Home Owner's Association

[JohnRich 4]

I had an idea to jazz up my drab garage by painting a giant Texas flag on the garage door. I think it looks pretty darned cool. The whole subdivision is just chock full of nothing but dull earth tones. I thought this would bring a spot of color to the dreary shades, as well as show my pride in our State.

I submitted my idea to the Homeowner's Association for approval.

The first image attached is the "before" and "proposed" comparison showing what I wanted to do.

The second image is the response letter from the Homeowner's Association.

Vote in the poll and tell me what you would think about such a garage door in your neighborhood.

The garage is set back at the rear of the property line, between two houses, and this would not be obvious except for a very narrow viewing arc as you drive by on the main street, which itself is a dead-end. The only residents that drive by are those from six houses that live further down towards the dead end from me. So it's not like a whole bunch of people are going to see it.

Note: I'm not trying to start another rant and rave discussion about the merits of Homeowner Associations.

Question: What the heck are "moderate" colors which they require?

[NWFlyer 2]

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Question: What the heck are "moderate" colors which they require?

You answered your own question "The whole subdivision is just chock full of nothing but dull earth tones."

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Lastchance 0]

Sorry but I'm going to rant anyway. I think if you own your home and the property that you should be able to paint your garage door and your house and your sidewalk any damn color you please. Whatever happened to individuality? I hate these neighborhoods where everybodies house has to be the same color. How boring. There is a house here in town that is light green but his front double doors are hot pink. More power to him. That is all.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[normiss 622]

That would never be allowed here.
This however......

[Conundrum 1]

I think it looks silly, but I wouldn't give a shit if someone wanted it on their garage door. It's your house, not mine.

[futuredivot 0]

Think of the colors used in the flag patches on BDU's

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[briguy 0]

when you bought the place, you bought into the HOA poop. you have no one to blame but yourself.

also, the flag is pretty jeff foxworthy.... you're better off not exposing yourself to all the redneck jokes.

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[MiataMan 0]

The problem is that onebuys a property/house from someone else. The person owning it before you can set restrictions on the deed for almost whatever he/she wants, except for ones deemed unconstitutional.

A man without a mustache is like a hamburger without a bun, Un-American.

[BIGUN 1,063]

Suggestion: Paint the back wall of the garage interior, then when you raise the garage door, the flag of the Great State of Texas...

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[JohnRich 4]

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Think of the colors used in the flag patches on BDU's

Yep, I was already off on that alternative, and wondered if someone else would think of it. Brilliant minds think alike!

The Army used to have U.S. flag patches, in red, white and blue, on uniforms. The problem is that those stand out like a sore thumb when you're trying to hide from the enemy, and can get you killed. So they changed to "muted" colors for the flag patch, as seen in the first image attached below.

So, with that idea from futuredivot in mind, I've put together another proposed image using similar muted colors, common to the subdivision. I've substituted light gray for blue, light beige for red, and off-white for white. The result is in the second image below.

Do you think this version would have a better chance of passing approval? At least they couldn't say that my colors weren't of the moderate variety that contrast too much with the neighborhood. I wonder what excuse they would use to reject this one? I'll have to submit it for approval just to see what they'll say...

[millertime24 8]

You know Ive never really understood HA's. Thats probably because Ive lived in appartments my whole adult life, but something about an association that you pay into just to live there doesnt make much sense to me.

So what I'm asking is this. What, exactly does your HA do for YOU? Why cant you paint your house any damn color you please? What could they do if you went against their "rules"? Just curious here as one day Ill own a house and could always use a little knowledge.

Muff #5048

[GaryRay 0]

the flag doesnt even have to be that light, just use 3 shades of brown and leave the star the color of the original door. you can make it look real good.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[JohnRich 4]

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you have no one to blame but yourself. also, the flag is pretty jeff foxworthy.... you're better off not exposing yourself to all the redneck jokes.

I'm not assigning blame, to me, or anyone else. I understand the rules. Here in Texas, we're actually rather proud of our state, and not afraid to fly the flag to show that. There's nothing "redneck" about that.

[JohnRich 4]

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Suggestion: Paint the back wall of the garage interior, then when you raise the garage door, the flag of the Great State of Texas...

I like how you think!

The problem is, the back wall would be obscured by the car parked in there, and all the garden tools hanging there.

But there's nothing to say that I can't hang a flag inside my garage, just inside the garage door, visible only while the door is open. That's not painting the exterior that would be in violation of architectural guidelines. Ha! I like it.

[JohnRich 4]

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You know Ive never really understood HA's. Thats probably because Ive lived in appartments my whole adult life, but something about an association that you pay into just to live there doesnt make much sense to me.

So what I'm asking is this. What, exactly does your HA do for YOU? Why cant you paint your house any damn color you please? What could they do if you went against their "rules"? Just curious here as one day Ill own a house and could always use a little knowledge.

They maintain a pool and clubhouse for resident's usage. Mow the greenbelt areas, maintain sidewalks, etc. They keep people from having unkempt yards, junk cars, etc. They hire the sheriff for police patrols and spray for mosquitoes. It does keep the neighborhood looking nice. It also keeps everyone looking boringly identical.

If you violate their rules, they send a legal letter requesting that you come into compliance. If you don't respond, eventually, they can put a lien on your home. Then at some point in the future when you sell it, they take some of your cash for the trouble they went to rectifying the problem at their own expense.

[JohnRich 4]

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the flag doesnt even have to be that light, just use 3 shades of brown and leave the star the color of the original door. you can make it look real good.

