Current Events > HOA sent me an angry letter to pressure wash my driveway.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Holy fuck this is a lot of work.
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Lol
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This is why you should never buy a home in an HOA neighbourhood.

America claims to love freedom, but loves placing stupid arbitrary restrictions on you

Me: "Whatever I can probably get this done in 20 minutes"
Me 2 hours later: "fuck it's dark outside and I didn't even finish cleaning half"
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This is what you agreed to bro
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It's like trying to turn an entire etch-a-sketch black except the etch-a-sketch is the size of a driveway.
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RedWhiteBlue posted...

Or read the terms for the HOA. Don't live in one

Well yeah, that's what I'm saying

Except you can just skip that bit and don't live in one

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

RedWhiteBlue posted...

Darklit_Minuet posted...

This is why you should never buy a home in an HOA neighbourhood.

America claims to love freedom, but loves placing stupid arbitrary restrictions on you

Or read the terms for the HOA. Don't live in one with stuck up shitbags and fascist ruling. Should be relaxed and generally common sense.

I feel like this isn't something you could accurately control or predict, though. Like anyone can be nice when you first move in right?
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I would just pressure piss all over the driveway and then take a nap.
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Pics of driveway.
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Darklit_Minuet posted...

This is why you should never buy a home in an HOA neighbourhood.

ding ding ding
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When I bought my house I was told that the HOA had not been active for years. I don't even know what the rules are and literally no one cares
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Bullet_Wing posted...

What could they legally do if you just ignored them?

Fine you because you signed papers saying you would comply with their rules before moving in the neighborhood.
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eston posted...

When I bought my house I was told that the HOA had not been active for years. I don't even know what the rules are and literally no one cares

I actually recalling hearing about someone who lived in a neighbourhood like this. After a few years the head (and only member) of the HOA board died, so they had an election (or whatever the process to get a new member was) to replace them. Most people didn't bother showing up and only one person wanted the job. They get it and went full fascist.

Reply back and ask if you can pressure wash their mom instead
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Bullet_Wing posted...

What could they legally do if you just ignored them?

My last house was in a neighborhood with an HOA. There was a rule against having any outbuildings (sheds, etc.). Some guy built a playhouse (about 4' x 4') for his kids in the backyard and they straight-up sued him. Oh and they lost, which was awesome until they doubled our HOA fees to cover some $30,000 in legal expenses.
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Darklit_Minuet posted...

This is why you should never buy a home in an HOA neighbourhood.

America claims to love freedom, but loves placing stupid arbitrary restrictions on you

Not to mention the proclaimed love of individuality yet look how many of these people buy cookie cutter homes that are all identical. All the same three or four models in a sea of thousands, in a manufactured "community" with entrance signs like you're coming into Disneyland. With nonexistent yards and with these HOAs. So you have to plant what they say, paint a color they say, wash windows and evidently driveways when they say, put only approved decor during holidays, etc.
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Most people don't own pressure washers though, so why would the require that?
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Axiom posted...

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

It honestly is dirty but I don't see why anyone fucking cares. It's not literally covered in sewage or some shit. It's mostly residue from dead leaves after rains.
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uwnim posted...

Most people don't own pressure washers though, so why would the require that?

If you can afford a house you can afford a pressure washer. A really expensive one is $300 and most are less than $200.
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Bullet_Wing posted...

What could they legally do if you just ignored them?

IIRC if I just ignore them they will hire people to do it for me and send me the bill. And if I refuse to pay the bill they put a lein on the house.
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RedWhiteBlue posted...

Don't live in one with stuck up shitbags and fascist ruling.

Most of them are run by those types of people though. Tbh if HOA's simply just kept their neighborhoods happy whilst still not letting the people live there turn it into a pig stye, then there'd be no problem.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to hold some neighborhoods to a certain standard so they don't become shitholes, but the main problem is a majority of these HOA's are run by some of the most power trip crazy fuck-asses in the country.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Axiom posted...

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

It honestly is dirty but I don't see why anyone fucking cares. It's not literally covered in sewage or some shit. It's mostly residue from dead leaves after rains.

What is the actual rule they claim you're violating? Driveway dirtiness doesn't seem like something you can make an objective covenant out of.
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AlleyViper620 posted...

What is the actual rule they claim you're violating? Driveway dirtiness doesn't seem like something you can make an objective covenant out of.

It's one of the bylaws of the neighborhood. I could go quote the actual text but I'm fucking tired and it literally doesn't apply anywhere outside of this neighborhood.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Axiom posted...

