# Anyone live in the BridgeMill subdivision?  What a joke



## rex upshaw (Sep 2, 2010)

http://www.ajc.com/news/cherokee/flag-flies-after-fight-605640.html


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

That's about a mile up the road from me. Those neighborhood association people are pinheads.


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## Buck (Sep 2, 2010)

I grew up with Daran Burns the attorney mentioned in that article.  Ya'll ever hear of Bob Burns the drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd?  Yep, they are brothers..


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## FishingAddict (Sep 2, 2010)

I'm surprised he won.  When you join an HOA, you give up some of your rights, in hopes that it will protect your property value as others must follow.


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## jmfauver (Sep 2, 2010)

I lived in an area that had an association when I was in MD...They lost a case based on the fact that the House was 60 yrs old and the association ( which was allowed from day 1) was only started 53yrs later.....I dislike them as well


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

I'm glad he won. His biggest mistake was moving into a subdivision with that sort of covenants in the first place, but I'm glad he won. The right to proudly fly the American Flag is not one that should ever be infringed by anyone for any reason.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 2, 2010)

Buck said:


> I grew up with Daran Burns the attorney mentioned in that article.  Ya'll ever hear of Bob Burns the drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd?  Yep, they are brothers..



Not to derail the thread...but it's funny how different folk's careers can be in the same family.

My Dad has done some work with a Dr. Roth....David Lee's father.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 2, 2010)

germag said:


> I'm glad he won. His biggest mistake was moving into a subdivision with that sort of covenants in the first place, but I'm glad he won. The right to proudly fly the American Flag is not one that should ever be infringed by anyone for any reason.



He had the right to fly the flag, just not on a big giant pole that some might consider an eye sore (the pole, not the flag).

I was on a HOA board, and we only enforced things that went wrong with the ACC (the people who say what you can and can not do with the out side of your house.)  One of the problems with stuff like this is that if you let one person do something that is a little "out of the ordinary," then you have to let everyone do it.  So, let's say another guy builds a big old pole to put a islamic flag on it...then you are stuck...big old poles in the front yard have been officially approved.

The board I worked on tried really hard to let people have their way, and at the same time look at the long term implications of approving one thing or another.

That being said, I bet if he went to the ACC first, they would have approved it with a minor change or two.  It's when you try to break the rules right from the start that they tend to get bent out of shape.


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## BBQBOSS (Sep 2, 2010)

Only thing good I hear of over in bridgemill is the late night poker games and the stuff that goes on with the wives. 

pure heresay though....


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> He had the right to fly the flag, just not on a big giant pole that some might consider an eye sore (the pole, not the flag).
> 
> I was on a HOA board, and we only enforced things that went wrong with the ACC (the people who say what you can and can not do with the out side of your house.)  One of the problems with stuff like this is that if you let one person do something that is a little "out of the ordinary," then you have to let everyone do it.  So, let's say another guy builds a big old pole to put a islamic flag on it...then you are stuck...big old poles in the front yard have been officially approved.
> 
> ...



So...it's about power and "who's boss" and not necessarily the flag pole? 

I gotta tell you...I normally don't have a problem with "authority", but these little Hitlers on these neighborhood association boards really rub me the wrong way. I look at it like it's my property and I'll do anything I want to it within the law. My neighborhood's covenants expired years ago, but some folks down the street tried to revive it a couple of years back.....I think that they were completely shocked at the response they got....it didn't last long. They came to me once and told me that they wanted me to move my boat out of my driveway. I put them in the wind and they never came back. I have no tolerance for them.


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

BBQBOSS said:


> Only thing good I hear of over in bridgemill is the late night poker games and the stuff that goes on with the wives.
> 
> pure heresay though....



Yeah, the only place I know of that has a worse reputation for that sort of stuff is The Villages in Florida. Highest per capita rate of STDs in the country.


