Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Sally PB]

That is why I will never - NEVER live in an HOA. My money, my property, my way.

Yes. This, exactly.

@saysfaa, I really hope you can find something that you like.

 

[1muttsfan]

It's a good thing you guys realized that you have different concepts before you made any serious commitments.

 

[TOMTE]

I never have and never will understand the appeal of HOAs. Houses all look the same, you can't do anything fun with your home and yard, there are such strict rules that you may as well not own the home and land at all. Everything uniform and "perfect"... It's stale and reminds me of what fascists would like the world to look like. Yuck.

 

[fuzzi]

More home owner association woes.

The house we currently like best as far as location, price, floor plan, build quality, etc. is in an association that allows pets... sort of but kinda not really.

"No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept in any Townhome Property except that up to one (1) dog, up to two (2) cats or other household pets may be kept provided they are not kept, bred or maintained for any commercial purpose and do not exceed fifteen (15) pounds.
Any such pet causing or creating a nuisance or unreasonable disturbance shall be permanently removed from the Townhome Property upon thirty (30) days' written notice from the Association. Pets shall be leashed at all times and may not be tethered outside or left unattended when outside any Townhome Property, and no pet shall be permitted to defecate on any Parcel....Additional rules and regulations pertaining to maintenance of dogs and cats shall be prescribed by the Association, including the removal of any pet creating a nuisance."



We don't have any pets anymore but dd has a dog that is pretty much perfect except she can't be left in a kennel. So dd brings her when she comes. And I want my closest friend to bring her dog too. Both dd and my friend live far away so they spend a couple of days at a time when they come.

And the principle of it. Sheesh.

Besides, they will probably think my truck is "dipalitated." She runs great but she has spent 23 years on roads that get salted in the winter. "Dilapidated" vehicles are on the list of things that are "strictly prohibited."

The driveway is long enough, though. That is something. The garage is not deep enough to park her in it. I'm not sure that would matter, the bylaws also state at least some requirements for the inside of the house ...
"Each Townhome Owner shall maintain in good condition his
or her Townhome, at the expense of said Owners, including, but not limited to, interior painting, wall-papering, window washing, cleaning, paneling, floor covering..
The Association reserves the right to enter upon any Townhome to correct or eliminate nuisances or
violations of any or all of the foregoing,..."

Oh, Heck NO.

Who do they think they are?!?



Keep in mind the HOA could increase the rules after you move in.

 

[fuzzi]

I never have and never will understand the appeal of HOAs. Houses all look the same, you can't do anything fun with your home and yard, there are such strict rules that you may as well not own the home and land at all. Everything uniform and "perfect"... It's stale and reminds me of what fascists would like the world to look like. Yuck.

It's about CONTROL.

 

[chickflick]

That's insane!!! No way would I even think of living there! They have the right to enter your house to make sure it's up to their standards??? Where is this house, Russia?

 

[Guy4God]

Hello, just seeing if any good egg laying lines of Turken, barred rock, Dominique, white rock, or Australorp are available here? Also for fun I'd like some orientals. Thanks

 

[TOMTE]

That's insane!!! No way would I even think of living there! They have the right to enter your house to make sure it's up to their standards??? Where is this house, Russia?

The good old U S of A where we have the freedom to give up our freedom, apparently...

 

[saysfaa]

I can see some benefits of HOAs. Property values do rise or drop depending on what is happening in the neighborhood. A nice house on a street of single-wide trailers isn't worth as much as the same house where all the houses in the area are a little nicer than it is.

I would still rather not have an HOA at all but, then, we aren't building the first house in a subdivision. Or planning to stay long enough for a neighborhood to change much.

And I do want a house. There are almost no houses that don't have one of some sort.

We are near a large midwest city. But it isn't just near cities anymore. I was telling my sister about it. She recently finished building a spec house in a small Michigan town far away from any city. The house is in a subdivision of about 15 lots that isn't associated with a builder (every house was built be a different builder or the owner built their own). That subdivision's HOA includes not shaking a rug out outdoors.

She thinks that part isn't there for control issues. She thinks they just copied a random example from the internet. Because she owns another lot two towns away (similar type of location except not within the village limits) that has many of the same rules. Including the one about shaking rugs out.

One HOA doesn't enforce any of the rules - not even the one about not putting house trailers on a lots there.

The other, has a control freak in charge. He not only enforces every bit of the rules with no grace periods or common sense (like planting the grass and perennials in a midsummer heatwave/drought because the rules specify they must be put in within a given number of days of getting the building permit) but also fills the HOA meetings with new rules he wants added. Thankfully, not many get enough votes.

 

[saysfaa]

It's a good thing you guys realized that you have different concepts before you made any serious commitments.

Well. We didn't. He took the new job, resigned from the previous job, and we sold our house near the old job before we realized. We can't go back.

So, we will go forward. It will be okay one way or another.