HOA's limiting my parking

Question for anyone out there who has had problems with there HOA's.

I'm in Washington state and live in development with an HOA. I store my trailmanor in my garage. I notified the HOA that my trailer will be out on the street or in my driveway for approximately 24 hours before and after each trip as I need time to prep it, pack, clean, unpack, etc.

This wasn't acceptable to them. They told me It can only be in my garage. I find this extremely unreasonable and will probably be breaking there rules, because i have no other option regardless of whether i store it offsite or in the garage.

Any comments? Suggestions?

The rule specifically states "No Parking" I'm wondering if loading and unloading falls under the definition of Parking for Washington state?

Thanks,

Josh

[rvcycleguy]

I live in an HOA neighborhood. I would go through the bylaws page for page and try to identify the rule you may or may not be breaking. I cannot see how they can control your driveway when packing for a trip. Invite one of the board members over to your home and advise what your request actually entails. Join the board and change the rules.

[Bill]

Take a look at

http://blog.goodsamclub.com/tag/parking-rights/

I don't know if there is anything helpful there, but you are not alone.

Bill

Yes definitely go thru the rules carefully. We have a rule that says you can not live in a trailer parked on your lot. Yet I continually have people tell me the rules say I can not have a trailer parked on my lot.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by chowder1974

I'm in Washington state and live in development with an HOA. I store my trailmanor in my garage. I notified the HOA that my trailer will be out on the street or in my driveway for approximately 24 hours before and after each trip as I need time to prep it, pack, clean, unpack, etc. This wasn't acceptable to them.
Josh

Have you done anything to offend your HOA or any of its members? And perhaps more particularly, have you done anything to offend any of your neighbors, who will retaliate by complaining to the HOA the moment your tires touch the pavement?

If so, your first step is to make amends.

I also have an HOA to deal with in Arizona. Years ago, when I was relatively new to the neighborhood and brought my TM out into the driveway for the first time, someone complained. The HOA called me - they have no choice if someone complains. I politely pointed out to them that when we had our house painted, we also painted the outside of the block wall facing the side street, something that is the HOA's responsibility. And I pointed out that all the cactus plantings along the outside of the wall were being watered with my water - I had installed a drip line at my own expense. Water is a big deal in Arizona, and without my water the plantings would have died and caused a big expense to the HOA. I pointed out to them that by doing these things, I showed that I was interested in maintaining property values, not lowering them. And I mentioned that 24 hours in the driveway to load and unload and clean didn't really constitute an act that would lower property values. The HOA went away, considered, and came back to me with two things.
1. The little honey who complained is a professional complainer, and though the rules say they have to respond, they don't say how fast they have to respond.
2. In the future, they thought it might take 72 hours for them to respond to her.

I think they also said something to her - she hasn't complained since.

Moral of the story - flies, honey, vinegar, and all that. Make confrontation your last step, not your first.

Bill

We have the same rules, but in the bylaws, it states something like "you can't have a motor home on the street or drive way for more than 72 hours" I'm paraphrasing, but there was a clause like that. Did you check your laws? I'd be surprised if you don't have the same. I can't get the Elk all the way up my driveway, but pull it in there to load it overnight. I know they don't like it, but too bad. I even caught crap for parking it on the street overnight so we could leave early. I didn't know they owned the street!

The people that run these HOA's are power hungry [people] that don't have a life and have to interfere in yours to feel like a man.

Don't get me wrong, HOA's have a purpose, but the people running them usually overstep their duties in my experience. Common sense seems to be missing.

At our last home, when I was putting up a 6' privacy fence, I needed access to the rear of the house so i installed a 16' farm gate, then attached the stained fencing to the gate. It looked and worked good. Before I did this, I submitted all plans to the HOA and was approved. As i was installing the gate, the HOA rep paid me a visit, he wanted to inform me that we were not allowed to have farm animals in the subdivision. If I could have found an inflatable cow somewhere.....idiots.

[wbmiller3]

Our bylaws allow for a 24 hour driveway stay (apparently not enforced in hurricane aftermaths, because we lived there for a week or so).

Check that big pile of paper you signed and make sure you know what you can get away with.

I have been on the HOA board most of the years I have live here and president many of those years, however my reason for doing it was to keep the people you are talking about from being in charge, I find that a simple visit or phone call always works better than the registered letter. The hardest part of the job is not dealing with the offenders, but dealing with the people that have no lives and notice if you have one too many leaves in your yard in the fall ( and the lots are 2 acres!)

Originally Posted by Redhawk

We have the same rules, but in the bylaws, it states something like "you can't have a motor home on the street or drive way for more than 72 hours" I'm paraphrasing, but there was a clause like that. Did you check your laws? I'd be surprised if you don't have the same. I can't get the Elk all the way up my driveway, but pull it in there to load it overnight. I know they don't like it, but too bad. I even caught crap for parking it on the street overnight so we could leave early. I didn't know they owned the street!

The people that run these HOA's are power hungry [people] that don't have a life and have to interfere in yours to feel like a man.

Don't get me wrong, HOA's have a purpose, but the people running them usually overstep their duties in my experience. Common sense seems to be missing.

At our last home, when I was putting up a 6' privacy fence, I needed access to the rear of the house so i installed a 16' farm gate, then attached the stained fencing to the gate. It looked and worked good. Before I did this, I submitted all plans to the HOA and was approved. As i was installing the gate, the HOA rep paid me a visit, he wanted to inform me that we were not allowed to have farm animals in the subdivision. If I could have found an inflatable cow somewhere.....idiots.

You are correct Rumbleweed, most people are pretty easy to deal with if you talk to them. I wish I had dealt with someone like you instead of the people I did have to deal with. They were not nice people. I apologize if you took any of it personal, it wasn't aimed at people like you in any way shape or form, but I suspect you know that. It's just a hot button of mine.

And if you're not happy with the HOA, you should try to be on the board to change things instead of complaining. Problem is that our HOA is volunteer and no one has any intention of leaving it appears.

No offense taken. Good Luck.