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NWR - Reasonable expectations regarding neighbors

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Re: NWR - Reasonable expectations regarding neighbors

  • I think you should see if there is a way to decipher if it's just a loud engine, like a diesel, an old car with a bad muffler, or if they spent money to "enhance" the exhaust system intentionally making it louder.

    If it's the latter I have different advice than everyone else. The louder exhaust system is expensive so they are probably proud of it and think it's cool. IME people who spend that kind of money won't be friendly to requests to undo their work. I work with all mechanics, and I love those guys, but I assure you, when they do this to their cars, they don't give a rats ass about how it affects others. They do it because it's cool and because they want their car to be loud.

    Even if other neighbors decide to complain, you'll be the only ones who had the courtesy to come forward first, so you'll be forever blamed.

    I'd probably talk to the landlords since they're close enough to hear it for themselves and let them handle the problem. The loud car people have a legal obligation to their landlords, but not their neighbors.

    I assume that they'd give a rat's ass if sugar somehow managed to get into their gas tanks. . . :-P

    I hate when people modify their shitty ass Acuras and Honda Civics in an attempt to make it sound as if they really have an actual sports car with an actual, powerful engine. It makes them look like weenies.

    Talk to your neighbors. If they react like asshats, then look into your local noise ordinance laws and then start complaining to their landlord. Landlords don't want to deal with the fines and legal ramifications of having "nuisance" tenants, although I think it takes a lot of shit to get that label.
    LOL! I am married to one of those weenies. I have always hated his car obsession. He has a '95 Supra that has had a bunch of stuff done to it (meaning it is almost always broken or not running), but since he doesn't take the time to disengage the car alarm light (he doesn't have an alarm in his car but the light still stays on) his battery is almost always dead. Oh and he never drives it because the weather is never perfect enough. And when he does finally start it he has to rev the engine for a few minutes because if he doesn't then it doesn't stay on (talk about loud and annoying). In my head, that can't be normal or right. He also loves to wash his car on a weekly basis even though he never drives it anywhere, all the while there sits our SUV which we use everyday in need of a good washing and cleaning out. Luckily I think we have come to a turning point and he is wanting to sell his car and get a truck. Like a brand new truck that he won't do anything to. I am very excited!

  • I think you should see if there is a way to decipher if it's just a loud engine, like a diesel, an old car with a bad muffler, or if they spent money to "enhance" the exhaust system intentionally making it louder.

    If it's the latter I have different advice than everyone else. The louder exhaust system is expensive so they are probably proud of it and think it's cool. IME people who spend that kind of money won't be friendly to requests to undo their work. I work with all mechanics, and I love those guys, but I assure you, when they do this to their cars, they don't give a rats ass about how it affects others. They do it because it's cool and because they want their car to be loud.

    Even if other neighbors decide to complain, you'll be the only ones who had the courtesy to come forward first, so you'll be forever blamed.

    I'd probably talk to the landlords since they're close enough to hear it for themselves and let them handle the problem. The loud car people have a legal obligation to their landlords, but not their neighbors.

    I assume that they'd give a rat's ass if sugar somehow managed to get into their gas tanks. . . :-P

    I hate when people modify their shitty ass Acuras and Honda Civics in an attempt to make it sound as if they really have an actual sports car with an actual, powerful engine. It makes them look like weenies.

    Talk to your neighbors. If they react like asshats, then look into your local noise ordinance laws and then start complaining to their landlord. Landlords don't want to deal with the fines and legal ramifications of having "nuisance" tenants, although I think it takes a lot of shit to get that label.

    LOL! I am married to one of those weenies.
    I have always hated his car obsession. He has a '95 Supra that has had a bunch of stuff done to it (meaning it is almost always broken or not running), but since he doesn't take the time to disengage the car alarm light (he doesn't have an alarm in his car but the light still stays on) his battery is almost always dead. Oh and he never drives it because the weather is never perfect enough. And when he does finally start it he has to rev the engine for a few minutes because if he doesn't then it doesn't stay on (talk about loud and annoying). In my head, that can't be normal or right. He also loves to wash his car on a weekly basis even though he never drives it anywhere, all the while there sits our SUV which we use everyday in need of a good washing and cleaning out. Luckily I think we have come to a turning point and he is wanting to sell his car and get a truck. Like a brand new truck that he won't do anything to. I am very excited!
    I'm sorry ><

    The neighbors across the street from me now are in to some sort of racing, so they have a bunch of cars clogging up the street parking that have shitty interiors and exteriors, but that you can hear approaching from about a mile away. Ugh!

