*Updated* MN advancing law that would ban the requirement of HOAs for new developments. Iowa does the opposite.

[CYdTracked]

Are you sure you're not an HOA fan? Because the kinds of problems that you're describing here are exactly what a person in support of forming an HOA would be holding up as reasons to create one.

Not trying to call you out, but it seems like you are looking to add rules to the neighborhood which would regulate street parking, snow removal and tree maintenance. Those are 100% things that could be controlled if you were in an HOA

No because I enjoy the freedom of being able to do what I want with my own property without having to go through a HOA to do it or have to pay fees that I don't have a full say in how they are going to be used. I get the angle you took though and that is a fair take I guess.

My issues above are kind of an overlap of HOA policies that don't apply to me but indirectly become me and my neighbors problems because they spill out into city governed areas because of what they won't allow or manage properly in their HOA part of the neighborhood. The parking ordinances is a city government issue and is complicated due to them contracting out law enforcement to PCSO as the city won't take the initiative to engage them if you have an issue. They refer you to the PCSO as they do the enforcement even though these are city ordinances they made that you'd think if you report it to your city administration they would work with the contractor they hired to enforce said ordinances like they would do if we had city operated law enforcement instead. I'm not asking them to change or create an ordinance I just want them to enforce it properly when it become a neighborhood nuisance.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

But cities are funded by the entire tax base. So what you are saying is that every citizen in a City should pay for improvments in a single subdivision, rather then just the citizens within that subdivision paying for things in their subdivision. I'm not saying I disagree with you, but Cities get their money from every citizen that lives in the City.

Yes, I agree with this approach.

 

[ISUTex]

See I have small kids and I can’t see past the neighbors big *ss RV which means people driving past from the west can’t see my driveway. I’m always outside with my kids but everyone knows it doesn’t take long for a determined toddler to get away from a parent. I wish the HOA would enforce no parking your twice a year used items in your driveway or on the streets. Don’t give a **** about your house color or your landscaping but the RV is a safety issue. It’s not even just there for a couple days before and after a trip, the damn thing never leaves their driveway.

You let your toddlers run around near a street? Do you have a back yard?

 

[cybychoice]

You let your toddlers run around near a street? Do you have a back yard?

We do have a back yard, but they like riding their bikes/trikes and playing with chalk. Again my wife or I are right there with them. It’s very likely an irrational fear, but I’d feel more comfortable being able to see down the road from my driveway. I know when I’m driving through the neighborhood I’m paying attention to the kids playing in their yards and looking out in case someone starts moving towards the street. Also regardless of what I feel, this is an HOA they chose to participate in as they built their house here. I also chose to participate in the HOA by buying this house. Both parties agreed to these rules by buying these properties. If you choose to buy a property in an HOA follow the rules, it’s not hard.

 

[flycy]

I detest HOAs. Like, irrational hatred.

It furthermore doesn't help that (at least in our HOA), it doesn't get handed over to the residents until 90% of the lots in the neighborhood have been built AND SOLD. So in our neighborhood (where they keep adding lots to), it might be another 3-4 years before we actually have control over it.

That's almost always true, the builder gets 50 votes for every lot he still owns or something like that usually. When it gets handed over, there will be a grace period, and then the power-hungry crazies will come around fining you if your garbage is out the day after garbage day.

 

[flycy]

We do have a back yard, but they like riding their bikes/trikes and playing with chalk. Again my wife or I are right there with them. It’s very likely an irrational fear, but I’d feel more comfortable being able to see down the road from my driveway. I know when I’m driving through the neighborhood I’m paying attention to the kids playing in their yards and looking out in case someone starts moving towards the street. Also regardless of what I feel, this is an HOA they chose to participate in as they built their house here. I also chose to participate in the HOA by buying this house. Both parties agreed to these rules by buying these properties. If you choose to buy a property in an HOA follow the rules, it’s not hard.

Yeah, but often there are no homes where there isn't a HOA. So much for its their choice. If you don't hate the HOA crazies, you're probably one of them.

 

[cybychoice]

Yeah, but often there are no homes where there isn't a HOA. So much for its their choice. If you don't hate the HOA crazies, you're probably one of them.

If you read my post I very specifically called out this one issue, I don’t care about landscaping, house color, fences, literally just want to be able to see down my street from the driveway, didn’t realize that made me crazy. Also there are plenty of older homes available to buy without HOAs. I didn’t realize being able to park a giant camper in your driveway that you never use was something so many felt so passionate about….

 

[Cyforce]

Interesting I built my house in 99. Did everything but the mechanicals. The development had covedence but not a formal HOA.

 

[ghyland7]

I do real estate work as an attorney these days.

This morning I found a restrictive covenant which said that the neighborhood was only for caucasians.

This was in Des Moines in the 1940s.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

I do real estate work as an attorney these days.

This morning I found a restrictive covenant which said that the neighborhood was only for caucasians.

This was in Des Moines in the 1940s.

Unbelievably sad…

 

[ghyland7]

Unbelievably sad…

The good news is that it's illegal and not still in effect; it just happened to show up in the abstract.

The language of the covenant was such that the people could vote to remove it and that likely happened at some point... and even if it didn't, it's completely illegal and unenforceable now.

