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I don't know why anyone would want to live in a community where children, and their laughter, is banned.
To each his own but I wouldn't want a place there. Nothing bug old foggies?
1) Children are NOT banned. Nearly every one of the residents have a number of grandchildren and great- grandchildren who visit. The local school is staffed by teachers and volunteers who live within this community.
2) Why would you want to have a child in a 55+ community? There are very few children or playmates within the community.
But that was the choice you made. You didn't move to a 100% 55+ community. If you did and the rules were being bent left and right, chances are high that you along with your neighbors would be very upset. Not everyone wants to live around kids especially as they age. There's something to be said about peace and quiet. There's absolutely nothing wrong with "blue hairs". Sure beats the alternative!
The alternative of being younger?
Some people don't like being reminded of disability so they discriminate against the disabled.
Some people don't like seeing children - it's a reminder that their youth is gone.
Both are reminders of infirmity and mortality and these people somehow think if they don't see it life will just go on as is forever. HOAs don't protect you from any of those things nor do they "preserve property value" Hopefully "55+ only" will not be tolerated in the context of home ownership and be minimally tolerated in the context of rental property only.
Some people don't like being reminded of disability so they discriminate against the disabled.
Some people don't like seeing children - it's a reminder that their youth is gone. Both are reminders of infirmity and mortality and these people somehow think if they don't see it life will just go on as is forever. HOAs don't protect you from any of those things nor do they "preserve property value" Hopefully "55+ only" will not be tolerated in the context of home ownership and be minimally tolerated in the context of rental property only.
Restrictive covenants are not the same as "an HOA".
It's pretty sad when you think it's great to use restrictive covenants to discriminate against children, disabled folks, and people younger than 55. People in these places eat their own. When Sally needs a ramp because she can't use steps any more, she has to get "permission" from the architectural review committee. They won't like signs of disability.
I'm perfectly content with the knowledge that these places will mostly fall under their own design.
Restrictive covenants are not the same as "an HOA".
It's pretty sad when you think it's great to use restrictive covenants to discriminate against children, disabled folks, and people younger than 55. People in these places eat their own. When Sally needs a ramp because she can't use steps any more, she has to get "permission" from the architectural review committee. They won't like signs of disability.
I'm perfectly content with the knowledge that these places will mostly fall under their own design.
So until the fall the many residents are living the Bada Bing life or else they move. Thus is the nature of free and open markets we are the ones who seek the land underneath us.
I don't like HOAs! HOAs are bad! HOAs are horrible! HOAs are terrible! HOAs are totalitarian! Did I mention that I don't like HOAs?
Yeah, yeah, we get it. You obviously did a word search on HOAs, found a thread on the Retirement Forum that contained HOA in the title, and voila!, here you are. I see that you did the very same thing in June, the only other time that you visited the Retirement Forum. In fact, I see that your very first post ever on City-Data in January 2008, (2008!) was a complaint about HOAs.
Don't you think that it's finally time to give it a rest?
Or perhaps you should just take note of my status message.
I am sad that the parent may no longer be in a position to help their disabled adult child and her children. I am sad that the community, as a caring community [hopefully] did not search for or create a way to accommodate for special circumstances. Yes. I know. There are rules. If an exception is made for one then it will create a precedent.
I coordinate a by and for Autistic retreat once a year. Because of our sensory isssues, we do have some pretty strict rules to maintain "Autistic Space." No flash cameras. No fragrance full skin or hair products. No fluorescent lights. Total respect for signals on interaction badges. And, there are many more.
We have strict rules for maintaining peace and quiet....BUT when a child [or adult] has a need for screaming or barking or whatever, rules are put aside, because compassion and understanding for others is always more important than any rule. I find this all so sad. That's all.
I am sad that the parent may no longer be in a position to help their disabled adult child and her children. I am sad that the community, as a caring community [hopefully] did not search for or create a way to accommodate for special circumstances. Yes. I know. There are rules. If an exception is made for one then it will create a precedent.
I coordinate a by and for Autistic retreat once a year. Because of our sensory isssues, we do have some pretty strict rules to maintain "Autistic Space." No flash cameras. No fragrance full skin or hair products. No fluorescent lights. Total respect for signals on interaction badges. And, there are many more.
We have strict rules for maintaining peace and quiet....BUT when a child [or adult] has a need for screaming or barking or whatever, rules are put aside, because compassion and understanding for others is always more important than any rule. I find this all so sad. That's all.
While I have great compassion for people with disabilities, after all I was a special education teacher for over 30 years, I strongly disagree with your post.
If the grandparent needs care and that means that children under age 19 are part of the package they need to move to a place that allows children.
Once one "special exemption" is made there will be a request for a second and a third and a fourth and a tenth, etc. etc.
My MIL told me that something similar happened in the over 55 complex where she purchased a condo. Apparently, it started with one "special exemption" in a similar circumstance, someone caring for an elderly parent and they had a disabled child (or the parent was disabled or something). My MIL said that it "opened the floodgates". Soon there were more people requesting "special exemptions" and then just more and more people ignoring the rules and just moving in with their over 55 parents with their under 18 children.
The straw that broke the camel's back ended up being a woman who moved in with her mother and brought along, I believe, four pre-teen children. The mom & grandma insisted that they should get a "special exemption", too.
Numerous, numerous homeowners complained (not just about the family with four kids but about all of the underage kids living there) and many homeowners moved out and finally management buckled down and started to follow the official rules (this was before my MIL moved in). My MIL said that the majority of the residents were very, very happy once the rules were being followed.
Of course, this is just one example, but I could easily imagine it happening again. And,as my MIL reported to me, it started with just one "special exemption" (at least that is what the neighbors living there at the time told her).
Last edited by germaine2626; 10-29-2015 at 08:27 AM..
Now I will likely scratch all 55+ communities totally off my list. I was of the impression from a nice 55+ community I visited that the only exception to the 55 yr. old age minimum was for the spouse.
Aren't there 55+ communities that restrict household number to just two adults, one of which must be 55+? That's the only sort of 55+ community that would interest me.
Same here. If I am living in a retirement community, I damn sure don't want kids and immature adults living there.
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