33 replies to this topic

[zalternate]

I gave 5 votes per user, but don't go crazy.

HOA's and manicured immature lawns.

So aside from the shotgun in the story and the high grass as a statement of 'property ownership', which again the media forgot to mention about 'property ownership'.

What do people think of being forced to keep your home in a certain state that is 100% like everyone else's property's. Forcing your house to be certain colors or even not allowing 'ugly' vehicles to park on the street or even in the owners own driveway.
Where you have to keep the grass at putting green height and can't let it get longer than 3 inches(8" maximum) without some Fascist sending in the lawn cutting commando's to make sure it 'conforms' to someones else's mindset of how a yard should look.
And especially the HOA's that even force owners to waste thousands of gallons of water, just to keep the grass green, even in the hottest days of August or the worst droughts.

The people who get into the media are just making a statement of what is actually abuse by these HOA's. 

So aside from Bylaws making sure Bubba doesn't park two or three derelict cars in the front yard..........

And my front yard is gravel with lots of nice flowering plants. A semi dessert climate, even with all the water around in streams and some lakes in the mountains and various coniferous tree's. Front yards are not used much, so why waste the area with grass.  Not much of HOA's in Canada, and the towns here seem to know the difference between what they can mandate for yards and what they can't.


Also a video on the site.
http://www.wthr.com/...asp?s=10651525#

Quote

SWAT team called in over landscaping flap

Posted: July 6, 2009 03:01 PM

Updated: July 7, 2009 07:34 AM

Ray Cortopassi/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - A call to the city's SWAT team was the final move against one property owner who let his grass grow higher than a foot.

Specially trained officers were called out to the 9000 block of Harrison Run Drive as city crews tried to groom one unruly yard on the northeast side.

Harrison Run is a neighborhood well cared for. At home after home in this subdivision near 71st and Fall Creek Road, neighbors tend to their yards. That's why one in particular stood out - or in this case, stood up.

"We're talking about a foot and half tall," said Luis Araoz, neighbor.

But the high grass produced more than just dandelions. Monday morning, it called out Metro's SWAT team.

"This is a first for something I had to run up against," said Lt. Jeff Duhamell, IMPD.

The city's Office of Code of Enforcement responded after a notice of high grass and weeds went unheeded for at least five days. So it showed up with a mowing crew to do the job. But police say when contractor Dominique Thompson climbed up on the riding mower, he noticed the homeowner pointing a shotgun directly at him.

"I was kind of shocked. This man pulled a gun on me, and I'm out here doing a job. There was a lot going on in my mind at that point," said Thompson.

Police say the man on the other side of the weapon was 32-year-old Christopher Rhymes. He touched off a standoff that lasted three hours.

"They attempted to negotiate with him by audio means, loud speakers. They tried to call him with no answer, finally they made a limited penetration into the house. They heard him inside and subsequently he gave up," said Duhamell.

This wasn't the first time for residents of Harrison Run. They say it had become a summertime tradition. While they'd be busy manicuring their lawns, Rhymes was busy digging his heels into his.

"He doesn't want to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood," said Kevin Marrs, neighbor.

The homeowners association says it took Rhymes to small claims court to force him to cut his grass, a ritual that repeated itself over the years.

"There's one in every neighborhood," said Marrs. "I happen to live a couple doors away from it."

At the end of the day, SWAT did its job and a misdemeanor charge was leveled against Rhymes and the grass got cut. 

[tommie gorman]

I wholeheartedly support his views.  But then that is why I live in the country. If my neighbor does not like it he can kiss my ass. And ditto for me. Luckily as much as we pay for our places, we are responsible and appreciative of each other. But then thats country folk anyway. And we wave everyday as we pass. Well you know. Old fashined values go with the neighborhood. And we look out for each other, without being nosey.

I intentionally was not gonna live in an HOA neighborhood. Their colors for painting are nasty really. And their is not individualism in them. And if I want a pool, I'll put it in the yard myself. And no way am I gonna waste good money paying idiots who have Oprah ideas to tell me how to run my place. Or ........... a shotgun it will be here too. 

