# What do homeowners do in a situation like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 12, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763 "2013-06-12T00:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/41 "2013-06-12T16:41:47Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > So neighborhood gentrification and the old owners no longer fit in? That’s like the city people who buy two acres in the country and then complain because their little snowflakes’ eyes are soiled by the sight of goats mating in the fields and that horses are being blinded when they’re wearing fly masks. > > Live with it. > > StG How do you know the Nut didn’t move in more recently? You don’t. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/42 "2013-06-12T16:56:27Z")
I’m basing my (admitted) assumption on this: > [@](#): > > The neighborhood attracts professional people who want the cache of a hip, urban environment. It’s my experience that “hip, urban young professionals” are the prime gentrification drivers. StG ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/43 "2013-06-12T17:05:36Z")
I lived three doors down from one of those religious sign houses. Big sign dominating the tiny city front yard - lots of text, mostly, as I recall about loving Jesus. While I don’t really share the same beliefs, I was not offended by it. When it was vandalized one night, I was quietly outraged. I thought it gave character to the neighbourhood. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/44 "2013-06-12T17:19:10Z")
We have the Crazy Tea Party Neighbor. After the last two presidential elections, she flew the flag upside for a month. She has a big “NObama” sign on her porch, the Marine flag, the Gadsen flag, a “Michael Savage for President” bumper sticker on her big-ass SUV, etc. Her latest flag is the Confederate flag, only with the Gadsen emblem on it. WTF, woman, this is Pittsburgh, not Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/45 "2013-06-12T17:30:42Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Today I was thinking, I’d be really angry if I owned any of the houses next to it. Or even just on the block. If I ever had to sell, I’d be afraid that it would drive away buyers. The display is so in your face it’s impossible not to know it’s there. The houses in this area are very expensive, too. The neighborhood attracts professional people who want the cache of a hip, urban environment. Not crazy Christians with a thing for wooden signs. > > What do homeowners do in situations like this? Ignore it as best you can if you don’t like it, provided it’s not breaking any town ordinances (or HOA rules) and the inhabitants aren’t troublemakers. ABout the only thing that would be actionable (according to my town’s ordinances) would be the signs on the front lawn; on residential properties signs usually aren’t allowed. If the signs have been up for a long time chances are someone’s already tried to get them removed and failed, or no one cares. Besides, if the properties on either side aren’t sporting “For Sale” signs or fast-growing hedges, I’d think that the hip urban professionals (huppies?) are tolerating the Krazy Kristian just fine. ETA around the corner from me, there’s a half double-block whose front porch and lawn are a shrine to both Dale Earnhart (senior and junior) and tacky lawn ornaments, with a bonus feature of Christmas decorations that never got taken down. I view it as one of those things that keeps the neighborhood from looking like something out of _The Stepford Wives_. 😃 Not that it ever did, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/46 "2013-06-12T17:30:45Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There was no contractual agreement when I bought my house. I wouldn’t buy one in a HOA. I have to abide by the laws, the real ones, and that’s it. You want someone else to tell you what to do with your property, or get some thrill out of telling others what to do with theirs, then go ahead and join an HOA. So wait, your problem isn’t an HOA, it’s that HOAs exist somewhere and you just want to rail against them? And you complain about other people telling you what to do. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > We have the Crazy Tea Party Neighbor. After the last two presidential elections, she flew the flag upside for a month. She has a big “NObama” sign on her porch, the Marine flag, the Gadsen flag, a “Michael Savage for President” bumper sticker on her big-ass SUV, etc. Her latest flag is the Confederate flag, only with the Gadsen emblem on it. WTF, woman, this is Pittsburgh, not Atlanta. Hey, Atlanta isn’t that bad! Ok, yes it is, but I don’t want to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/47 "2013-06-12T17:30:50Z")
My mother lives in a HOA neighborhood in Southern California. They sent out a letter asking owners to consider planting drought tolerant landscaping to reduce water usage (voluntary). Mom liked that, and spent a considerable amount consulting a nursery and replacing her small lawn with drought tolerant ground cover that required much less watering. She recently got a letter from the HOA complaining about the “weeds” in her front yard. She is fighting their contradictory requests. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/48 "2013-06-12T17:33:33Z")
Since they are driving down property values, and they would obviously be happier with their own kind, I suggest you burn a cross on her lawn. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/49 "2013-06-12T17:39:17Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I fail to see why I would care. It’s my home. I don’t give a crap about property values, but, even if I did, I don’t think I should have the right to tell someone what to do on their property. Valuing money so much that you think you ought to be able to stop someone’s free speech is rather assholish, in my opinion. > > And that’s precisely why I and a lot of other people hate homeowners associations. > > Seriously, I don’t get why it bothers you, let alone why you feel afraid. That, in my opinion, is your problem. You are clearly not a homeowner. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/50 "2013-06-12T18:15:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I fail to see why I would care. It’s my home. I don’t give a crap about property values, but, even if I did, I don’t think I should have the right to tell someone what to do on their property. Valuing money so much that you think you ought to be able to stop someone’s free speech is rather assholish, in my opinion. This is a tad myopic, to say the very least.It’s clear you’re not a homeowner. It’s not “valuing money so much” that would make me worry about a neighbor erecting a bunch of signs, it’s any number of other things. One, my property value is going to decrease significantly. Secondly, my ability to sell my house also decreases. Third, even if I have no plans on moving, people buy houses based on their location and environment - this is clearly a large departure from that. Also, no one here (apart from those advocating from HOAs) is saying this person needs to be made to stop - so I’m not sure why you’d even include “I don’t think I should have the right to tell someone what to do on their property”. To the OP: I’m actually in the process of trying to sell my house, so I can offer some perspective. Something like that would truly suck. I have some neighbors a few doors down that are incredibly disruptive, and I’ve had a few showings indicate interest in my house, but that they were dissuaded from making an offer because they didn’t want to be living near my neighbors. There is really nothing I can do. The landlord is unreachable to complain to, and noise complaints reach pretty deaf ears at the police department. We have no HOA (which I despise), so that isn’t an option. The neighborhood is full of friendly, rational, thoughtful people - but it doesn’t take much effort for one neighbor to really bring things down. It takes work to be a good neighbor, and if the other party isn’t willing to do so (such as my neighbors or the nut in your OP), there’s not much to be done. My neighbors will likely cost me several thousand dollars to sell my house. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/51 "2013-06-12T18:30:37Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > What do homeowners do in situations like this? Unless they’re property nazis and want to tell everyone what to do and thus live in HOAs they mind they’re own damn business. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/52 "2013-06-12T18:52:11Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Unless they’re property nazis and want to tell everyone what to do and thus live in HOAs they mind they’re own damn business. If what the neighbor is doing is negatively affecting the enjoyment of my property and the sales value of my home, it IS my damn business. No one’s rights are unlimited. The question is simply one of where the line is drawn. The OP’s crazy sign lady is probably on the right side of it (abet barely, if she’s erecting yard signs - most neighborhoods don’t allow those), while **Munch’s** problematic neighbors are on the wrong side of it. And unless those bemoaning the reality that most home owners are understandably concerned with maintaining the value of their property are willing to let me take $10,000 out of their personal savings and burn it, they can stuff it. If you’re not personally willing to suffer such a financial loss, why should you expect others to take such an undeserved financial hit without complaint? ---
**Author:** ![babygoat666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@babygoat666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babygoat666)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/53 "2013-06-12T18:58:52Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > You are clearly not a homeowner. Not every homeowner thinks their property value is more important than other people’s freedom of expression. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/54 "2013-06-12T19:08:33Z")
I once saw a bit of graffiti that said “PROPERTY IS THEFT”. I remarked to my friend that it was obviously painted by someone who’d never owned anything of worth. Some of the replies in this thread give me the same feeling. ---
**Author:** ![babygoat666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@babygoat666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babygoat666)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/55 "2013-06-12T19:15:20Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > I once saw a bit of graffiti that said “PROPERTY IS THEFT”. > > I remarked to my friend that it was obviously painted by someone who’d never owned anything of worth. > > Some of the replies in this thread give me the same feeling. Some people are really bothered that other people can be happy without wealth. I own a house, for the record. I like property values too, but I respect other people. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/56 "2013-06-12T19:24:54Z")
> [@babygoat666](#): > > Not every homeowner thinks their property value is more important than other people’s freedom of expression. Nice strawman. No one has expressed disdain for the freedom of expression in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/57 "2013-06-12T19:46:43Z")
> [@babygoat666](#): > > I own a house, for the record. I like property values too, but I respect other people. Which matters not a whit if the person next door or across the street from you does not. And make no mistake: the sort of person the OP (and more significantly **Munch** ) is talking about does NOT respect others. That’s why they behave as they do. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/58 "2013-06-12T19:52:58Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > Which matters not a whit if the person next door or across the street from you does not. And make no mistake: the sort of person the OP (and more significantly **Munch** ) is talking about does NOT respect others. That’s why they behave as they do. I feel the same way about people who open carry guns where it is legal. They are exercising their rights, but they don’t respect others. ---
**Author:** ![babygoat666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@babygoat666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babygoat666)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/59 "2013-06-12T19:53:29Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Nice strawman. No one has expressed disdain for the freedom of expression in this thread. This exchange seems pretty disdainful to me: > [@BigT](#): > > I fail to see why I would care. It’s my home. I don’t give a crap about property values, but, even if I did, I don’t think I should have the right to tell someone what to do on their property. Valuing money so much that you think you ought to be able to stop someone’s free speech is rather assholish, in my opinion. > > And that’s precisely why I and a lot of other people hate homeowners associations. > > Seriously, I don’t get why it bothers you, let alone why you feel afraid. That, in my opinion, is your problem. > [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > You are clearly not a homeowner. And this one, even though it was probably in jest: > [@drachillix](#): > > Steal the signs Not to > [@Munch](#): > > Nice strawman. No one has expressed disdain for the freedom of expression in this thread. This exchange seems pretty disdainful to me: > [@BigT](#): > > I fail to see why I would care. It’s my home. I don’t give a crap about property values, but, even if I did, I don’t think I should have the right to tell someone what to do on their property. Valuing money so much that you think you ought to be able to stop someone’s free speech is rather assholish, in my opinion. > > And that’s precisely why I and a lot of other people hate homeowners associations. > > Seriously, I don’t get why it bothers you, let alone why you feel afraid. That, in my opinion, is your problem. > [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > You are clearly not a homeowner. And this one, even though it was probably in jest: > [@drachillix](#): > > Steal the signs ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763/60 "2013-06-12T19:56:13Z")
> [@babygoat666](#): > > This exchange seems pretty disdainful to me: Not towards freedom of expression. Homeowners associations, yes; but not freedom of expression. Now see what you’ve done? You made me defend **BigT**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-homeowners-do-in-a-situation-like-this/660763.md?page=4)