33 replies to this topic

[zalternate]

http://greenbiz.com/...e-water-savings

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Cash for Killing Your Lawn: Cities Get Creative on Water Savings

In Las Vegas, the biggest desert city in the U.S., and still one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, the local water utility is offering cash incentives to replace water-sucking lawns with drought-resistant landscapes.

If you've currently got a grass lawn in the Las Vegas area, the Southern Nevada Water Authority will pay homeowners and business owners alike $1.50 per square foot of lawn replaced with desert-friendly plants. That rate is good for the first 5,000 square feet, up to $7,500 in rebates; beyond that, the SNWA will pay $1 per square foot for the next 195,000 square feet of lawn ripped out, for a maximum of $300,000 per year in rebates.

It's part of a 10-year-old program called the Water Smart Landscapes Rebate program, and in that time more than 130 million square feet of lawns have been replaced with more native, less water-intensive plants. As a result, the city of Las Vegas has seen its water use drop by 18 percent, or 15 billion gallons per year, even as its population skyrocketed.

Story continues .....................................

[tommie gorman]

Sounds to me like its gonna feel pretty dry around there soon. No water no moisture. But I also see their point. 

[tdawnaz]

reminds me of that kids movie "over the hedge" man that nosey bitch gets creamed in the end... she reminded me of a skinny version of my old neighbor on the corner... paula who took me to court (along with another half dozen of my neighbors for various "offenses") mine was an old car on the side of my house...so i get to court and she stands up there and says she's the president of the hoa...the judge says..."now we've been through this before, there IS no hoa in that neighborhood" she says "i meant block watch" he say "sit down, stay out of your neighbors business...judgement for the defendant" i said a gracious thank you to the judge...and stuck my tongue out at her (oops)...and the judge caught me and roared with laughter...so that was the end of her suing everyone...

oh and in the end one of my other neighbors...crazy psycho gi joe guy (used to hide in the bushes stalking in his camouflage gear)...anyway...he tried to have her shot by someone through her front window with a crossbow...thank God it missed her...but that's why it's not a good idea to screw with crazy people...

so yeh nobody is gonna tell me what color to paint my house...and i like my weeds...it's the only green i got except my bushes...jk...but if it was...it would be my business...

[tommie gorman]

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reminds me of that kids movie "over the hedge" man that nosey bitch gets creamed in the end... she reminded me of a skinny version of my old neighbor on the corner... paula who took me to court (along with another half dozen of my neighbors for various "offenses") mine was an old car on the side of my house...so i get to court and she stands up there and says she's the president of the hoa...the judge says..."now we've been through this before, there IS no hoa in that neighborhood" she says "i meant block watch" he say "sit down, stay out of your neighbors business...judgement for the defendant" i said a gracious thank you to the judge...and stuck my tongue out at her (oops)...and the judge caught me and roared with laughter...so that was the end of her suing everyone...

oh and in the end one of my other neighbors...crazy psycho gi joe guy (used to hide in the bushes stalking in his camouflage gear)...anyway...he tried to have her shot by someone through her front window with a crossbow...thank God it missed her...but that's why it's not a good idea to screw with crazy people...

so yeh nobody is gonna tell me what color to paint my house...and i like my weeds...it's the only green i got except my bushes...jk...but if it was...it would be my business...

Damn right and ditto. Actually I stay ahead of most neighbors on lawn care, but really I could care less. I mostly hate mowing weeds in July and Aug. So the weed man kills them for me. I rememer parking an old car out back, my neighbor saunters over and asks if I'm gonna park it right there? I asked what is it a problem? He got quiet and turned around. Nary a word of it later. 

People for the most part should take care of their own business, its usually a full time job. And those who throw the rocks are usully as much in fault on their own.

[Roco]

it's amazing , in the UK we are tearing up the concrete and putting down  lawns ,,

sure it rains a bit in the UK , , but we are short of water ,  it runs off the concrete jungle ,
straight into the rivers and then out to sea ( and causes local flooding on the way ), while the water table drops lower each year ,
more grass areas alows the rain to soak into the ground ,thus replenishing the water table , 

[tommie gorman]

Have you ever heard of a water tower? Or reservoir? Or systern (rain barrel)?

[pixiepistlz]

My grandma used to have a rain barrell and wash her hair in it. It makes the hair soft.   

[Conuck]

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Have you ever heard of a water tower? Or reservoir? Or systern (rain barrel)?

We got all the above here where I live. I don't have city water, just a cistern to catch the rain.

[JokeyMcScrotsack]

I selected keeps up the property value. Mainly because I have had two nice neighborhoods I moved into destroyed by trashy mfers. I made sure my new neighborhood had a HOA.  It is very nice. If it were a law in America that would be wrong but there is nothing wrong in my opinion with local communities setting standards for what is acceptable. As long as it is set by the community which usually is the case with HOA. IMHO of course.

