Homeowners Assc. Sucks Horribly

[Blitz21]

So I get a call from my apt. building manager saying "4 people called me and are irate about the oil spots in your parking space".

'ok, and?'

"And if you don't get it cleaned up we'll have to fine you and take you to a hearing"

'...over an oil spot'.

"Yes. It's causing our other tenants much distress, so until then don't park your car in your spot or in the visitors section until your car is fixed."

'Sorry but that's just how my car is, unless yu'll give me some money for a overhaul, heh'

"That's not funny, and I've heard you have been working on your car again"

'No, I only did that once and I already got reported for it, thanks'

So after a lot more of her bitching, in the end, I have to pay for some cleaning guys to come in and "clean/extract" the oil spots, and then never park in my spot again, unless someone knows how to fix black soot-like stuff spewing from my exhaust when I start it up and to stop my diff from leaking. Many lawls.

[Tony D]

I just had a 45 foot High Cube container dropped in my back yard. What do you think the Homeowners Association would say about that?

 

Oh, I don't have one...

 

Sucks to be you. Join the military, then you can have regular lawn inspections as well.

I knew a guy who parked his truck OUTSIDE the housing complex on the street, and WALKED to his house, because he wasn't allowed to park cars in the driveway, only in the garage. But it was a three car garage, but you could only have TWO cars. He liked the rules. He said it helped keep the property values up. I think he stayed within the lines as well, because he knew 'the lines are our friends'...

 

Been there, done that. Never again!

Edited May 6, 2010 by Tony D

[letitsnow]

Take a gallon of simple green/laundry detergent/some other degreaser and a brush and clean it up instead of paying someone to do the same thing.

 

Then move.

 

 

Seriously, these people don't make much sense, your car is leaking but you can't stop it from leaking because you aren't allowed to work on it.

[cygnusx1]

Condos and DIY people, can't coexist.

[19762802+2]

When I moved from Missouri with my parents we had to tow my car along since it doesn't run and I'm still finishing it. I haven't had any problems at the last three apartment complexes I have been at and now I have a second car sitting in the parking lot and another in the garage. No one around here complains because most of them come up to me and talk about how they had a Z when they were in high school or they are working on their own cars , but there is no way I could deal with people like that I plan on living in a place where all the houses are early 19th century or older and everyone works on their own cars and houses.

[Blitz21]

Yeah I already know most of that, and Im going to try the simple green when I get off work, but the main draw is that the place is (kinda, almost) rent free, besides the $800 A MONTH for homeowners fees haha. And I'm probably being heckled more because I'm not over 65, I don't own a Porche, BMW, Benz, Jag, etc.

@19752+2: Trust me I'd rather have my own garage, its been my dream since I got a car, but in downtown Long Beach its hard to come by a garage, or even a car port unless you are in a complex (like I am) and you have your own spot, which brings me back to square 1.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Blitz21

[19762802+2]

@19752+2: Trust me I'd rather have my own garage, its been my dream since I got a car, but in downtown Long Beach its hard to come by a garage, or even a car port unless you are in a complex (like I am) and you have your own spot, which brings me back to square 1.

 

The garage is nice but my family is storing everything we have that doesn't fit in the apartment in the garage, So I have had to organize it a few times to give me at least a foot of room on each side. I also was stupid and removed all the suspension and bushings so I could replace them then I bought the second car because it was better and now I need the engine out of the one in the garage and have to find a way to get it out without spending to much on new bushings. But good luck with getting the oil out of the driveway, I heard cat litter or something similar is good for getting oil out if it just spilled, but most likely it has been dripping so it would have probably been soaked in for a while already.

[cygnusx1]

At the peak of my career as a shop floor sweeper (yes that was my favorite job so far - low stress   seems that nobody ever messes with a guy that pushes a good broom),  I used to clean oil from shop concrete floors by throwing down some litter, or absorbant, and grinding it into the concrete with a brick or a block of wood. 

Edited May 6, 2010 by cygnusx1

[Blitz21]

I know the cat litter tip, but I dont know if it would still work on stains that have been there for a while (had a chance to soak in). Ha, I can almost imagine getting heckled for "working on the parking spot". Of course that would be udderly absurd. (yes I know I purposely misspelled utterly)

[hoov100]

Whats going to happen if you stop paying the fee's and stop answering the phone calls? I used to live in a HOA, that wasn't in a country club, or gated community, just a small group of houses controlled by the HOA. after the first month and three complaints, I said f-u, stopped paying the fee's and had there number blocked from my phone and they couldn't do a damned thing about it. With 4 cars in the driveway and two on the street and the occasional parking on the lawn. that lasted until I moved out into a real neighborhood, where I can do what I want, when I want to.

 

As for the cat litter, grinding it into the pavement should be enough to cover it up and if you keep grinding it in about once a week, the oil spot should disappear. Have you tried putting a piece of cardboard or wood panel under the car when you park?

Edited May 6, 2010 by hoov100

[Blitz21]

Funny you should mention that Hoov, I said something along those same lines and they said they would have my car towed (which I can probably sue), and the cardboard part "there can be nothing on, in front, or around the assigned parking space", even though I see bikes chained in front of other peoples' spots and 3 cars that haven't moved since I've been there. (You also can't have a car parked in the same position for more than 2 weeks, otherwise its considered 'stored' and therefore not allowed). Other than that, maybe I should take a page from your book and see what will happen if I do what you did, at least there will be entertainment.

