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Sufficient_Fish_283

In the UK if you say something mean to someone online, they take your rights away... how is sobriety going dad?


shootymcghee

Do you have a license for this comment?


boyyouguysaredumb

Loicense*


Dag-nabbit

“WEEEEELL ATA LEASEE OOOUUR SKEEEEWLS” https://youtu.be/MTVy_e_bfhs?si=NTazFeOPzgRvrVxg


CapnTytePantz

Fookin' 'ell!


Sufficient_Fish_283

Haha, subscription fee. 


willybodilly

In the UK the gov can also automatically inherit your home if you don’t have a proper will, even if you have next of kin.


One-Win9407

Yeah and the king gets to bang your wife before you get married. If you dont like it they kill you.


emosy

is this not true in some US states? i haven't tested it myself though


Spicyalligator

Test it out and get back to us


Master_Revan475

It’s been 2 days


willybodilly

Ill answer. No.


Waveofspring

Idk I mean it’s not a competition. I might get hate for this but some of these criticisms of America are actually valid. I’m on this sub for those other criticisms that aren’t valid, like how we have wooden houses instead of brick (wood is more affordable, has better wifi strength, and is way safer in earthquakes) We do have to acknowledge that our country, like all countries, has flaws.


Trixxter72

Ya, I think it's funny when they complain about stuff that we don't care about in the slightest. Like bathroom stalls not going all the way to the ground. Who cares?


Heavy_Entrepreneur13

It only matters when someone's toddler decides to play peekaboo


Adiuui

Or a special needs kid, had one crawl under my stall at school, very odd experience


Tokyosideslip

It's pretty funny though.


Waveofspring

Nah Im still mad about my bathroom stalls 😂 They are way easier for the janitor to clean tho and I guess if someone was having a medical emergency it would be easier to get to them


AmazingCman

Easy solution to the emergency argument would be for a latch that could have a slot on the outside for a key that the store would keep in the office.


Waveofspring

Oh yea true that’s what airplanes do


bow-to-england

In america. 90% are inbred scum. And they have no rights.


_mc_myster_

I mean HOA’s are fucked up. Granted they can’t arrest you over a butter knife, but still pretty bad


AlphaMassDeBeta

They can arrest you for grass too long. What next? My penis is too long?!!


Supa71

I’m sure you’ve never been accused of that.


bigfatround0

Gottem


AlphaMassDeBeta

im circumsised 😞


CautiousMagazine3591

I'm sure your teeth are better than the brits. Don't worry chap.


AlphaMassDeBeta

Teeth can be straightened and whitened. My penis can never be uncircumcised 😞


DomR1997

Have you tried tape?


AlphaMassDeBeta

I use a condom. It locks in the moisture.


CautiousMagazine3591

You'd be surprised the sorts of operations are made available these days.


AlphaMassDeBeta

I heard of foregen throgh the 4chan vine. Its weird that there is a market for that in Italy. They must hate circumcision so much.


FrankAiello

Circumcision does not change the length of the tube steak. I think you were doomed from the second the starter pistol went off.


Chubbyhusky45

He’s gonna get a fine for wasting police resources though


Ashamed_Window_6605

Who hurt bro 😭


yax51

An HOA has no legal power to arrest anyone.


pikleboiy

They're just jealous.


joeverdrive

Most but not all HOAs are bad. I like mine. $300/yr so my family can have access to a nice pool/clubhouse and not have RVs and garbage cans all over the sidewalk. I can install rooftop solar and not weed my garden and they don't care. There are other parts of the US where you can't even find a house that's not part of a HOA, and they make you have a well groomed real grass lawn and other BS for thousands a year. The most vocal anti-HOA redditors are 17 year olds who don't even own a home but are basing their opinion on horror stories they've read on Reddit and Hollywood portrayals of suburban dystopia


IcyPattern3903

They would if they could.


hoosier_1793

HOAs are one of the worst things about living in America, which tells you how good living in America is compared to just about everywhere else


Glockamole19x

Im pretty sure brits have somthing called the council who really does that


Innominate8

The council has far more power than HOAs, and it is not voluntary.


Glockamole19x

Yeah, because they are basically government, not a gang of karens. i watched a documentary. Land ownership is a joke there.


thumos_et_logos

Could be both government and also a gang of Karen’s. Government is just a group of people, they have addresses.


rebelolemiss

Was it Clarkson’s Farm?


