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Babies on the Brain
bensbabe
member
I'm hating our HOA more & more...(any law BOTBers come in)
bensbabe
member
So we pay pretty minimal dues four times a year--$75 to be exact. We do not have a park or pool in our subdivision. No walking trails (some sidewalks, but to be fair, our subdivision is only into the second phase), and no plans for any of the above through the first five phases. Our HOA is run by a company right now, so our dues are to basically pay for someone to drive through the neighborhood once a month to monitor homes' exteriors (lawn height, no trashcans to the front of the house, etc), and then we get letters. Stupid.
SH works for a company that requires him to carry his work supplies in a trailer. That trailer sits on the right side of our driveway & DH takes it with him when he has a job. Now that DH is getting more busy, the trailer goes with him more often, but it's been sitting in our driveway 95% of the time for 7 months!!
We got a letter from the HOA/POA company , stating that "no boat, trailer, all-terrain vehicle, or motor home or other recreational vehicle of any kind shall be kept other than in a garage or in the rear yard screened from the view of the neighbors or streets." We read that before, too, and it made sense to US that they were outlawing recreational vehicles: toys and trailers/RV/campers. I can see why any of the recreational trailers/campers/RVs would be outlawed, but a work trailer?!
The company says we have 10 days to comply. DH is pissed b/c it's been here for so long, we've gotten at least 5 letters over that time for general & other things (ie: there have been inspections since that time). I know for a fact that when they did inspections, DH's trailer was parked here.
I'm angry, but I don't know what to do. It's the lumping of the words that makes it hard to argue (for either side). WWBOTBD?
High-risk L&D nurse...If in doubt, go to triage!
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I'm hating our HOA more & more...(any law BOTBers come in)
I am a property manager. Typically, unless there is a complaint made or direction from the Board of Directors, people do not get letters for violations. However, since it states in your Covenants that trailers are not allowed, it does not allow any "vehicle" with a trailer designated plate.
Sorry that is not what you want to hear!
This. My guess is one of your neighbors complained and that's why you got the letter now.
Is it possible to park one of your cars outside and park the trailer inside? Not ideal, I know, but at least then you'd be in compliance.
We get random drive-bys once a month for inspections. Oh, and there's even a "rule" in there that commercial vehicles are only allowed to be parked in garages. We have at least a dozen neighbors w/commercial vehicles that also park in their driveways (including DH).
I know it will have to be moved, but it sucks that they pick & choose which rules they want to address.
Also, the trailer is too tall for the garage, so it won't fit.
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
I was just quoting the actual bylaws. I was reading it as a trailer like a camper, honestly, and I wasn't trying to twist it. We know all of our neighbors within a few houses on all sides of our house, so we know it's not them. The letter states it was from the monthly inspection.
I know there's not much argument, but it sucks when you have the best-kept exterior in the neighborhood to have crap like this. I had already told DH he was going to have to move it when we got the letter.
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
it makes perfect sense. also, probably someone complained about it finally.
they are pretty unsightly- some people move into hoa nenighborhoods specifically because things like that bother them.
It seemed weird to me until last year- we moved across country and are renting a duplex while we decide where to go next (not HERE!) and holy crap! people have cars everywhere, a cople of work trailers stowed in driveways, some other crap, people leave their trash carts wherever...
when all of this stuff is out of sight- our neighborhood looks lovely- it's relatively new, attractive houses, etc- but with everything everywhere, it looks a lotmore trashy. I would never own here.
Well that settles it. You will just have to move into one of the houses on my road that are for sale. We have no HOA and since we had a pop up and boat in our front yard at one point, obviously your dh's work trailer would be okay. Yay for living even closer. LOL
But in all reality that really sucks. I am not sure how HOA's really work though because we were too leery to buy a house in one.
While I understand it is frustrating to you the rules are the rules. I agree that you were just lucky to have gotten away with it for so long. If it just said trailer and didn't specify, then it was always really just assumption on your part that it meant recreational.
I can't help but equate your reasoning to my 3rd graders. They have to have on a belt as part of their uniforms and sometimes I will notice a student without a belt and they will get a mark for being without it. Often their response is "But I haven't been wearing one all week and you didn't say anything!" Well that didn't mean the rule didn't apply or that they weren't doing the wrong thing. It just means that I didn't notice and they didn't get caught.
Well, as much as I'm sure no one will believe me, none of our neighbors (within two houses on any side of us) complained.
As for the f/u to this. DH talked to the lady in charge of inspections & emails. His trailer is now only here at night (in the winter months, it was just about everyday, and it's not a big trailer--just tall)). He asked about the "commercial vehicle" rule, and she admitted that they tend to 'overlook' that rule. There is also another rule in there about vehicles pertaining specifically to home improvement, home building, construction, etc (basically that you can't have vehicles or trailers that advertise for jobs/companies that rival the builder/developer for the neighborhood--DH's doesn't, but several others do). DH just wanted clarity & a reason why they only were enforcing one rule when there are several in violation throughout the neighborhood.
She said as long as it doesn't sit for more than 48 hours (not including weekends), she will overlook it, and she will note it in case anyone complains (another proof that someone did not complain in the first place). She even told DH days she typically drives through.
I understand the reasoning behind the rules. I have driven through some non-HOA neighborhoods & looked at houses in there. I was more angry that it had not been brought-up before now (I understand the rule in question, and how stupid I look for "reasoning" it, but I was mainly venting. I had already told DH he was going to have to move it b/c I was not getting into legal battles with a company over it.). It's not like it was easily missed.
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in