    Congrats on the new truck though- hopefully!!!

    "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."


  • I think you should see if there is a way to decipher if it's just a loud engine, like a diesel, an old car with a bad muffler, or if they spent money to "enhance" the exhaust system intentionally making it louder.

    If it's the latter I have different advice than everyone else. The louder exhaust system is expensive so they are probably proud of it and think it's cool. IME people who spend that kind of money won't be friendly to requests to undo their work. I work with all mechanics, and I love those guys, but I assure you, when they do this to their cars, they don't give a rats ass about how it affects others. They do it because it's cool and because they want their car to be loud.

    Even if other neighbors decide to complain, you'll be the only ones who had the courtesy to come forward first, so you'll be forever blamed.

    I'd probably talk to the landlords since they're close enough to hear it for themselves and let them handle the problem. The loud car people have a legal obligation to their landlords, but not their neighbors.

    I assume that they'd give a rat's ass if sugar somehow managed to get into their gas tanks. . . :-P

    I hate when people modify their shitty ass Acuras and Honda Civics in an attempt to make it sound as if they really have an actual sports car with an actual, powerful engine. It makes them look like weenies.

    Talk to your neighbors. If they react like asshats, then look into your local noise ordinance laws and then start complaining to their landlord. Landlords don't want to deal with the fines and legal ramifications of having "nuisance" tenants, although I think it takes a lot of shit to get that label.

    LOL! I am married to one of those weenies.
    I have always hated his car obsession. He has a '95 Supra that has had a bunch of stuff done to it (meaning it is almost always broken or not running), but since he doesn't take the time to disengage the car alarm light (he doesn't have an alarm in his car but the light still stays on) his battery is almost always dead. Oh and he never drives it because the weather is never perfect enough. And when he does finally start it he has to rev the engine for a few minutes because if he doesn't then it doesn't stay on (talk about loud and annoying). In my head, that can't be normal or right. He also loves to wash his car on a weekly basis even though he never drives it anywhere, all the while there sits our SUV which we use everyday in need of a good washing and cleaning out. Luckily I think we have come to a turning point and he is wanting to sell his car and get a truck. Like a brand new truck that he won't do anything to. I am very excited!
    I'm sorry ><

    The neighbors across the street from me now are in to some sort of racing, so they have a bunch of cars clogging up the street parking that have shitty interiors and exteriors, but that you can hear approaching from about a mile away. Ugh!

    Congrats on the new truck though- hopefully!!!
    Oh H's car is not only meant to be fast but pretty as well. Think Fast and Furious. But you can definitely hear him coming. Even our pup knows the sound of his car. Luckily he has only ever had one car at a time. I have a feeling he knew I would pummel him if he got any more then that.

  • So at our last HOA meeting (which was also our first), our one neighbor, who we are also friends with, had a complaint filed against him (originally didn't know who from), because his work truck is parked in front of his house, in his driveway, instead of in the garage. Our HOA rules do state that any kind of actual work truck (ie trucks with ladders on them, logos, etc.) do need to be parked inside, and most of us have garages big enough to accomodate.

    Now, his work truck is an unmarked Ford F250... brand new. IE, a $50,000 truck. It is the same truck H used to have as his leisure vehicle, just a different color. During the hearing, the guy across the street from him started complaining (so we then knew who filed the complaint) that it BRINGS PROPERTY VALUES DOWN (He literally started yelling) to have his plain work truck parked IN HIS OWN DRIVEWAY. Never mind this guy has a primered 1995 Dodge Ram that he leaves parked out in his driveway sometimes, and the house next door to his has 5 cars parked outside at any given time along with some jetskis on a trailer, even though they have a 4 car garage (that's filled with stuff).

    It was so hilarious, and now our whole street hates that guy who complained. I think in the end, he's jealous of the guy w/ the nice truck because he's about 20 years younger, and has a much bigger and nicer house than he does, along with a brand new outbuilding.
    Married 9.12.15
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  • labrolabro member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited November 2015
    @julieanne912 Some people are the absolute limit. My mom nearly had a lien put on her house over an HOA violation aka she had a hanging basket with flowers on her mailbox. Guy down the street had climbing flowers all over his mailbox but apparently that's acceptable.

