HOA's limiting my parking

My daughter (32) owns the upstairs unit in the two story section of the condo complex.

Ever since she moved in he has complained about her making too much noise. Two friends carrying a television up the stairs in the middle of the day was enough to trigger a complaint.

The complaints stopped when she became a board member.

I was a Realtor in North Carolina where the HOA has way too much power. If they don't like something you have done they can foreclose with very little ceremony or proof. I remember a house I had sold for a client that had the fence 6 inches too far forward of his rear house line, they stopped the sale until he totally removed ALL of the fence as moving it back 6 inches to their line would make the last section uneven from the rest in length between posts and be ugly, by the amateur's of HOA decision. It was a matter of interpretation: the rule said the fence could enclose a door on the side of a garage (which it did) in one sentence and in another paragraph mentioned a certain distance from the back corner. No door was as narrow as that distance. By the way the fence came to the back corner of the other side, it was only the interpretation for the garage side which by the way also was pretty well hidden by hedges!
It took a couple of weeks for the seller to remove the fence and fill the holes with dirt, seed, etc. and re-negotiate a new price to the buyer so he could re-install the fence after the sale following the HOA rules and leaving the side door outside the fence line. Buyer used the same materials and I had no reason to follow up on how he made out with the HOA and fence.
I would attempt to never live in an HOA controlled complex if at all possible. Too many people with too much time on their hands to stick their nose into other people's business.
There, I just fell off my soap box and hurt my knee or something.

Thanks for the suggestioins. I will be meeting with the board members after the next board meeting. I explained to them its impossible to easily put the trailer back in the garage after packing due to the swinghitch, etc, including all the things i store in and around the TM.

I also carefully read all of our rules. I will tell them I'm trying to abide by the spirit of the rule. I think 24 hrs is reasonable.

Here is the text of our rule:

a. Vehicles and Equipment

i. Parking commercial vehicles or equipment, mobile homes, recreational

vehicles, golf carts, boats and other watercraft, trailers, unsightly vehicles or

inoperable vehicles in places other than enclosed garages is prohibited, unless

expressly authorized by the Board in writing and then upon such conditions as

the Board may impose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, construction, service

and delivery vehicles may be on the Property for such period of time as is

reasonably necessary to provide service or to make a delivery to a Unit or the

Common Area.



Points I plan to to get accross to the board, in a nice way!

1. Give me suggestions on how i can use my trailer and be within the rules.
2. Commercial vehicles, trailers and RV's are all addressed in the same sentence, meaning they are treated the same. If moving trucks, utility trailers, are treated one way, I expect the same treatment for RV's. I know rental moving vans (Uhauls) stay in front of homes overnight, because its not reasonable to expect someone to move it after getting halfway done packing or unpacking...the same should hold true for packing an RV. I'm essentially "moving" my family for the weekend or week.
3. Definition of parking - I feelt that loading, unloading, etc doesn't come under the definition of parking.
4. Reasonableness - I plan to invite them to my house and show them what's involved so they can see where I'm coming from.

[rvcycleguy]

Thanks for the update. I know these HOA's can be very difficult to deal with. I had months of conversations after I bought my condo when I wanted to update the windows with new technology. Old windows were 25 years old and leaked. Since the exterior needed to be uniform, they said no to new windows. I fought and fought and finally won my case to enhance, protect and save energy with energy efficient Anderson windows. The issue was no one in the neighborhood had ever updated their windows and the board had to be cautious and create a baseline for all. Now, I'm the sample and rule for new windows.

My long story is that you should walk your neighborhood and see if anyone else has an RV. I would be surprised if your the only one. It may be that the rule is not enforced for others. It's also about complaints. Make nice with your neighbors and let them know that when you camp, you will need to load and unload. Short term parking only. As long as no one complains, you may be ok. Bottom line is work with the board for a solution as you have mentioned already. Good luck.

That's one of those rules that can be challenged. By adding the statement that it could in theory allow a trailer to be parked in your front yard indefinitely if the board approved makes it a not tough one to enforce. I agree with your thought. Tell them that except for a few hours for packing or unpacking the TM is garaged and out of site.

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


I would say run for the Board. We live in one of 2 14 story buildings. With lots Rules and Regs. And many folks living here seem to do as they please. It's not easy being on a HOA boards. And haveing guts to inforce the rules. All the rules and reg were voted on and approved by those who live here. We have a vary hard time trying to get folks to run for the Board. I'm sure there will be a meeting of the minds. It just takes time.

The commercial vehicle part is interesting. In California, with rare exception, all pickups are registered as commercial. If I register mine as a passenger car then I can not put anything in the bed.

Other states may be different.

Check to see if your TM qualifies as something not mentioned. California has laws to regulate house cars. Apparently a house car is not a motor home , is not a travel trailer, is not a fifth wheel trailer, etc.

[T and C]

Wayne,

The commercial vehicle part is interesting. In California, with rare exception, all pickups are registered as commercial. If I register mine as a passenger car then I can not put anything in the bed.

Years ago I had a commercially registered pickup. I sold it in 1976 or so. I now have 2 passenger car registered pickups and carry stuff in the bed all the time. My SIL does the same, and so do some friends.

Are you sure that this is in a law? If it is, it is one of the most ignored laws in the USA.

Tom

Each time I read one of these posts I’m even more glad I live where I do. It even took a while to dawn on me what a HOA was. We had a bunch of people come to our place this past 4th of July week. With all the vehicles and a couple of extra boats and TTs, parked all over, the only comments by the neighbors besides a wave and a smile as they passed by was when the guy next door came over and said “ looks like it’s getting pretty crowded here, why don’t you have some of your friends park at my place, I’ve plenty of room". I know there are times when rules are necessary, but……

Ed

Originally Posted by T and C

Wayne,



Years ago I had a commercially registered pickup. I sold it in 1976 or so. I now have 2 passenger car registered pickups and carry stuff in the bed all the time. My SIL does the same, and so do some friends.

Are you sure that this is in a law? If it is, it is one of the most ignored laws in the USA.

Tom

The CHP likes to enforce it at large construction sites. This is also where they like to enforce getting rid of out of state plates.

As I understand it, if you have a permanently attached camp then you can haul stuff inside. But the open bed can only be used when the plates are commercial.

Perhaps they changed the law when I wasn't looking.

Years ago friends of my dad had their BIG camper bolted to the bed of the truck, through the frame. This made the camper permanent and allowed passenger plates. People that use chains and turnbuckles are using a temporary attachment and that requires commercial plates.