[pixiepistlz]

Je suis avec stupide... (french)meaning....  

[mudmanc4]

How ironic  , So Joe and Marth wanted to keep up with the joneses so they bought a house they couldn't afford in a gated or near gated community ( you know the one, with the brick pillars on both sides of the road with lights telling all passers by what the name of there little community is, but no gate like the ones with real money, not on an extended ARM after the ballon and an ever rising interest rate ) with home owners association, they signed and went to all the meetings, walked the dog(s) kid(s) , gossiped about that special someone that lives with there blinds closed ( no drapes allowed)  blinds must match the siding ))  and had all kindza funz. See, Joe was social to the point that the neiborhood decided to unanimously vote him the president, he was thrilled, just thrilled. Until his boy wanted a basketball hoop, nope, can't have anything permanent like that put in. Then his mailbox needed painting so he grabbed a can of paint that the original painter left from the cedar wrapped around the middle part of the house (all the houses) , and painted it. Well next meeting, charges were brought up on him because his mailbox wasn't white like the rest. And while they were at it, they also asked why his light  (in the middle of the yard (every yard )) wasn't lit up like the rest of the ights, and why was the realtor always at the house across the street when daddy wasn't home, ( a year after the sale of the house) oh yea, to take his wife from him , and all those vacant houses now aren't putting in the kitty for a yearly party, oh wait, was the treasurer stealing from us? Damn, ya gotta love that cozy little hood with a mini mafia of over zealous lier gossiping hypocrites. 

[Roco]

interesting topic ,

just my view from the S.UK ,( ave. House price $650,000 )
for us the state of the property can cost $$$$, same as location ,
so up on the Hill , standards apply , gardens are neat , the paint is good , but we have individual choice of colours used,
it's just called good taste, anyone that cant maintain his property ( old age or ill health will get help from his neighbours )
we have a close community spirit, I guess it comes from an old community, (1800 c) ,

IMHO new comunities don't work , there has to be a connection with the past , a History ,
communities are just old tribes ,

well I caused a stir locally , the houses are 1936 Art Deco , I replaced the front lawn with gravel and a palm tree ,
it worked well, thankfully,

getting back on topic ,
the guy with the long grass and weeds , sure it impacts on his neighbours , (seed carry over) , so whats he trying to prove ?
and waving the shotgun , I Guess he should live in a shack in the outback ,
BTW, nothing wrong with that , but the trend and life don't get easy, Mr.& Mr's right or wrong is the backbone of todays world ,sure it's easy to take the piss out of them , mock theire neat lawns ,and matching blinds ,

if you feel that way post your options ,

for me being a Island boy 8x10 miles , then for along time a country boy. now a suburban (London UK ) guy,
folk ask which was best, for me, all are ,each has it's own , I found it pointless to fight the local community, I just go with the flow,
so my back lawn is the regulation 2 inches , 


   

[tommie gorman]

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so my back lawn is the regulation 2 inches

I cut mine to 5". It looks great. 

[zalternate]

This post has turned into the Wonderful England programming thread.  

I've watched a bit of English TV over the years and some front yards are barely big enough to turn around in. Or they are so overgrown that they have become wildlife sanctuary's in the city.
But theres a show called "Homes under the hammer" http://www.bbc.co.uk...h_welcome.shtml   And some have been abandoned or just had lousy renters. And the little bit of property in front looks bad when it's used as a garbage dump or the windows are busted. But most of those front bits get covered in paver's, since grass there would be crazy. But then there are people who plant and cut grass in areas like that with pruners.

If you take a look at Row Houses, and without anything to make them different from each other, like door colors, you end up with the drunk neighbor always banging on your door at 3 am to get in, cause his key don't work in the lock. House numbers? The little street urchins stole half of them.

