Man spends nearly $200,000 to win right to park truck in his own driveway
07-30-10, 06:31 PM
#32
Lexus Champion
LMAO!!! How did I know this happened in Florida? I live in a condo and they don't allow us to have motorcycles and you can't park any commercial vehicles overnight. My friends place is worse. They don't allow them to have a pick up trucks in their complex, so her husband has to park his truck across the street at a quickie mart and walk about a mile to their place. 
In the end, this guy still loses. His HOA will probably do what all HOA's do when they need cash. They send everyone a letter and tell them that they have a "special assessment" that they have to pay.
In the end, this guy still loses. His HOA will probably do what all HOA's do when they need cash. They send everyone a letter and tell them that they have a "special assessment" that they have to pay.
07-31-10, 09:42 AM
#33
Pole Position
HOA
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
Last edited by IS350jet; 07-31-10 at 10:26 AM.
07-31-10, 10:16 AM
#34
Lexus Test Driver
Man spends nearly $200,000 to win right to park truck in his own driveway
Beware of the home owner's association. Considered this country's most basic, ruthless unit of government, HOAs are typically organized and manned by retirees with little better to do than tell you what to do with your property – something A.J. Vizzi recently learned the hard way. When Vizzi purchased his home in Odessa, Florida, he was told he would be allowed to park his Ford F-350 Super Duty in his home's driveway, even though the neighborhood's rules forbade keeping vehicles anywhere other than the garage. The truck didn't fit in the home's garage.
The local HOA soon changed its mind, and before long a lawsuit ensued. In 2008, a judge ruled in Vizzi's favor, but the association quickly appealed the decision. In March, a second judge sided with Vizzi, and the courts awarded him $187,000 in legal fees to be paid by the HOA. In total, the association claims that the ordeal has cost over $300,000, including the cash it now has to pay to Vizzi.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/29/m...ck-in-his-own/
07-31-10, 10:40 AM
#35
Boardroom Thug
HOA
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
Middle class on up, the chances are slim.
As I said, its funny how most subs without hoa's still look nice, as if their all going to turn into crack homes without them.
07-31-10, 10:52 AM
#36
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Can't really say if I side with the owner or the HOA. On one hand I don't want people to tell me what to do with my own drive way but having a truck that is "too big" for the garage is no excuse either. Just because he bought a problem doesn't mean he should leave it outside and make it everyones eyesore.
07-31-10, 10:57 AM
#37
Boardroom Thug
Yeah they should not even bring cars into the complex, they should have an offsite lot they walk to! Better yet, I hate looking at people, they bother me. I do not want to see the guy next door watering his grass, its an eyesore too!
07-31-10, 12:14 PM
#38
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The guy won 187k, at least that is what Im reading, some here are replying to the post from the title and not reading the actual paragraph.
The Man did not spend nearly 200k
The Man did not spend nearly 200k
07-31-10, 02:10 PM
#39
Lexus Test Driver
He won $187K from a Home Owner's Association. HOA's don't have income--they assess the residents thru dues to pay for things. I doubt they had $187K for his legal fees PLUS their own legal fees sitting parked in their budget. Unless it's covered by insurance, all the homeowners need to kick in to pay this money. He won--the residents lost.
07-31-10, 02:58 PM
#40
Pole Position
Interesting observation. it has been my experience that all of the nicer areas have some kind of HOA. Anybody can drive through any suburb in the US and tell instantly if there's an association in place. No matter how rich or how poor the suburb, developements with HOA's always look better than ones without. Always.
07-31-10, 05:12 PM
#41
Boardroom Thug
Interesting observation. it has been my experience that all of the nicer areas have some kind of HOA. Anybody can drive through any suburb in the US and tell instantly if there's an association in place. No matter how rich or how poor the suburb, developements with HOA's always look better than ones without. Always.
Even my in-laws that live in the sticks, people have pride in their homes and land and maintain everything well. Going to have someone lazy or low on funds that do not maintain their home as well, sure. Is worrying about that worth having someone to tell me what to do with my own home or land, hell no.
Maybe people mistake looking nice for looking uniform. If you want all the homes with the same color everything, if that is what it takes to “look nice” then I guess HOA’s are better. That’s just what I wanted to do when designing my home a few years ago, making sure everything matches everyone else
07-31-10, 05:39 PM
#42
Lexus Test Driver
Interesting observation. it has been my experience that all of the nicer areas have some kind of HOA. Anybody can drive through any suburb in the US and tell instantly if there's an association in place. No matter how rich or how poor the suburb, developements with HOA's always look better than ones without. Always.
No HOA's around me, all multiple acre plots and you could not tell me it is any better than any hoa in a sub within 20 miles.
Even my in-laws that live in the sticks, people have pride in their homes and land and maintain everything well. Going to have someone lazy or low on funds that do not maintain their home as well, sure. Is worrying about that worth having someone to tell me what to do with my own home or land, hell no.
Maybe people mistake looking nice for looking uniform. If you want all the homes with the same color everything, if that is what it takes to “look nice” then I guess HOA’s are better. That’s just what I wanted to do when designing my home a few years ago, making sure everything matches everyone else
Even my in-laws that live in the sticks, people have pride in their homes and land and maintain everything well. Going to have someone lazy or low on funds that do not maintain their home as well, sure. Is worrying about that worth having someone to tell me what to do with my own home or land, hell no.
Maybe people mistake looking nice for looking uniform. If you want all the homes with the same color everything, if that is what it takes to “look nice” then I guess HOA’s are better. That’s just what I wanted to do when designing my home a few years ago, making sure everything matches everyone else
See, there's also a difference in HOAs for middle-class suburbs, and HOAs for upper-middle and upper class neighborhoods. The middle class ones tends to have the old retirees and stay-at-home moms that have nothing better to do than to keep themselves busy and make themselves seem important and necessary for the HOA.
Last edited by RX_330; 07-31-10 at 05:48 PM.
07-31-10, 07:28 PM
#43
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HOA
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
No HOA
All kidding aside, this is a good example of why a HOA *can* be good. I paid a lot of money for my American dream, how about you? My house looks nice, so do my neighbors'. I can assure you, NONE of my neighbors want to see abandoned cars on the street, overgrown lawns, motor homes, boats, cars, stuffed on the sides of the houses. I don't have any issues with people that want to have the freedom to do whatever they want with their property. I just thank God they don't live next to me.
Actually that's a good example. HOA is for people who doeesn't mind a little restriction and get a peace of mind that their neighborhood doesn't turn into the 2nd example.
07-31-10, 07:44 PM
#44
Pole Position
I live in an area of custom built homes, not one, like the other. We have a small HOA that covers maintainence of the common areas (entry ways). Our Association is not governed by Gestopos......uh, sorry, elderly folk with nothing better to do.
We can paint our house any color we want, landscape our property any way we want, leave our garage door open, park on the street, wash our car in our driveway, etc. Restriction I can live with. But, if my neighbor across the street decides to park a Cousin Eddie RV out in front of my house, I'd like someone to tell him to move it.
