From: frey@encompasserve.org (Sharon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house.homeowner-assn misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Dealing with HOA Fine Over Two Month Old Issue Long Resolved!
Date: 2 Oct 2006 11:45:59 -0500

In article <1159655587.392568.246600@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, email_invalid@mail2world.com writes:

> If they had sent this letter shortly after I returned from vacation I
> could understand because then it might look like I was just not taking
> care of things and they felt the need to threaten a fine to get things
> done. But two months seems ridiculous. The point of fines as expressely
> stated is to help enforce provisions not be punitive per se. Since the
> problem is no longer a problem for over two months, what is the point
> of fining me two months later other than to be assholes? There is no
> reason to be waiting two months over this.

	FWIW, I agree with you.  Even if you don't mind the HOA very much, or 
you have a generally good one, as we do, they can make you feel a little 
defensive for no reason.  For example, this summer we're having some 
remodelling done to our house (interior only).  We forgot the rule about signs 
and let the contractor put up a yard sign.  After a couple months, we got a 
letter from the HOA quoting the rule and asking for it to be removed.  No 
problem, that was our bad, so we removed it the next day.
	This weekend, I finally got around to removing an ugly bush from next 
to our mailbox.  As I was hacking at it, some guy in a pickup stopped to stare. 
He asked me "removing trees?"  I said "just the bush" and then ignored him 
until he drove off.  The reasonable part of me thinks he was just wondering if 
he could make a quick buck by offering to do the work for me.  The now-paranoid 
part of me wondered if he was a spy for the HOA since we also have a rule about 
removing trees.  

> As for being in an neighborhood with an HOA, I really had no choice
> because the vast majority of homes is in HOAs. I'm in it I don't have
> to like it nor do I have to like them.

	It's like that in Northern VA too.  If you don't want to live in an HOA 
controlled area, you should probably get a houseboat and live on the river.

 - Sharon
"Gravity...  is a harsh mistress!"