[hoov100]

Funny you should mention that Hoov, I said something along those same lines and they said they would have my car towed (which I can probably sue), and the cardboard part "there can be nothing on, in front, or around the assigned parking space", even though I see bikes chained in front of other peoples' spots and 3 cars that haven't moved since I've been there. (You also can't have a car parked in the same position for more than 2 weeks, otherwise its considered 'stored' and therefore not allowed). Other than that, maybe I should take a page from your book and see what will happen if I do what you did, at least there will be entertainment.

 

Just look up the law, before you decide anything. I've seen instances where the HOA can legally tow a car, as they where only renting the house and the country club owned the land.

[Blitz21]

I see. Well, it's just one big building and the HOA covers everything, the condo, the parking spots, etc. I know that much for sure.

[ModernS30]

Some how I haven't got in trouble for almost 2 months of racket and working on the car in the driveway and everything else. Make friends, that's how, help them carry stuff in. Talk to them, wave, say hi all that crap. SO FAR it has kept me out of trouble, absolutely no idea how, but now that I am posting this I see a letter coming tomorrow. LOL

[zxtoy]

I used to work as a carpenter for the housing maintance section on a military base for several years. The guys who had to clean the oil spots in the driveways used to spend hours and all kinds of cleaning stuff to get them up. One day a colonel's move out failed inspection because of driveway oil spots and the new colonel was parked out front with a moving van and crew that couldn't unload until the house passed inspection. It suddenly became a huge emergency and all kinds of officers and cleaner crew and anyone else nearby was standing around being part of a big clusterf@ck. I was working next door and after a half hour I walked over, poured about a cup full of laquer thinner on the spots and brushed with a stiff scrub brush for a couple minutes and then wiped it up with a handful of rags. I did it twice once immediatly after another and waited about 3 minutes for it dry. Everyone's jaw dropped when the spots disappeared . The largest one was about a foot and a half in diameter and old.From that day on thats how all the driveway oil spots were cleaned on that base.

Try it.

It works with very little effort or cost.

But really you should just buy a house . Nobody says a thing about whats in my driveway. When I'm out working on my cars in the driveway , my neighbors come over and watch. It's great fun.

Edited May 7, 2010 by zxtoy

[Sparks280zt]

If you didn't like the HOA rules, you never should have moved there in the first place. HOAs are a good thing and keep property values up.

[JSM]

I'd fab up some kind of magnetic drip pan so it can take the heat when you park it. Cheap and easy, but a little messy.

[Blitz21]

@sparks: It was my grandmas place, she moved to an assisted living place so I essentially took it over, and as I'm suuuuppperrrrr broke I don't really have enough cheese to have a place of my own anymore. (I did once upon a time, but when the economy went away, so did my place). I'm not trying to bash on HOA (contrary to my title), I can understand their regulations and routines, I would just rather be free to do my own thing.

@modern: Trust me, when I first got here I did the whole "Howdy neighbor" routine, but about 93% of them were in their own stuck up world, so I said F that after a while.

@zxtoy: Owning a house with a garage is my dream (isn't it everyone's?). But I will definitely try thinner, since the Simple Green, Super Orange, and cat litter didn't do a whole lot.

@JSM: ....I'm not sure I catch what you're saying. A drip pan magnetized to the bottom of the car? or.....?

Edited May 7, 2010 by Blitz21

[z2go]

HOA's keep property values up, and try to keep people from letting their places go to ****, but really, people will do what they are going to do...

 

I think it's ridiculous that they are making such a stink over an oil spot, is it concrete parking or asphalt? If it's asphalt, the stuff is made from the same thing that is leaking, it blends in!

 

Maybe you should create a diversion. It seems they have too much time to pay attention to petty things. I suggest you get a gang to move in down the street, and have them wreak havoc on the neighbors. You know, gun fights, etc.

[rturbo 930]

Whats going to happen if you stop paying the fee's and stop answering the phone calls? I used to live in a HOA, that wasn't in a country club, or gated community, just a small group of houses controlled by the HOA. after the first month and three complaints, I said f-u, stopped paying the fee's and had there number blocked from my phone and they couldn't do a damned thing about it. With 4 cars in the driveway and two on the street and the occasional parking on the lawn. that lasted until I moved out into a real neighborhood, where I can do what I want, when I want to.

 

As for the cat litter, grinding it into the pavement should be enough to cover it up and if you keep grinding it in about once a week, the oil spot should disappear. Have you tried putting a piece of cardboard or wood panel under the car when you park?

HOAs are there because some people enjoy having not only their house, but all the ones in the neighborhood looking nice, and kept in good condition. If you don't want to live by HOA rules, don't move there!

 

It's REALLY not that complicated.

 

Sparks hit the nail on the head. Having neighbors with goats, ugly as hell chain link fences, poorly cut, if cut at all, lawns, cars sitting on the lawn going nowhere, boarded up windows in the garage, what have you, is a MASSIVE eye sore. (Those examples are not directed at you, BTW).

 

Although, for the record, I wouldn't want to live in an HOA either, I'd rather just live in a nice neighborhood where people "get it."

Edited May 7, 2010 by rturbo 930