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## Redneck1919 (Sep 2, 2010)

germag said:


> Yeah, the only place I know of that has a worse reputation for that sort of stuff is The Villages in Florida. Highest per capita rate of STDs in the country.



Is that a snowbird retiree village?


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

Redneck1919 said:


> Is that a snowbird retiree village?



Yup.


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## Buck (Sep 2, 2010)

BBQBOSS said:


> Only thing good I hear of over in bridgemill is the late night poker games and the stuff that goes on with the wives.
> 
> pure heresay though....



Probably shouldn't admit this but I have a cousin and a few friends in that neighborhood.  I've asked them about those very "rumors" and so far none have admitted to any knowledge of such activity...


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## bmhayes (Sep 2, 2010)

I really don't care for any HOA's. esp the one i'm in.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 2, 2010)

germag said:


> So...it's about power and "who's boss" and not necessarily the flag pole?
> 
> .



Er, no, it is about following the rules the said person agreed to follow in the first place.

   What I was saying is that if you work with the folks, they are likely to work with you.  If this guy said "I really want to fly a US flag, how can I do that and still respect my promise to keep the covenants," they would most likely have done all they could do to get his way.

  However, he did not show any respect for his neighbors, and did not give any weight to what he promised to do when he moved there... and thought it was best to what ever the heck he wanted to do with out asking them first (again, in a place that all neighbors agree to be under the same covenants.) That does not go over well, as it shows disrespect.  It's not doing what you promised to do.

If there is no covenants, then yes, I agree with you, no one has a right to tell you what to do with the property.   

 I'm in a hood.  And I'd prefer that there are rules, because it protects the property value of the homes.  If a hood has 1/2 the lawns cut every month, 1/10 with broken down cars, 1/10 with chain link fences in the front yard, it's gonna make the property values tank. 

I can't wait until my kids get older and I can move on some acreage.   Then I can have my garden in the front yard, let my lawn go if I want to, let my dogs bark all day long...but I'll be the only one to see and hear it.


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## germag (Sep 2, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> Er, no, it is about following the rules the said person agreed to follow in the first place.
> 
> What I was saying is that if you work with the folks, they are likely to work with you.  If this guy said "I really want to fly a US flag, how can I do that and still respect my promise to keep the covenants," they would most likely have done all they could do to get his way.
> 
> ...



I will never buy in a place that has those kinds of covenants. My freedom and rights to do as I please with my own property that I bought and paid for is more important to me than the status of living in some "upscale" neighborhood where everybody is worried about what everybody else is doing.


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## coggins (Sep 2, 2010)

What is this HOA thing you all speak of?


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## rex upshaw (Sep 2, 2010)

home owners association.


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## wharfrat (Sep 2, 2010)

Home Owners Association. Hadn't heard a lot of good stuff about any of them. Bunch of rules and regs you have to abide by when you buy a house that has a gate in front of the subdivision. No boat in driveway, etc.


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## coggins (Sep 2, 2010)

I gottcha, was joking really, out here in the sticks I bushhog twice a year whether I need to or not!


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## wharfrat (Sep 2, 2010)

coggins said:


> I gottcha, was joking really, out here in the sticks I bushhog twice a year whether I need to or not!


your neighbors don't make you put the tractor in the garage?


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## coggins (Sep 2, 2010)

What is this garage you speak of?


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## wharfrat (Sep 2, 2010)

coggins said:


> What is this garage you speak of?


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## aaronward9 (Sep 2, 2010)

the only covenant in my subdivision is that we can't have livestock as pets!


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 2, 2010)

aaronward9 said:


> the only covenant in my subdivision is that we can't have livestock as pets!


 
Is an Emu really considered livestock though?


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## aaronward9 (Sep 2, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Is an Emu really considered livestock though?



please don't talk about my wife like that...  she hit her head on the bus window again today...


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Sep 2, 2010)

I would never live in a subdivision with an HOA.  I've got enough trouble with the City of Buford telling me what I can and can't do with my yard that I paid for.


