‘It’s a living nightmare,’ says driver whose HOA ‘refuses to let him extend driveway even though neighbors got approved’
A DRIVER is warning others to avoid living in HOA communities after he has been blocked from extending his driveway.
The homeowner from Michigan has claimed that he is being discriminated against after neighbors had their extension requests approved.
GettyA homeowner says being in a HOA neighborhood is a ‘living nightmare’ after having changes to his property blocked such as a driveway extension (stock image)[/caption]
GettyThe homeowner says the family needs the extra driveway space and with neighbors having their requests approved he feels discriminated against (stock image)[/caption]
“There are five homes with extended driveways, yet mine was turned down,” they wrote on a Condo Association blog.
The homeowner explained that he struggles to fit two cars side by side on the 16-foot wide and 25-foot long driveway.
With a wife and children, the family requires more space for their vehicles.
However, the homeowner claims that when he called the local HOA board after his extension request was denied, he was shut down.
“I tried to call the board for a meeting but the only response I got was ‘I don’t think so!”
He added that the issue does not just surround his driveway but other changes the family wishes to make to their home.
Calling their experience a “living nightmare,” he claimed that they are being discriminated against as other homeowners have their requesters approved.
“Ever since we moved in here we feel like we are living in Hell,” he wrote.
“It’s nothing but a living nightmare for my family.
“All I’m trying to do is improve my home and property that I pay for and I pay the association fee for the whole year and still being turned down for no reason.”
Now, the disgruntled homeowner is warning those looking at buying property to double-check their paperwork and the neighborhood.
He and his wife bought their home in 2005 in a foreclosure auction and claimed he was never told about the HOA.
“If I would have known about this I would never purchase our home.
“If I could, I would move but I can’t!” he added, claiming that board members were “abusing their powers.”
In the comment, fellow homeowners and members of HOAs told him to hire a lawyer.
What is an HOA?
One in five Americans live in an area with a Homeowners' Association - or HOA. But what exactly is it that they do?
An HOA is a homeowner’s association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean and cohesive place to live for its residents.
Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, family homes, or townhouses within “a planned development” will often make up an HOA.
They also act as a governing body for tenants, who run and fund the HOA through monthly fees.
Their principal aims are to keep the community functioning and visually appealing and to maintain property values.
They primarily focus on common areas of a neighborhood, such as roads, parks, and pools – but may also stipulate what residents can do with their properties, such as yards and driveways.
Often these restrictions enforce uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring most houses look the same and all driveways are clear of weeds.
An HOA rulebook of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations.
Breaking these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law.
HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restricting, or that the leadership has too much power.
But others like that HOAs give communities the power of self-governance, and can ensure a degree of harmony between residents.
One sympathized saying their neighbors were allowed “flag poles, plants, [and] satellite dishes” outside their homes but their English mailbox had to be removed “because it was out of place and not approved.”
Meanwhile, some said that escrow companies and other parties involved in the sale of their home in 2005 will have flagged the HOA somewhere in the documentation.
The U.S. Sun has previously reported on another homeowner who claimed that living in their HOA was like being in a communist state.
Writing to a local newspaper, the Californian claimed that those living in HOAS “have no rights” and that “there is no accountability or responsibility for their [the HOA’s] actions.”
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