Banned is maybe too far, but why should we as a country allow people to have petty power over meaningless things their neighbors do? Could we ban HOAs from being included in house sales, and every time it's sold the new owners have to opt in?
For the most part, I'm wondering about this in the context of single family homes since for homes like condos, you could make the case that HOAs are useful for shared things like roofs and whatnot. Maybe limit mandatory HOA involvement to things like what's truly necessary and shared and not how tall your grass is?
I think I can offer some perspective as someone who works in the real estate industry and is on an HOA BOD.
Of the hundreds of clients I've worked with, only 1 ever wanted an HOA, because he didn't have one and it was awful. We're talking fences laid on the ground, grass several feet high, vehicles parked all over the front lawn, the entire yard front and back being used as a landfill, you name it.
HOAs are essentially the smallest form of government. The HOA carries the force of law. This also tends to attract the worst people for the job. Think about it; who's going to take time out of their day to volunteer on behalf of the community? People who want power over others.
People are petty as fuck. One person receives one citation and they become salty and begin seeking out and reporting every single violation they can find, which just makes it awful to live in.
That would completely invalidate the purpose of the HOA.
It's like "right to work" legislation that destroyed unions, but used to destroy HOAs. "Right to home" legislation.
Why should the fact some people a long time ago have away their power to a dubious political entity, permanently destroy the right to make your own house into a home. There has to be a way for people in a neighborhood to phase out of an HOA and a "Right to home" legislation could do it easily. If the HOA really is adding value to the neighborhood then they would easily be able to entice new homeowners to sign up!
Because people bought into that neighborhood for a reason.
If the reason the new people bought into the neighborhood is that it was managed by a good HOA then they'll sign the contract voluntarily!
Again, I don't think you understand why the HOA exists. No one joins because they want to be regulated. They join because they want the neighborhood to be regulated.
Fucked up beyond belief.
The American tradition of telling everyone else what to do and how to behave while not wanting others to tell you what to do and how to behave!
OMG dude. You can't be serious. Do you just not understand how rules work? The people who join are also, voluntarily "told what to do and how to behave".
Unless they agree to HOA rules they're not allowed to live in those neighborhoods, access those schools etc.... this is a coercive pressure.
I get that you're part of an HOA board so you think they're great, but for the most part you're part of a system that's a net negative in people's lives and society. See the Jon Oliver video linked above if you ever actually want to evaluate HOA more objectively.
I don't think they're great at all. I'm only on the board to avoid getting fucked. If I could abolish it I would.
That's all besides the point. You cannot have a voluntary HOA. It's completely pointless. No one is going to choose to subject themselves to the rules when no one else has to...
Exactly. They're a scourge. Even you can't abolish the one you're in when you want to. They have to go and this is a great way to do it. All it takes is a few people in a neighborhood to opt out and suddenly the impossible becomes possible and people will be able to disband bad HOAs.
Good ones (if they exist) will stay because everyone will voluntarily join in keeping the community great.
The community can, collectively.
I just explained how and why that's not possible.