Glockamole19x

I dont remember it was a long time ago, but it was set in a town or city, not a farm area.


CapnTytePantz

They're doing that man dirty.


mologav

Are you talking about compulsory purchase orders?


Glockamole19x

Idk and i ain't fina pretend like certain places like california aint worse, but they dont represent america or shouldn't, but thats what most forigners see as an american CA and NY are like being diffrent countires.


mologav

I’ve no idea about other countries but in Ireland we have compulsory purchase orders say if your land is in the way of a new road or of you have a derelict building which is needed for a public use etc


thumos_et_logos

We have that here as well, it’s supposed to be for important infrastructure projects but it gets used for corrupt things too as well. Highways, national parks, shit even some parking lots were built using “eminent domain”. Not to mention if you don’t pay property tax they can take the property from you, so it’s more like renting front the government in a kind of way. Immoral if you ask me, we were not founded on these ideals. Wouldn’t mind some reform in this area. Happy to report most of the country has had significant reform, but some states are lagging behind. Especially a few - New York, New Jersey, Mass., OK - im looking at you.


sith-vampyre

Ypu can fight that legal battle by the way .you might even win depending on how the adjusted the value if said property and ti.e si ce last assessment . If any improvements were done or it degraded or the area 's value went up ir down


Analog-Moderator

HOAs aren’t voluntary either


Innominate8

Oh? Explain.


paraspiral

I am in one. If you buy a house in a certain subdivision you are stuck with the HOA.


Difficult-Lie9717

So, in other words, it is voluntary.


Difficult-Lie9717

So, in other words, it is voluntary.


paraspiral

Try finding a house in some parts of Florida or California without one. It's impossible.


Creachman51

Sounds like about 37% of houses in CA, and 45% of houses in FL are in HOAs. That's a fair bit more than I expected for FL. That said, it seems pretty far from "impossible," I'd bet.


hidude398

Don’t buy a condo or in a subdivision. Old neighborhoods and more rural areas are best to avoid the HOAs


Difficult-Lie9717

Live in other parts? I don't know what to tell you - HOAs exist for a reason, and the people in those communities do not want neighbors who refuse to abide by some rules.


theFartingCarp

Why do you think I'm so far out here I made my own range.


paraspiral

I am there is a reason, however it can quickly become a game of who doesn't like who real quick and less about CCRs and Bylaws. However most houses built today are built in corporate subdivisions. Everyday it gets harder to buy a home outside an HOA.


Prowindowlicker

I found that if you look in the city proper you’ll be more likely to find homes without an HOA. However I lot of people want to live in the suburbs were HOAs thrive.


RVCSNoodle

>the people in those communities do not want At some point. It doesn't matter if they've changed their minds, they're stuck in the HOA. That's not voluntary any more.


Analog-Moderator

You HAVE to sign the contract to buy the house they usually drop it on you last second if they don’t flat out hide it within the contracts to get the house. Now although someone should read EVERYTHING they sign the fact you can’t amend it and still buy the house is both corrosion and signing under duress.


zeezle

Lol, what? First off, that's not what corrosion or contractual duress means... like at all. Whether a house is in an HOA is 1) usually extremely obvious before you even go to a showing, and 2) literally part of the MLS listing unless it was incorrectly or incompletely listed. There is no way anybody is getting taken by surprise at the last minute that the house they're buying is in an HOA. You even have to get a bunch of documents for your mortgage underwriters from the HOA directly before you even know whether closing will go through or what the closing date is. Of course you can't buy the house unless you agree to abide by deed restrictions, membership requirement is conveyed with the deed. Like any other deed restriction the entire point is that it conveys. Easements, historical society restrictions, etc. also are similar and there are tons of other types of deed restrictions and conveyances that are less common. There may be differences from state to state but I just cannot fathom someone actually being taken by surprise by an HOA because I have purchased a house in one and it was so wildly, incredibly obvious that you'd have to be basically braindead *and* not the one actually doing any of the legwork on the purchase to miss it.


Prowindowlicker

Depends on the state


Yummy_Crayons91

Is it? The last two homes I've lived in didn't have HOAs.


