Arlington Man Nearly Loses Home Over $250 In HOA Dues

Judged:

1

AzzMan wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, aren't we snooty? Must be nice to live in a neighborhood with zero crime and neighbors who have perfect little angels for teenage kids.

cadman99 wrote:

<quoted text>
I think eventually your neighborhood is a reflection of your actual self. If it is worse than you you either fix it or leave it. NONE of my neighbors will tolerate crime and everyone watches and helps everyone else. If we had a place where teenagers "hung out" many more people than just their parents would have something to say.

Jan wrote:

I can assure you the owners in East Germany under Communist regime had more rights than you have in a HOA? Why didn't you move there!
You move into an HOA and you're losing your property rights. Your only right is to pay and pay -- and others tell you what to do!
And don't ever believe the fairy tale about HOAs protecting property values. That's the biggest bunch of b.s. ever used as propaganda. The problem: So many gullible people in this country believe it!
Don't move into a HOA if you don't like it? Easier said than done since a wide majority of new homes come with HOAs. Government loves this kind of double taxation!

Susan wrote:

<quoted text>
Please tell me this is not the nut job from Florida who has the so-called organization out to do away with Florida HOA's. If so, YOU are a fool and a gadfly.
The big difference here, genius, is that those born under a commie regime had no choice in the matter.
Those who CHOOSE to live in an HOA move in of their own free will. I never saw pictures of West Germans lining up at Checkpoint Charlie to move into East Germany.
Not everyone should live in an HOA, but instead should buy a nice plot of land and build a house and live as they wish. That is a choice.
I lived in Dallas for 20 years, and in fact worked for a company that managed HOA's. I moved to Florida nearly 5 years ago and work in the same field, and I will concede that Florida laws offer more protection than Texas laws, and that the Lone Star state could fine tune some things that would create more transparency in the way that HOA's and their Boards do business.
This guy chose to move into his HOA, he chose to spend his money on other things, and I can bet the farm that he ignored many letters, both regular and certified from the HOA and their attorney before this sale was scheduled.
The bill for the landscaper for the HOA didn't stop coming every month. The bill for the irrigation water didn't stop coming every month. The electric bill didn't stop.
What did stop was his contribution by way of dues that his neighbors kept paying. He imposed on the rest of them to pick up his slack.
Therefore, THEY had the right to force him to carry his load just like the rest of them do.

Voice of Reason wrote:

<quoted text>
Exactly right Susan. This is my whole point. I'm not debating wheather or not HOA's are the greatest thing for everyone. I'm talking about this man...this situation. He was a slacker and the whole neighborhood was having to take up his slack. He got a big wake up call and the problem was solved. Harsh or not it's the deal he signed up for. He failed to keep up his end of the deal.

TmE wrote:

Guess again people...If your neighborhood wants to start a HOA you are FORCED to join even if there was not one when you moved there. I agree they should have just turned this over to a credit agency instead of foreclosing. I also want to know what they need the dues for anyway. Most HOAs just make rules but do nothing to improve anything except their ability to force people to conform to what they want. The person next door to the unkept guest house should have turned it into the city and let them handle it and most will when complaints are received.