# HOA fighting a chainlink fence!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066 "2011-04-28T18:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/21 "2011-04-29T01:01:05Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I would never live anywhere that is covered by a Home Owner’s Association, if for no other reason than their origin – they began as ways to keep any Negroes or Jews from living in the neighborhood. That kind of language has been removed or overridden from them now, but I still decline to participate in racist institutions. My HOA explicitly bans both quarries and oil rigs in our yard (I kid you not). I live in the Deep South. Therefore I must conclude that drilling for oil and breaking up rocks were something that Jews and Negroes were prone to do at the drop of hat…even in their own yard…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dano83860](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dano83860](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dano83860)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/22 "2011-04-29T01:38:19Z")
Can’t they come up with something besides a chain link fence? :eek: A four foot split post and rail fence backed with 2 by 3 welded wire fencing would do the same thing and the welded wire almost disappears from the street. We had a neighbor across the street do that and we could not see the wire fencing from our house. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/23 "2011-04-29T02:39:15Z")
With all due respect and love for my fellow Dopers, I think anyone considering living under an HOA ought to [read this first.](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Orange-Splot-Manus-Pinkwater/dp/0590445103) Scroll down. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/24 "2011-04-29T03:22:09Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > With all due respect and love for my fellow Dopers, I think anyone considering living under an HOA ought to [read this first.](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Orange-Splot-Manus-Pinkwater/dp/0590445103) > > Scroll down. That is one of my favorite books and I made sure to get a copy for my niece when she started reading. I hate HOAs. Back To The OP Yes they almost certainly have the power to stop you putting up a fence or to charge fines (which you agreed to pay when you joined the HOA) for doing so. I agree that they’ll probably allow a fence they find more aesthetically pleasing, especially if you kiss ass. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/25 "2011-04-29T06:26:35Z")
I live in a managed residence and I don’t mind THEM putting up a chain link fence. I just make sure they keep our rooms clean, plumbing without leaks, walls and curtains not too grubby. What I don’t like about people is they seem so smart and sensible when doing important things like buying a house. They look so sharp when confronted with rules and conditions prior to sale. Then pretty soon, they try make themselves too unique to be covered by division rules. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/26 "2011-04-29T13:00:19Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > My HOA is more on the rigorous side (but not overbearing) and this (allowing a relative to park their pickup truck in one’s driveway) wouldn’t even be brought up. Of course, the stuff any particular HOA will crack down on depends on the neighborhood. [Here’s one in Texas](http://blogs.automobilemag.com/pickup-trucks-banned-from-parking-in-driveway-by-homeowners-association-839.html) that doesn’t tolerate having _your own pickup truck_ parked in your driveway. There have also been cases of police officers harassed over leaving take-home patrol cars in their driveway (apparently this diminishes tone in the neighborhood :rolleyes:). You’d think advertising the presence of police in the area would be a plus for security, but no. > [@mac\_bolan00\[/quote](#): > > What I don’t like about people is they seem so smart and sensible when doing important things like buying a house. They look so sharp when confronted with rules and conditions prior to sale. Then pretty soon, they try make themselves too unique to be covered by division rules. Yeah, individualism’s a bitch. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/27 "2011-04-29T13:12:44Z")
I’m surprised the OP’s HOA bylaws make no mention of approvable fencing styles. The HOA for this area explicitly says no chain link or wire fencing anywhere on the property, and there are detailed specs for the width, overall height, and spacing of fence boards. Furthermore, homes along one of the main roads may only use a particular style of black metal fencing. They also do their best to forbid placing satellite antennas where they’re visible from the street, despite the FCC. If there is no suitable hidden location, you have to provide documentation from the installer that the dish has to be mounted at the front of the house to receive signal and wait for the board to approve it. I’m just glad that I rent, so most of the HOA nonsense doesn’t directly apply to me. These people take nit-picking to an art: “All mailbox and house numbers must be of the same color (gold), size )3 inches high), and font (Goudy Old Style Bold).” Eesh… ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/28 "2011-04-29T13:23:57Z")
My HOA is silent on chain link fences, but I live in a condo… ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/29 "2011-04-29T14:27:38Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I didn’t think that was entirely right, but almost all the homes in the Houston metropolitan area (\> 95%) are covered under similar agreements. Some HOAs are more stringent than others, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a decent home in an area not covered by any HOA. There are benefits, though. The homes covered under more strict HOAs tend to hold their value better. Probably more like 95% or more are deed-restricted, not necessarily covered by a HOA. I suspect that just about any house built in a box bounded by… say Fondren, Westheimer, 59 and Highway 6 is deed-restricted, but not covered by a mandatory HOA. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/30 "2011-04-29T15:31:27Z")
I am constantly amazed when I rad of what a HOA can do. I’m not aware of any such creatures in Canada, unless it’s a condo. When I was active wth the local political party, one candidate I knew would explain what socialism was… he said “Back in Sweden where I was a child, the government would tell you what colour you could paint your house.” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/31 "2011-04-29T15:37:35Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I am constantly amazed when I rad of what a HOA can do. I’m not aware of any such creatures in Canada, unless it’s a condo. > > When I was active wth the local political party, one candidate I knew would explain what socialism was… he said “Back in Sweden where I was a child, the government would tell you what colour you could paint your house.” Yeah, I’ve never quite gotten how in a country where the concept of “limited government” is so cherished, people have so fervently embraced what’s essentially just another layer of government, and one far less democratic and far more prone to being run by petty tyrants than the real government. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/32 "2011-04-29T15:44:40Z")