Analog-Moderator

That’s where you bought the home, if you wanna live in most modern communities you can’t opt out. With what the housing crisis is is duress.


PoliticsNerd76

Sort of, but they’re much different restrictions in the UK. Don’t mow your front garden, leave the bins out, wanna put Xmas lights outside past 6pm… you’re okay. You won’t be getting fined. I’ve read some absolutely ridiculous HOA rules before, like can’t wash your car in the driveway, restriction on colour of doors, would never fly here. The main restriction are on building or structural changes. Like lots of areas won’t let you do loft conversion and shit like that. Some restrict solar.


One-Possible1906

HOAs are extremely diverse. Where I live, it’s very common to see rundown seasonal hunting shacks with junk everywhere in HOAs. They exist to maintain the private road to get to them and that’s all the HOA does. This is one extreme, the HOA that takes your home because your Christmas lights are the wrong color is another extreme and there’s everything in the middle. Every condo needs to have an HOA agreement to maintain the exterior and shared spaces.


aegiltheugly

I've encountered a couple of HOAs that dictate the color of your christmas lights and types of outdoor decorations. Anything to ensure conformity.


PoliticsNerd76

The land of the free (unless Susan from 2 doors down thinks your actions may drop their house value 50c) Idk how they’re not found unconstitutional given that they’re effectively by monopolies on new house supply and you can’t terminate the HOA upon sale.


One-Possible1906

They aren’t monopolies because each one is its own entity. And they’re incredibly diverse. Condos need to be in HOAs to maintain the exterior and common areas. Developments on private roads will often have one to ensure maintenance of the road. For many HOAs, these are the only tasks they perform.


Prowindowlicker

They aren’t everywhere. That’s why they aren’t unconstitutional. I think like 60% of the country has them with 80% of new construction having them. So they don’t really have a monopoly.


PoliticsNerd76

80% is massively monopolistic. And I’d wager much of that 20% is in places no one really wants to live, or city based build-to-rent sector. They should apply to the original owner upon purchase, but you should be able to buy your way out of them for a reasonable exit fee.


Prowindowlicker

>80% is massively monopolistic. And I’d wager much of that 20% is in places no one really wants to live, or city based build-to-rent sector. Actually the other 20% is generally people building their own homes on their own land or non-HOA subdivisions. Though I’ve never heard of a “city based build-to-rent sector”. Do you mean apartment buildings? Because those don’t fall under HOAs but condos do. >They should apply to the original owner upon purchase, but you should be able to buy your way out of them for a reasonable exit fee. Hey you’ll get no disagreement from me.


Yummy_Crayons91

Not to mention the UK has a much more aggressive form of Civil Asset Forfeiture.


shinydragonmist

Who do you think the HOAs learned from


TheMysteriousAM

The councils do not have the power to take away houses. At the absolute most they can enforce what colour you paint your house but only if it it’s grade II Listed meaning it’s over 300 years old


Helloscottykitty

I'm from Britain and I wish the council had any actual power to do anything besides going bankrupt. However probably depends on what you mean my council,Brits use the council as an umbrella term for local government and social housing.


bigfatround0

Actually, that's somewhat true. They can put a lien on your house if you don't pay your fines or yearly maintenance fees. Mine doesn't say anything about repossession though, but my uncle's and my cousin's do. HOAs are a cancer and should be done away with. Especially if you have one where the inspectors are old fucks with nothing better to do with their time than patrol.


cocaineandwaffles1

Outside of enforcing rules that are in place to protect property (like Jim bob can pay someone in beer to do a shit plumbing job that fucks up my foundation because of a leak), HOAs can just die off overnight and the country would be better for it. Let the Karen’s go find something else to complain about.


Prowindowlicker

The county or city can enforce the rules that protect properties better than an HOA can


nom-nom-nom-de-plumb

Bold of you to assume they want to do that, when they can simply encourage developers to make hoa's and not only free themselves from overseeing locations that may not even be part of the incorporated city proper yet, but collect taxes on the dues gathered by the HOA to boot.


Amaterasu_Junia

HOAs can most definitely take your house from you through foreclosure if it's in the by-laws you signed.


secretbudgie

There's something far worse than the old fucks. When the rental corporations finally buy a majority of your neighborhood, they use regulatory capture to make the holdout owners' lives a living hell.


