Good morning!!!!

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 60F @ 7:15AM. Sunny. High near 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Looks like it'll make it into the low 90s Saturday and Sunday, then back into the 80s for the rest of next week. I'll take it!

There are tons of threads about HOA problems here on TBN, Don. Like you, though, I don't have much sympathy for folks that don't read the agreement and then get disciplined when they choose to violate it. And even though you live in the sticks like I do, there are still zoning ordinances that govern what you can and can't do on your own property. They're at a much broader level in most cases, which makes them easier to live with. The covenants in place at my last home called for stupid things like requiring a tree in every front yard. The immediate neighbor concreted his entire front yard and put in a beautiful fountain. Yep, it violated the covenant, but nobody complained and nobody ever gave him any trouble about it because it didn't change the way the house fit into the neighborhood and it looked really nice. Then another neighbor painted their house battleship gray (every other house was a pale orange, all stucco with orange tile roofs), also a violation and it looked like crap, and even though neighbors complained to each other it turns out there was no way to enforce the covenant. What good is that? Just makes more to worry about. One such worry is rules that change per Ron's comment, or after living somewhere for a while you find something about the home you really don't like and can't change it because of some rule. Then your stuck either living with it or going somewhere else. So no HOA for me, but I'm glad you're happy with those in place at Sun City.

Long drive over to Tahoe yesterday, made longer by two stops to wait for the pilot car through road construction. Then slow tourist traffic along the lake. But Bob had the microfiche reader ready to go, and it looks and works like brand new. All the little fiches, too!:laughing: Made it over to the widow's place in plenty of time for dinner, and to pick up her dear departed hubbie's old club magazines, and to talk about the new motorhome she has on order and try to solve some of the world's problems. Like Randy, she still misses her spouse terribly (heck, I miss him, too!), but she's moving on with her life and doing pretty well with what she's got. Spent a bit too much time lingering after dinner, though, and had to leave after dark. I'm not familiar with the roads around there and had to make one three point turn around in the beginning, but other than that it was smooth sailing. But I gotta admit I'm not as comfortable driving at night as I used to be, and misaimed headlights are more difficult to deal with than ever. Just part of the fun of gettin' old I guess.

Off to town today to get groceries and run errands.

TGIF!:drink:

 

[toppop52]

A little cooler today, off and on clouds, had some thunderstorms overnight that took away the brown grass, more predicted this afternoon, still very humid.

I feel better today than most of the week, but taking these steroids is gonna drive my sugar way up. If the ailment doesn’t get one, the cure might!

Ron, Ed, Buppies, BEF, and all the rest, prayers, and have a good day.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Had friends with HOA that changed the rules according to how friendly you were with the HOA council. The place ended up very much like FP and I don't need that. HOA's are like anything else, a good one is likely a good thing, a bad one is a nightmare. None for me, Don hope you continue to like yours.

Randy, prayers headed your way. Ed

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Many stories about HOA's that have gone down the tube when associations get taken over by groups that make their own rules. My sister bought into one in AZ like that. Looking at Del Webb communities they may have setup rules that avoid these types of groups.

<snip>You can read all the rules and agree with them, but the rulers are elected and may change the rules later. I figure we have enough laws on the books to need another level.

HOA's are just mini-governmental units and easily affected by personalities. Perhaps this discussion would be better in FP

BUT

Like a lot of counties and cities Fairfax County, Virginia is now like 1 freakin big HOA. Noise regulations, no grass over 12" high, most places no chickens (hence no fresh eggs).

 

[sodamo]

66°F and .16 inches rain

Diesel leak in return line found and temp repair. Permanent replacement line on order.

Did get much bushhogging but managed to mangle the mower on the albizia.

We do my best to straighten and remount


Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[PJSprog]

Don, I am in total agreement with you regarding people who (supposedly) read and sign off on the rules, then get angry because they violated them. Too bad. That's the rules they agreed to when they moved there.

As others have also noted, though, it's just not for me. If I want to paint my house a lighter or darker shade of grey, I don't want some committee who doesn't live in my house and isn't paying for it telling me whether or not it's an acceptable color, or whether or not a particular tree is an acceptable species to plant there. I prefer a little more freedom in those choices.

I know of one municipality in North St. Louis County that is like that at the city level. Any stains on the pavement in front of your home are cleaned by the city and charged to you. Any grass over a certain height gets mowed by the city and charged to you. Auto repairs or maintenance, however minor (like oil change), are forbidden in front of the house, which includes the driveway. No, thank.

In communities like yours, where there is a sameness throughout and they want to keep that look, it totally makes sense to have rules and enforcement. Everyone who buys property in places like that understand that, and it's probably even part of the reason many people move there.

 

[sodamo]

I'm another one who will not buy anywhere that there's a HOA. We looked at 2 NEW houses we liked and would have bought either one if it hadn't been for the HOA. So instead, we bought this older house where there is NO HOA. I don't blame anyone else who wants to buy into a HOA, but it's not for me. You can read all the rules and agree with them, but the rulers are elected and may change the rules later. I figure we have enough laws on the books to need another level.