    Short story - HOAs are the suck. I like our neighborhood without its HOA - yeah Hillbilly Joe down the street is...well...special....but in general people keep up their yards and their homes without someone breathing down their neck over an unmarked work vehicle or a freaking hanging basket.

    ETA: Oh and nobody parks on the street.



  • labro said:

    @julieanne912 Some people are the absolute limit. My mom nearly had a lien put on her house over an HOA violation aka she had a hanging basket with flowers on her mailbox. Guy down the street had climbing flowers all over his mailbox but apparently that's acceptable.

    Short story - HOAs are the suck. I like our neighborhood without its HOA - yeah Hillbilly Joe down the street is...well...special....but in general people keep up their yards and their homes without someone breathing down their neck over an unmarked work vehicle or a freaking hanging basket.

    ETA: Oh and nobody parks on the street.

    Yeah the worst part here is the neighborhood is still under construction. But then, the developers keep changing the rules on things. Like first, there were no restrictions on campers (which is the main reason we decided to build in this neighborhood, because our old neighborhood had many many restrictions). Then we get a letter over the summer saying we're in violation because the rule states that they have to be behind a 6 foot fence. Uh, what? Apparently they changed the rule and didn't tell anybody.

    So we and everyone else who got violations for similar things went to the meeting and complained and they've backed off. Plus, a 6 foot fence is completely stupid. our camper is 13 feet high (ie slightly higher than our gutters). No fence is going to hide that thing.

    Hopefully once the neighborhood fills up more we'll get more control and can actually vote on rules, instead of the developers just adding them as they please.
    Married 9.12.15
    image
  • I can't stand neighborhoods full of busybodies who think a regular car parked on the street, truck in the driveway, or freaking flower baskets "bring down property values." They need to get a fucking life. If you care that much about who your neighbors are and what they do with their own property, then you need to move to the country and have no neighbors in sight (and lots of trees).

    Look, I live in a condo building. We have some irritating rules but it's because we literally share elevators, walls, laundry, lobbies, and a garage on a day to day basis. A lot of rules are for security purposes. I would love to see one of those HOA assholes gasping because they couldn't even park their car on our block, much less right in front of the building or get one of the few paid garage spaces.
    ________________________________


  • I can't stand neighborhoods full of busybodies who think a regular car parked on the street, truck in the driveway, or freaking flower baskets "bring down property values." They need to get a fucking life. If you care that much about who your neighbors are and what they do with their own property, then you need to move to the country and have no neighbors in sight (and lots of trees).

    Look, I live in a condo building. We have some irritating rules but it's because we literally share elevators, walls, laundry, lobbies, and a garage on a day to day basis. A lot of rules are for security purposes. I would love to see one of those HOA assholes gasping because they couldn't even park their car on our block, much less right in front of the building or get one of the few paid garage spaces.

    Yeah it's so ridiculous. Like I agree, having a hoarder next door probably will bring down your value... but a car parked in the driveway will not. Ours isn't even that bad. My hairstylist lives in the HOA just to the south of us and they got a violation because their garden hose was green, and not brown or black.

    It's also funny cause the complainer has the cheapest (and cheapest looking) house in the neighborhood, so chances are, his values will be fine, no matter what.
    Married 9.12.15
    image
  • labro said:

    @julieanne912 Some people are the absolute limit. My mom nearly had a lien put on her house over an HOA violation aka she had a hanging basket with flowers on her mailbox. Guy down the street had climbing flowers all over his mailbox but apparently that's acceptable.

    Short story - HOAs are the suck. I like our neighborhood without its HOA - yeah Hillbilly Joe down the street is...well...special....but in general people keep up their yards and their homes without someone breathing down their neck over an unmarked work vehicle or a freaking hanging basket.

    ETA: Oh and nobody parks on the street.