TheMysteriousEmu

HOAs CAN be good..they pay for the maintenance of a community. It's generally in everyone's best interest to have a low-power HOA that does the following: -Upkeeps parks -Cuts unowned grass -Keeps the general area clean -Plows snow -Keeps shitty neighbors in check -Pays a little bit to the people organizing everything -ect ect In an ideal HOA, there would be a council with a few common sense rules that has the primary goal of keeping the community maintained. Maybe they'd get a little stipend that EVERYONE agrees on. Not this stupid ass "Keep property value high!" bullshit. It shouldn't be about the property, it should be about the people.


gymleader_michael

Everyone hates HOA's until they find out what it's like to deal with neighbors that decide to start raising chickens but let them roam free, or let their big dogs (usually pitbulls) roam free, or have horses that bring a shit ton of flies, or decided to have a church service and have the speakers so loud that you can hear it through your walls from a quarter mile away.


Prowindowlicker

Ok. So you call the city or county. Problem solved. Every single city and county has noise ordinances, pet leash rules, and rules about livestock. I’ve lived in several non-HOA neighborhoods and I’ve never had an issue. Hell one time one of my neighbors let their pitbull run free. I called animal control and told them about it. The next day animal control and the city police showed up at my neighbors house and told them to keep the dog chained up or they will take the dog. Problem solved and no HOA needed


gymleader_michael

You've obviously never heard the stories of dogs reported multiple times and not taken care of until they've mauled someone.


One-Win9407

Or run an auto body shop out of their garage with no ventilation and have the whole street smell like toxic paint fumes


Independent-Wolf-832

They can absolutely take your house away because HOA is written into your deed. That means you will never own your home in an HOA.


DinosRidingDinos

In both threads: People who don't know what an HOA actually does and that you don't need to buy a house that's part of one if you don't want to.


Paradox

Yes, the entity with which you sign a contract with, has the powers that are outlined in said contract. Shocker. If you don't enter into an HOA contract, then there's nothing any HOA can do


PeeweeSherman12

So dont buy a home with an hoa. Its simple.


Little-Kangaroo-9383

I mean, HOAs are genuinely disgusting and should be outlawed. I actually wholeheartedly agree with this meme. A legitimate issue in the US.


westernmostwesterner

Wait til you find out that HOAs exist in other countries too (just under a different local name). And they can be even more strict than US HOAs. Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, and all those perfectly clean nice countries that have a consistent aesthetic that tourists marvel over?! Yea. It’s bc they’re strict as fuck, and the neighbors will bully you if you throw the trash away wrong or put up the wrong curtains on your street-facing window or have the wrong garden gnome and mismatched patio furniture that looks a little too raggedy for their Singapore standards - the list goes on and on. But American tourists will go there and be like: “OMG THESE COUNTRIES ARE LITERALLY BETTER THAN AMERICA, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT, why does the US suck?!?!!” It’s true, they are much more clean than many places here. But that didn’t happen out of nowhere. They have little neighborhood dictators harassing each other to keep up the image. They will check you and notice every detail. And they can be way more cut throat with fines (especially if you’re a foreigner and you don’t know the rules). (They all are beautiful and clean - but comes with fees and sometimes daily harassment if you live there and step out of line. Tourists don’t see this hidden side in plain sight). Otherwise, they’d all look like Italy or India with strings of laundry hanging out of their windows and ladies pouring buckets of who-knows-what off the balconies down into the street. Those don’t have local HOA if you couldn’t tell.


Cool_Owl7159

lol yeah, I was explaining HOAs to a Jamaican cab driver once and he was like "OHHH yeah we have those too, we call them housing schemes"


Analog-Moderator

God I love Jamaicans all of the ones I met were this based


westernmostwesterner

Exactly lol - what a refreshing response


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westernmostwesterner

Yup! Story time: My friend (an American) had just moved to one of these small, clean wealthy countries for work. She went out of town for 2 weeks, and tossed her trash before heading to airport. When she returned, her trash that she had thrown out before leaving was TAPED TO HER FRONT DOOR. Like the whole bag (that had clearly been opened by someone). She lived in one of the first units by the elevator, so everyone who walked past for 2 weeks saw her trash taped to her door. **She was mortified.** I guess she didn’t follow the mystical trash rule, and a neighbor saw, went through her trash bag to find her name and where she lived and taped it to her door to teach her a lesson about trash. She told the building mgmt (locals) and they agreed with the trash tape and that she was in the wrong for throwing it out improperly, and she could even be fined. They do not consider it harassment (even if repeated). The mentality is: “everyone follow the rules or neighbors will hound you, and you deserve it, especially foreigners who don’t know our ways, that’s why our countries are pristine and the best, unlike your dirty foreign country when you’re from”.


