*grml*HOAs suck. *gripe*

[Midorikawa]

So, I have a rocky relationship with the HOA here, run by a local company. The people living here are nice enough, when they want to be, but the company is full of brain dead idiots.

My first experience with them was when my HOA payment check "bounced" - IE, I had > $1,000 in that account, having been paid the day before, the bank never got the check, but the HOA sure billed me for the bounced check, a late fee (they only notified me of a problem a about a week after the late fee hit), and threatened to come and repo the house. O_o

I went in there and asked what was up, provided a signed statement from my bank stating the payment request was never received, and a bank statement received a day later showing the balance of my account. They gave me a blank stare and offered to rerun the new payment (including late fee and check bounce fee). I asked them if they really wanted to charge me a late fee for something that wasn't my fault, and then the check bounce fee for a check "bouncing" on an account that clearly had plenty of money, and I again got the blank stare as they handed me a form stating the balance including fees.

I got loud. It worked. This is a company that handles a good number of apartments here in Utah Valley as well as several HOAs, and me getting loud and scaring off customers was a bad thing for them. :-D They promptly fixed the problem, and I left grumbling and griping after driving several potential new customers away. While I hated acting out, and using SC tactics, it was all I had left, and I'll be damned if I'm paying $60 in fees for something that happened on their end.

There's a few other things about the HOA that just drive me batty, from passive aggressive tactics, to "if you don't think the way we do, we'll fine you for some lameness." My other experiences with these stick-up-the-ass types is a topic for another day. The reason for this post is thus:

They apparently aren't too fond of the advance notice they promised in the last newsletter when repaving the parking lot, either. They stuck "vacate this section of the parking lot" notices up the day before they start paving.

Wife and I were out on a camping trip, and debated staying an extra day, but decided to come back early. Good thing we did, as they'd have towed our cars for having not vacated the parking lot, when we didn't even know about it.

While I understand the reasoning for HOAs to exist, the types they attract take things to a whole new level. I promise you this: My next home purchase will not have an HOA attached.

[draggar]

It sounds like your issues are with the management company, not the HOA (but the management company was hired by the HOA).

My first experience with them was when my HOA payment check "bounced" - IE, I had > $1,000 in that account, having been paid the day before, the bank never got the check, but the HOA sure billed me for the bounced check, a late fee (they only notified me of a problem a about a week after the late fee hit), and threatened to come and repo the house. O_o

For being one payment late? We'll send out reminder (letters) if people are late but don't threaten anything unless they are >90 days late (and we'll try to work something out with the new homeowner if they are willing to). We're actually on our first suit (home owner owes over $7,000 - previous board never enforced the payments unless she didn't like you).

But for one payment is extremely aggressive but they can say whatever they want - most likely they wouldn't do anything until you were at least 60 days past due.

There's a few other things about the HOA that just drive me batty, from passive aggressive tactics, to "if you don't think the way we do, we'll fine you for some lameness."

Hmm, this could be a new source of income for us. (j/k BTW).

[Midorikawa]

It sounds like your issues are with the management company, not the HOA (but the management company was hired by the HOA).

Yes, my first gripe was with the management company, not the HOA. There's a lot more to it, and I'll have to get into it later, as it makes Homer's Iliad look like a sunday comic. Suffice it to say they have more ideas about the way things "should be" and are only enforced on select people - IE - the non mormons around here, or people they don't like.

One quick long story:

There's a leash law here in the condo park, and the city overall, and yes, I can appreciate the reasoning behind it, especially after my experience with that pit bull the other day. The problem, is that the HOA seems to think that leash law only applies to those it doesn't like - for instance, that mean, nasty non mormon with the huge german shepherd - and not the yellow lab across the way, the fox terrier upstairs, the pug next building over, the...

My point is, some lady with a stick up her ass came over and threatened the wife yesterday with a fine because she had Mogli off his leash while he was playing fetch. He wasn't being aggressive, wasn't doing anything to indicate he was a danger, he was playing with my wife. Anyone with a large breed dog knows that a walk isn't enough, and with some, a walk long enough to tire the dog out could be a more than full time job. As mentioned above, we went backpacking with Mogli, and it took a full day of hiking to tire him out (up at 6 AM, back at base camp at 8, bed by 10), then a 30 minute nap while we ate dinner and he was bouncy and ready to go again.

If he's *ON* his leash while playing, he can, and has, stepped on it and hurt himself. (forgot to take him off his leash after we got home - to my credit, he initiated play, and I went airheaded) What if the toy goes beyond the leashes' reach? How is that safe and humane? I've seen Mogli get so excited to see the wife get back from work before that he could barely breathe from pulling against his leash, much less going after a toy. (yes, we're working on this one, but I chalk a lot up to stray dog mentality, and puppy energy)

I guess what set all this off was the fact that she didn't ask nicely, didn't even demand, she threatened my wife with a fine, I just happened to be walking by and heard, and stepped in. This rule (and others) aren't enforced on anyone else but us it seems, and I'm rather miffed that someone felt the need to threaten my wife with the fine, especially when the dog in question is really friendly, plays well with kids, other dogs, people, and has had no problems whatsoever. (he no longer lunges at kids in his excitement, and only lunges at dogs he knows and can play rough with - the yellow lab across the way for instance.)

Legally, there's nowhere we *CAN* go and have him off his leash, outside of our own home. There's no actual dog parks, and normal parks have the leash law too.

EDIT TO ADD: The lady who threatened the wife is from some other cluster of buildings, not from our local group. Everyone nearby knows the dogs in the area, and is good friends. The yellow lab sees me get out of my car and runs to greet me, much to the annoyance of his owners, as does most of the other dogs. If she were from near here, the issue would have been raised long before now.

[draggar]

Look into the leash laws - most of them are worded that the dog has to be either on a leash *or* under full control of the owner (or handler). But also, if anything happens when the dog is of lead (leash) then it is your rear end on the line and you are the one at fault (understandably).

My wife often goes out with Zorro off his leash (same here, HOA and city ordinance) yet she never gets in trouble because he is always 100% under her control. He could be walking on lava and if she tells him to down, he'll down.

[Midorikawa]

Look into the leash laws - most of them are worded that the dog has to be either on a leash *or* under full control of the owner (or handler).

Good idea. I'll go through the rulebook tonight, and then pass on information to nearby dog owners. All our dogs are friends, and all the neighbors are good people, so I told them what that old hag said to us, and warned them in case she comes back by and decides to try to make a fine stick. Draggar, you've been a great source of info throughout the new dog ownership process. Thanks!

[draggar]

Also- dog parks are a bad idea. They're made with the idea that dogs are social animals like we are - they're not. They're pack animals.

We go out and mingle with others / make friends with everyone.

Dogs do not.

(Plus the rash of irresponsible people who bring aggressive dogs to the parks).