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## Coastie (Sep 3, 2010)

I think there would be fewer problems with HOAs and their covenants if they were required to present the fool things up front when somebody came to a sub division at first when they were looking for a home instead of at closing when you don't have time to scratch your head. When I was looking at the home I bought in Cumming 20 years ago, I had never even heard of an HOA let alone rstrictive covenants, imagine my surprise several months later when they got around to sending me a copy of them and I found out what I could and could not do with the property I had bought and was paying taxes on. I didn't last long there, my current home is not in a sub division and no future home will be either.


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## jmfauver (Sep 3, 2010)

Coastie said:


> I think there would be fewer problems with HOAs and their covenants if they were required to present the fool things up front when somebody came to a sub division at first when they were looking for a home instead of at closing when you don't have time to scratch your head. When I was looking at the home I bought in Cumming 20 years ago, I had never even heard of an HOA let alone rstrictive covenants, imagine my surprise several months later when they got around to sending me a copy of them and I found out what I could and could not do with the property I had bought and was paying taxes on. I didn't last long there, my current home is not in a sub division and no future home will be either.





This is one of the issues that we found as well...One of my search criteria  when I was looking for a house in GA was no HOA....I also think if the HOA were in line with what the county/state rules where ( the HOA acts like a watch dog for those who don't maintain the property iaw the fully enforceable laws) that would be a big help....Some of the rules are plain stupid,telling you what color your door and shutters must be,if someone is trying to improve or upgrade their home it should be their right...

One more note,when the suit in MD happened where I lived the judge made the comment about property taxes,he stated that since the person pays the taxes and not the HOA the HOA could not enforce their rules,this shut down a ton of HOA's....


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## Nicodemus (Sep 3, 2010)

I don`t think I`m of the right character to deal with an HOA. Or a subdivision.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

Looks like the Cherokee County Judge has some sense.

[SIZE=+1]*Canton [Ga.] Man Wins Flagpole Lawsuit*[/SIZE]
<SMALL>*myfoxatlanta.com ^ *| Thursday, 26 Aug 2010 | Kaitlyn Pratt </SMALL>

<SMALL>Posted on *Saturday, August 28, 2010 6:46:26 AM* by *GonzoII*</SMALL>

CANTON, Ga. - Ron Tripodo has lived in Canton's Bridgemill subdivision for two years. For most of that time he has been involved in a flagpole fight. The 16-foot tall fixture hasn't flown well with the Bridgemill Homeowners Association. 
"I got a letter saying, 'Take your flag down. You can put it in your backyard' and I just refused to do it," Tripodo. 
Tripodo, a former Army Reservist, maintains that the flag belongs in a prominent place. 
Tripodo's HOA then filed a lawsuit and called the flagpole an obstruction. The homeowner's association sued Tripodo for $25 each day the flag flew in the front yard. The fees now total $32,000. 
Tripodo admitted that he signed the covenant but that he believed the 2006 Freedom to Display the American Flag Act superseded subdivision rules. 
"That's why I didn't even ask for permission because I knew the law," said Tripodo. 
This week, a year and a half after the flag flap started, a Cherokee County judge agreed with Tripodo and denied the suit. "Hooray! Today I won. I wish I didn't have to go through all this aggravation, but I was going to defend this flag all the way," Tripodo said


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## Patriot44 (Sep 3, 2010)

WOW.  And this thread being the exact reason we have HOA's


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## OutFishHim (Sep 3, 2010)

I read in the paper last week that there is another neighborhood in Towne Lake, Eagle Watch I think, going through the same thing.  The homeowner is using the same attorny as Tripodo.



BBQBOSS said:


> Only thing good I hear of over in bridgemill is the late night poker games and the stuff that goes on with the wives.
> 
> pure heresay though....







Buck said:


> Probably shouldn't admit this but I have a cousin and a few friends in that neighborhood.  I've asked them about those very "rumors" and so far none have admitted to any knowledge of such activity...



