HOA Nut House

I just called my Realtor and jokingly but seriously "let her know I was mad at her" for selling us our home.
Her In Laws live in the subdivision and are at wits end, nagged and aggravated with the HOA.
I have a nazi-neighbor bent on making us pay for enjoying ourselves while he and his wife suffer marital problems. (the same couple who dined in our home, camped over a long weekend, watched our kids)
My realtor says it is the BEST THING to be a part of.
She, however, lives privately on her 6-acre homestead outside of a HOA *

- Board members get defensive when they too, get their notices
- Removal of a "dead, diseased, dying tree" means TOTAL removal, meaning for one homeowner - to the twigs and stump, in their backyard out of sight, BUT to another homeowner - stacks of 8' logs for "firewood" are not enforced

This small militant group refers to 'violators' like you would normally refer a child molestor. One appointee went on the offensive to the point of challenges to a person's mental and moral attributes!

The letter of the CC&Rs are unyielding toward those who have questioned the motives for enforcement.
Several (more than 4 homeowners) are in litigation for various sundry 'offenses'

I can honestly say that neither side are happy about things. It's like Black and White; Dems and Repubs; lines drawn

In an economy hurt by home sales and corresponding property values, its surreal that these 3 individuals are the "Enforcer" squad as homes foreclose and sale prices, if sold at all, are 40% less than purchase price.

Homes are for sale by families just wanting to be left alone. Those same families that don't have sofas on the porch or knee high grass. Wonderful families with noisy kids who would like to see banners across the front gate announcing Graduations and can't in this fiefdom.

why do developers put hoa's in place in the first place if no one wants them, people don't read the rules before they move in, and those people who want them,, and volunteer to try and run them (and aren't prfessionals) get attacked?

HOAs are allowed to happen because the owners pay for the streets and other amenites that the county usually pays for so when you pay taxes and HOA dues you are paying for services twice...for instance if you lived in a regular neighborhood yor streets, sewers, pools and lights etc. are maintained by the county but you pay again with the HOA fees without getting the services from the county. Your HOA does those for you and charges you again!!! So counties like HOAs it takes financial burden off them.

Sure you read the rules but it depends on interpretaion of the board on how they are enforced. If you read contractors must keep mud off the road - it may mean only professional contractors not owner/builders.. The covenants are so full of legalese that you would need a lawyer to interpret them. You assume the covenants are to protect you but really the are to protect the board.

Try and find a normal home these days with the square footage,view and custom like features and most likely it will be in an HOA.

These days probably 4 out of 5 homes sold are in HOAs most people never have a problem but when you do you find that unless you sue or get mediation you have basically signed away your constitutional rights. The HOA can do and asses you whatever they want. They can bully and intimidate you if you get on thier "bad" side, AND fine you if you don't pay and in some cases even foreclose on you.