The Old Folks Home

[NotAFarm]

Back from a trip to TX to visit my folks. Here are a few Hill Country pictures for Al.

 

[Tumbling K]

Back from a trip to TX to visit my folks. Here are a few Hill Country pictures for Al.

yes, indian paint brushes and blue bonnet time of the year.......

is that the Frio? looks way up, and fast moving.

 

[ronott1]

Back from a trip to TX to visit my folks. Here are a few Hill Country pictures for Al.

Welcome Home!

 

[drumstick diva]

Glad you are back Mary.

 

[chickadoodles]

Nice pics Notafarm love the flowers. Hope you had a wonderful visit.

 

[Alaskan]

@NotAFarm


lovely pictures!!!

My baby sister just sent me a photo of some of her goats... And I just about was bowled over! The old homestead had grass!!!!

She says it has been raining. Nice.

 

[chickadoodles]

Alaskan we have grass here too.

 

[bruceha2000]

Friends of ours (husband and wife) recently bought 40 acres near the Orlando Florida area. I was drooling. They know Dh, and I are wanting to get some property. She commented that they would have preferred it, if it had some trees on it. There is not even 1 tree on the entire 40 acres. That fact slowed down my drooling some. Ok, not a big deal. Dig a pond or two (depending on how they divide up the pasture), plant a stand, or two of water oaks nearby, and within a few years they will have some decent shade trees. They've subsequently been out to the property a few times, done some planning, and spoken to a couple nearby neighbors. It would seem that their neighbors have tried digging ponds. Apparently the land is high enough, and the soil so sandy, they ended up with 8 foot deep sand pits, so they're not expecting to fare any better than their neighbors in digging a pond. When they got the property, they had been verbally informed there was no HOA, and only the deed restrictions were the ones applied by the county, but they were awaiting approval on the HOA. The HOA was simply to safeguard the current property owners to keep it as an agricultural community, which would prevent the larger parcel owners from selling to a housing, or apartment developer. Well, they got their copy of the new HOA deed restrictions.

It's not an agriculture community, but an equestrian community. They must build an enclosed main barn with no less than 4 stalls. No pole barns allowed, not even for shade out in the pasture areas, even if there is a main enclosed barn. It's 96+ degrees out during the daytime, for at least 7 months out of the year, cooling off to about 90 degrees at night, but they aren't allowed to put a pole barn in the pasture to shade the livestock tanks (yeah, water gets very warm in the direct sunlight at those temps.) to cool the water, and give relief to the animals? Remember, there isn't a tree on this property to provide any shade. Do they expect them to keep the animals in the barn all the time? If all buildings have to be enclosed, what about chicken coops, and runs? Nope, no chicken coops, and runs allowed. Well, what about their pet pig? She wasn't sure, but felt that she could get away with having their pet pig, since it's on 40 acres, they're not close to anyone else, and it doesn't bother anyone. When they returned from their visit to their property yesterday, there was concern. It seems that they've started building walls between the access roads, and will be putting in gates. It's now in the process of becoming a gated equestrian community. I'm not drooling anymore. Nope, not one bit of drool.

That is SO SAD. The HOA for the 8 house neighborhood on land that was part of the property we have now (sold off as lots about 5 years before we bought the house) says NO poultry. But they can have Lamas (sic) if they want.

As land owners, they could contact the other residents and fight to get the PUD restrictions changed. In fact, they could outright get the restrictions removed completely. I do feel sorry for them that they got shnockered. Terribly wrong that any and all aspects of a real property contract or agreement must be in writing. I think I'd be putting it back on the market were it me. Lots cheaper than trying to battle it out in court.

Yes BUT! The other residents are probably part of the crew that created the HOA in the first place. They are unlikely to be allies in this.

 

[Latestarter]

IME, Having been in HOA's from established neighborhoods as well as new developments, and as a past HOA elected officer, I can tell you; when an investment group gets together to build a development, they set up the PUD plan and HOA before the first lot is ever sold. (I believe this is the case in this instance) They own 1 or more HOA votes for every lot in the development. Each new buyer gets one vote. The HOA is not turned over to the actual buyers until a minimum of 80% of the development is sold, and sometimes not until 100% is sold. The developers will take no risk that the HOA might get changed or thrown out before they have sold all the lots. Typical HOA documents allow the owners in the HOA to remove the HOA with a certain percentage of owners voting and a certain majority selecting to do so.

The HOA rules are NOT set up to cater to owners needs, but to cater to potential sales efforts. It is 100% used as a sales tool, with the knowledge that 98% of potential buyers won't know or argue that the rules are contrary to what they will REALLY want/need to do if/when they buy their piece of the dream. This being the case, especially early after the actual owners get the right to vote, HOA rules can be eliminated or modified/re-written to better suit the people living in the community. The longer you wait after the initial right to vote is gained, the more difficult it becomes to get anything changed until many, many years have passed.

Bruce, since the HOA on the back property only has 8 houses, it should be relatively easy to get changes done or get the HOA removed entirely. It is after all an "association" of the effected home owners, and only those 8 have any say or vote. Said home owners could decide they no longer wish to abide by the rules they initially agreed to abide by, and nobody else can argue/litigate with that.

 

[drumstick diva]

Bruce, wow, how odd that they can only have LLamas. Like everyone in the country wants to have them. I used to walk past a Llama farm every day, and the pee pee smelled to high heaven. She finally sold out/ or got persuaded to leave, many years ago, and I see nothing has been done to her property but, you can still "smell it," from half a block away.