1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Homeowners Assoc. Sells Woman's House Over $420 Fee

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Jeff, Apr 28, 2005.

  1. SamCassell

    SamCassell Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    9,524
    Likes Received:
    2,411
    Maybe I've just had a bad experience with them. But I will say that I've lived in neighborhoods that didn't have HOAs, and they did fine policing themselves.
     
  2. Pole

    Pole Houston Rockets--Tilman Fertitta's latest mess.

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 1999
    Messages:
    8,570
    Likes Received:
    2,738
    There sure is a lot of missing information in this story.

    The house was sold seven months earlier? How come no one took possession? Had she not been there in seven months? Nor one of her agents? It all seems kind of strange.

    What I'm wondering though is if they house was sold clandestinely seven months prior, and then the new owner just stayed away until the 180 days had passed. If so, that would be a neat way to circumvent the legislated 180 day waiting period rule.
     
  3. meggoleggo

    meggoleggo Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2003
    Messages:
    4,402
    Likes Received:
    48
    The Homeowner Association for my parent's neighborhood is stupid.

    At one point in time, my dad was ON the freaking board and he had to argue with everyone else there to put up a fence on our property. Our house is the only house in the entire neighborhood with our backyard along the main road (not like corner houses) and at the time, we didn't have a fence at all, so it was completely open to anybody who felt like walking through our yard.

    The association said, you could only build a 4 foot fence for your backyard, but you could build an 8 foot fence for your front yard if you felt like it (which there's some exception for corner houses who got to have 8 feet fences too). But since a 4 foot fence isn't sh*t for privacy or security anymore than no fence at all and we were the only f-ing house in the entire neighborhood not allowed to build a decent fence, my dad argued with them for 3 months until they gave in and let us build a taller fence and then left the board. My dad loathes those sunumabitches.
     
    #23 meggoleggo, Apr 28, 2005
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2005
  4. Falcons Talon

    Falcons Talon Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2002
    Messages:
    7,807
    Likes Received:
    945
    I just received a notice in my mail box that I owe $200 to the HOA. It was my understanding that the HOA fees were to be pulled from the escrow acct in which we pay the mortgage. Now, I'm sitting here w/ a letter that says "$200 in two weeks or it goes to an attorney." If I'm in default, I'll pay, but I want to know how I built up a balance lke that without ever being given notice that I had not paid, especially after going on two years living at my home...:mad: :mad: :mad:
     
  5. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 1999
    Messages:
    46,640
    Likes Received:
    33,647
    I'm one of the few that don't mind HOA's I guess. HOA's serve a good purpose in that if you're living in something like a master planned community or one that's not "low end" you don't want some knucklehead moving in and parking 6 cars on his front lawn or having his gutters dangling from the house. This tends to drive property values down in the area.

    That being said, there are HOA's that overstep their bounds. I don't mind. I knew what I was getting into when I moved into an HOA-town.

    Regarding this story, I'd like to find out if this person really did get those certified letters or not. If they didn't pay, then that's their fault. What's even more odd is this person is a realtor, so they should know about HOA's and any fees associated with them in that particular community.
     
  6. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2002
    Messages:
    36,425
    Likes Received:
    9,373
    The real question is 1.) Does this person live in a gated community called Western Estates? and 2.) Is her HOA President's name Bobby Dooley?
     
  7. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 1999
    Messages:
    129,357
    Likes Received:
    39,909
    Our HOA keeps our property values up, and our neighborhood looking good.

    No problem here, we all pay our bills.

    :)
     
  8. Jeff

    Jeff Clutch Crew

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    22,412
    Likes Received:
    362
    Yes, but there are HUGE exceptions and that is the problem. Every neighborhood inside the loop with zero HOA has little or no difficulty in those areas. Homes in the Heights are through the roof - I should know, I just got an apparisal for mine. I don't have a blade of grass ouside of my front ditch and my yard kicks ass.

    But, if I were in the burbs, I couldn't plant beautiful native plants or make a rock garden.

