HOA demands homeowner remove hardscaping, plant grass

[Bateluer]

http://www.wesh.com/news/central-fl...88124/18501272/-/item/0/-/jqsecp/-/index.html

A couple who re-landscaped their yard to save water has run afoul of a homeowners' association. It's demanding the couple put in St. Augustine grass.

Bill Byron spent about $5,000 to install different colored stone and retaining walls in his yard, but the HOA hates it.

"They have chomped down on it and won't let go, like a pit bull," said Byron.

Byron said he put in the lava rock and decorative stone trim to save water.

"It took me a year and a half, almost two years because I'm disabled and it is hard for me to do it, but I wanted to do it myself," said Byron.

He points out that St. Augustine grass, typically overwatered and soaked in too many chemicals, is one of Florida's biggest environmental problems.

Definitely going to side with the homeowner. Judging from the video clip, that looks really good and is much better for the environment than grass.

Still, if you live in an HOA, before you do any work like this, you need to check the bylaws. And get permissions/approvals in writing before you proceed.

 

[techs]

The guy was 100 percent wrong in not checking it with the HOA first.
The HOA is 100 percent wrong in only giving him 10 days to remove it and 100 percent wrong in not allowing it.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

This is why i will never live in an HOA, i would rather have rednecks with cars on cinderblocks before someone telling me what i can do with my property

 

[waggy]

The guy was 100 percent wrong in not checking it with the HOA first.
The HOA is 100 percent wrong in only giving him 10 days to remove it and 100 percent wrong in not allowing it.

/this

i hate HOA's but the guy should have made sure it was ok. Though it looks good the hoa should allow it. but i understand why they wouldn't.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Probably should have read his CC&Rs before starting this project.

I live in an HOA governed community but have never run afoul of the rules in the 14 years I've lived here. One of my neighbors did some work on his lot and as long as his neighbors on either side of him and across the street bought off on it they were okay with him doing the work. He widened his driveway.

I've gotten 2 letters, one for dead grass (I was killing a weed infestation prior to resodding the front lawn) and one was for a portable basketball hoop on the sidewalk but it wasn't ours, it was our neighbors.

Never any penalties and a quick phone call is all it took to resolve. They are actually pretty reasonable IMO and I don't mind living in an HOA community.

 

[Mixolydian]

The 1970's called, they want their lava rock back.

 

[darkewaffle]

I don't think it looks that good, but HOA bein dicks about it definitely. Let the man have his rocks.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

How much power does a HOA actually have?

 

[Genx87]

How much power does a HOA actually have?

Depends on the HOA's by-laws. Some have no teeth. Others have the ability to fine and put liens on the target property.

 

[Meghan54]

A mobile home park HOA.....almost an oxymoron.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I don't think it looks that good, but HOA bein dicks about it definitely. Let the man have his rocks.

HOA can't make exceptions, that opens them up to suits from the people who didn't get the same courtesy. It only works without the HOA having discretion.

I hate HOAs and anyone that moves into one is an idiot. That being said, in this case the HOA is right. That's not a yard sign that's 4" too high or the wrong color welcome mat or some other nit-picky bullshit that they can pretend not to notice. It's a major breach of the rules and they have to take action.

 

[iRONic]

A trailer?! Ahahaha!

 

[Hugo Drax]

How much power does a HOA actually have?

You do not really own your property. You are a serf on a plot of land hoping for the Kings approval on anything you might think of doing.


The higher quality locations do not need an HOA due to the class of people living in the neighborhood. Usually HOAs are for those new McMansion neighborhoods where Lumpenproletariat's live.

 

[cheezy321]

LOL an HOA in a trailer park. Some jokes just write themselves

 

[Hugo Drax]

LOL an HOA in a trailer park. Some jokes just write themselves

Yea I just saw the video now. Location Location Location is the most important thing when choosing real estate.

If that neighborhood did not have an HOA all hell's would break loose. High quality established neighborhoods do not need an HOA.

 

[Newbian]

Still trying to figure out why they waited until he was done to tell him that.

 

[JimKiler]

How much power does a HOA actually have?

Well your house can be fully paid but if you don't pay your HOA fees they can have you evicted.

 

[sourn]

Still trying to figure out why they waited until he was done to tell him that.

That's what I'm wondering. Sure the guy might be in the wrong for not checking, but at the same time it took him 2 years.. 2 freaking years to finish it up. And nothing was ever said?

I got a feeling somebody just got jealous his yard ended up looking nicer then theirs and bitched about it.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

He should have checked with the HOA first to see if it was allowed. The HOA should have stopped him in the process and not after it was finished. It took him "over a year and a half" to complete the project and $5000. Now after he is done they give him 10 days to undo it?

What a joke

 

[rockyct]

HOAs are honestly probably needed for most trailer parks, but they should have had "well-maintained drought tolerate plants and landscaping" be allowed in the agreement. Forcing people to have one type of grass is an idea from when we didn't give a shit about how much water we used. I'm from SoCal so while most people still have grass, a lot of people are switching to native plants in their front yard. Of course, some others have put astroturf in but it's very expensive and still looks pretty fake. I wouldn't be surprised though if eventually we move completely to the type of landscaping in Arizona though where grass is a luxury.

 

[MixMasterTang]

The guy was 100 percent wrong in not checking it with the HOA first.
The HOA is 100 percent wrong in only giving him 10 days to remove it and 100 percent wrong in not allowing it.

Well if what he said is indeed true: "Byron said state law is on his side -- that he has the right to use hardscaping and Florida-friendly plants and he won't budge" then City and State Laws will trump the HOA.

 

[Murloc]

in Europe you either have enough money to buy a terrain/you inherited it or you live in a flat so you don't even have a personal garden, in empty lands like USA it makes sense to have HOA rules to keep low-cost neighbourhoods in order. You just have to buy it with the mindset that you're buying a flat, except that the apartment block is horizontal and you have a big terrace that you can reach with your car. If you own a flat you still have to respect the rules even if you own it.

Anyway he was wrong for not checking the rules/making sure he could do that.
10 days to install grass is just bs though. Also they should have stopped him in the middle, this is the work of a bitchy neighbour. Also ecological principles should be respected, saying you need grass is wrong on so many levels.

If the state law clearly spells out that initiatives to spare water in your garden are always allowed he might be okay though.

At this point I'd try to make a huge scandal out of it to get the green associations on my side and be seen as a fighter for sensible use of water. Make the HOA look like hypocritical monsters. Television is a good starting point.

PS: hard landscaping will make the place an oven, I would try sedum to solve this: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2631/
it's used for green roofs and it's perfect to cover surfaces you don't walk on anyway. It also looks pretty good.

 

[Newbian]

You do not really own your property. You are a serf on a plot of land hoping for the Kings approval on anything you might think of doing.


The higher quality locations do not need an HOA due to the class of people living in the neighborhood. Usually HOAs are for those new McMansion neighborhoods where Lumpenproletariat's live.

What's even worse is if you don't own mineral rights.

People that do can come and place a oil well on your property if they ever find it and you have to let them.

 

[Miramonti]

Generally, SOP in HOA's is to request approval for landscaping mods with pics/explanation. Just sayin...

 

[zinfamous]

My dad live in Jacksonville. As a biologist, he is into maintaining diversity and a healthy lawn, and refuses to plant St Augustine grass--it is absolutely dreadful, especially considering their neighborhood runs along the canal system.

The HOA has been hounding him for years to poison his lawn and make it look like the rest of the shit that everyone else plants, but he won't have any of it.