Decojuicer
Well-Known Member
I would say that if the OP bought his townhouse knowing that there was an HOA, then he is obliged to live by their rules. It sucks, but that's the way that it goes.
Also, since this is a city/township ordinance, then he can't really do anything about it other than try to get the code changed.
It sounds like the problem is with one neighbor who has some mental problems. While the OP may look like a D.B. for messing with the guy, he is certainly should not let himself be bullied just because the guy is a mental. I am a police dispatcher, and I know several people who are mentals who call constantly to complain about all of their neighbors for any real or imagined problems. One guy has a problem with people driving down the street with their radio on in their car. I have had officers sitting on his street when cars came down and they say that they cars are not violating the noise ordinance, but this guy continues to call and try to make life difficult on everybody else. There is another lady who hates her middle eastern neighbors, because they are middle eastern, so she calls on every little thing that they do. If it were me, I would walk over there and call the guy out. I would also strongly stress that if he continued to harass me, I would return the favor and call on every violation that he commits. Then I would follow through.
I live in a neighborhood without an HOA, and I still have problems with one of my neighbors. I have a neighbor who is an anti-hunter and hates me because I am a hunter and because I own hunting dogs. She has called the township on me for several made up reasons(all the complaints were closed as unfounded) and has even called the DNR on me because I had a live raccoon in a trap in my backyard for 24 hours once(I was training a pup the next night). After the last complaint, I called up the code enforcement officer and we had a long chat. He turned out to be a fellow hunter and understood what was going on. He told me that he has an obligation to investigate all complaints(I understand that), but usually when one comes in to my address he knows that it can be taken care of in about 2 minutes. I then asked him if there is any law or code that prevents me from butchering my own deer in my garage with the door up. He laughed and said that was perfectly acceptable. The next year he got a call about me butchering the deer in my garage and told the caller that there was nothing he could do about it. Then he drove over and parked in my driveway and we had a few laughs while we were talking. There have been no complaints since.
If you want to change the rules for the HOA, then your only recourse is to get involved and make those changes happen yourself. Which I would if I lived in a neighborhood with an HOA.
God luck to you though.
Also, since this is a city/township ordinance, then he can't really do anything about it other than try to get the code changed.
It sounds like the problem is with one neighbor who has some mental problems. While the OP may look like a D.B. for messing with the guy, he is certainly should not let himself be bullied just because the guy is a mental. I am a police dispatcher, and I know several people who are mentals who call constantly to complain about all of their neighbors for any real or imagined problems. One guy has a problem with people driving down the street with their radio on in their car. I have had officers sitting on his street when cars came down and they say that they cars are not violating the noise ordinance, but this guy continues to call and try to make life difficult on everybody else. There is another lady who hates her middle eastern neighbors, because they are middle eastern, so she calls on every little thing that they do. If it were me, I would walk over there and call the guy out. I would also strongly stress that if he continued to harass me, I would return the favor and call on every violation that he commits. Then I would follow through.
I live in a neighborhood without an HOA, and I still have problems with one of my neighbors. I have a neighbor who is an anti-hunter and hates me because I am a hunter and because I own hunting dogs. She has called the township on me for several made up reasons(all the complaints were closed as unfounded) and has even called the DNR on me because I had a live raccoon in a trap in my backyard for 24 hours once(I was training a pup the next night). After the last complaint, I called up the code enforcement officer and we had a long chat. He turned out to be a fellow hunter and understood what was going on. He told me that he has an obligation to investigate all complaints(I understand that), but usually when one comes in to my address he knows that it can be taken care of in about 2 minutes. I then asked him if there is any law or code that prevents me from butchering my own deer in my garage with the door up. He laughed and said that was perfectly acceptable. The next year he got a call about me butchering the deer in my garage and told the caller that there was nothing he could do about it. Then he drove over and parked in my driveway and we had a few laughs while we were talking. There have been no complaints since.
If you want to change the rules for the HOA, then your only recourse is to get involved and make those changes happen yourself. Which I would if I lived in a neighborhood with an HOA.
God luck to you though.
I think I hate them, never lived anywhere with one. Sounds like I'd hate 'em though.