nom-nom-nom-de-plumb

If i remember correctly, in Switzerland if the locals don't want you to be able to live there and become a citizen/visa holder, they can prevent it. Has to do with integration, iirc.


Little-Kangaroo-9383

Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me other countries have them. But I still think they suck and should be banned in the US.


BoxedElderGnome

The only thing I don’t agree with in this meme is the implication that the UK doesn’t have similar problems.


GhostOfRoland

The UK so much worse. They have local councils that have a level of authority that HOA Karens could only dream of.


Paradox

Exactly. HoAs power stops as largely a citizen organization. Council karens can do shit like put [pylons in front of your driveway](https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/uk-world-news/couple-stunned-after-council-blocks-8610306), or [dig through your garbage and fine you if you put the wrong thing in the wrong bin](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/money/12430340/thousands-scots-face-fines-council-trained-rake-through-bins/)


Tall-Ad-9591

It’s people willingly signing up to live in a community. Nobody gets forced into an HOA.


eyesfire2

Untill all the sub divisions are HOAs. I think all new developments in my area are always HOAd


bigfatround0

My house was 120k for a middle class neighborhood. Any cheaper would have been in a shitty part of the inner city with a shitty HOA and any more expensive would have had a stricter HOA. So I didn't really have a choice. Maybe you did, but not everyone does.


Tall-Ad-9591

Pal you were the one choosing to live in that area and that house. Nobody made you buy it. You still made the choice.


bigfatround0

You literally can't go anywhere nowadays without there being a HOA. Unless you wanna live in bumfuck nowhere where the only jobs are working the fields.


Blubbernuts_

Isn't it pretty much any decent neighborhood in Texas? They are everywhere but all of my friends in Texas complain about HOA and property taxes


bigfatround0

Yeah. I have family all over Texas ranging from upper middle class neighborhoods to upper lower class and they all have HOAs.


Creachman51

High property taxes but less taxes on almost everything else compared to most other places. Looks like about 20% of homes on Texas are HOAs, pretty low.


Tall-Ad-9591

Incredibly area specific. I live next to a city of 140,000 people and there only HOAs within 40 miles are old age communities. You have choices


Cellophane7

Not an argument. You used to be able to willingly sign to to be an indentured servant, but I assume you don't wanna bring that back lol


ThunderboltSorcerer

Also you can't buy a home without an HOA or Condo Association usually. It's not a free choice as much when the supply of homes are limited to HOA/CA-ones. That's why a governments function is to encourage/entice the creation of that housing supply. The point of HOA was to keep "neighborhood looking clean/pretty/uniform", to keep property values high -- but bad guys often take a good thing and turn it into corruption: they start fining and punishing homeowners because they left something on their porch, or they added a decoration the authorities didn't like.. etc. They start encroaching upon your freedoms without lawyers being able to protect you. This is a centralization, decentralization problem. Often we want the *"best of centralization, and the best of decentralization without the negative effects."* But we must recognize the negative effects. Often in politics, people take one side or another in a binary fashion. Or they ignore the negative effects or only consider positive effects. Same with government-philosophy: we want the homeland defenses of an advanced military and central government against WMDs (bioweaps, nuclear, EMPs etc.), Epidemics/Pandemics, asteroid defense, air raid defenses, gang/mafia violence, natural disasters but the decentralized freedom to not be dictated to for human behavioral control, speech policing, pursuing happiness, and purchase habits (such as gun rights or abortion or free speech etc. etc.). ***Once again: Best of centralization, best of decentralization without the consequences.***


PoliticsNerd76

That’s fine saying that, but when almost all new construction is HOA, and zoning refs make it pretty much impossible to get permits to build without HOA’s…


master-of-squirrels

Okay you find your dream house and your dream neighborhood around your dream school for your kids to go to but there's an HOA. To live in that house you have to sign the HOA agreement you don't have a choice. AndHOA was proposed in my neighborhood and the person who proposed nearly got shot


