Should homeowner's associations be allowed to ban solar panels/clotheslines? (racist, Brown)
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I don't really care so much about 'green dreams.' But I can tell you one thing that is NOT a marketing ploy: my clothes hanging out in the afternoon summer breeze costs me nothing. It's a FACT that when the drier is not running, it's not using electricity, thus not costing me one red cent. That's not a dream, it's a reality. Add those times the drier would not be running for an entire year, and it's substantial money saved. And it's no harder to do than loading and unloading the drier. Using machines for everything is not always cost effective--in time or money. When will your HOA require a butt wiping machine?
The only marketing ploy is the one that has convinced you to hook one-way free-flow pipes from your wallet to your keepers' bank accounts. Of course they are going to bawl their eyes out when you attempt to break the modern captive consumer norms. I'll bet if you were to go out and mow your lawn with a manual push reel mower, they'd probably have a SWAT team there within minutes--can't have you not burning gas. Oh, sorry, you probably can't have any sort of mower... your HOA requires you to hire a commercial lawn care service with their huge power mowers, right? You mowing your own lawn is a sign of dire poverty.
Well many people worship their technological luxuries. I'm pretty simple but I do appreciate my dryer. In our previous non HOA neighborhood, 2 different homeowners that occupied the home next to ours hung their "dirty laundry" so to speak on a regular basis. In fact I really think they were the only ones still doing this tedious practice. It was a frightful sight to have to view thier boxers, tightee whitees, panties and bras so close and personal, but it's a free country right? Thankfully our current HOA has decided we won't be viewing each others laundry and I'm pleased with the decision.
Yes it is a marketing ploy our builder uses to get these "greenie" types to think they are contributing to the "green scheme" by buying one of their homes and it's worked for them..but it was clear from the beginning there would be no outdoor laundry hanging, thus affording us other more pleasant views!
When you start making a habit of taking a dump in the middle of your front yard! (Laugh if you must, but we have a problem with a neighbor's retarded kid who regularly does this. Not sure how to address it through the HOA, so CPS is going to get a call. And before you chide me for using that word, the father was approached once about it and responded "He's retarded, what can we do?")
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
I'll bet if you were to go out and mow your lawn with a manual push reel mower, they'd probably have a SWAT team there within minutes--can't have you not burning gas. Oh, sorry, you probably can't have any sort of mower... your HOA requires you to hire a commercial lawn care service with their huge power mowers, right? You mowing your own lawn is a sign of dire poverty.
Our yards are kinda big for that. I prefer my rider which allows me to finish the whole thing in about an hour.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beldenmeg
When you figure out how to have people keep the clothes lines inconspicuous, in good condition without letting clothes hang forever or their bra and panties flapping in the wind.
If the bra and panties are the right kind, there may not be a problem! I just don't want to see my neighbors' burqua flapping in the wind!
HOAs. Depends on your board. Some are crazy. Some are not.
I have a friend who lives in Dallas area with HOA. They organize baby sitting nights, a community garage sale with a small fee for each participant that goes 100% to get advertising that no single family could afford... Pool.
Basically as for fines type things... Until you paint your house pink and green, they dont get in your face. MANY homes have family with kids and the HOA is run under that idea. I guess he is just lucky.
I find utterly bizarre that anyone would object to solar panels or clothes lines. I must admit I am puzzled. Solar Panels reduce energy consumption as do using clothes lines. What's not to like ?
Are people really saying that seeing someone's laundry is that offensive to them ? I have a drier at home and unless it's raining my clothes will be hung outside to dry. It's better for the environment, they smell better IMO and the clothes last longer too. Every single house I know of in this country ( and appartment) has a clothes line outdoors despite our unreliable weather.
I only use my drier if I really have to. The energy consumption is not only bad for the planet but for my wallet too. Why waste energy when you don't have to ? It makes no sense to me whatsoever. We all need to behave with a little more awareness of green issues and yet some home owners associations find some problems with it ?
Huh?!?!??!?!?!
I find this utterly bemusing I must admit. Let us all watch Rome whilst it burns and throw yet more logs into the fire as well....
Well... as I said, if an HOA is your thing, have at it. It's just not something I could do. But then I couldn't care less what the neighborhood is doing on their property, other than illegal activities. There are already laws against the things that push my buttons (loud music at night, for instance). But as for dilapidated cars or pink houses... who cares? That's their problem. As for property value, the lower the better. Maybe I could afford to buy it if it goes low enough. Buy it, tow a couple of cars away, and plant a garden or something.