    This is the reason we did NOT want to move to a neighborhood with an HOA. We ended up finding the perfect house in a great neighborhood that we knew we could sell fast if we wanted to move so we went for it. We live in a cul-de-sac and our neighbor was part of the board for a while so we were worried! Turns out he is awesome and nobody reports anything. I leave my car out of the garage a lot because we build a lot of furniture, when I started putting it in the garage the neighbors didn't like it because they thought I was never home. They are like another set of grandparents for us now :)

    The ones that get overly strict about stupid things like flowers on a mailbox, or a brand new truck parked in the driveway suck.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Oh gosh don't get me started on work trucks not being allowed to be parked in neighborhoods. H drives a box truck for work. When we first moved in he parked it in the front overflow lot in the space furthest from the homes. Apparently a neighbor complained because we got a letter saying that work trucks weren't allowed (even though prior to buying we specifically asked about the work truck thing and were told that they were allowed). So he moved it to the back overflow lot where other people were parking trailers and a large snow plow attachment. Again we got a letter saying that work trucks were not allowed and that neighbors thought it was an eyesore. Yes, my H's work truck is an eyesore but the overflowing dumpster, trailers, and snow plow attachment aren't?!

    So I called up our property group and told them that part of the reason why we bought our home was because we were told that work trucks would be allowed to park in the neighborhood. She said that they are only allowed if parked in the driveway. At this point I wanted to scream. So work trucks are fine if they are parked in the driveway but they can't be parked in the back of the neighborhood where they are out of the way and unseen by anyone driving by because at that point they are an eyesore? I told H to keep parking where he was parking and the property management person finally gave up.

    But as someone who is married to a person who makes his living having to drive a work truck I got really freaking irritated by all the HOAs in our area that do not allow work trucks. How does someone working for a living and being forced to drive a work truck to make that living bring the property value down? I really would like to hear a reasonable explanation. Until then, I say a big F you to anyone who complains because sorry not sorry that my H is making a living.

  • Oh and the crazy HOA board members is the reason why I decided to be part of our HOA board. Myself and two other women make up the board and we just tell our neighbors that as long as they don't paint their house neon green and erect a full size dragon statue in their front lawn then they can do pretty much whatever they want. Because I really don't give a crap if you want to plant a rose bush or leave your garage door open all day.

  • @Maggie0829 Obviously those HOAs don't want anyone even remotely blue collar in the neighborhood(ie involving a work truck). Cue eyerolling here. Do not understand the logic behind it being ok for a big box truck to be in your driveway but not parked way back in the overflow lot with other large vehicles.

    The HOA my parents are in is pretty bad. There is a woman who drives around to all the individual subdivisions and writes up reports on people for hanging baskets, leaves not raked immediately, grass a centimeter too tall, cars parked IN THE DRIVEWAY (because they should be in the garage). I could go on and on.



  • @labro - That woman sounds nuts. She also needs a more productive/useful hobby. I mean I get that if someone's house starts to look super run down and like a chainsaw killer lives there then a letter is necessary. But I guess some people have nothing better to do then be complete asshats.

    I will say that I am very close to writing a letter to one homeowner in our neighborhood. She moved out of her house a few years back and had renters. Now it is vacant and up for sale. Her front garden area is out of control. I kind of want to tell her that if she wants to sell her house (been on the market for quite a while now) that she should maybe stop by and do some yard work because having a shitty looking front yard is doing her no favors.



  • Oh H's car is not only meant to be fast but pretty as well. Think Fast and Furious. But you can definitely hear him coming. Even our pup knows the sound of his car. Luckily he has only ever had one car at a time. I have a feeling he knew I would pummel him if he got any more then that.

    My H's car is fast and pretty too but loud in the sports car/muscle car variety and not the "weenie" cars mentioned earlier. I do laugh because when he does drive it (fair weather only) I can hear him coming down the street but it isn't obnoxious unless he purposely revs the engine
  • Oh and the crazy HOA board members is the reason why I decided to be part of our HOA board. Myself and two other women make up the board and we just tell our neighbors that as long as they don't paint their house neon green and erect a full size dragon statue in their front lawn then they can do pretty much whatever they want. Because I really don't give a crap if you want to plant a rose bush or leave your garage door open all day.

    You are nice! A man I work with said he got yelled at multiple times for leaving his garage door open during the day on a weekend in the summer because his kids were out riding their bikes in the cul-de-sac and he was working in the garage watching them.. crazy people!

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • julieanne912julieanne912 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited November 2015

    Oh and the crazy HOA board members is the reason why I decided to be part of our HOA board. Myself and two other women make up the board and we just tell our neighbors that as long as they don't paint their house neon green and erect a full size dragon statue in their front lawn then they can do pretty much whatever they want. Because I really don't give a crap if you want to plant a rose bush or leave your garage door open all day.