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

It honestly is dirty but I don't see why anyone fucking cares. It's not literally covered in sewage or some shit. It's mostly residue from dead leaves after rains.

You know there are a few people in the neighborhood who paved over their concrete driveways with black asphalt and it's probably because of this.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

uwnim posted...

Most people don't own pressure washers though, so why would the require that?

If you can afford a house you can afford a pressure washer. A really expensive one is $300 and most are less than $200.

You can also hire someone to do it, or you can rent a pressure washer
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No point in buying a house if there are rules. You might as well stay in an apartment
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ChromaticAngel posted...

ChromaticAngel posted...

Axiom posted...

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

It honestly is dirty but I don't see why anyone fucking cares. It's not literally covered in sewage or some shit. It's mostly residue from dead leaves after rains.

You know there are a few people in the neighborhood who paved over their concrete driveways with black asphalt and it's probably because of this.

Don't forget to get permission from the Architectural Review Committee before changing your type of driveway... I would never live in an HOA.
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Seaman9999 posted...

ChromaticAngel posted...

ChromaticAngel posted...

Axiom posted...

Was it so bad that they had to send a warning or was it "We're dicks and we know you've never pressure washed it so we're sending you a letter even though it looks fine"

It honestly is dirty but I don't see why anyone fucking cares. It's not literally covered in sewage or some shit. It's mostly residue from dead leaves after rains.

You know there are a few people in the neighborhood who paved over their concrete driveways with black asphalt and it's probably because of this.

Don't forget to get permission from the Architectural Review Committee before changing your type of driveway... I would never live in an HOA.

I suspect I'll have to do it anyway. The concrete is cracked in several places and there are shitty patch jobs on it.
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@Vicious_Dios posted...

Pics of driveway.

I started pressure washing the area closest to the street first.

I used the narrow beam on the part closer to the house to just kind of fuck around for a bit and get the hang of the pressure washer. It also provides a pretty good benchmark for how dirty the whole driveway is.

I personally don't see the big deal, it looks worse half cleaned / half dirty than it does when it was all dirty and I'm going to try and finish cleaning the rest of it today.


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Pls care
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Shouldn't have caved in to their outrageous demands. I'd have sold the house the second I got that letter

Pressure washing is great. I love how dirty something can be and you just assumed that was it's natural form and then you get washing and its like night and day. Fucking love it
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Tbh that driveway is an eyesore

JustMyOpinion posted...

You wouldn't have done that over a couple hours of washing.

It's the principle of the matter. They're just going to keep making demands. Mow your lawn, clean your windows, paint your fence, pay us fees for bossing you around.

I'd never live in one of these neighbourhoods. In fact, I just moved 3 months ago, and the first thing I asked when looking at houses was if there was any sort of HOA. My new house does not have one, and I'm free to do whatever I damn well please with my own fucking house. If I want to paint it purple, that's my call

wait why wouldn't you mow your lawn
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To us city dwelling folks the fuck is an hoa

AlleyViper620 posted...

Bullet_Wing posted...

What could they legally do if you just ignored them?

My last house was in a neighborhood with an HOA. There was a rule against having any outbuildings (sheds, etc.). Some guy built a playhouse (about 4' x 4') for his kids in the backyard and they straight-up sued him. Oh and they lost, which was awesome until they doubled our HOA fees to cover some $30,000 in legal expenses.

that makes sense, that wouldn't count as a structure almost any where
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The idea behind HOAs is is alright, but it always ends up being enforced too strictly by an old dickwad.

The drive way thing is a bit nitpicky, but if they asked nicely and offered to lend me the sprayer I wouldn't have any issue. Sending an angry letter and expecting me to find a sprayer would piss me off.

Either way, I'd never live somewhere with an HOA.
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it does at least look nicer though
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Two_Dee posted...

wait why wouldn't you mow your lawn

I would mow my lawn, of my own volition. I wouldn't do it because some assholes are demanding it

pkmnlord posted...

RedWhiteBlue posted...

Don't live in one with stuck up shitbags and fascist ruling.

Most of them are run by those types of people though. Tbh if HOA's simply just kept their neighborhoods happy whilst still not letting the people live there turn it into a pig stye, then there'd be no problem.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to hold some neighborhoods to a certain standard so they don't become shitholes, but the main problem is a majority of these HOA's are run by some of the most power trip crazy fuck-asses in the country.

Yep, keeping home value a little higher isn't worth dealing with the power hungry scumbags who usually are in charge. I will never move to a HOA neighborhood.
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