July 12th, 2018: Feel Good Day
 

Ok, I had a different IOtD ready but decided to do something different today because I’m doing it and you’re not.
After a hump day you need a boost to get you to Friday.
Gene Work and his brother-in-law Mark Rouco, of Pasco County Florida were laying new sod in Gene’s yard. The last four pallets
had just been delivered and Gene was freaked because the HOA was going to drop a huge fine on them if they didn’t git-r-done.

Just to make life more interesting Gene has a massive heart attack(whole right coronary artery was completely clogged) which really
cramps his sod laying style. Call 911, Pasco County Ambulance, EMTs and Fire truck to the rescue. As they whisk Gene and Mrs Gene
away he’s freaked the sod will die and he won’t make the HOA deadline but doesn’t mention the fine.

Mark bro-in-law stays behind with a two year old and vows to do his best to beat the fine. As he’s working he hears the Fire truck
and Ambulance return. Seven of the EMTs and Firemen don gloves to lay sod since they knew Gene wasn’t going to be able to for
some time and the sod would die.
They didn’t know about the HOA fine, but I don’t know if they knew next month Mrs Gene (Melissa) goes in for a bone marrow transplant.

http://cellar.org/2017/sod1.jpg

http://cellar.org/2017/sod2.jpg

Now don’t that warm your cockles? :D

link

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Cockles warmed, thank you xoB.

as for HOAs, ... I'm feeling a... chill.

Precisely this.

Well done to all the emergency service personnel involved! :thumb:

I wonder if a stateside Dwellar would answer a question, please?
As I understand it, HOA stands for Home Owners Association.
The only context in which I have seen reference to an HOA is in an apartment block where it manages and maintains the common parts of the building and grounds.
As far as I can make out from the article, the house mentioned is a private self-contained dwelling.
In this context, where does the HOA come into it?

Ta!

Yes, single home. Here in the US as the suburbs built up the mostly agricultural land got gradually nibbled away as heirs divided and sold grampa's farm. Then only large pieces were left, with prices are far beyond what most can afford. Enter developers with big bucks who buy grampa's farm and put up a shitload of houses made out of ticky tacky and all look just the same. In order to placate buyers that they will continue to all look just the same and I won't buy the place next door with my lottery winnings and turn it into something to degrade your property value, the deeds are written so you submit to the whims of an HOA.

HOA members are all the property owners and elect the board who write and enforce the rules. Because elected means politics, egos, and power struggles, it's a bunch of assholes with a lot of power "protecting your interests". They tell you what color you can paint your front door, you can't have a clothesline, your swing set must be wood, what size flag you can fly on holidays, how high your grass can be, what kind of vehicle you can park in your driveway, and on and on and on.

Some people love it, I would rather sleep in the Greyhound station than live there.

Thanks, Bruce.

It sounds like a recipe for festering resentment, petty vendettas and general score settling!

I am only speaking in general terms, but in the UK there are very often covenants in the deeds which people tend to obey or ignore as they think fit.
Again generally, covenants are difficult to enforce and matters only surface when a property is sold.
I'm aware of a local building plot with a derelict bungalow which has a covenant restricting further development.
The trouble is that the covenant is so old it isn't known if there is anyone in a position to enforce it.
The estate agent's blurb mentions that the vendors have taken out insurance against an attempt at enforcement and the premium will be reflected in the sale price. From memory it was about £2000.

Along the road here, there's a general prohibition against keeping poultry.
In a gesture of rebellion I am considering rushing out and buying a dozen Rhode Island Reds.
After I've had my tea, of course.

Here's what's happening in Canada.

Fuck a HOA.

Why would I pay someone to tell me how I can live my life?

I've never understood that.

*actual fist bump here*

Well, the serious answer is because they also tell your neighbors not to be dickholes. Nobody likes the HOA until they find themselves living next to a hoarder with dead animals in the yard and a 15-foot Nazi flag nailed to the roof. Even if you tell yourself you could just ignore a neighbor like that, the reality is you could never sell your house with that guy next to you.

HOAs are fine as long as they're run by reasonable people without a vendetta. But I have heard a few horror stories where one board member starts using nitpicky bylaws to harass average folks no one had a problem with in the first place.

I've seen the nightmares it causes people who don't fit the mold the HOA demands, like a plumber who can't park his pickup in his own driveway overnight because it had his company name painted on the door. Or the people who couldn't put up a clothes pole in the backyard and were forced to use their dryer in the summer, etc, etc.

I'm also firmly in the anti-HOA camp. Maybe I've just been lucky with my neighbors.

The neighbors across the street from me wait until their grass is a foot long, sometimes, before they mow it.

that's what I want in a neighbor, because it makes my lawn look good, even if I'm a few days late getting to it.

ah, renting!

My lawn hasn't been mowed this year. :headshake

Well that's just sensible flood control.

The township doesn't come around asking about it, though, do they? Here in middle-middle class mall land, they do come around and issue notices every once in a while. It's not exactly an HOA but it does give the township something to do for their salaries