Opinions needed about home owners association

[steveo9043]

Ok so I have been in the same town house for 3.5 years. When we moved in there was nothing in the contract stating you could not park in the on street parking spaces. We have our drive way but there are also 16 spots off the street. We have 3 cars at my house and only room for two in the drive way.

I would park in one of the spots. Normally when I first moved in (I don't like getting blocked in). Then I got a sticker on my car one day saying you can not park a car there longer then 7 days. That's fine and understandable. Started putting the parked car first in the drive way.

Just recently two of my cars got stickers saying the parking is for visitors only.... (again this is not in the contract and I was also told 2 years ago that you can park there just not longer then 7 days).

The garage is a single car garage, in the contract you have to leave your garbage cans in the garage. The garage door is centered instead of offset to the right. I can pull my cars in, then angle to the right but with the garbage can's in there I can not even get my door opened to the first "notch" lets call it.

So now I have received two stickers on multiple cars stating they will be towed the next time they are caught parking there.

I'm a night owl and I can see the majority of the spots at night. Other neighbors are utilizing the spots and leaving there drive way wide open. I tried calling and reporting that, they said I can't report those things. I have only seen one other car besides mine get stickered.

What should I do? Mind you, my town house is a 3 bedroom 3 bath and in the contract can have up to 6 adults living in it legally. That could potentially be 6 cars!

Maybe a lawdog can chime in? I'd still like opinions of others as well.

[Redhot12]

If you have a contract and it states, or doesn't state anything about parking and where you can or can't, then I would think they have no recourse and cannot tow your car... Or at least not legally. Did you ask the property management or association about it and about the contract? You know, the real issue rests with them. Usually, that group is a bunch of A holes that have nothing to do but make up stupid rules like, you can't have a nascar flag hanging in public view, or you can't have a purple garbage can, or you can't drive a car with a badass exhaust past 8PM. Stupid things like that. I hate associations! Never heard anything good about them! Good luck man!

[Hoosierguy]

Have you requested a meeting with the president of the HOA? If they refuse to talk your only recourse is probably hooking up with anyone else and go in together and get a lawyer.

[steveo9043]

I talked to them and they said it was stated in the HOA rules thing we got, but I was not able to find it and they couldn't tell me where to find it.

They said I would have to submit a formal letter about the issue and they will see if they can talk about it the next meeting.

They have something stuck way up there @$$ and so do most of the residents now a days. They want to put speed bumps on the city street, they want to close off one side of the street because of the "ghetto" apartment down the street. That was an exact quote from a board member. If you go 26 down the street they yell at you.

I really feel like I am being targeted by the neighbors and the board. They have even said they wanted to make it a gated community. The lady in charge is a real whack job lol.

oh and they are dumb enough to pay a flat fee for snow removal whether its one time or twenty. That is not that bad if they are out every time it snows but they only come out after 3in and once its completely finished. 3 or 4 am you will hear a bob cat outside slammings its blade onto the ground.

I could keep going about how dumb they are and how overly priced it is but ill end the rant here for now.

[Redhot12]

I talked to them and they said it was stated in the HOA rules thing we got, but I was not able to find it and they couldn't tell me where to find it.

They said I would have to submit a formal letter about the issue and they will see if they can talk about it the next meeting.

They have something stuck way up there @$$ and so do most of the residents now a days. They want to put speed bumps on the city street, they want to close off one side of the street because of the "ghetto" apartment down the street. That was an exact quote from a board member. If you go 26 down the street they yell at you.

I really feel like I am being targeted by the neighbors and the board. They have even said they wanted to make it a gated community. The lady in charge is a real whack job lol.

oh and they are dumb enough to pay a flat fee for snow removal whether its one time or twenty. That is not that bad if they are out every time it snows but they only come out after 3in and once its completely finished. 3 or 4 am you will hear a bob cat outside slammings its blade onto the ground.

I could keep going about how dumb they are and how overly priced it is but ill end the rant here for now.

Yup! Sounds like an HOA!

[HumanWiki]

Get a real a-hole of an attorney that loves excessive paperwork and just bury them in legal docs. If you can get some that are time sensitive and come with court backing you can really screw their lives up. That or just get them some really, really bad publicity on the news, by name.

[HumanWiki]

and by really, really bad publicity.. I mean the kind that gets them to the point of being investigated, put on no-fly lists, offender registries, ban lists for local businesses or even some in person time with the IRS.

There's also the option of combing through the HOA rules and turning them against every single person giving you a hard time. See if you can get an outside authority to actually hold them accountable to their own rule breaking.

You could also just make them all some food with a very hard, tasteless and fast acting laxative and see that it gets handed out at the next board meeting.

[Redhot12]

and by really, really bad publicity.. I mean the kind that gets them to the point of being investigated, put on no-fly lists, offender registries, ban lists for local businesses or even some in person time with the IRS.

There's also the option of combing through the HOA rules and turning them against every single person giving you a hard time. See if you can get an outside authority to actually hold them accountable to their own rule breaking.

You could also just make them all some food with a very hard, tasteless and fast acting laxative and see that it gets handed out at the next board meeting.

Geeezzzz! Remind me not to do anything to piss you off!

[HumanWiki]

Geeezzzz! Remind me not to do anything to piss you off!

I have less than 0 tolerance of people in positions of power that act this way. When I can do something about it, I do. I've seen many people complain about HOAs and the way rules are enforced.

[Redhot12]

I have less than 0 tolerance of people in positions of power that act this way. When I can do something about it, I do. I've seen many people complain about HOAs and the way rules are enforced.

Duly noted... As mentioned previously, I have heard way to many horror stories about HOA's and the power pushers that run them! Everything starts out for the people of the community and then it goes south!

[Toasty]

I talked to them and they said it was stated in the HOA rules thing we got, but I was not able to find it and they couldn't tell me where to find it.

They said I would have to submit a formal letter about the issue and they will see if they can talk about it the next meeting.

They have something stuck way up there @$$ and so do most of the residents now a days. They want to put speed bumps on the city street, they want to close off one side of the street because of the "ghetto" apartment down the street. That was an exact quote from a board member. If you go 26 down the street they yell at you.

I really feel like I am being targeted by the neighbors and the board. They have even said they wanted to make it a gated community. The lady in charge is a real whack job lol.

oh and they are dumb enough to pay a flat fee for snow removal whether its one time or twenty. That is not that bad if they are out every time it snows but they only come out after 3in and once its completely finished. 3 or 4 am you will hear a bob cat outside slammings its blade onto the ground.

I could keep going about how dumb they are and how overly priced it is but ill end the rant here for now.

Send the letter certified mail, and demand that no action be taken against you until the meeting.

As for if it is in the contract, maybe they have a "new" or revised contract with that wording in it. If they do, look over your contract for indication that they can change the rules of your contract

[Lawdog]

unfortunately, I can't say anything because I do not know if I have represented this particular condo assoc. In the past. You would have to come to my office with the bylaws, the Declaration, the rules and this Contract you speak of. And I would like to see a picture of the area that your car was in when you got the sticker as well as your driveway and garage. there's a lot here to be looked at and questioned. Also you did not mention who owns this street, is it part of the common element or is it city property and city maintained ? once I am informed of all the variables and documents, I can make an assessment to assist you, if I have never represented them before. However, I cannot do it on a public Forum.

[steveo9043]

I'm going to type up a letter this weekend. Sending certified mail is a great idea thanks.

Lawdog, completely understandable. If the letter doesn't do anything, I may be making a stop by your office.