I agree.
Years ago bought property with some rather simple, reasonable rules that were quite sensible. By the time we considered building the rules had grown not only in volume but ridiculous detail. Perhaps Don’s place has found a way to keep the little power nazis at bay.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Why? Did you not know the rules or did they change them? I don稚 understand why anyone would complain if the rules are made available before buying. The neighborhood looks good enough to make you want to buy there for a reason and it痴 not because everyone has inherently good taste and is very neat.

Just think of TBN letting Fp run wild through all the forums, people need guidelines and rules.

We spent 20 years in a private gated development in South Carolina that had a hardcore HOA. Our dues were around $100 bucks a month when we left. Never really found the HOA to be a problem, live by the rules you signed up for, and all is well. Our big complaint was we backed up to the 12th green, and getting woke up every morning by the golf course crews got kind of old.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

HOA's are just mini-governmental units and easily affected by personalities. Perhaps this discussion would be better in FP

BUT

Like a lot of counties and cities Fairfax County, Virginia is now like 1 freakin big HOA. Noise regulations, no grass over 12" high, most places no chickens (hence no fresh eggs).

Probably wouldn't help... some over there bring their gripes here.

 

[txdon]

Probably wouldn't help... some over there bring their gripes here.

That’s probably legal as long as politics are left there. Right? About half the post there are not about politics anyway.

 

[sodamo]

Sometimes a 20ton Press is just right


Not perfect but functional for 14 yo

 

[Ed of all trades]

Not against HOA but just not for me. Went to the grocery for a few things and then played on the lathe a bit.

David, looks like a good repair.

Have a great evening. Ed

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Got garage cleared out pretty good (moved junk elswwhere) and swept. Was going to pressure wash front of garage, siding turning green, but as soon as i got the pressure washer out, it started storming. Lots of lightning.

Felt better today.

No mail today, even though informed delivery said i had 5 items coming.

 

[txdon]

No mail today, even though informed delivery said i had 5 items coming.

I think the mailman might be skipping a few deliveries to finish faster on Fridays.
Glad you are feeling better.

 

[txdon]

Not against HOA but just not for me.

And that is not a bad thing. I do like the fact of the age restriction in this retirement community. No juvenile delinquents, loud music, speeding cars, late night parties, busted mailboxes, boyfriend girl friend dramatics, criminal mischief, drugs, etc . . . to contend with. At sunset the streets are vacant.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

And that is not a bad thing. I do like the fact of the age restriction in this retirement community. No juvenile delinquents, loud music, speeding cars, late night parties, busted mailboxes, boyfriend girl friend dramatics, criminal mischief, drugs, etc . . . to contend with. At sunset the streets are vacant.

I'm old enough, and it sounds like the place could use some livening up...:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[riptides]

Finally got the mower back. After numerous calls to voice mail inquiring where it was. The last VM I left was not pleasant.

Unfortunate it came back with zero gas. And no problem found. I tank it up, and one hour into mowing it starts stalling out. Full choke, gets it going for the trip back to the house, and the engine is surging. I let off the choke, she returns, slowly to normal, but the surge continue.

I parked it. And went to get a beer. Looks like I need to call the dealer in the AM and figure out what to do next. I have lost trust in both the mower and the dealer at this point.

No rain here, it was a glorious day. I picked up more wood for the run-in, my neighbor bush hogged my back forty, and I treated the wife to an ice cream.

Hope all have a great holiday, be safe, enjoy!

 

[daugen]

Drew that tour would be a blast

I would have enjoyed having you along...
Very impressive huge operation, man we walked and walked.
Superior ventilation, we went just about everywhere, watched layup, foaming, most of the steps.
My second factory tour, my friend's third.
Almost no odor, though after awhile the strong fiberglass smell blends into the background.
I loved the new 5.6 litre yamaha V8's.

 

[lostcreekranch]

It’s one thing to read and understand your covenants/ deed restrictions of what can be done and what can’t but, IMHO it’s equally important to understand how said covenants/ deed restrictions can be amended.

Can they by changed by HOA Board, or by a vote of owners. If by a vote of owners ..... is it by a majority of all owners or a majority of the owners who actually voted.

 

[daugen]

Riptide, that really is a shame about your mower, sorry you had to get aggravated by it again.
I'd remember the ice cream and leave it at that...

After you have had one too many bad news neighbors, I think a HOA might be an answer for many.
But clearly many of us have a live free or die orientation. We must follow an enormous number of civil and criminal
laws on the books and enforceable already. And some of those laws are clearly asinine, particularly the older ones about
regulating the approved and unapproved ways of making love to your wife, just for example.

But I have to tell you, boy would I like a HOA in my community. Just think, the abandoned drunk farmer's dump would have to be cleaned up.
All those dead cars without tags gathering weeds in poorly mowed back yards would get towed out. All those piles of tires would have to go too and the lawn mowers by the dozens that will never run again.
And the house at the end of the street where the garage is half falling down and representing a public menace, well....
And anyone caught littering would be tar and feathered.
Don, sign me up. :thumbsup:

I am a really serious believer in land use zoning and when even that isn't enforced, it doesn't reflect well on the community.
Where Don lives everyone is on their best behavior, except their dogs occasionally. The general public is not like Don's community members and that's why they want to live there. Like minded individuals who don't want their now I'm really retired and having fun too experience
messed up by the few who always try to spoil the community apple barrel.

We have the joy of choice. Like the burger, have it your way.
I can't imagine living anywhere without that choice.