A HOA has never made a neighborhood empty that I have seen. Most areas with HOA seem to be occupied and nice. Im guessing it just makes that neighborhood empty of people that wont care for their property. I guess it goes against my beliefs but I am glad that it is an option. I dont think it should be outlawed, this will be handled by the will of the majority of the people. If the majority of the people felt negatively about it nobody would stand for it and they would disappear. That does not seem to be the case, it seems to spread because the majority of the people seem to like.... but then it is usually a minority of people that ruin a neighborhood... usually just one or two actually.

[tommie gorman]

The HOA is usually started by the developer who makes extra money off of it. Then tells others it will keep up decent living standards, which it seldom does with Hitler and The Hun in charge. (who by the way has no class) And then the dues which are excessive are charge monthly whether they o the maintenance or not. And hire the crews they deem needed. Personally I look a neighborhood over before buying into it. It is an investment. I need no assholes looking out for me, I am an adult and can handle that myself. If one wants to live a certain way in the city all they have to do is complain to the free city codes department anyway. The city will haves its own healthy standards. And does not charge a dime more than what is in your taxes already, and will let you paint any color you desire.    To me there is less value, and I only want to pay my insurance, taxes, and payment. Not some added on Terrorist dues.

[JokeyMcScrotsack]

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The HOA is usually started by the developer who makes extra money off of it. Then tells others it will keep up decent living standards, which it seldom does with Hitler and The Hun in charge. (who by the way has no class) And then the dues which are excessive are charge monthly whether they o the maintenance or not. And hire the crews they deem needed. Personally I look a neighborhood over before buying into it. It is an investment. I need no assholes looking out for me, I am an adult and can handle that myself. If one wants to live a certain way in the city all they have to do is complain to the free city codes department anyway. The city will haves its own healthy standards. And does not charge a dime more than what is in your taxes already, and will let you paint any color you desire.    To me there is less value, and I only want to pay my insurance, taxes, and payment. Not some added on Terrorist dues.

I dont know about all that. Mine is wonderful. No purple houses with dirt lawns to look at. I love it. Like I said, if they were that bad a majority of the people would just reject them. But people dont.

The only thing "empty" about the neighborhoods around here with an HOA is the emptiness of people who cant mow a lawn, repair their windows without cardboard and have cars parked in the front yard. Thats the only thing missing from my neighborhood... Which is the way we all want it (me and my neighbors) so it works out great. I figure if what you say is true for most HOA people with money wouldnt buy them. People with money have lots of options. But people with money do buy them.



This seems like a simple case of people not likeing being told they cant act like assholes and make the whole neighborhood look at shit. If you want a purple house with a tall lawn and dog chained in the front move around other people who like that, or the country. Dont expect an entire neighborhood to just roll over and allow you to junk yet another neighborhood. There are plenty of neighborhoods that already look like liquid shit, but nobody seems to want to move there.... I wonder why.

Nobody is forced to buy a property in an area with HOA and if there is one there you like but it has HOA, then that means you go on down the road. Dont expect EVERYONE else to change so you can trash a neighborhood.

I see people call a HOA Fascist but yet they dont see the blatant hypocrisy in calling for HOA to be outlawed. 

The part in bold is, IMO, a big part of what is wrong in America. If I dont like it, outlaw it. If you outlaw something I like your an fing commie. 

[zalternate]

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Nobody is forced to buy a property in an area with HOA and if there is one there you like but it has HOA, then that means you go on down the road. Dont expect EVERYONE else to change so you can trash a neighborhood.
I see people call a HOA Fascist but yet they dont see the blatant hypocrisy in calling for HOA to be outlawed. 
The part in bold is, IMO, a big part of what is wrong in America. If I dont like it, outlaw it. If you outlaw something I like your an fing commie. 

Would you willing Annex your property from the United States? That is what some HOA's act like.

Theres a quote from a wikipedia here somewhere in this thread about HOA's and the fact that when you join one, you have just signed away your constitutional rights. And that is wrong. 

It should be simple for the Government to say that an HOA 'has' to comply with peoples rights and freedoms and the HOA should have to act like any town's mayor and 5 person council. Meaning if you violate the by-laws of an area, then you should have the right to go to State or Federal court to defend yourself from what could be harassment for having pink flowers instead of the approved blue flowers.  Plus court will also have the power to decide if the rules are over-kill.
Some HOA's will pretty well steal your house for what is a minor infraction.  With a actual town, you have the right to go to court to defend yourself and not having to go to a HOA Kangaroo court to state your case and be ignored.

