HOAs and You (not State specific)

[U_Stormcrow]

Remember, when it comes to HOAs, as voluntary contractual associations, HOAs generally trump State, County, and Municipality ordinances, insofar as they may be **FAR** more restrictive than local zoning would otherwise allow. In essence, every member gives every other member the right to have some say in their neighbor's use of their own property(ies). Some of the most permissive States from a zoning perspective (i.e. Texas, Florida, etc) also tend to be "home rule" States, meaning the State has only very limited ability to set aside local ordinances - unlike, say, California or Pennsylvania.

I know that's a mouthful, maybe not easy to wrap your head around. Accordingly, I've found a useful visual aid which I hope you find instructive.

If you find yourself wanting chickens, while living in an HOA that does not permit them, you have two options. Either take over the HOA Board and amend the bylaws (chances are, the elections are very low turn out) or MOVE.

 

[vall]

Option 3... the loophole of quail. Often they are not expressly prohibited or permitted.

 

[Jenessa_096]

... very true we have had neighbors complain about our chickens while their dogs wake us up in the middle of the night by barking . ALL of our neighbors have dogs and all of them have more than 1 dog. We had to give away all of our roosters and they were still complaining about our hens! People always ask me about Snow the rooster in my Pfp and that’s the answer he got complained on.. Although I get that they are sort of loud they always get eggs from us and seem really nice. So my hens got registered as my emotional support animals!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Option 3... the loophole of quail. Often they are not expressly prohibited or permitted.

Only if the bylaws are written *very* poorly. The current trend is to expressly ban everything, then conditionally permit a limited number of specified critters, and has been for some time. Maybe, if you are in a really old HOA, you might get lucky. Its unlikely.

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

Only if the bylaws are written *very* poorly. The current trend is to expressly ban everything, then conditionally permit a limited number of specified critters, and has been for some time. Maybe, if you are in a really old HOA, you might get lucky. Its unlikely.

Before I moved I lived with a HOA,but I was one of the 1st residents and the initial rules were actually sensible, intelligent rules regarding animals ,vehicles etc ( except paint color) a " lovely retired karen" moved in and got on the board got things changed and we'll lots say we went round and round..but she couldn't beat me, I was only required to abide by the original hoa rules not updated..eventually I sold and moved, but the boRd eventually got sued,dissolved and resurrected with new laws somewhere in between original and crazy.. then they put a management company in charge( much better) said Karen would literally walk around and measure grass ( like 2 days after a hurricane she left notices about grass cutting on people's doors some of which had not returned home yet

 

[DickMidnight]

Either take over the HOA Board and amend the bylaws (chances are, the elections are very low turn out) or MOVE.

love it.

far too many threads on here wondering how to get around HOA restrictions. those threads are always full of whataboutism and whining.

work within the existing framework and change the rules, or vote with your dollars and move somewhere that agrees with your way of life.