It does go to show, though, how even in Iowa you can see that kind of thing with restrictive covenants. 80 years isn't THAT long ago.

 

[NoCreativity]

See I have small kids and I can’t see past the neighbors big *ss RV which means people driving past from the west can’t see my driveway. I’m always outside with my kids but everyone knows it doesn’t take long for a determined toddler to get away from a parent. I wish the HOA would enforce no parking your twice a year used items in your driveway or on the streets. Don’t give a **** about your house color or your landscaping but the RV is a safety issue. It’s not even just there for a couple days before and after a trip, the damn thing never leaves their driveway.

Can you try talking to then about it? I had this exact same situation and I let them know it was a hazard for my kids and also I couldn't see backing out of my driveway. I softened the deal by letting them know it was directly under my tree also which is known to lose large branches in storms.

They ended up putting it in storage when not in use.

 

[cybychoice]

Can you try talking to then about it? I had this exact same situation and I let them know it was a hazard for my kids and also I couldn't see backing out of my driveway. I softened the deal by letting them know it was directly under my tree also which is known to lose large branches in storms.

They ended up putting it in storage when not in use.

Yeah it’s a pain to back up too. Tried talking to them and they just said “oh we are planning on being gone a bunch this summer, don’t worry about it”

 

[NoCreativity]

Yeah it’s a pain to back up too. Tried talking to them and they just said “oh we are planning on being gone a bunch this summer, don’t worry about it”

Sorry, i can't stand that kind of stuff, can afford a $200,000 RV but not the $100 bucks a month to store it properly.

If it's against HOA rules you might try talking to other people in the area. I was surprised when I talked to my other neighbors and nobody on the street liked it either. You might try looking up local laws also. In my area I found out it has to sit back at least 30 feet from the street.

 

[Saul_T]

I detest HOAs. Like, irrational hatred.

It furthermore doesn't help that (at least in our HOA), it doesn't get handed over to the residents until 90% of the lots in the neighborhood have been built AND SOLD. So in our neighborhood (where they keep adding lots to), it might be another 3-4 years before we actually have control over it.

Ours if fine. We literally just collect dues to keep our common places mowed and looking nice and then once every few years someone comes out to clean the pond up a bit. We're all responsible adults who mow and shovel and take care of our neighbors yards if they cant.

 

[RLD4ISU]

Sorry, i can't stand that kind of stuff, can afford a $200,000 RV but not the $100 bucks a month to store it properly.

We have neighbors that spent $500,000-600,000 for a new construction home and don't mow their yard. No physical impairments. One neighbor has 2 MS age children (HS next year) that are physically able and the only time they mow is after the city contacts them, which is usually after someone in the neighborhood contacts the city.

It's a new development, but only a small section has an HOA. Our part does not, which we like. It'd be nice if some in our neighborhood took a little pride or care with their new home, but at the end of the day it doesn't affect me. And things like the lawn growth are covered with city ordinances.

That said....I'm so ready to move back to the country and have some land.

 

[BCClone]

We have neighbors that spent $500,000-600,000 for a new construction home and don't mow their yard. No physical impairments. One neighbor has 2 MS age children (HS next year) that are physically able and the only time they mow is after the city contacts them, which is usually after someone in the neighborhood contacts the city.

It's a new development, but only a small section has an HOA. Our part does not, which we like. It'd be nice if some in our neighborhood took a little pride or care with their new home, but at the end of the day it doesn't affect me. And things like the lawn growth are covered with city ordinances.

That said....I'm so ready to move back to the country and have some land.

It may be laziness or very tight on funds. When I appraised houses, I was in one where this 30 year old couple were building this huge 700k house a mile outside of a small town. House was nice, when I walked into the basement, there were studs for walls. Some exposed wire running to outlets in rooms with some walls sheetrocked.

I asked when they expected it to be finished since one of their young kids would have their room there. They said they weren’t sure and they ran out of funds so this was how they would live until more cash came in.

They bragged about their high end countertops, flooring, multiple fireplaces. All I thought was, you are making a kid live in an active construction area over having one less fireplace or a step down in counters. Its priorities. Unfortunately, that type of situation wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

 

[Cyhig]

HOA's are popular for the people with the "NIMBY" theology, or people who like to be nosy at other neighbors and complain about every little thing wrong with the neighbors/neighborhood

 

[CascadeClone]

HOA are as good/bad as your neighbors who run them. **

The one I was in, we had a 2 guys who were really smart about roads, ditches, drainage, etc so we did smart things with that part. And no Karens to gripe about little cosmetic stuff.

The only controversy we ever had was a guy that wanted to build a 4k sqft pole barn on his 2 acre lot, basically right next to his neighbors 2k sqft house. Would have looked terrible. He was upset when it got denied, but I think it was the right call. It was just way too much in the wrong spot.

** thinking more about it- the same applies to your town or city...

 

[ISUJason]

Understood. My whole post is stating MN has lower taxes AND cities maintain storm water ponds. I know how Iowa does and I'm suggesting that there are better ways

While MN has lower residential property taxes, they have higher ag property taxes, and higher income taxes, giving MN a total tax burden of 9.95% vs Iowa's 9.21% in 2024.

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2024/12/01/how-the-50-states-rank-by-tax-burden/103495/