There is one HOA I read about that mandates green lawns, even in drought. If you don't keep the lawn green? The HOA will have someone come in and replace your lawn(at your cost) with green grass. Meanwhile the rest of the State has to comply with a State-wide watering ban for lawns.
There was another one in Florida, that mandates that a old fashioned gas lantern property light has to be burning 24/7. The HOA still did not change their minds when some yards were set ablaze from faulty gas lines. And the lights are just for show and a waste of resources.

And I think that many people move into an HOA, due to the fact that these subdivisions are being built as HOA's, instead of as being incorporated into another town's limits.   
And being an HOA, really they should be mandated to put up gates on their roads. Since they operate like a country club, with pools and parks and golf courses.

Everyone has a different view on how properties should look, but when it ends up with the Snooty Group running things, you have people who will lash out at the oppression. Revolution is great if you get your rights upheld in a court of law.



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Heres a good read on just what is actually happening in HOA's. But this one is a bit tame.
http://www.hoanewsnetwork.com/
And also HOA's are busy trying to shut these sites down for telling the truth.


For you smokers that are left. How about not being able to smoke in your own home? What next? Having to use the approved sex positions?

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Residents of Fairfax Parkside development near South Middle School no longer will be allowed to smoke in their homes after a decision last week by the homeowners association.

By Julian Emerson | Leader-Telegram staff

It's not just indoor public places in Eau Claire where lighting up is prohibited. Now residents of a south side, owner-occupied housing complex will have to snuff out smoking in their homes, the most recent sign of public anti-smoking sentiment.

Members of the Fairfax Parkside Homeowners Association on Wednesday voted to outlaw smoking inside residences that are part of the 34-unit development. The ban also prohibits smoking in shared spaces, such as porches and garages, but does allow it in yards and on patios.

About about renting out your home and having to pay the HOA $200.

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The Canyon Trails Homeowners Association sent letters to all homeowners who currently rent out their homes. The new policy states that homeowners have to pay a $200 rental fee. They also have to hand over the names, ages and license plate numbers of the tenants. The HOA is also asking for a background check on all tenants. On top of that, they now have the right to evict tenants on the homeowner's behalf as a third party beneficiary.

O Boy. Vigilantes. And young girls. Can you blame the father for shooting?

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Over the past few weeks there have been a number of vehicle burglaries and vandalism to vacant properties in the Bluffdale neighborhood. Tuesday night, 36-year-old David Serbeck and the homeowner's association president decided to patrol the neighborhood to see if they could find anyone involved.

Sometime before 11 p.m., the HOA president and Serbeck, who was driving the vehicle at the time, came across four teenage girls walking down the street near 1570 West and 15500 South (Iron Horse Boulevard).

The two men drove next to the girls, trying to question them about the crimes, thinking they might be involved. Their vehicle matched the description of a car used in the earlier burglaries.

The girls got into the car and drove away, but Serbeck and the HOA president followed. Police say they never identified themselves as members of neighborhood watch.

"The SUV does some funny maneuvers with the car, gets behind them, starts following them. This freaks them out because they think the older men are stalking them," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson.

The girls became upset and of them called her father, 43-year-old Reginald Campos, and said the men were stalking them.

When the girls arrived home, Campos sent three of the girls inside and he and his daughter went looking for the two men and found them in an SUV a few blocks away.

Lt. Don Hutson said, "They both got out of the vehicle. They were both armed with handguns ... words were exchanged, there was a verbal altercation, and unfortunately Mr. Campos, who is the father of the young lady, fired two rounds, possibly three rounds, at Mr. Serbek."

Who owns your home and property? You? or the HOA? Well it seems by all the stories, the HOA owns your land and home. So why spend a half million on a rental?

[tommie gorman]

My step son looked for a new house to build. He moved into one not by choice, but to have a new house in a tiny yard neighborhood he had no choices in the area he wanted to be in. And it was a big area, so yes few have choices really. He was they type that could not go  in the country and build what he wanted. He had to have a cookie cutter neighborhood. And all that is available in new is HOA. Why, because the builders get such a huge profit off of starting them. They make huge dollars just off installing the pools at these places. Its huge profits.

And then all the reasons zalternate just gave. 

[wknight40]

If the HOA takes care of the neighborhood fine.  But when they cannot hear what the home owner is saying they are worthless trash.  In the original example they afford the fees so they were being forced to move.  Who owns the property?  The individual or the HOA.  There are so many HOA's out there that charge you money but none of that money goes back into the neighborhood.  If nothing is going back it is trash.  If nothing is going back to the neghborhood why should people want to keep it nice.  The HOA fees should do something.  Help the people when they are down on thier luck, have a mowing service come in and mow the lawn, have a handy man available to take care of repairs that the home owner cannot do themselves.  That is how it should be run.  Don't come by and tell me you are going to fine me because my neighbor mowed his lawn yesterday and now mine is too long and I have to do it today.  I do mine on the weekends.