All you have to do is hang out in the Bridgemill Publix in the produce department to find out....



Dead Eye Eddy said:


> I would never live in a subdivision with an HOA.  I've got enough trouble with the City of Buford telling me what I can and can't do with my yard that I paid for.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

OutFishHim said:


> I read in the paper last week that there is another neighborhood in Towne Lake, Eagle Watch I think, going through the same thing. The homeowner is using the same attorny as Tripodo.


 
When I was the Pres. of our HOA one of our first orders of business was to research the legal validity of our covenants. Then we proposed several changes to the documents, had the homeowners vote on them and filed the changes. It is the first and foremost responsibility of the Officers of the HOA. They cannot assume that the document, many of which are cookie cutter, left to them by the developer is 100% within the constraints of the law and rights of their property owners. Additionally, it is incumbent upon the officers of the HOA to be aware of and abide by Bills passed since the inception of the original HOA documents.

Example:

*Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005*

<!--body here-->--H.R.42--
H.R.42
<CENTER>*One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America*
AT THE SECOND SESSION
</CENTER>Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and six
An Act
<TTITLE>To ensure that the right of an individual to display the flag of the United States on residential property not be abridged.</TTITLE>


_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled_,

*SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.*




This Act may be cited as the 'Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005'.

*SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.*




For purposes of this Act--



(1) the term 'flag of the United States' has the meaning given the term 'flag, standard, colors, or ensign' under section 3 of title 4, United States Code;




(2) the terms 'condominium association' and 'cooperative association' have the meanings given such terms under section 604 of Public Law 96-399 (15 U.S.C. 3603);




(3) the term 'residential real estate management association' has the meaning given such term under section 528 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 528); and




(4) the term 'member'--





(A) as used with respect to a condominium association, means an owner of a condominium unit (as defined under section 604 of Public Law 96-399 (15 U.S.C. 3603)) within such association;






(B) as used with respect to a cooperative association, means a cooperative unit owner (as defined under section 604 of Public Law 96-399 (15 U.S.C. 3603)) within such association; and






(C) as used with respect to a residential real estate management association, means an owner of a residential property within a subdivision, development, or similar area subject to any policy or restriction adopted by such association.



*SEC. 3. RIGHT TO DISPLAY THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES.*




A condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association may not adopt or enforce any policy, or enter into any agreement, that would restrict or prevent a member of the association from displaying the flag of the United States on residential property within the association with respect to which such member has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive possession or use.

*SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS.*




Nothing in this Act shall be considered to permit any display or use that is inconsistent with--



(1) any provision of chapter 1 of title 4, United States Code, or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display or use of the flag of the United States (as established pursuant to such chapter or any otherwise applicable provision of law); or




(2) any reasonable restriction pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag of the United States necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> (2) any reasonable restriction pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag of the United States necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association.
> [/LIST]
> Speaker of the House of Representatives.
> Vice President of the United States and
> President of the Senate.




What I've made in red is why I'm surprised he won. If HOA covenants are more restrictive than state/fed/county/city zoning laws, the HOA covenants more powerful...and vice vesa.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> What I've made in red is why I'm surprised he won. If HOA covenants are more restrictive than state/fed/county/city zoning laws, the HOA covenants more powerful...and vice vesa.


 
"protect the substantial interest" is the catch phrase. It would be the responsibility of the HOA to show in a real world market value how the display of the flag is devaluing the property of the neighborhood as a whole. I bet, especially in this economy, they weren't prepared to find out that the appraisal process for property has been liberalized to a point that such items aren't even taken into consideration.


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## grouper throat (Sep 3, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> I don`t think I`m of the right character to deal with an HOA. Or a subdivision.


Me too. I'd rather not see anyone else when I walk outside my house, let alone a group of naggers with pages of rules to abide by. 