People tolerate HOA’s not because of the restrictions they want on their own house, but because they want restrictions on what their neighbors can do to their houses. If you’re the type of person that thinks: - leaving your Christmas lights up year round is time efficient. - parking your broke-down pick-up truck in the front lawn is easier than having it towed away. - putting a chicken coop up will save you the $1.49 that a dozen eggs costs. - putting a couch or recliner on the front porch is more relaxing than a rocking chair. - not mowing your grass is a way to conserve gasoline. - not having a lawn at all cuts down on greenhouse emissions. - etc. …then you are probably better off not living in an HOA community. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/33 "2011-04-29T15:45:38Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I am constantly amazed when I rad of what a HOA can do. I’m not aware of any such creatures in Canada, unless it’s a condo. > > When I was active wth the local political party, one candidate I knew would explain what socialism was… he said “Back in Sweden where I was a child, the government would tell you what colour you could paint your house.” Well of course they have HOAs in Canada, in townhouse and condo projects. There’s no way around them in multi-family structures. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/34 "2011-04-29T15:48:47Z")
We live in a covenant-protected subdivision enforced by the neighboring HOA - best of both worlds. No HOA fees, _and_ no worries about the hillbilly’s ruining the view, either: > [@Omar\_Little](#): > > - leaving your Christmas lights up year round is time efficient. > - parking your broke-down pick-up truck in the front lawn is easier than having it towed away. > - putting a chicken coop up will save you the $1.49 that a dozen eggs costs. > - putting a couch or recliner on the front porch is more relaxing than a rocking chair. > - not mowing your grass is a way to conserve gasoline. > - not having a lawn at all cuts down on greenhouse emissions. > - etc. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/35 "2011-04-29T15:51:58Z")
My city has a Neighborhood Preservation Department. They will take care of people with non-working cars, weeds, trash, graffiti, loud dogs, noise, signs, and other annoying habits of neighbors. I cannot stand HOAs, although I want my neighborhood to be nice. I agree with above comments that it is a quasi-governmental layer with no representation. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/36 "2011-04-29T15:52:53Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > People tolerate HOA’s not because of the restrictions they want on their own house, but because they want restrictions on what their neighbors can do to their houses. > > If you’re the type of person that thinks: > > - leaving your Christmas lights up year round is time efficient. > - parking your broke-down pick-up truck in the front lawn is easier than having it towed away. > - putting a chicken coop up will save you the $1.49 that a dozen eggs costs. > - putting a couch or recliner on the front porch is more relaxing than a rocking chair. > - not mowing your grass is a way to conserve gasoline. > - not having a lawn at all cuts down on greenhouse emissions. > - etc. > > …then you are probably better off not living in an HOA community. add to your list: - what other people do on their own property is their own damn business unless it has a direct, major affect on you. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/37 "2011-04-29T16:16:14Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > add to your list: > > - what other people do on their own property is their own damn business unless it has a direct, major affect on you. Ah, but that’s the point. You leave your christmas lights up year round. You leave your brokedown truck in your yard. You put up a chicken coop in your yard. You put living room furniture on your front porch. You don’t mow your grass. You don’t have any grass in your lawn. And your neighbor’s property value will decline over time. I would say that’s a pretty significant major affect. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/38 "2011-04-29T16:21:04Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > If you’re the type of person that thinks: not having a lawn at all cuts down on greenhouse emissions. > > - etc. > > …then you are probably better off not living in an HOA community. Actually, not having a lawn _is_ a good way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention not having to slather pesticides all over it and water abundantly to keep it green. I suspect most HOAs would be up in arms over a person converting their front lawn to an ornamental garden that is much more beneficial to the environment, but “looks different”. If you’re in the kind of neighborhood where people fall into a dead faint at the idea of someone having a different-colored mailbox, a non-lawn would have them marching on you with pitchforks. Other ways in which HOAs may impede sound environmental practice - banning clotheslines (how _hillbilly_) and solar panels. Backyard chicken raising is done for many more reasons than economics - people find it fun and rewarding. Cities are increasingly allowing chicken coops; HOAs are typically resisting. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/39 "2011-04-29T16:36:02Z")
I’m not sure where people get the idea that HOAs somehow limit freedom - you _choose_ to either join them or not. What could be more free than that? Lots of things in life involve choosing to give up certain options or ‘rights’ for one reason or another - cell phone contracts, mortgages, leases, end user license agreements, work contracts, life insurance, auto insurance, driver’s licenses, becoming licensed in a field or work, and all kinds of deals where to agree to buy 4 of whatever over next 12 months so you can get the awesome intro pricing. I understand that some people want nothing to do with an HOA - and I’m OK with that, I get it. But those of who do join one are also exercising our freedom - our right to choose to come to an agreement with other like minded folks and to make a deal with those people to do what we believe is mutually beneifical. Some people end up in one without really thinking it through, and they get ‘screwed’ in one way or another - but buying something as expensive as a house without a thorough understanding of the deal isn’t particularly bright. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066/40 "2011-04-29T16:36:05Z")
Hillbilly’s are fine in the hills, where they belong - good 'ol American culture and all. :rolleyes: Move out of the suburbs and back to the farm, if that’s your preferred lifestyle. Better yet, don’t buy the wrong house in the first place. HOA antis are either disenfranchised hilbilly’s or subliminally envious outsiders. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoa-fighting-a-chainlink-fence/580066.md?page=3)