The thoughts of the chairman - FloridaBrit's Blog!

Sure... just buy a home that does not have an HOA. Now Should you do that, I hope that we won't see anohter group of posts that complain about loud parties, broken down homes with fences and landscape in disrepair, 3 cars, boat, and an RV parked in the front yard, etc.

I too have "city streets" in my PRIVATE non-gated neighborhood, and they maintain the fire hydrants, and such.

Your message is confusing however. On one hand you don't like any govt. type regement (HOA) but yet you want the city to do all the other work. Gotta take the good with the bad my friend. Maybe a condo would be better for you.

Where I live may be out in the boonies but it's still listed as a sub! We have no HOA telling us crap. One guy thought he would try but it failed being he was alone with his own ideas. I would never buy any home where HOA's are inforced! It's just another expense of a political kind of control that I will never have any part of! Read your contract...does it give you an opt out position? I bet not!

For me I don't have a problem with it. I like knowing the dogs can't run loose, changing engines in the front yard taking all summer and jacking the truck up with tires and centerblocks isn't an option. I like not having every magazine, cookie, and religion salesman come to my door to feed, enteratain or save me! I'm glad I don't have the "Plastic Disney Land" in the yard of every other house faded by the sun and never played with. Thank God, my neighbor can't get a wild hair up his @$$ and paint his house purple or screaming pink! I'm glad my neighbor can't set his trash out in the direct sun at the driveway 3 or 4 days out from trash day! I'm glad there isn't the redneck above ground pool next door that now became too much work and is green and filling my yard with mosquettos!

I like the idea that you might get a noice that says you need to dip into the beer and booze budget and put the gutters back up, and buy gas for the lawnmower! And no.... I don't think your Halloween and Christmas lights look good in freakin JULY!! Get the faded Santa inside already!

HOA's are supposed to enforce codes that enhance the life of it's community as such they are given certain rights under law to enforce those codes. As for opting out, that's not a possibility from my knowledge. I don't think I ever heard of anyone going to court and winning a petition to dissolve a membership with an HOA in Florida.

I think that you need to take a more active part in your HOA meetings, read your flyers on upcoming amendments to the codes and regulations set by your HOA. Also reread the agreement you entered into with your HOA to see if there are any rights you're not aware of.

I know last year they tightened up the laws that regulate HOA's and the committees there in. At the same time they didn't change anything that would allow community members to opt out of those agreements. City Governments likes HOA's because it takes a lot of the stress off of them with regards to maintenance and upkeep of these communities. As such if we didn't have HOA's we would have higher property taxes to offset the cost of our city and county governments having to take over operations of these communities.

I don't agree with Abunai with regards to regulating house colors etc. I choose to not live in a community with an HOA just because they are so homogenized and bland. I like to see different architecture and even colors. It's a show of individuality. Also most if not all communities have ordinances to prohibit a lot of what Abunai complained against. Houses have to in good upkeep or the city can fine or even condemn the occupants and owner(s) of said properties in m

FloridaBrit, the good news is after thirty years your deeds expire, unless by majority vote, you reinstate them. Abunai makes some very good points. Originally intentions where most likely good as well, but then a problem or two reared their ugly heads : lawyers and their interpertations ! No matter how screwed up the situation is, when a select few profit handsomely, do you see any reason for them to make any change ? The words : conflict of intrest, come to mind. But I quess that only applies to the non-legal civilian !

im wondering when HOAs are going to be challeneged nowadays that people want to use rotary clothes lines (like the rest of the world) and cut out the dryer -saving 10 percent of your energy bill a month.\lets face it-our climate is perfect for letting the warm sun dry your clothes naturally.

its coming folks ....