I had a buddy who had lived in the back of a subdivision (he was the first home owner in there on a 10 acre parcel) and 7-8 years later the subdivision formed a HOA and tried to get him to move his 4 deer dogs off the property. He told them what to do with their rules


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

grouper throat said:


> Me too. I'd rather not see anyone else when I walk outside my house, let alone a group of naggers with pages of rules to abide by.
> 
> I had a buddy who had lived in the back of a subdivision (he was the first home owner in there on a 10 acre parcel) and 7-8 years later the subdivision formed a HOA and tried to get him to move his 4 deer dogs off the property. He told them what to do with their rules



Yeah, we had one person who lived on the property of our hood before it became a hood.  

The front of his wooded lot was a disaster, and it was on the property as you drove in.  

We, of course, could not ask him to clean it up... (not only legally, but we felt it was not the right thing to do- it's his property, we have no right to ask him to clean it up- it's his business.)

So, we asked if we could have our landscape crew clean his stuff up.  He was thrilled- he got free work done, and the neighbors were happy with it as well.  Win win.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> "protect the substantial interest" is the catch phrase. It would be the responsibility of the HOA to show in a real world market value how the display of the flag is devaluing the property of the neighborhood as a whole. I bet, especially in this economy, they weren't prepared to find out that the appraisal process for property has been liberalized to a point that such items aren't even taken into consideration.



Yup, the burden of proof would be to prove that putting a flag up in the yard would diminish property values- if that were the issue.

That being said, it's not flying the flag that was the issue as I understand it. It was the pole he put up. He is allowed to fly the flag- he is not allowed to build a big giant pole in the yard with out making sure the ACC was ok with it.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> Yup, the burden of proof would be to prove that putting a flag up in the yard would diminish property values- if that were the issue.
> 
> That being said, it's not flying the flag that was the issue as I understand it. It was the pole he put up. He is allowed to fly the flag- he is not allowed to build a big giant pole in the yard with out making sure the ACC was ok with it.


 
If the ACC covenants did not specifically address flag poles then he has a good case. According to the suit they filed the wording was of unauthorized lawn ornaments / statuary, neither of which define a flag pole. We disussed the addition of a statuary clause in our covenants to prevent gaudy additions to front lawns but in the long run decided that it didn't adversly effect the overall value of the entire subdivision. Now we have a new neighbor that is a UGA fan and has a 4 ft. tall bulldawg made from a log with a chainsaw and painted up.... Dang high class dawg fans...


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## holton27596 (Sep 3, 2010)

I will never be in a HOA either. In 5 years our subdivision will be up for a vote on whether to have a HOA. ive already told the old bird across the road that it will never happen while I live here. (have not heard from her since.....)


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## K80 (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> "protect the substantial interest" is the catch phrase. It would be the responsibility of the HOA to show in a real world market value how the display of the flag is devaluing the property of the neighborhood as a whole. I bet, especially in this economy, they weren't prepared to find out that the appraisal process for property has been liberalized to a point that such items aren't even taken into consideration.





I love the way you put that...

If the market doesn't take it into consideration the appraiser doesn't take it into consideration....


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## Nicodemus (Sep 3, 2010)

With a farm right up against my back fence, and a plantation across the road, I don`t think I have to worry about stuff like that. They`re pullin` peanuts across the road as I type this. Fall harvestin`, I love it!


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

K80 said:


> I love the way you put that...
> 
> If the market doesn't take it into consideration the appraiser doesn't take it into consideration....


 
It is a fact. Were you aware that finished basements, regardless of how many thousands were spent to complete them as part of the working household, are no longer considered under the new Mortgage & Lending laws? So I'm quite certain a flag pole garners no more attention either.


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## K80 (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> It is a fact. Were you aware that finished basements, regardless of how many thousands were spent to complete them as part of the working household, are no longer considered under the new Mortgage & Lending laws? So I'm quite certain a flag pole garners no more attention either.



No, no it is not a fact.  Without market support you can not adjust for a flag pole or the lack of.

That sounds like a lending issue and not an appraisal issue.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

K80 said:


> That sounds like a lending issue and not an appraisal issue.