    You are nice! A man I work with said he got yelled at multiple times for leaving his garage door open during the day on a weekend in the summer because his kids were out riding their bikes in the cul-de-sac and he was working in the garage watching them.. crazy people!
    This reminds me, during the last round of the HOA violations, the neighbor got written up cause one of his kid's bikes was laying in the driveway. Basically the management, who is located about an hour away, picks a random day to drive through the neighborhood and write people up for stuff. So this time, it was the one day his kid left her bike out. We don't get to pick who the management is for now, but I really want to can this one was soon as the owners get control of the board.
    Married 9.12.15
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  • I'm so glad I don't live in an HOA. I don't think they are that prevalent around here anyway. The only places that have HOAs are condos. Maybe some newer neighborhoods do, but I live on a main road. My neighbors are nice, our house is set back and in the summer you can't even see it from the road because of the trees.

    I'm sorry, isn't a driveway made to park your car? Maybe it's because not all houses have garages around here (we happen to have one, but it only fits one car).  It's sounds so crazy!
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  • @julieanne912, your HOA stories are cathartic. I'm just reading and nodding, because I'm living that same kind of mess.
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  • I'm so glad I don't live in an HOA. I don't think they are that prevalent around here anyway. The only places that have HOAs are condos. Maybe some newer neighborhoods do, but I live on a main road. My neighbors are nice, our house is set back and in the summer you can't even see it from the road because of the trees.

    I'm sorry, isn't a driveway made to park your car? Maybe it's because not all houses have garages around here (we happen to have one, but it only fits one car).  It's sounds so crazy!
    Ah yes, lovely New England where most houses don't have a garage or do but it can't fit a car. I wish I had a condo that had a driveway. We have a parking lot and our unit is one of the ones furthest from the parking lot so starting it up in the winter is no fun. 
    Formerly known as bubbles053009





  • Ugh. I live in an HOA- all townhomes. My neighbors are the WORST.

    Out of maybe 80 total townhomes, there are 12 that face a major 4 lane road with no parking ever. For that reason, all of these homes were priced 30-40k less than their equivalent that faced an internal street (which on a sub 200k house, is a LOT!)

    The rules of the HOA says your vehicles MUST be parked in your garage overnight- street parking is for guests ONLY. Well, one of the neighbors who faces the busy road, has 4 cars. There are only 2 adults and one pre-teen in the house. So only 2 drivers. And 4 cars. 

    Neighbor decides my townhouse is the perfect one to park on of their two non-running 30+yo beater cars in front of- for months on end. Literally, the car did not move for 9 months. After about a month I marked with chalk where the tires were- confirmed it never moved. The large rust stains on the road also confirmed that it was there through every rain storm... I left a nice note (I didn't know who the car belonged to at the time) saying I'd appreciate if they could park their car in front of their own house. Two VERY large men pounded on my door after midnight one day holding the note, and were shouting, so I didn't answer...

    I reached out to HOA prez (who I later found out was close with these people) who said "why don't you offer them space to park in your garage if you only have one car and a two car garage?"
    Umm... why don't you enforce the RULES we all agreed to upon closing? I have a horse trailer that I'd like to park in front of my house, but it's against the rules, so I don't!
    Property Mgmt was just as unhelpful...

    Finally I called the cops (non-emergency#) when my parents were visiting at Christmas and had to park 9 houses away. Not cool. Car was tagged as abandoned. (city ordinance says any car not moved in 48 hours is abandoned) So they moved it across the street. Then that neighbor called it in... moved it back... we played this little dance for almost 6 months. 

    Thankfully moving soon, never an HOA again!  
  • scribe95 said:
    My husband is on our HOA board (we actually moved out of our condo and built a house in the country but we rent the condo) and he tries to keep the crazies in check. He's the voice of reason. One time they had a vote to outlaw colored porch light bulbs. He did all this research showing they represent support for the police etc and shut that thing down. The funny thing is our HOA board is really good. They have managed money well, made improvements and do all the big stuff fine. But a few of them just get sidetracked every once in a while.
    When I was a pizza delivery driver, I LOVED colored porch lights. It was so much easier to find someone's house when the tag on the box said "BLUE PORCH LIGHT". I could see their house the second I turned down the street. :)

    Some people had red, green, whatever... they were all effective.
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