Is Lauderhill HOA overstepping its boundaries?

Intrusive, invasive and downright creepy is how neighbors in one South Florida community describe their homeowners association.

[eduardovargas]

If someone ever asks “is an HOA overstepping their boundaries” the answer is always yes.

[Cynthetik]

They need to BAN HOAs. If we paid $600, 000 for a home we shouldn’t be told how to live in it.

[fwacfred]

You moved into an HOA, that was your first mistake.

[fauxque]

My dad lived in an HOA and one day they were out by the pool and a drone came over the fence and was flying around. He went inside and got a shotgun and blasted it. Turns out it belonged to the HOA. They called the Sheriff and the Sheriff said he was within his rights because he owns the airspace so many feet above the property, and since it was in the County there's no laws against discharging a weapon. The HOA sent him a bill for the drone and he's refused to pay it.

[jonwinter]

Appears lots of HOA board members are power hungry creeps. Years ago I was visiting a friend who lived in an HOA and was told by a board member I could not park in the driveway and if I did not leave I would be arrested. I told them to call the police. Police came and I explained the situation while the HOA board member kept interrupting me. The officer finally told them to be quiet and then said if anyone was going to be arrested it would be the HOA board member for disorderly conduct. During that time my friend brought out the HOA rule book that only said cars cannot be parked in the driveway overnight. The officer told the board member it was illegal to unknowingly make false claims calling the police. I think the officer was trying to make a point to the board member.

[mariearmstrong]

I never understood. Why someone would buy a home in an HOA Community where nasty, , hateful, , strangers tell you what you can and can not do.

[aixaburlison]

Don't buy in a HOA area. Period. Make these communities go bankrupt

[ralphholiman]

The funniest story HOA story I heard when I was in Florida was in my brother in law's HOA in Fort Myers. They went after one homeowner, for washing his boat in his front yard, after he would get back from fishing. Unfortunately for them, he was a lawyer, and they made him mad enough to dig out all of the HOA filing documents, and paperwork. He found out they had a made a mistake in their initial filing to become an HOA, sued them, and had the HOA dissolved in court. My brother in law thought it was hilarious, because he hated them, too, and showed me the letter they sent, admitting they had no authority whatsoever any more, but asking the residents if they would voluntarily continue to pay dues to pay for the landscaping maintenance.

[jordanpersonal]

I encountered a similar situation with the automobile in my previous gated community. I had a 3 car garage and 4 cars so one remained outside in the driveway. It was a ragtop roadster so to protect from the elements I bought a car cover similar to the one in the video. The tags were current and I drove it when the weather was nice. There was a prohibition against “storing” personal property such as boats etc. in view of the neighborhood. But there was also a mandate that all passenger automobiles MUST be off the street and either in the garage or THE DRIVEWAY by 10:00 pm each evening.
I received a letter that I was in violation of “storing” personal property in view of the neighborhood. I pushed back that it was a passenger automobile and that I was REQUIRED to park it there. There was no prohibition against protecting your car with a car cover in the HOA rules. The head of the board finally admitted I was correct, but I’m sure it still drove some crazy for whatever reason. Luckily, I don’t live there anymore!

[JAM]

I got a letter about my car being disable because a neighbor saw it needed a jump. I went into the homeowners association and said nothing is wrong with the car and told they can stuff there stupid letter. Usually it is one or two people who have nothing to do but sit around and report everything they can. I even got a letter for a broken roof title that was in the back of my home and there was no way for anyone to see it, unless they were in my yard. When I asked why there were in my yard, they said there were not. So I asked then how can you write a letter. Well I find out they do not check and just write letter to whoever complains. So I went to all 480 homes and found something wrong and told the HOA we can all play this game. I never got a letter again and 2 months latter the neighbor reporting me for minor thing moved. Then the neighbors who bought the house anded up foreclosing and the bank did not get the grass cut. So I guess that is OK for the bank not to cut the grass for 10 month in FL but a decorative roof title in the back of my home is not. Was so glad to get out of FL. Now I live in beautiful MN where people are pleasant and the community is great. I live in a town with 70, 000 people and we have over 70 parks. One is right out by my back-door.