And lets not forget about Hyacinth's sister Daisy's house and the 'dog house car' in the front yard.  
http://www.bbc.co.uk...gupappearances/

The other show is the Urban Gardener. His does amazing work to yards. http://uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/590288 .He takes neglected or high upkeep yards and can make a low maintenance yard that barely needs any weekly service, unlike grass that needs fertilizing and mowing and watering and weeding and reseeding.

There was also Ground Force http://uktv.co.uk/home/dgiped/kw/193 with Charlie Dimmocks nipples. Alan the designer, liked to use gravel mulch, but did allow for some grass for the wee ones, if needed.

There are some places in the States that mandate having the front yards as grass. In the desert of Arizona, I think they have a maximum amount of grass you are allowed.
Grass for the neighborhood strays to pizz and crap on. And the dogs are strays, Because some HOA's have rules that there are to be no fences. So people get ticked as their yards turn into playgrounds or shortcuts for the neighborhood kids. But the same people making the no fences rules, get rather mad when people call the dog pound on their stray dog cause the dogs owner couldn't be bother to hook up the tether at 5am for the morning wizz.

Oh Roco, is this your Tree?  

[zalternate]

Quote

I cut mine to 5". It looks great. 

So you let the kids drive the old beater car, with the 5" ground clearance, around the yard?    Easiest way to lower the grass and leaves a nice thin walking trail.

[Roco]

, your comment's are very true Bro,.  I would be the last to say England was  perfect , LOL dog Pooh , thats a $150 USD fine in the UK , try telling the dog that ,
btw , we have no stray dogs in the UK , we did when I was a kid , now to buy a mongerl has to be imported from Ireland !!!!
another sreet scene gone ,same as the pan repairer , knife sharpener , coalman ,traveling grocer ,
street lighter, and cleaner salesman , I guess I asn't built for these times .l

[wknight40]

I hate HOA's, and that is why I will never move into a neighborhood that has one.  I pay for the property I'll keep it the way I wnat and the way I'm capable of.  Most HOA committee members don't even live in that area, some do.  Then again they signed a binding contract that he agreed to the way he maintain his property.  Granted in this day and age with people loosing jobs and money people can no longer afford these fees the HOA, which is usually a corporation, does not care about the individual problems.  It only cares about itself.

[tommie gorman]

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So you let the kids drive the old beater car, with the 5" ground clearance, around the yard?    Easiest way to lower the grass and leaves a nice thin walking trail.

Not yet, they are only 8 & 10. So your kids weren't up to that for your yard? 

Quote

I hate HOA's, and that is why I will never move into a neighborhood that has one.  I pay for the property I'll keep it the way I wnat and the way I'm capable of.  Most HOA committee members don't even live in that area, some do.  Then again they signed a binding contract that he agreed to the way he maintain his property.  Granted in this day and age with people loosing jobs and money people can no longer afford these fees the HOA, which is usually a corporation, does not care about the individual problems.  It only cares about itself.

HOA's are scum of the earth, and most likely owned by your neighborhood garbage man/MAFIA. easy money, easy go. Also your local gambling hall.

But then prove it. 

[zalternate]

Quote

Not yet, they are only 8 & 10. So your kids weren't up to that for your yard? 

On a larger piece of property, he was about 9 and I let him steer the farm Tractor in first gear, as I was on the trailer chucking out seed off the back.  He does not have enough mass to operate the clutch. But sold the tractor, etc and living in town now.
But when the kid can't hit anything important and I can easily fast walk to the tractor, no problem(even though I'm hobbling today).
Then there are those people who put the noob kid on something and don't engage a 'throttle limiter', and crash into the fence.

[mudmanc4]

Quote

HOA's are scum of the earth, and most likely owned by your neighborhood garbage man/MAFIA. easy money, easy go. Also your local gambling hall.

But then prove it. 

     HOA Wiki

[zalternate]

Like I said. Fascist.
 