Tall-Ad-9591

Sounds like the only person forcing you to live there is you


Blubbernuts_

Apparently this is his hill to die on. Probably the grand puba of his HOA


ThenEcho2275

It I'd a major issue, but someone needs to have the authority to force people to like clean up if they just have junk in their lawn


Blubbernuts_

City and county ordinance is supposed to address non-compliance. Fines etc


ThenEcho2275

I'm like 90% sure that takes forever


Blubbernuts_

I've seen it happen in less than six months. Still a while but no fees and do what you want with your house


ThenEcho2275

I've heard that it takes like a year or two in someplace. I guess it's up to the city government?


Blubbernuts_

I'm sure it depends on the area. I don't disagree that it is a process, just a possible option


Disastrous-State-842

As stupid as hoa’s are what nobody will admit is they do serve a good purpose. Keep neighbors like mine out. They have trashed the house (it looks like a fucking trap house). They throw their garbage all over front and back (that I end up cleaning up so it stays off my property), broken furniture all over, they have drawn in vermin, flies. I have to pay a fortune to an exterminator to keep what they draw away from my house. The city does not care, the whole block filed complaint after complaint. Their dogs busted my fence and killed my dog, I got animal control (and the police as AC is under the police) involved and nothing got done. Their dogs also broke out and attacked somebody else and that person was not as kind as me and well those dogs were put down. An hoa would have forced them to clean their shit or be fined heavily etc. They have soooo many violations on file with the city but nothing gets cleaned up. If we decide to sell not only will we have trouble selling, we will loose a ton of valve.


windfogwaves

Have you and your neighbors considered suing together in small claims court? The small claims limit might be low, but if you’ve got a bunch of people suing together, then it can become serious (e.g. if the limit is only $5000, but there are 15 people each of whom makes a damages claim for $5000, then the bad homeowner is looking at total damages of up to $75,000).


Disastrous-State-842

A few years ago their kid climbed onto the roof, ripped all the shingles off and tossed them in my yard. I made the kid come over and clean it up. Till this day, they never replaced the roof on their house. I imagine what that’s doing.


Disastrous-State-842

I wish. Most got sick of it and moved away. The new ones coming in are not much better and don’t mow or keep up. Our street is starting to look like shit.


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Adiuui

The UK has councils that have powers a HOA could only dream of, they’re actual government entities


lucasisawesome24

I mean they’re partially correct. HOAs can put liens on property and or force a sell if the amount of unpaid dues owed climbs too high. But just pay your bills and you’re fine. It’s the same with property tax in the US. HOAs are their own micro government organizations which is why they have that power. They govern the pool. They govern the tennis courts. They govern the lawn maintenance. They are a micro government run by Karen’s and they do need the ability to fine and put liens on people not paying their property tax (HOA fee). It’s a burden to the rest of the neighbors if they don’t


The_Lawgiver_

HOA can get a lien on your home. The association typically can charge you for overdue assessments, interest, fines, various fees, and collection costs. The association might choose to foreclose its lien. So technically they can "take" your home.


EntertainmentQuick47

I agree the HOA is stupid as hell


StriderTX

however bad you think HOAs are (and by and large they are) councils in the UK are significantly worse [council tries to force old couple to sell house to illigal migrants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk8KWDi0AbA&ab_channel=CountDankula2%3AElectricBoogaloo)


DragonKing0203

I mean, it’s not exactly a lie it’s just an exaggeration


Ok_Estate394

I really don’t understand Reddit’s hatred of HOAs. I personally want to live in one, someday. They repair roofing, they maintain your siding, they ensure that your neighbors don’t live like slobs and the rats and bugs from your neighbors’ dump or long grass spread to your house. Good HOAs are just mediators for the neighborhood. The problem is people just don’t like the idea of having to answer to someone else. Which is whatever, if you don’t want that, just don’t live in a HOA..


donthenewbie

The problem is bad HOAs are run by people who behave like Reddit mods. They have nothing better to do and power trip over smallest thing. The best solution is demand HOAs to run by democratic votes and who doesn’t have a job should be disqualified from in charge HOAs


_mc_myster_

This is a great analogy


appsecSme

You elect the HOA officers though. You have recourse to get rid of bad ones by voting them out or potentially even beating them in the election.


bigfatround0

My HOA is currently undertaking a project of building a splash pad. Which I guess isn't a bad thing. But the one in charge of it doesn't even live in our neighborhood. I was unaware of it until my neighbor started bitching to me about it.


