The HOA - Home Owners' Assocation.
One of the great inventions of modern American suburbia.
Okay, maybe not the invention, but we've certainly taken ownership of the concept.
I've heard a lot of tales (from my Dad, my friends, my next door neighbor, just about everyone) regarding the contentious dealings that go on in the common HOA. Especially apartment HOAs, they sound scary to me.
I became President of our HOA. Why not see for myself how this work?
As it turns out, an HOA of 21 homes shouldn't be that big a deal, and it's not. We have limited dues, no common areas, and provide no services, so it's more ideal than anything else.
What we do have is a history of some egregious neighbor relations. However, a few neighbors moved and all has been copacetic. It's now our job to ensure things stay that way.
So far, so good. We had another annual meeting recently, with decent attendance. Comments were basically that "even our disagreements are civil," and that's exactly what I hope can continue.
What I've found is that just getting together occasionally and waving at your neighbor and saying hi are a great palliative and wonderful way to keep communications open and conflicts down.
This leads to a result of a better neighborhood, better neighbors, and a more peaceful castle to live in.
So, next time you're involved, think about what you want to get out of your HOA, not who you can argue with. You'll really appreciate the added peace and quiet this engenders.
Posted by BilFish at March 20, 2004 08:43 AM