[dee]

HOAs are usually the old busybodies in the neighborhood. My sister lived in a HOA and for some inexplicable reason the HOA busybody decided she did not want cars parked in the clubhouse and pool parking lot. She also decided she hated a person’s house color, all within the guidelines but she didn’t like it. Nice Earth tone. The lady’s home, yard and additional structure were beautiful. The homeowner got fed up and painted polka dots all over her own house to protest after repeated harassment. The HOA lady sued, lost and had to pay up. Don’t push people for ridiculous reasons because you want to be a bully.

[Sobolady]

My niece lived in a townhouse in an HOA community. She paid $750 a month for just the HOA fee. They were responsible for all outside upkeep. During a windstorm, siding was blown off my niece's house which caused rain to get in between her kitchen ceiling causing her ceiling to fall down. Her homeowners insurance had already assessed the damage and were waiting for the siding to be fixed so they could fix the inside. This HOA tried to tell my niece that they were only responsible for the roof and the front and the back of the house, but since she was end of row they weren't responsible for the side of the building. She tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't budge. Her brother's an attorney so he wrote them a letter and the HOA had that siding fixed that week. Most people don't have a lawyer for a brother and would have to pay to get a lawyer. She bought a new house and she told the realtor, no HOA's.

[devdoesitbest]

HOAs: "I needed to use your bathroom so I broke into your house. Also I'm giving you an infraction for not cleaning your bathroom"

[chrisgonzales]

My husband and i moved out of our home after we got a notice from the HOA that they observed too many people going to my house in one day and it was against regulation. It was us, and two other couples that were having dinner and planning a trip to cancun. My husband is a lawyer and dsid that there was no regulation and that 6 people in a 3 bedroom home was not too many on any law or regulation. He also pointed out that each of the bord member had a spouse and 4 kids and that wpuld mean they have been over the limit as well, and should be fined or stop the power strugglr harassment.

[dayride]

I won't even consider buying a property with an HOA for reasons like this. People tend to think it gives them power over their neighbors' properties, but never think about how it will be applied to their own property. Everyone these days seems to think they have the right to control how others live, but nobody can please everyone and someone will always be at the bottom of the pile as the bs rolls downhill.

[handimanjay]

Trespassing and breaking and entering is commonplace with HOA “enforcement”. Why would you want to pay someone to violate your property rights?

[robertintexas]

I painted my house, and ran out of paint literally with only about 5 square feet left. It could not be seen from the street. I get a letter from my HOA about it with a picture. I walked around and recreated the pic on my phone. They literally had to walk about 35-40' onto my property to take the pic. I called and told them I was going to file a trespass charge. They told me they NEVER go onto private property to take pictures. LIARS!

[melaniegambill]

When you move into an HOA community, this is what you can expect, so don’t be shocked when it happens, because it will.

[uruzzo]

My cousin lives in a HOA and they had a rule that no trucks were to be parked out of the garage overnight. They had to be in the garage.
Well he has a 63 Corvette and his wife has her Mustang Convertible taking up both inside the garage spaces.
The truck was a new Ford Pickup and not a work truck. They did not care and was going to give him a fine if it was not moved immediately.
He went and bought a beat up El-Camino which was tagged as a car and parked it on the street and not on the driveway and they could do nothing but suck it up.
When he learned a lot of the SUV'S were titled as trucks and parking in driveway all night he brought it up at the HOA and told them they were in for a lawsuit if they did not give the owners a fine like they were going to do to him.
It did not take but a day to drop that rule from the list.
He now parks his truck all night and the El-Camino is gone.

[luckyx]

If you move somewhere voluntarily giving up some rights, do not be surprised when they actually take them. I had a realtor, when I lived in Oregon several years ago, neglect to tell me that the home I was interested in was part of an HOA. Fired the realtor, and chose another house.