 
Regardless, it is part of the new appraisal practices which are dictated by the lending institutions.


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## DDD (Sep 3, 2010)

Bridge Mill and their pineapples.   Do they have a covenant against pineapples?  

I think not.


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## germag (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> If the ACC covenants did not specifically address flag poles then he has a good case. According to the suit they filed the wording was of unauthorized lawn ornaments / statuary, neither of which define a flag pole. We disussed the addition of a statuary clause in our covenants to prevent gaudy additions to front lawns but in the long run decided that it didn't adversly effect the overall value of the entire subdivision. Now we have a new neighbor that is a UGA fan and has a 4 ft. tall bulldawg made from a log with a chainsaw and painted up.... Dang high class dawg fans...



That's why I live where I live.....if I decide I want to put a flock of plastic flamingoes, and a 10 ft tall plastic purple dinosaur in my front yard, it's nobody's business but mine.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

germag said:


> That's why I live where I live.....if I decide I want to put a flock of plastic flamingoes, and a 10 ft tall plastic purple dinosaur in my front yard, it's nobody's business but mine.


 
PM me your address. I have friends that can make your dreams come true...


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## K80 (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> Regardless, it is part of the new appraisal practices which are dictated by the lending institutions.



If you don't mind I would like for you to point me towards some literature on this.

If the market indicates the basement has value (value does not = cost) it should be valued regardless of what the lender says.

If the lender does not use the contributory value of the basement when making a lending decision that is a lending issue and not an appraisal issue.


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## K80 (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> PM me your address. I have friends that can make your dreams come true...


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## Ole Fuzzy (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> When I was the Pres. of our HOA one of our first orders of business was to research the legal validity of our covenants. Then we proposed several changes to the documents, had the homeowners vote on them and filed the changes. It is the first and foremost responsibility of the Officers of the HOA. They cannot assume that the document, many of which are cookie cutter, left to them by the developer is 100% within the constraints of the law and rights of their property owners. Additionally, it is incumbent upon the officers of the HOA to be aware of and abide by Bills passed since the inception of the original HOA documents.



A lot of HOA's don't have the funds to pay counsel for such review, and overwhelming majority of the napoleons on them don't have the wherewithal to do it themselves.  It is surprising how many errors are in the declarations because they were cut and paste and were prepared by a secretary and filed without proofreading.  I've seen declarations with several different subdivisions named in them for that reason.


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## Miguel Cervantes (Sep 3, 2010)

Ole Fuzzy said:


> A lot of HOA's don't have the funds to pay counsel for such review, and overwhelming majority of the napoleons on them don't have the wherewithal to do it themselves. It is surprising how many errors are in the declarations because they were cut and paste and were prepared by a secretary and filed without proofreading. I've seen declarations with several different subdivisions named in them for that reason.


 
We had an attorney on the board..


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Ole Fuzzy said:


> A lot of HOA's don't have the funds to pay counsel for such review, and overwhelming majority of the napoleons on them don't have the wherewithal to do it themselves.  It is surprising how many errors are in the declarations because they were cut and paste and were prepared by a secretary and filed without proofreading.  I've seen declarations with several different subdivisions named in them for that reason.



So true...there is a ton of stuff out there that can be missed. Our HOA hired an attorney who specialized in HOA stuff to make sure we did everything with in the law, and to protect the homeowners.  We ended up spending a couple grand a year on legal stuff advice (less than 1% of yearly budget),  but it was money well worth spending to prevent what Bridge Mill has just gone through.   

All the rules, regs, etc are mind blowing.  There are so many ins and out of the legal stuff that it takes someone who does HOA for a living to really know it all.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> If the ACC covenants did not specifically address flag poles then he has a good case. According to the suit they filed the wording was of unauthorized lawn ornaments / statuary, neither of which define a flag pole. We disussed the addition of a statuary clause in our covenants to prevent gaudy additions to front lawns but in the long run decided that it didn't adversly effect the overall value of the entire subdivision. Now we have a new neighbor that is a UGA fan and has a 4 ft. tall bulldawg made from a log with a chainsaw and painted up.... Dang high class dawg fans...




