Yep, the HOA is still bothered by our yard.
On Friday afternoon the NEW Property Manager (honest, we have had more that 10 in the past ten years!) responded to our request for an in person, on property meeting. The HOA President, another Board member (the guy with 10 pink flamingos), the Landscape Chair and the rudest Property Manager I have ever had to deal with arrived... At first, they only wanted to talk with me, not Kate and Jesse. So I asked if I could just talk with just ONE of them. Well, OK, they can stay.
It's the worst time of year for plants and flowers in the middle of January and I asked them to revisit this summer when all these native plants entice hummingbirds, butterflies, lady bugs, dragonflies and so on.
The Attack Squad had obviously not gone to all ground floor units for awareness before coming to our condo. They obviously had NOT read all the correspondence nor looked at photos from previous meetings before coming to our condo. I had asked the kids to NOT talk much or offer any defensive statements, SMILE under our masks. Nod attentively. All of this diffused the anger first brought to the meeting.
The Prez is the one with a burr in her bonnet. Maybe she does get complaints from other residents (although complainers do not need to walk by if things are so offensive to them) but mainly our style is not her style. Things got even better when I asked if we could start at one end of the "common area" and logically make a list, East to West, instead of "this has to go and you were warned about this and you did not get approval for the this." The PM made Jesse SO MAD (and he is the most even tempered man in the world) that he had to walk away. None of them wrote down anything!
Why yes, Judy, you verbally agreed to this and that and over there. As she started at the East end, giving her negative comments ... others on the Squad said "Oh, I like how that looks .... did you make that?". "This grouping of pots and plants go very well together let's keep that". Judy's face got redder and redder.
Yes, we do have too many smaller pots and doo dads, I agree with that. Kate will now group them in a larger pot and ASK PERMISSION before we put it anywhere but our patio. But honestly, ANYTHING will look better than:
I can't wait to see what kind of rules we'll have for our deck area after I move. Feeding birds is the only one I hope they don't allow because I'm on the ground floor and I'd be the one getting the mice that comes with feeding birds too close to buildings.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your HOA. They clearly have you in their cross-hairs.
It's kinda crazy as I have saved all the emails and violations ... she contradicts herself in every single one! She said she is NOT being subjective. I went through one document and cheerfully substituted "pink flamingo" where she dissed "driftwood". I think she would love to have us in barracks ... each with 3 pots and she will dictate which annuals and which colors.
DeleteOh brother. Don't they have anything better to do?
ReplyDeleteHOA are The Devil! I am so glad to be rid of ours when we Sold the McManse in Pretentious Subdivision Hell. I was always threatening them with litigation due to improper enforcement that wouldn't have held up in Court... I represented Banks in Real Estate matters for numerous Years in one of my Corporate Lives and found that most HOA are run by bored Housewives with no Legal expertise and many haven't even read their Covenants and Restrictions and just make stuff up as they have whims or preferences for or against shit... which, won't hold up in Court and could cost them. Anyway, now have a Mini Farm in the City in an older area with no HOA... so glad not to have that Drama and a Headache anymore. From your pixs I like what you've done far better than what they 'approve'... clearly this Woman is an Idiot with too much time on her hands, no Life and mebbe this is the most important 'job' she's ever held? *LMAO, it's so pathetic, isn't it?*
ReplyDeleteOh, my. You are a better person than I. I would have to walk away and let H handle it. He has more self control than I have. I do know that we'd have to get something like a fence approved before installation.
ReplyDelete