Are gated communities bad for society?

[tamias6]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who believe in "A Man's home is his Castle". If I'm going to throw down the biggest investment in my life into buying a home of my very own, I do not want other other people telling me what I can and can't do to my home. So neighborhoods with HOA's along with Gated Communities are not on my wish list.

i think if i ever lived in a place with a HOA, i'd be sure to find loopholes and make sure i flaunted breaking them. i think it's pointless. if i want to keep a basketball hoop in front of my house for my kids, who are the neighbors to tell me i can't? if i want to sell my car, whose to tell me i can't keep it in front of my house with a for sale sign on it? seriously... some of the rules are just plain dumb. if i want to paint my door red and the house black, why can't i? if i want a storm door on the front of the house, why shouldn't i be allows to have one?

[Bill Mocarsky]

My definition of HOA communities:

Communities with HOAs are like condominiom developments broken into single unit buildings where each owner is the care taker of the surrounding grounds.

[runawayjim]

My definition of HOA communities:

Communities with HOAs are like condominiom developments broken into single unit buildings where each owner is the care taker of the surrounding grounds.

[Bill Mocarsky]

i can understand the need for the rules in condo complexes because they're supposed to look uniform, and the fees go towards paying for certain types of upkeep. i don't understand the need in other neighborhoods. there's no need to look uniform, and you have to pay for your own upkeep. i've been in condo complexes, and while i am not a fan of the big ones because of the blandness, i understand that they serve a purpose. i've also been in cluster housing complexes. these i don't get. they're bland and boring.

[runawayjim]

The point is that they are supposed to look uniform. The fees are lower because you are responsible for your building and surrounding grounds. There are common elements as well such as roads, playgrounds etc.

When you don't cut the weeds growing out of your driveway on time or forget to clean leaves out of your gutters, who pays for the stationery that your citation is written on?