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As the vice president of my HOA (for a few more months) I'm happy to report that I've never heard of a request for solar installation that wasn't approved on th

As the vice president of my HOA (for a few more months) I'm happy to report that I've never heard of a request for solar installation that wasn't approved on the first request.

dheera 6y ago
This is the kind of thing that makes my blood boil. Why is this even an approval? Why do you think you have ANY say over their solar installation? Why does it even have to go through an approval process for anything other than fire/electrical/building safety? It's not your property. Stay out.
- recursive 6y ago
  I don't even know. The HOA was here before I moved in. Why are you so angry? To be literal, the reason I think "I" (actually the HOA) have a say is because a bunch of legal paperwork says so. All the home owners signed it. A year from now I won't have any say, because I won't be on the board. Generally, I like the HOA since they mow my lawn. But if you are religiously opposed to being a member of an HOA, then you just wouldn't move into a house that's subject to one. All the people that live in this neighborhood were aware of it before they moved in. Different people want different things.
  - dheera 6y ago
    > The HOA was here before I moved in. Why are you so angry? To be literal, the reason I think "I" (actually the HOA) have a say is because a bunch of legal paperwork says so. All the home owners signed it. They were forced to sign it if they wanted to purchase property. If it was optional I wouldn't be angry. To me the entire reason for owning instead of renting would be to be able to modify the hell out of it to my house of my dreams. Yes I could avoid moving into an HOA neighborhood, but HOAs are spreading like viruses and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a place that doesn't have one. I would just ask that the law make HOAs optional when purchasing property. If you want the benefits HOAs give you (if any), you're welcome to join, but you shouldn't be forced to join one just because you want to move into a certain district. > A year from now I won't have any say, because I won't be on the board. So now the house you supposedly "own" will be governed by some people that you don't even know. If they don't like your yellow car they could make a fit of it. I'm angry because if I owned property in a free country they shouldn't even be legally allowed to make a fit of something that isn't impinging on their freedom. > Generally, I like the HOA since they mow my lawn. I'd rather save the HOA fees and pay for a lawnmowing service.
    - recursive 6y ago
      What gives you (accusitorily) the right to deny me from living in a HOA neighborhood? > So now the house you supposedly "own" will be governed by some people that you don't even know. "Governed?" I wouldn't really say that. I'm still allowed to take a shit whenever I want, and use as much toilet paper as I feel is right and proper. If you want to argue about the existence of HOAs, I'm probably not the best counterparty. I don't feel too strongly one way or another. Just giving my perspective on whether HOAs would "lose their shit" over solar panels.
      - dheera 6y ago
        > What gives you (accusitorily) the right to deny me from living in a HOA neighborhood? I don't deny you from your right to live in an HOA neighborhood, but I strongly oppose the HOA making it a requirement that you join them. It should be optional, and you can join if you want.
        recursive 6y ago
        Well, that's kind of my understanding about what an HOA neighborhood even is. The existence of a (mandatory) HOA seems to increase property value. I have no economics training, but this seems to be a signal from the invisible hand that they are generally desirable in those cases. The only ways they're likely to go away is if they're regulated out of existence, or they fall out of favor in a way that's reflected in property value.
- jjav 6y ago
  Agreed. It should be illegal for a HOA to have any involvement in such decisions within personal property.
dreamcompiler 6y ago
We had a few many years ago that were denied on aesthetic grounds and then approved after redesign (I was president of my HOA then). But then my state passed a Solar Access law that makes HOA covenants against solar panels unenforcible, so the problem solved itself. To my neighbors who don't like solar panels because they "decrease property values" (the favorite bugaboo of HOAs), I reply that in 10 years any house that does not have solar panels will be perceived as deficient, especially in the southwestern US.

As the vice president of my HOA (for a few more months) I'm happy to report that I've never heard of a request for solar installation that wasn't approved on the first request.

dheera 6y ago

This is the kind of thing that makes my blood boil. Why is this even an approval? Why do you think you have ANY say over their solar installation? Why does it even have to go through an approval process for anything other than fire/electrical/building safety? It's not your property. Stay out.

recursive 6y ago
I don't even know. The HOA was here before I moved in. Why are you so angry? To be literal, the reason I think "I" (actually the HOA) have a say is because a bunch of legal paperwork says so. All the home owners signed it. A year from now I won't have any say, because I won't be on the board. Generally, I like the HOA since they mow my lawn. But if you are religiously opposed to being a member of an HOA, then you just wouldn't move into a house that's subject to one. All the people that live in this neighborhood were aware of it before they moved in. Different people want different things.
- dheera 6y ago
  > The HOA was here before I moved in. Why are you so angry? To be literal, the reason I think "I" (actually the HOA) have a say is because a bunch of legal paperwork says so. All the home owners signed it. They were forced to sign it if they wanted to purchase property. If it was optional I wouldn't be angry. To me the entire reason for owning instead of renting would be to be able to modify the hell out of it to my house of my dreams. Yes I could avoid moving into an HOA neighborhood, but HOAs are spreading like viruses and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a place that doesn't have one. I would just ask that the law make HOAs optional when purchasing property. If you want the benefits HOAs give you (if any), you're welcome to join, but you shouldn't be forced to join one just because you want to move into a certain district. > A year from now I won't have any say, because I won't be on the board. So now the house you supposedly "own" will be governed by some people that you don't even know. If they don't like your yellow car they could make a fit of it. I'm angry because if I owned property in a free country they shouldn't even be legally allowed to make a fit of something that isn't impinging on their freedom. > Generally, I like the HOA since they mow my lawn. I'd rather save the HOA fees and pay for a lawnmowing service.
  - recursive 6y ago
    What gives you (accusitorily) the right to deny me from living in a HOA neighborhood? > So now the house you supposedly "own" will be governed by some people that you don't even know. "Governed?" I wouldn't really say that. I'm still allowed to take a shit whenever I want, and use as much toilet paper as I feel is right and proper. If you want to argue about the existence of HOAs, I'm probably not the best counterparty. I don't feel too strongly one way or another. Just giving my perspective on whether HOAs would "lose their shit" over solar panels.
    - dheera 6y ago
      > What gives you (accusitorily) the right to deny me from living in a HOA neighborhood? I don't deny you from your right to live in an HOA neighborhood, but I strongly oppose the HOA making it a requirement that you join them. It should be optional, and you can join if you want.
      - recursive 6y ago
        Well, that's kind of my understanding about what an HOA neighborhood even is. The existence of a (mandatory) HOA seems to increase property value. I have no economics training, but this seems to be a signal from the invisible hand that they are generally desirable in those cases. The only ways they're likely to go away is if they're regulated out of existence, or they fall out of favor in a way that's reflected in property value.
jjav 6y ago
Agreed. It should be illegal for a HOA to have any involvement in such decisions within personal property.

dreamcompiler 6y ago

We had a few many years ago that were denied on aesthetic grounds and then approved after redesign (I was president of my HOA then). But then my state passed a Solar Access law that makes HOA covenants against solar panels unenforcible, so the problem solved itself. To my neighbors who don't like solar panels because they "decrease property values" (the favorite bugaboo of HOAs), I reply that in 10 years any house that does not have solar panels will be perceived as deficient, especially in the southwestern US.