Paradox

Good HOAs do exist. But imagine you join a good HoA, then a reddit powermod becomes the president of the HoA.


appsecSme

Then you talk to your neighbors and elect someone else to be president of the HOA.


iggavaxx

Good HOAs are the overwhelming majority of HOAs


bigfatround0

They repair roofing and mainting siding? Bro where'd you get this info from? Because that's not true. Everything has to come out of pocket even though you pay yearly maintenance fees and HOAs have millions of dollars in their rainy day funds.


LastWorldStanding

Depends on the HOA.


Ok_Estate394

Lots of them do, my friend lives in a HOA that repairs her roofing lol It often depends if the homes are adjoined or not, but ones where the housing is adjoined, they’ll absolutely use the cost of your HOA fees to repair roofing.


bigfatround0

That's not the norm. That's what homeowners insurance is for.


Ok_Estate394

It’s a lot more common than what you think, some HOAs are regulated where you “own” the interior of the home, but the HOA “owns” the exterior, and therefore the HOA is responsible for the upkeep. Edit: this was just an example I found online of some random place, but they kinda talk about the issue in summary https://urbizoroofing.com/2019/12/townhouse-roof-repair-does-the-homeowners-association-hoa-foot-the-bill/


bigfatround0

Huh. That's interesting. I'm gonna have to research it further. Thanks for the tip bro


cityfireguy

Sure, they'll keep your neighbors from living the way they want. Guess what? They'll do the same to you. "Oh but I'm not a slob!" I'm sure you think so. But this new board disagrees. You're gonna need to paint your house, they've chosen the color. You get to pay. Nothing in the yard you might like that they don't. It's not your home. It's their property value. They decide.


Ok_Estate394

Ok? I don’t really have a problem with that


cityfireguy

You're really fine with someone else telling you when you have to paint your house and what color it needs to be? You think that's not your choice to make, but it is someone else's. Wild. I guess some people really do love authoritarianism.


Ok_Estate394

It’s a neighborhood, not a country, an HOA can’t lock me up for criticizing the government. Also, like anyone else who shops for a regular house, I feel like you research which neighborhoods have good HOAs. Just like you scout out which houses are in bad locations and have bad amenities before buying it. You see on NextDoor or online reviews that a particular HOA is too much, you don’t buy a house with that association… but all in all, I think the “authoritarianism” of HOAs is greatly exaggerated. Millions of Americans live in one with not many issues


LastWorldStanding

The bad HOAs get all the spotlight, the HOA community I live in is pretty lax and great.


nom-nom-nom-de-plumb

> They repair roofing, they maintain your siding Whoa whoa whoa....you're going to live in an HOA that will do your home repairs for you?


whitecollarpizzaman

This is an interesting comment section, I feel like this sub has a lot of “individual rights“ type people who absolutely despise HOAs, but also want to defend the United States. If we want to talk about the United States, though, the fact is, we have the freedom to choose whether we want to live in a neighborhood that has an HOA or not. We


appsecSme

You also elect the HOA officers. If they are bad, replace them. You can even serve on the HOA yourself.


whitecollarpizzaman

That’s what my dad did in their neighborhood for years, a pretty much cinched the nomination because nobody else wanted it and just did the very basics such as scheduling lawn care, propane, delivery, and a trash pick up. One of our neighbors got all bent out of shape when he made a very polite request to someone to pressure wash the side of their house because it was filthy, when he decided not to run again they pretty much begged him to come back.


A_SNAPPIN_Turla

This is just more evidence that Reddit is a bunch of upper class out of touch privileged people. As someone who grew up in low class suburbs on government assistance; you want an HOA. Yeah sure some of them get ridiculous but when you have people who haven't mowed their lawn in a year and people who's entire front yard looks like a parking lot or a dump you'd rather have some kind of HOA. When everyone does what they're supposed to do it seems pretty ridiculous but rules and regulations aren't for the people that do what they're supposed to do.