Yes, I could use the original garage door color as the base, and then create three separate shades from that, by adding in just a little dribble of blue, red and white.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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So what I'm asking is this. What, exactly does your HA do for YOU?

Maintain common areas and enforce standards to maintain property values that are stricter than local ordinances (ex: people have to mow their lawns) with bigger penalties for non compliance.

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Why cant you paint your house any damn color you please?

Some people have nothing meaningful to do with their lives so they meddle instead.

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What could they do if you went against their "rules"? Just curious here as one day Ill own a house and could always use a little knowledge.

Daily fines until you comply. Repaint the property and bill you for it. Seize the property and sell it at auction to cover the resulting debt if you don't pay.

[Darius11 12]

Hi John

I wouldn’t mind that at all I think it looks good.

One thing I noticed in the letter. It states that WOOD should not be painted in a different color tone can you use another material? Laminated flag that can be hung from the door maybe?

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[Andy9o8 0]

John, I hate - HATE!! - homeowners' associations, but you asked for no rants; so OK, no rant (yet). I'm also a big believer in the "your property, your choice" principle.

Having said that, in my opinion the HA's bylaws are a contract by which you are legally bound; and based solely on the HA's denial letter (I have not read the bylaws) it does appear that the color scheme of your proposed flag technically falls outside the defined scope of what is permitted.

These are what I think your options probably are: (caveat: consult a Texas lawyer!)

1. Comply with the denial ruling.
2. Defy the denial and paint the flag on anyway. But you'd better expect the HA to take some sort of enforcement action against you.
3. (If the procedure exists under the bylaws) Appeal the denial back to the HA, and request a variance.
4. File a lawsuit challenging the denial in court.
Courts generally uphold these type of HA restrictive covenants. Perhaps you might craft an argument that a flag motif is 1st Amendment expression. But I urge you to consult with a Texas lawyer first re: the chances that that argument will fly.

Good luck.

[freeflymickey 0]

That looks terrible. Rednecky, trashy, trailer park like. I would raise absolute hell if you were my neighbor and wanted to do that.

[livendive 8]

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I understand the rules. Here in Texas, we're actually rather proud of our state, and not afraid to fly the flag to show that. There's nothing "redneck" about that.

I've never really gotten the concept of being "proud" of where one is from. It's not as if it was some crowing personal achievement that you managed, against all odds, to be from Texas. None of us can take credit for where we're from, nor do our origins make any of us better or worse than anyone else.

Edit to add: That said, I would not be a fan of an HOA telling me what colors I could or could not paint my garage door. If you really want the Texas flag flying there, I'd attach one to the interior of the garage door with some quick release mechanism (e.g. fast-teks, carabiners, or even velcro) along the bottom and sides so you can let it hang down whenever the garage door is open but get it up and out of the way for driving through the door.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[SpeedRacer 1]

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Note: I'm not trying to start another rant and rave discussion about the merits of Homeowner Associations

Um, OK. No, fuck it: When I chose my house, I made DAMN sure it was not in an area with an HOA.

You can be sure that the sort of people who run HOAs are the most uptight, nitpicking busybodies around. That's why they want to run HOAs: it gives them power to wield over other people for the tiniest little thing.

edited to add: I personally wouldn't want to see it in my neighborhood: I think it does look a little tacky. But that's just my personal opinion: I would never raise a fuss if someone wanted to do that to their own garage.

Speed Racer
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[ryoder 1,391]

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It's not as if it was some crowing personal achievement that you managed, against all odds, to be from Texas.

ROTF!

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[BIGUN 1,063]

As everyone knows, everything is bigger in Texas. The roads are bigger, the trees are bigger, and the wide open spaces are, well, wider. Texans wear the biggest hats, the biggest boots, and drive the biggest cars.

One day, a Texan died and went to heaven. He was met at the pearly gates by none other than St. Peter, who proceeded to give him a tour of the wonders of heaven.

The Texan, however, was not impressed. St. Peter showed him the most beautiful rivers, and the Texan said that they were bigger in Texas. St. Peter revealed to him the majesty of mountains, but the Texan reminded him that they were just as good, if not better, back in Texas.

St. Peter showed him the glory of the stars (they shine brighter in Texas), the enormity of the sunrise (you haven't seen it until you've seen it in Texas), and the simple wonder of a doe and a fawn drinking at a lake Texarkana at sunset. There was nothing St. Peter could do to overcome the man's opinion of his home state.

Finally, St. Peter took the Texan right out to the edge of heaven, and they both looked down. From there one could see all the way down into Hell. They could see the fire and the brimstone and the agony ad infinitum. It was a horrific sight. St. Peter then said, "Well? What do you think about that? Have anything like THAT down in Texas?"

The Texan replied, "No sir, we don't - but I know a couple of good old boys down in Houston who will put that out for ya."

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[futuredivot 0]

Well, I live in a neighborhood without an HOA, but I own a couple of acres in a neighborhood that has one. I'm not on the HOA Christmas card list because I think that they make some really stupid rules but I'm kinda glad they're there

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So what I'm asking is this. What, exactly does your HA do for YOU?

If I were selling my house now, my property values would be negatively impacted by the used/junk car lot that one of my neighbors has in his front yard. An HOA agreement would keep that from happening.

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Why cant you paint your house any damn color you please?

While a hardly visable flag may not be an issue-I don't want the guy next door painting his house or decorating in some manner that gives a bad impression to potential buyers

You are only as strong as the prey you devour