Columbus Grove - Buyer Beware

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
Wow, that does not sound like a fun meeting. This warning they gave you when you moved in, was that in writing or just a verbal thing? Such a great way to greet new VOC buyers. I know getting stepped on day 1 by the HOA would darken my move in day a little bit.



Hope there are going to be signs for those visitors without decals so they know the ambush they are walking into. It sounds like that system is going to be brutal for them.
 
My warning wasn't my first day there, but later on when I was moving items from the back of my truck into the house, and forgot to move it back into the driveway. It was a written warning. I deserved that one, I completely forgot to move it and was 100% blocking the sidewalk. What I didn't know was that it now put me on the immediate tow list. Apparently 1 warning is enough, and that is not communicated to the residents, and it never will be.
 
<p>I would make flyers for the neighborhood warning them about the rules and the new rules to come. I know it's not your job to do it, but maybe it would help rally up some support. </p>

<p>Or start a small community web forum for people to publically post why their car was towed and what has happened recently. Then make a monthly newsletter of all the towings that has happened and pass them out. But then, that might be violating some solicitor rule.</p>
 
The decal system is still under discussion, and its possible that they can implement an overnight only policy. The goal is to keep people from parking on the street, but filling their garages with storage. I for one don't want to see all of my daytime BBQ guests towed away because I didn't call for enough parking passes. I'll try to be on the parking committee (if they accept me). Overnight restrictions are acceptable, assuming that overnight means 2AM, not 9PM. A late dinner party could be disastrous.
 
Sounds like a terrible/typicall hoa meeting where the board is still a majority developer controlled. Unfortuntately, due to lack of sales, this will be the case for a while.



Elaborate on the decal/sticker, grove isn't a gated community. How can they possibly enforce or differentiate visitor from resident?



"The city makes them do it, and if they don't they're in for huge law suits." - Is this only the case when your vehicle is blocking a public right of way? Again, i've called the city/cops to tow a vehicle blocking my private garage but they refuse citing state law.
 
I live in CS, and well i think there is a problem with residents abusing street parking, i've seen some gargages empty but with one car taking up two spaces and the other out in guest, but i hardly think decals or stickers is the way to go.
 
Why is the city so strict with the VOC and so relaxed on Irvine villages? I know TIC goes out of the way to meet the strict guest parking requirement imposed by the city. Did the city approve the Lennar VOC project with a compromised guest parking ratio less than required but Lennar has to live up to its stipulation by strict enforcement? So much land is set aside to create longer parkways and curb sides to accommodate the extra parkings and this is the reason why the streets in Irvine Villages feel more spacious than the congested streets in VOC.
 
<p>I suspect that the story New got was either garbled or not entirely the truth. For ADA purposes, sidewalks can't be blocked. There are a handful of disabled activists that tour around looking for ADA violations and then suing cities and businesses when there is a violation of the regulations. It's possible that Lennar is aware that there is a resident who is disabled in the area and does not want to run the risk of a lawsuit. It's also possible that the story New was given was pretext. </p>

<p>In my Patrol None area, on more than one occasion, I have seen residents' cars parked at SFRs where the resident left 3+ feet of space between the front of their car and the garage door and partially or completely blocking the sidewalk. It's dangerous to a wheelchair user and annoying for anyone else using the sidewalk. </p>

<p>That said, even for purposes of ADA litigation, I would think a policy of one warning per house per year would be reasonable. (Note: this is my personal opinion, and not legal advice!)</p>
 
The rule of no parking on the streets was supposedly the original "vision" of the community. The board thought that this would be against better judgment, so that has been put on hold while they develop this program. It could be 24 hour no parking enforcement or overnight only. This is where people need to speak up and state just what works for them.



The city crackdown is supposedly on the fire lane violations/fire hydrants, not guest parking. According to the LA, the city is forcing them to tow every car from fire lanes and they're liable if they don't. In other communities, I've seen all kinds of tickets for hydrants and fire lanes, but never tow away. If they relax the enforcement of the rules, then they're liable. It sounds like they need a little more legal counsel on this issue.