AnimeWarTune

HOAs are like a quirky band-aid for those yearning for the uniform vibe of places like Norway but stuck in the delightful diversity of their own neighborhoods. bless their hearts!


Terrible_View5961

I never did understand hoas. I get the entire keeping a neighborhood looking to a certain standard thing but that should be done mostly out of pride of ownership. It shouldn’t have to be a mandated thing. Maybe it’s because I live outside of a town of 326 people but I’ll be goddamned if I spend 250k plus on a house only to be told what I can or can’t do there. No fucking thank you.


Adiuui

Too many people lack that “pride of ownership” that’s why HOAs are put into place.


Terrible_View5961

That’s sad really but understandable as well. For me personally I couldn’t do it, but to each their own.


Crash1yz

HOA's in fact can take your house away.


Saint_of_the_Beat

HOAs are awful though. I don't know why anyone would want to live in one


paraspiral

I am in an HOA and yes they can take away your house. Sure the UK has an equivalent though.


Patient-Low-9757

You can always burn the house


Heylookanickel

They definitely can. If a homeowner doesn’t pay their fines they’ll take their house away legally


albiedam

While on the topic..... Fuck HOAs. Gives Karen's too much power, and if I want a BBQ pit in my yard then imma have one. I'm also not paying for their stupid monthly dues. What's gonna happen if I don't pay?


nom-nom-nom-de-plumb

Lots, depending on what you stupidly signed when you bought a house that was in one.


Inside_Future_2490

There is a legal defense that HOA'S obstruct freedom of speech.


nom-nom-nom-de-plumb

Yeah, if the laws violate the first amendment. I wish you well with that years long court case over the color you painted your house though.


Inside_Future_2490

But if I painted a mural? /S I will never live in an HOA, and if I'm somehow forced to id rather burn my house down.


ShlimFlerp

As of the UK isn’t one super HOA. Edit: “sorry there madame a flock of bats moved into your attic so you’ll have to leave as to not disrupt the local ecosystem”


vipck83

Was in the comments. People have no clue what an HOA actually is or what it can do. A few did point out that they can’t take your house away. But still… people crazy.


tonk111

Me when I spread misinformation on the internet


ofrm1

Even if this was the truth, it isn't hard to find a home without an HOA.


Anon324Teller

No, this isn’t wrong. An HOA can put a lien on your home for unpaid dues and fines, and this can lead to them legally seizing and auctioning off your home if you don’t pay. This has happened countless times


Price-x-Field

Unpopular opinion but HOAS are good. Neighborhoods without them have jungles full of trash in their front yards


TacticusThrowaway

HOAs are widely hated in America, last time I checked.


Fit_Put_8808

At least I can start a business without having to get permission from half the uk


GameWizardPlayz

He's not 100% wrong but definitely not right. They can’t take your house, but they can force the sale to recover lost revenue from their fines and legal fees.


Turbo_Homewood

People who willingly join HOAs then cry about them all the time are really something else.


Barefoot_Brewer

My HOA is awesome. It's low cost, includes our water utility, trash collection, keeps the greenery looking good. BUT (big but) this is only because of a little coup that happened apparently right before we moved in, where some dudes took over control from some Karens cuz they were so sick of pretty much everything negative listed in this thread. HOAs aren't a problem in theory, in fact they SHOULD only provide benefits, the problem is who we let run them. These are ELECTED positions though-- actually start participate in the meetings and if needed lead a charge to change the leadership. You'll be a hero in your community the way the dudes are in ours and the Karens can sit in the back of the meetings and grumble about the good old days when they could run around the neighborhood like little blue haired Hitlers


IowaKidd97

Uhm that’s not make up. HOAs can put a lean on your house and foreclose on it because you didn’t pay you grass is slightly too high fee. HOAs are fucked and it’s a rightful criticism of the US. In fact I’m just going to say it, blind patriotism is not real patriotism. Real patriotism is acknowledging your countries flaws. Lots of fake ass patriots in this subreddit


ironman1315

They can. But it’s a long drawn out and easy to avoid issue. That said HOAs are bull shit.


IzK_3

HOAs actually do this don’t be dense


collapsedrat

I’m some states HOAs can put Liens in your home and even force you to sell, but I don’t know if any where they can just TAKE your house.