    There's also the business aspect. Sure, nobody wants a nightclub or a machine shop, but city ordinances already regulate traffic, noise and environmental issues associated with those problems. The problem is that the HOA bans ALL businesses. That means you can't run a home business even if it is just an office in your house.

    I couldn't spend $5000 soundproofing a room to reherse in because no bands. Now, it wouldn't matter that NOBODY could hear us outside of that room. It's against the deed restriction.

    Smelly animals - I have many cats. Totally banned by deed restriction even though no one would likely EVER know I had them.

    You are talking about community standards issues that are almost ALWAYS addressed by local statute. The HOA's are redundant and have power of attorney over your property.

    I understand policies that help. I don't understand the overbearing nature of the organizations. It seems that they are most often run by busy bodies with lawyers who have nothing better to do than measure your gazebo to make sure it isn't one millimeter higher than 10 feet.
     
  9. bnb

    bnb Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2002
    Messages:
    6,992
    Likes Received:
    316
    I'll give you $500 for the house....


    $1,000 if you include the mustang :D
     
  10. Jeff

    Jeff Clutch Crew

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    22,412
    Likes Received:
    362
    You know what. That isn't true. A Harvard professor did a study of property values in Harris County and HOA's and found that homes in HOA controlled neighborhoods were as apt to property value declines or increases and neighborhoods without HOA's. And, HOA's were something like 10 times more likely to foreclose on homes in poorer neighborhoods and neighborhoods with property values that DECREASED despite their presence.

    Everyone always SAYS they keep values up, but the data simply doesn't support that.

    To quote from his study:

    Although HOA foreclosures are ostensibly motivated by efforts to improve property values, neither foreclosure activity nor HOAs appear linked with above average home price growth...

    (P)roperty values in HOAs filing foreclosures rise no faster than in other neighborhoods - and may even lag behind.


    That was based on a study of home values, HOA's and forecolsures between 1985 and 2001.

    http://faculty.washington.edu/cadolph/homepage/Adolph_hoas.pdf&e=42

    That is a link to a PDF.
     
  11. Isabel

    Isabel Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 1999
    Messages:
    4,667
    Likes Received:
    58
    I just don't understand why, if you own a house, it's not really yours. That is just stupid. I agree that city ordinances, etc., should be sufficient for making sure that no noise or smells cross over into other people's property. As for things that just look ugly... I guess I don't understand why everybody is so hung up on them.

    If I ever buy a house, I will attempt to go where there is no HOA and as little regulation as possible... I don't think there's anything like that in my neighborhood. I rent my house, but I haven't heard of any weird rules and no one enforces grass length. And we don't have any problems.
     
  12. updawg

    updawg Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2002
    Messages:
    3,985
    Likes Received:
    166
    Falcon, I'm in the same boat as you (for $120). I thought they were being pulled out of escrow, but apparently not. I had been receiving statements but the statements looked like they were informational and not actual receipts. Very annoying and not clear until I called. Call them up and work with them.
     
  13. Falcons Talon

    Falcons Talon Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2002
    Messages:
    7,807
    Likes Received:
    945
    Yeah, but I've never received one single notice...I guess the first step is to call them up and find out whats up.
     
  14. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2002
    Messages:
    15,557
    Likes Received:
    17
    Cool! That is where I used to live, on West Belfort between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock. We didn't have a HOA either.

    Now, however, I moved a new house and we do have a HOA:(
     
  15. Kim

    Kim Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 1999
    Messages:
    9,286
    Likes Received:
    4,178
    I wonder if the former owner actually lived in the house that was sold, or was it a rental property, but $240,000 for a rental is high, but then again there's stuff like that out there. So either the mail never came, or she never lived there, or she knew and just didn't want to pay, or something else.
     
  16. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    35,066
    Likes Received:
    15,245
    I built a house in the neighborhood I did (3rd Ward), in part, because they had no deed restrictions at all. Now, there's a HOA that's been revived and they are trying to get some deed restrictions passed.