I'm sure that there are many places that parking is a real issue. My street doesn't have that problem, but we're an a much more open area of CG. The denser areas have heavy parking on both sides of the street, because the homes don't have driveways to use.



Eval: I totally agree with you. But wouldn't a stiff ticket work just as well as towing your car away, making a person miss work, waste gas, and pay impound fees? If I had gotten a ticket or fine, I wouldn't be posting here now. Towing was overkill. How about warning, ticket, ticket X 2, tow? They would have had me at ticket.
 
Here's another problem with lennar maintaining majority control of the board....



I believe the claim that the city is forcing the HOA to tow cars is highly suspect, asit seems there is a greater liablity issue when cars are towed as opposed to ticketed. However, from a the developer's standpoint, the developer is going to attempt to get as many cars off the streets and into garages in order to maintain a more marketable community. less cars parked on street equals quieter more peaceful looking neighborhood equals more homes sold (in their view). Lennar is going to heavily enforce unreasonables rules that they can benefit from.



Kinda on the same lines, it bugs the heck out of me that my association has accepted ownership of the common area while prospective residents are free to tour the facility. I think we should deny the developer any abilitiy to use those facilities on their marketing tour, after all, we are paying for the insruance and maintenance of those highly traffic'd areas.
 
Another thing thats interesting. Years ago Patrol One was here in Orange on Batavia. And Tows R Russ is right around the corner on Main. Seems like a cozy long term relationship to me. Hard to prove. But curious. NewVOC. Something still sounds weird about your situation. Lennar has way bigger fish to fry than your little parking issues. Have you gotten anything back in response from the PD or the City from your inquiries ? For them to be towing 3 cars a day is preditory in itself. .
 
No word back from the city of PD at this point, but I won't give up on that one.



At this point I can help make a change to the decal program, but it looks like we have to accept the word of Lennar for the time being and watch our backs.



I put a lot of time and effort into this cause, we distributed fliers to get more homeowners to come and complain and they shot down each and every request. Its just plain depressing. At least I've educated potential buyers about what they're getting into if they try to move here.
 
Thats one of the reasons why I moved out of California. I wanted more personal freedom than the State, cities, and HOAs allow. If you choose to live in Orange County, within a master and a sub-association, in California then you really have elected to give up a lot of rights and personal freedoms.



While working for builders I was on 25-30 boards as the builder representative. It is a tough situation to be in as you do have a fiduciary responsibility to the homeowners, your are trying to do the best for the builder (your employer), and have to put up with the constant threat of lawsuits. There has to be a "to the letter of the documents enforcement" to lower the risk of "unequal enforcement".



I am not making excuses just letting you all know that the builder rep has to stay within a narrow band. Hopefully everyone read all of the CCR's, Regulations, and still decided to buy. If so then quit bitching as you choose to abide by them. If you didn't read and understand the rules then it is your fault.



Personally I would never buy a home with an HOA again. I have had about 25 years experience along with owning 20 plus homes in HOAs.



You will usually lose in your arguments since either knowingly or unknowingly you have violated a rule or regulation.



I actually had 2 "yuppie women" get into a slapping match at an HOA meeting due to one feeling that the other was parking in front of her home. It was a normal parking space on the street. It was legal but was a form of harassment and led to physical confrontation. Need I say more about the level of hositility raised by the heavy rules and regs. This occured in a gated "upper end" community so price or income has nothing to do with the squabbles. In fact some of the higher end owners are harder to deal with since they all feel entitled.



Rant off!!



Regards
 
Xsocal, be realistic, no home owner can read and fully understand hundreds of pages of cc&r's, disclosures, bylaws, hoa docs, condo maps,etc etc worked on by more than a handful of attorney's. furthermore, In the interim between certs of occupancy and most of the move-in's, the HOA is controlled by the developer and the management company of the developer hired. During this time period, the homeowners have every right to bitch about the circumstances as they have no control over a board that's not acting in the community's interest, much less a neighbor.
 
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