Are condo / townhome rules about working on vehicles actually enforced?

[acpigeon]

I'm considering buying a condo in Oakland and the buyer contract has a section that forbids working on vehicles in your garage.

Vehicle Repair and Maintenance. No Owner shall conduct any repairs to any motor vehicle of any kind whatsoev- er in or upon any portion of the Community, except for emergency repairs thereto and then only to the extent neces- sary to enable the vehicle to be moved to a proper repair facility. In addition, no Owner's garage shall be used for any purpose other than parking of an Owner's vehicle and storage (only so long as such storage does not interfere with the parking of Owner's vehicles therein). NO WASHING OR POLISHING OF ANY VEHICLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS PERMITTED, UNLESS EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD IN WRITING.
m. Use of Power Tools in Garages. Unless expressly authorized by the Board in writing or in the event of an emergency, no power equipment (other than hand-held power tools) or other similar apparatus may be used in the garages or Community.

I assume that as long as I am not making loud noises or dumping gasoline or oil everywhere that this rule probably wouldn't be enforced. Does anyone have experience being on the wrong end of something like this?

 

[thepretender]

It depends how many "Karen's" you have as neighbors. Rules are rules but if your not overly obnoxious about it you could get away with it.

 

[Kurosaki]

My neighbors at my current location have complained about doing even basic maintenance, in south Orange County.

Doing work in my parking space at my apartment in Sacramento with, nobody gave a damn.

Officially, not allowed at either location and what he said, Karens gonna Karen sometime.

 

[acpigeon]

"Karens gonna Karen" :laughing

This is always the problem right?

 

[buellistic]

And if Karen isn't home..
There is always..That guy!!...

 

[Kurosaki]

"Karens gonna Karen" :laughing

This is always the problem right?

Pretty much. Condos, HOAs, etc generally have pretty strict rules but I've never lived anywhere where they tried to follow every god damn rule. It would be impossible to live.

 

[berth]

Like most HOA rules, they're community enforced. Basically, someone from the community complains and away you go.

Back in the day, I've replaced the brakes on my truck at my condo, in my garage (door open), and no one said boo.

But I'm someone COULD have said boo and away it goes.

 

[Maddevill]

Condos can be a nightmare. I used to have one where each building cluster had its own collective garage. We had our own individual garage doors but once inside, everything was open. I got in trouble for changing the spark plug on my XL600
I told them that any maintenance I did was for safety reasons. The guy who was next to me was a friend of the head of the " Parking Committee" and he completely disassembled a freaking BMW car in the stall next to mine and nobody said a thing. In my opinion, HOAs suck, condos suck. Avoid them if you can.

Mad

 

[DannoXYZ]

HOAs really suck and each one has slightly difference nuances depending upon who's living there and who's on BoD.

One of my friends got turned in because his lawn was 1/8" taller than regulation. Apparently some Karen goes around with ruler measuring everyone's lawn.

Some HOA horror stories:
https://blog.cheapism.com/homeowners-associations/
https://www.bigstatehomebuyers.com/hoa-horror-stories-real-horrible-and-sometimes-funny/
https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/homeowner-association-horror-stories/
https://www.odometer.com/lifestyle/2488345/home-owners-reveal-their-worst-hoa-horror-stories/
https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a6854/worst-homeowners-association-stories/

i will never ever be involved with anything to do with an HOA.

 

[Kurosaki]

HOAs really suck and each one has slightly difference nuances depending upon who's living there and who's on BoD.

One of my friends got turned in because his lawn was 1/8" taller than regulation. Apparently some Karen goes around with ruler measuring everyone's lawn.

WTF :laughing

If I saw that, I'd spray her with my water hose. Report that.

 

[BillSmith]

If you wish to fall outside of rules, the HOA cannot selectively enforce where others are exhibiting similar scofflaw behavior as yours.

That said, you are expecting a certain level of adherence to rules and regs to maintain the expectations of how the grounds and units are maintained and presented. e.g. You are paying for a better than average community.

It's not YOU vs. HOA, you ARE the HOA. Ask a board member point-blank, if I work on my vehicle with my garage door closed or in my parking area lift a wheel for inspection, is that a problem?

Don't like the rules? Get on the board and change them.

You are welcome to PM me and ask me how I know.

 

[Kurosaki]

If you wish to fall outside of rules, the HOA cannot selectively enforce where others are exhibiting similar scofflaw behavior as yours.

That said, you are expecting a certain level of adherence to rules and regs to maintain the expectations of how the grounds and units are maintained and presented. e.g. You are paying for a better than average community.

It's not YOU vs. HOA, you ARE the HOA. Ask a board member point-blank, if I work on my vehicle with my garage door closed or in my parking area lift a wheel for inspection, is that a problem?

Don't like the rules? Get on the board and change them.

