I just finished reading 78 pages of restrictive covenants for the subdivision where the house we are planning to bid on. For those of you not familiar with the term, restrictive covenants are rules within a subdivision plan of what people can and can't do with their property.
At least I have a law degree so that I can decipher the legal-ease.
Having lived in the North all my life, I am not used to the subdivision concept. The only people who lived in subdivisions with HOA's were the extremely wealthy. But in Elsewhere, it's everywhere.
And these rules are somewhat Big Brother-ish. If you want to paint your hosue, you have to get permission. If you want to put a storage shed in your backyard, you have to get permission. No pink flamingos in the front yard...you get the drift. And if you break a rule, you get fined.
Who comes up with some of this crap? I mean, seriously, who comes up with this? I mean, I own this property! Who are you to tell me what I can do with it?
OK, rant aside, I get that no one wants a house painted Pepto-Bismol pink or a their neighbor running a junk yard out of their house, but seriously? Are you going to loose your mind if I paint my door red? Can I have a veggie garden in my back yard? I know I can't have a clothesline. Geez, so much for the great fresh smell of sheets when they have been hanging on the line on a summer day.
Thankfully, there was nothing about what breed of dog I can have.
At any rate, after all that reading, there wasn't anything too offensive. So, I think we will be making an offer.
But, I think some people need to get a life.
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
8 comments:
Ah, we regularly get 'love notes' because we leave our trash can visible in the front yard. Really? But you're cool with the tow truck parked on the street two doors down? Ugh.
Yeah the rules suck sometimes. Generally they make sense but some are just ridiculous!
I want to buy you a flamingo now. I don't know if I could deal with rules like that. I totally want to paint my front door red. (or yellow. I saw a really cool yellow one.) My SIL lived in an area where they actually measured the lawn and sent notes about the lawn being too long.
And no clothes line? lame.
Good luck bidding! Glad you found a place you like!!
I like the new look to you blog.
As for HOA,we are looking at condos, guess I'll learn to live with rules. In a house, doubt if Bruce and I would like others nosing around.
I am excited for you guys. Keep us posted. Oh, when will decision be made on your position at work
RL: You know, there's a line in the restrictive covenants about lawn ornaments. LOL!!!
MissDazey: No news yet. I sent my letter of intent last week. The dean wants to meet with me to discuss the next steps. When that specifically is, is yet to be determined.
My sense is that, in some communities at least, those restrictive covenants are taken extremely seriously. It can be a serious pain in the ass.
B actually sold his fishing boat (just a small flat bottom type) when we moved into our current house because of this sort of thing, and then a dude down the street started parking his trailer (like the kidn you haul stuff in not a trailer trailer) on the side of hsi house, and he totally regretted it. Some neighborhoods seem to enforce and call code in, and some don't. I guess it's just how many Without a Life are around. (I think of the farmer's wife in Barnyard who kept calling the cops abotu the cows when I think of this sort of thing. ha.)
restrictions aside, glad it's looking promising and you're moving forward.
ps I just realized this was an old post. It showed up in my feed at the top for soem reason!
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