move cables to replace the siding, or making sure the penetrations were properly sealed.

[rudeney]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Its the attitude of people that say things like "the boat hides the beauty of the house" and "looks bad" are why HOA's are HATED by 90% of the people who have to deal with them.

Do you have any evidence to backup that claim of 90%? I know very few people who hate their HOA. They are sometimes aggravated by it or believe things should be done differently, but if it really was such a high percentage, there would be a public outcry to have them banned. On the contrary, I believe most people like having an organization to lookout for the well-being of their subdivisions.

You really think having a boat in a driveway really drives down your property values. No of course 99% of the people don't, except the HOA pushers use that as an unfounded excuse to justify their needs.

Like I said, in my neighborhood, we have smaller houses and they are somewhat close together, though not "garden home" or "zero lot line". If a neighbor has a small boat or RV that can be parked behind the house, that is fine. The problem is that most would not be able to do this because of lot sizes and alleyway access. What we don't want is a neighbor with a 50-foot boat parked in the driveway that's taller than the house and is 5 feet from his next door neighbor's living room window, and leaving it there for months where is gathers leaves, mold, and small wild animals. That is a problem we actually have had to deal with. Now, if our houses and lots were larger, that might not be a problem. And the fact is that our HOA did not create that rule; it was put into the covenants by the developer. All we can do is our duty to enforce it.

Everything should be outlawed if you subscribe to the "What if" scenario. Maybe people in HOA shouldn't have stoves because they might leave food on the stove and burn the place down, that would surely affect everyone a lot more than figuring out how to move cables to replace the siding, or making sure the penetrations were properly sealed.

The difference is that the stove is on the homeowner's property but the cabling isn't. Personally, if I were on that condo's HOA board, I would allow the wire, but it would be our contractor doing the work, to our specs, and the homeowner would pay the bill. In fact, maybe that's something the OP could pursue.

[bobcamp1]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Sounds like the town needs to get its finances straight. Any town should have a codes dept to handle its size. Are all these people in subdivisions not paying taxes to the town????

Yes, as I said in my previous post, the town taxes are a lot less because they provide fewer services. Everyone up north claims they are getting taxed to death, yet they immediately trash a system where people have the same services but pay less in taxes.

The HOA enforces a subset of the laws, and they frequently have their own laws that are the same as the town's if not stricter. The people are usually volunteers or are voted in, just like a town. But like any organization, there is always a chance for corruption or power-hungry people to ruin it. Especially if the members are assigned rather than voted in.

Of course, towns lately have also passed very similar laws on dumb minutiae. So read the bylaws and local city laws before you buy the house.

Anyway, we are OT here.... The OP just needs to agree to pay for any damage done by the installer.

[Getteau]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

Its the attitude of people that say things like "the boat hides the beauty of the house" and "looks bad" are why HOA's are HATED by 90% of the people who have to deal with them.

You really think having a boat in a driveway really drives down your property values. No of course 99% of the people don't, except the HOA pushers use that as an unfounded excuse to justify their needs.

Having sold a house in the past year, I saw first hand what a messy neighbor can do to you (and we had an HOA that wasn't shy about sending the nastygrams).

We really liked our neighbor and did lots of things with them before we moved to the other side of town. However, the husband was quite the pack rat/hoarder. Unfortunately, he had lots of stuff spilling out of his garage, all over his back yard and all over his driveway. Add in a truck that always seemed to be up on a set of jacks for one reason or another and you had what some people would consider an eyesore. Now, we lived next to them for almost 8 years and it never bothered me. However, we had 2 Realtors leave us notes during the sale of our house that said the perspective buyers loved our house, but didn't want to buy a house where they would have to look at his junk every day.

[ffemtreed]

Originally Posted by Getteau

Having sold a house in the past year, I saw first hand what a messy neighbor can do to you (and we had an HOA that wasn't shy about sending the nastygrams).

We really liked our neighbor and did lots of things with them before we moved to the other side of town. However, the husband was quite the pack rat/hoarder. Unfortunately, he had lots of stuff spilling out of his garage, all over his back yard and all over his driveway. Add in a truck that always seemed to be up on a set of jacks for one reason or another and you had what some people would consider an eyesore. Now, we lived next to them for almost 8 years and it never bothered me. However, we had 2 Realtors leave us notes during the sale of our house that said the perspective buyers loved our house, but didn't want to buy a house where they would have to look at his junk every day.

now compare that to everyone who didn't even bother to look at your house because of the HOA. I know when I am looking for houses I automatically exclude ANY houses that have a HOA or deed restrictions. I tell my realtor upfront if they even hint at any house that has an HOA that will be the last time I ever talk to that realtor.

I have made my points about HOA, this is getting way off topic. If you want to continue start a thread in the general discussion forum or Send me a private message.I think we all made our points.

[Lee L]

Originally Posted by ffemtreed

now compare that to everyone who didn't even bother to look at your house because of the HOA. I know when I am looking for houses I automatically exclude ANY houses that have a HOA or deed restrictions. I tell my realtor upfront if they even hint at any house that has an HOA that will be the last time I ever talk to that realtor.

I have made my points about HOA, this is getting way off topic. If you want to continue start a thread in the general discussion forum or Send me a private message.I think we all made our points.

Well, if you call making our points, spewing groundless made up "facts" I guess so!