    I can appreciate their motivations. We've watched 4th Ward turn into Midtown, houses knocked down there to make way for blocks upon blocks of apartments, townhomes and condos. And, it is starting to spread into 3rd Ward. Perry Homes has started building here and so have Urban Lofts. So, the main thrust of the proposed deed restrictions is to stop the shift where it is currently at. Single-family properties won't be able to be converted to multi-family housing.

    But, there are other things to come along like restrictions on businesses. And, what enforcement power would we be giving them? Third Ward isn't exactly the sort of place where everyone keeps their lawn at 3 inches. So I feel rather conflicted about the whole business.

    My mother is president of her civic association (no HOA there, thank god). Neighbors are always asking her to get on people about the stupidest stuff. They don't like that the neighbor parks in the street, or lets the cat run loose. She's a level-headed person though and doesn't harrass people about the minor stuff.
     
  17. Pole

    Pole Houston Rockets--Tilman Fertitta's latest mess.

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 1999
    Messages:
    8,570
    Likes Received:
    2,738
    Jeff, I'd have to file this under the "lies, damn lies, and statistics" category. The link doesn't work fo rme, but most HOA communities exist outside of the 610 loop. Comparing their appreciation rates to those inside the loop seems grossly unfair to me. In the 'burbs where I live, the cost of entry is cheap. You can get twice the house for half the money. It's just too easy for every Tom, Dick and Harry to afford a house out here, and consequently, people are sometimes less prone to taking proper care of their house. Where you live, it's much different--you get half the house for twice the money. The type of people who will spend that much are most often savvy enough to understand the value of improving their real property to realize as much appreciation as possible. It seems to me that the HOA's still have something to offer out here.

    Obviously, these truths aren't universal because I water my lawn out in the burbs and you keep a hundred cats in your yuppy neighborhood home, but you get the idea ;)

    Seriously though, I'm not here to support HOA's, and a lot of evidence points to the need for tighter controls on them, but I'm not ready to dismiss them completely yet. And I don't put much value in that Harvord professor's paper either.
     
  18. Fatty FatBastard

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2001
    Messages:
    15,916
    Likes Received:
    159
    Boy, I'm sure ready to dismiss them and hold them culpable. They are discriminatory associations along similar roots with the ole 50's neighborhoods that tried to keep "them kinds" out of the area.

    Most of the most influential areas in Houston have no such thing. I'm reminded of when I lived in Kingwood vs. When I lived in Bellaire. No contest.

    Suburbia needs to wisen up. Your home isn't going to appreciate for decades. Live with it, or move. HOA's won't do a lick to change it.
     
  19. Jeff

    Jeff Clutch Crew

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    22,412
    Likes Received:
    362
    Pole: consider that the study was done on property values from 1985 through 2001 for homes in the entire county, which I think is a completely fair assessment because it includes many impoverished areas without HOA's that would seem to stay flat or depreciate in value right alongside neighborhoods with HOA's that you would think would go up because of their location, inside the loop, outside the loop, suburbs, urban areas, etc.

    The reality is that social, infratructure-related and market issues have a far greater effect on the value of a home than the presence of an HOA.
     
  20. Pole

    Pole Houston Rockets--Tilman Fertitta's latest mess.

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 1999
    Messages:
    8,570
    Likes Received:
    2,738
    I fully agree with your second paragraph, but I don't agree with the first. My argument is that HOA's usually only have value (and I'm not saying it's a great value)....but that they usually only have value out in the 'burbs--new developments on cheap land. Ten years from now, places like where JuanValdez lives may appreciate ten fold, but it will probably be 50 years before Harris County developments outside of the Beltway are considered "close in" enough to show any serious gains. Until then, HOA's (by design, at least) are there to make sure they don't take any steps backwards.

    Anyway, I hate to argue in their favor because I feel changes need to be made with regards to what HOA's can and cannot get away with........but I'm not ready for their wholesale dismissal either.
     

Share This Page