On a side note, I must say, though... some of you guys puzzle me. In this era of 'anything goes,' your attitude about seeing someone's underwear or bra hanging on a line is absolutely Victorian! Have you never seen underwear before? Man, I wish that's all I had to worry about not seeing. To tell you the truth, I've seen clothes hanging on clotheslines all of my life, and I've not once noticed or paid attention to specifically what was hanging on them. For all I know, there may have been purple elephants hanging there. Do you people really pay attention to stuff like that? Man, I have better directions for my attention!
My clothesline comments were meant in a bit of a satirical nature. My previous neighbors clothesline did however block my view of the real nature we normally had and it was annoying seeing their panties flapping in the wind for days when they failed to take it in.
For the *most part* in my area...hanging out laundry is pretty old school...evidenced by the lack of seeing the practice performed. Most subdivsions since at least the 90's dont allow clotheslines, so it has been deemed unsightly and I agree. People waste energy in many different ways and I don't stress over the fact I use a dryer and really it is the only choice in my neighborhood, other than hang drying in the home, of which I do have and use a drying rack for some delicates.
The thing that this thread really made me think about was how these "greenie" zealots bought in to our developers "green scheme" because as my DH would be able to explain better, when the builders supposed green techniques are analyzed they are pretty basic, yet some of the "greenies" thought they could change the clothesline policy by using the "green machine" debate and it failed.
I find utterly bizarre that anyone would object to solar panels or clothes lines. I must admit I am puzzled. Solar Panels reduce energy consumption as do using clothes lines. What's not to like ?
Depends on the type of roof, the type of elevation of the home.
Some years back, the solar units put on roofs stuck out like sore thumbs. They would take up the whole roof. Now they are more compact, colors can be blended in to the roof colors etc.
And one must remember that not everyone is into caring about reducing the amount of energy they use. They simply want a nice looking home with nothing sticking out to destroy the look of that home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mooseketeer
Are people really saying that seeing someone's laundry is that offensive to them ? ....
In communities with upscale housing, cloths lines can be esthetically displeasing - then you combine the laundry hanging for a couple of days and yes, it can be very offensive.
Depends on the type of roof, the type of elevation of the home.
Some years back, the solar units put on roofs stuck out like sore thumbs. They would take up the whole roof. Now they are more compact, colors can be blended in to the roof colors etc.
... They simply want a nice looking home with nothing sticking out to destroy the look of that home.
Good lord! I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but you people seriously go around observing each other's roofs? Now before you blast me, I'm all for everyone doing whatever they want. It's just sort of shocking to me; I've never even considered it in 47 years. I couldn't even tell you what the neighbors' roofs around here look like or what design they are or what condition they are in or whether they have solar power... or a refrigerator crate and old tires sitting on them. To each his/her own.
All right. All right... to be fair, there is a home in town from the 1870's or 1880's, I would guess by the architecture. It's restored to it's original condition. I HAVE looked at that roof (the whole house, actually). Beautiful place. Three story adobe brick (or is it called 2 1/2 story when it's two full stories and sort of a third loft under the eaves?). Victorian Queen Anne style. Turret. Steep-pitched roofs with 'gingerbread.' Two chimneys; one on each end of the center ridge line. No solar cells. No refrigerator crate. No tires. So okay, fine... I have looked at one roof and actually paid attention.
Good lord! I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but you people seriously go around observing each other's roofs? Now before you blast me, I'm all for everyone doing whatever they want. It's just sort of shocking to me; I've never even considered it in 47 years. I couldn't even tell you what the neighbors' roofs around here look like or what design they are or what condition they are in or whether they have solar power... or a refrigerator crate and old tires sitting on them. To each his/her own.
All right. All right... to be fair, there is a home in town from the 1870's or 1880's, I would guess by the architecture. It's restored to it's original condition. I HAVE looked at that roof (the whole house, actually). Beautiful place. Three story adobe brick (or is it called 2 1/2 story when it's two full stories and sort of a third loft under the eaves?). Victorian Queen Anne style. Turret. Steep-pitched roofs with 'gingerbread.' Two chimneys; one on each end of the center ridge line. No solar cells. No refrigerator crate. No tires. So okay, fine... I have looked at one roof and actually paid attention.
When all the homes in the neighborhood have reddish mission tile roofing, and all of a sudden a HUGH black solar panel takes of the whole side of the reddish now making it blackish roof - yes, we will look at it - it is hard not to!
seems simple enough.....if you don't want an HOA dictating to you what you can do in your yard then don't buy a home that is part of an HOA. move to an a neighborhood free of them but then don't complain when your neighbor has 6 yard cars in on the side yard, and a brown lawn.
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I just don't want to see my neighbors' burqua flapping in the wind!