Quote

Powers

Like a city, associations provide services, regulate activities, levy assessments, and may impose fines. Unlike a municipal government, homeowner association governance is not subject to the Constitutional constraints that public government must abide by.[6] Some of the tasks which HOAs carry out would otherwise be performed by local governments. A homeowners' association can enforce its actions through the threat and levying of fines, and private legal action under civil law.

 


To sign away your constitutional rights, surely must be a crime? Either by the HOA or the person. Gitmo's a calling.


My subdivision many years ago when it was cut into lots from the big properties that it was, and whoever rubber stamped the 'land use building bylaw plans' for here, for some reason did not notice that what they stamped was for the larger properties before subdivision, and therefor the general building rules was not valid(unregulated territory at the time), and it was to be enforced by the subdivision creator.   
But we have a nice mix of homes here anyway. Not a cookie cutter subdivision like the new places in Kamloops, where the houses are tan or off tan and have a garage jutting out on the left or right side. I find my parents place via the green hydro transformer in their front yard.

This pic below is a good example of current subdivisions. One to two trees in the front yard and all house colors near the same.

[tommie gorman]

I hate to say this, but if they are non-profit where does all the extra money go? Someone is profitting. But then that was the fictitious version for the writing I am sure. And the HOA Big members are as bad as the bad about keeping their yards up usually. It was where I used to live. And I have also seen if they do not "like" a member they will hound and try to force them to leave or sell. I had one rental house that way. I told them often where to stick it.  And would often call and point out where their members were in fraction to city codes. Guess what, it never mattered though. They never fixed their own crap.

  Also HOA's are responsible for houses burned to the ground. When they can force wooden shingles to be used for roofing. Again, its just a nosey organization to make some nosey f*cks feel big and important.

[Roco]

zalternate , thanks for the UK comedy links , and Charlie Dimmocks nipples  ,
as I don't own a TV, I guess I missed those shows , apart from Ms Dimmocks nipples ,
they appear live at the Hampton Court Flower show annually , 

Known as "Dimmocks hardy annuals "

UK housing stock ?, yeah it's old and small , 30% have no land outside the door ,

[zalternate]

Quote

UK housing stock ?, yeah it's old and small , 30% have no land outside the door ,

I find some of the Flats ownership interesting in England. Where the actual owner of the land lives upstairs and the bottom unit owner just leases the space under the upstairs. Or the other way around.

I think many in North America would not appreciate their plumber putting the black sewage pipes running down the outside of the house. But when you have homes that are over a hundred years old, it was easier to just run them down the outside wall, instead of just continuing to crap out the window(a shout out to the Black Adder in 'Queen Elizabeth the first' times).
Theres an old tale of why the man walks on the left side of the lady. As when someone threw their garbage or crap out the window to the open gutter in the middle of the street, the woman would not get hit by anything. And people thought those big wide brimmed hats were just for show.

Black Adder clips.
http://www.youtube.c...dder&aq=f&gl=US

[Roco]

Flats ? , in the interest in property values they are now called apartments 

  Blackdder, seems a normal UK guy to me , I have a special affinity to Baldrick , we went to the same school ,
result of our last election

[zalternate]

Quote

Flats ? , in the interest in property values they are now called apartments 

And we call our apartments 'con damn miniums'.  Or condo's for short. Raises the price quite well.

[Roco]

Quote

And we call our apartments 'con damn miniums'.  Or condo's for short. Raises the price quite well.

yeah we have trouble with the word  condo's , it's a french letter in the UK , or in France an English overcoat ,
BTw Zalternate you are right on the woman walking on the inside ,it was also to protect them from mud and spray from horses and carriages ,, I still do that ,but alas some of the younger women don't appreciate the gesture , "er whats your F**ing game " that quote I  find a trifle offputing, 
Doh, I still open  a door for a woman, last time 200 piled into the store , leaving me looking like a doorman ,
and now when I meet a woman , bow and kiss her hand , I get a close up of Love and Hate tattooed on her knuckles , I guess I wasn't built for these times 
it can be a good move being a live in landlord , if you get the rent right you live for free ,and keep a watch on your property  close up,