4 ms·

The "positive side" for the homeowners is pretty obvious - it lets them keep anyone that's not one of them out of the neighborhood. I don't know the specifics o

The "positive side" for the homeowners is pretty obvious - it lets them keep anyone that's not one of them out of the neighborhood. I don't know the specifics of this particular neighborhood, but if it's anything like the vast majority of America, it likely is a very shitty rule that should be disrupted.

nradov 8y ago
HOAs don't block purchases by particular people. There's no need for disruption here.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > HOAs don't block purchases by particular people HOAs no longer are able to do that directly (even though naked racial discrimination was actually central to the original purpose of HOAs and the covenants which give life to them), but they continue to enforce cultural standards that are designed particularly to enforce the behavior preferred by a particular subculture and exclude others.
  - nradov 8y ago
    Which specific cultural standards and particular subculture are you referring to?
    - nate_meurer 8y ago
      I'll give you one example: families with kids. I've known HOAs to try to pretty much straight up ban children; forbid them from playing outdoors, forbid riding bikes, forbid swingsets, trampolines, even sandboxes. Often couched in bullshit language about "protecting" the kids. Also dog owners. I know an HOA board that was, for a time, populated by fervent dog haters. They enacted a rule that forbid dogs from all streets and sidewalks. You could only walk your dog between your house and the next to the common grassy area behind. There's been some turnover in the board, but the rule is still in effect AFAIK.
      - nradov 8y ago
        The rules you describe about children really only exist in age restricted communities intended for people age 55+. Those are basically retirement communities. Federal law explicitly allows age discrimination on that basis. Perhaps you can find a few isolated examples of other HOAs with such rules but they're extremely rare and not a widespread issue. I like dogs myself. But others don't so it's nice they have at least a few options on communities to live where they don't have to deal with dogs. Neither children or dogs are associated with particular subcultures. They're both about as mainstream as you can get.
        nate_meurer 8y ago
        Hey, where'd those goalposts go?! > I like dogs myself. But others don't so it's nice they have at least a few options on communities to live where they don't have to deal with dogs. No, there's nothing "nice" about it. It was a shitty thing for the board to do to a community with lots of existing dog owners who had no say in the process. Now the neighborhood has to try to turn over enough board seats to get rid of the rule. The main instigator was a cranky old lady who is now gone, so it's probably just a matter of time. In the meantime it looks like people are largely ignoring it, but that's not a solution. To me, the "isolated examples" like this are reason enough for HOA reform movements that seem to be gaining momentum across the country. The fact that HOAs can so easily forbid activities that residents enjoyed when they bought their home, such as walking their dogs, is proof to me that new laws are needed to restrict their power.

nradov 8y ago

HOAs don't block purchases by particular people. There's no need for disruption here.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> HOAs don't block purchases by particular people HOAs no longer are able to do that directly (even though naked racial discrimination was actually central to the original purpose of HOAs and the covenants which give life to them), but they continue to enforce cultural standards that are designed particularly to enforce the behavior preferred by a particular subculture and exclude others.
- nradov 8y ago
  Which specific cultural standards and particular subculture are you referring to?
  - nate_meurer 8y ago
    I'll give you one example: families with kids. I've known HOAs to try to pretty much straight up ban children; forbid them from playing outdoors, forbid riding bikes, forbid swingsets, trampolines, even sandboxes. Often couched in bullshit language about "protecting" the kids. Also dog owners. I know an HOA board that was, for a time, populated by fervent dog haters. They enacted a rule that forbid dogs from all streets and sidewalks. You could only walk your dog between your house and the next to the common grassy area behind. There's been some turnover in the board, but the rule is still in effect AFAIK.
    - nradov 8y ago
      The rules you describe about children really only exist in age restricted communities intended for people age 55+. Those are basically retirement communities. Federal law explicitly allows age discrimination on that basis. Perhaps you can find a few isolated examples of other HOAs with such rules but they're extremely rare and not a widespread issue. I like dogs myself. But others don't so it's nice they have at least a few options on communities to live where they don't have to deal with dogs. Neither children or dogs are associated with particular subcultures. They're both about as mainstream as you can get.
      - nate_meurer 8y ago
        Hey, where'd those goalposts go?! > I like dogs myself. But others don't so it's nice they have at least a few options on communities to live where they don't have to deal with dogs. No, there's nothing "nice" about it. It was a shitty thing for the board to do to a community with lots of existing dog owners who had no say in the process. Now the neighborhood has to try to turn over enough board seats to get rid of the rule. The main instigator was a cranky old lady who is now gone, so it's probably just a matter of time. In the meantime it looks like people are largely ignoring it, but that's not a solution. To me, the "isolated examples" like this are reason enough for HOA reform movements that seem to be gaining momentum across the country. The fact that HOAs can so easily forbid activities that residents enjoyed when they bought their home, such as walking their dogs, is proof to me that new laws are needed to restrict their power.