You are welcome to PM me and ask me how I know.

Lot of people are renters in HOA neighborhoods. So getting on the board of home owners to change things doesn't really apply to us, unless you know something I don't.

I'm not complaining, I knew what I was getting into as a renter. Just bringing up the point.

 

[dravnx]

If you wish to fall outside of rules, the HOA should not selectively enforce where others are exhibiting similar scofflaw behavior as yours.

That said, you are expecting a certain level of adherence to rules and regs to maintain the expectations of how the grounds and units are maintained and presented. e.g. You are paying for a better than average community.

It's not YOU vs. HOA, you ARE the HOA. Ask a board member point-blank, if I work on my vehicle with my garage door closed or in my parking area lift a wheel for inspection, is that a problem?

Don't like the rules? Get on the board and change them.

You are welcome to PM me and ask me how I know.

FTFY

 

[BillSmith]

Kurosaki- The original poster mentioned he was thinking of buying. You peons that rent are SOL. Ha!

You are correct and bring up whole `nother point. Renters are screwed in HOAs more so than just a normal apartment style renting experience. If as a renter in an HOA you break a rule, the board fines or admonishes the owner, not the renter.

The owner then has reason to suspend a signed lease and boot the renter. Still the usual hassle of eviction, but renter has little with which to counter.

And btw, Axel, you don't rent, you just take up residence in those costly mansions in Beverly Hills.

 

[BillSmith]

dravnx- Duly noted and agree with the correction.

 

[Maddevill]

Just before I sold the condo, I received a note saying I needed to paint my outside screen door. I thought the external parts belonged to the owner of the development but whatever. I painted it. ( Steel screen, white)
Well they didn't like my paint job. So I painted it again. Another letter. At that point I told them to pound sand or paint it themselves. They started fining me. That's where things stood when I sold and got out of there.

Mad

 

[Kurosaki]

Kurosaki- The original poster mentioned he was thinking of buying. You peons that rent are SOL. Ha!

You are correct and bring up whole `nother point. Renters are screwed in HOAs more so than just a normal apartment style renting experience. If as a renter in an HOA you break a rule, the board fines or admonishes the owner, not the renter.

The owner then has reason to suspend a signed lease and boot the renter. Still the usual hassle of eviction, but renter has little with which to counter.

And btw, Axel, you don't rent, you just take up residence in those costly mansions in Beverly Hills.

Bill. :laughing Thank you, I needed that laugh, zero sarcasm.

And you're right. We are pretty good tenants but we've had people over for holiday parties a few times and gotten noise complaints. Neighbors complained to the HOA, landlord got the notice, then he had to tell us. When the neighbors could have just knocked on the door and talked to us directly but as I said in an earlier post, Karens gonna Karen.

 

[acpigeon]

I've been living in a condo (renting) for a while and have never had issues, but different communities / people and who knows.

Appreciate all the perspectives here. I don't have any other options so will make the best of it, be a good neighbor etc and I'm sure things will be ok.

 

[Kornholio]

Bill. :laughing Thank you, I needed that laugh, zero sarcasm.

And you're right. We are pretty good tenants but we've had people over for holiday parties a few times and gotten noise complaints. Neighbors complained to the HOA, landlord got the notice, then he had to tell us. When the neighbors could have just knocked on the door and talked to us directly but as I said in an earlier post, Karens gonna Karen.

How many times have you yourself knocked on someone else's door to complain to them about being too noisy or heard of someone who has? The usual response? "Mind your own fucking business, asshole" or some derivative thereof...plus or minus colorful language. People are largely assholes these days. Especially in the Bay Area. That's why your neighbors would rather call the police or the HOA and let them deal with you. There hasn't been a single time in my life when I've been somewhere that's gotten a noise complaint that it hasn't been painfully aware to me and many others that we were being too loud. If it comes to the point that someone has to report you for being an unneighborly asshole, chances are coming to you to do it isn't going to fix anything. You already knew you were being too loud and simply didn't care.

 

[Kurosaki]

How many times have you yourself knocked on someone else's door to complain to them about being too noisy or heard of someone who has? The usual response? "Mind your own fucking business, asshole" or some derivative thereof...plus or minus colorful language. People are largely assholes these days. Especially in the Bay Area. That's why your neighbors would rather call the police or the HOA and let them deal with you. There hasn't been a single time in my life when I've been somewhere that's gotten a noise complaint that it hasn't been painfully aware to me and many others that we were being too loud. If it comes to the point that someone has to report you for being an unneighborly asshole, chances are coming to you to do it isn't going to fix anything. You already knew you were being too loud and simply didn't care.

I guess I'm used to living in neighborhoods where the community had the balls to approach your fellow neighbors if they have a problem and I thought that's what normal people do. And if someone asks us to keep it down, we actually keep it down, not just tell them to fuck off.