Hey, if it was a pachyderm, you'd have loved it!

Yet another reason to get a HOA specialized lawyer when the HOA writes the bi-laws and covenants.  I'm pretty sure that ours said something to the effect of anything that is put in or on the ground for more than 2 weeks (fence, flagpoles, yard art, etc) must be approved.  Now, if someone bought a flower planter, no one would ask for permission, and now one would complain.  It was more to prevent someone from putting up a permanent 20 foot purple and pink elvis statue. 

99% of the time the ACC would approve, or work with to modify and then approve anything that the homeowner wanted to do.  In our case, it was to prevent the 1% might do something like put a goat pen in front of an expensive home.  I know our old ACC/Board would have not problem with an average flag pole, in fact, my neighbor had one.

Our new hood has a rule that I have to have it approved to cut a dead tree down, or even overgrown bushes.  I think that's a bit over the top.  That being said, I don't think anyone would ever enforce that.  It may be to prevent someone bulldozing all the bushes in the yard and just leaving it as a scar in the earth rather than doing some landscaping to replace them.  

According to the rules of my new hood, a trampoline has to be approved on it's location.  I put mine up before I read that rule...and no one said anything.  But, if I put it in the front yard...that might be a whole 'nother story.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 3, 2010)

Can ya`ll have chickens? Or livestock?


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> Can ya`ll have chickens? Or livestock?



Do dogs count as livestock?


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## Nicodemus (Sep 3, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> Do dogs count as livestock?



I don`t think so. Cats either!  

Sorry, I couldn`t resist pickin` at you city folks.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> I don`t think so. Cats either!
> 
> Sorry, I couldn`t resist pickin` at you city folks.




I can't wait to live out in the country when my kids get out of school.  I'm just here for the schools (rated the best in the state-better scores than the average private school.)  I'd like to see if I raise/grow/hunt/fish most of my food on my own.


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## Patriot44 (Sep 3, 2010)

FishingAddict said:


> Hey, if it was a pachyderm, you'd have loved it!
> 
> Yet another reason to get a HOA specialized lawyer when the HOA writes the bi-laws and covenants.  I'm pretty sure that ours said something to the effect of anything that is put in or on the ground for more than 2 weeks (fence, flagpoles, yard art, etc) must be approved.  Now, if someone bought a flower planter, no one would ask for permission, and now one would complain.  It was more to prevent someone from putting up a permanent 20 foot purple and pink elvis statue.
> 
> ...



Thats right.  Our rules are very strict, but having said that i didnt get approval for the play set or the trampoline in the back.  But then again, they are nice and not in the front yard.   I personally think that a flag pole in my front lawn would look rediculous.  I am a vet, I display my flag the same as most other people do.  

BTW, Not Bridgemill, but we have been known to pull all nighters in various basements throughout the hood.....w/ the ladies polishing off a few botttles of wine


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## Ole Fuzzy (Sep 3, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> I don`t think so. Cats either!
> 
> Sorry, I couldn`t resist pickin` at you city folks.



They cannot have nary cars sitting up on blocks with weeds around them and trees growing out the broken winders.  

No refrigerators converted to keg coolers sitting out front.

No visible axles under the house.

No above ground pools in the front, outdoor privies to the side, or 4 foot wide satellite dishes.

No loud, all weekend long parties with nekkid people a jumpin from the faux redwood deck into an adjacent above ground pool.

No guineas scratching in the yard or a roostin' in the trees. 

No goats staked out for organic lawn maintenance.

When it comes right down to it, those subdivision rules won't let anybody have any fun at all.


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## Patriot44 (Sep 3, 2010)

Ole Fuzzy said:


> They cannot have nary cars sitting up on blocks with weeds around them and trees growing out the broken winders.
> 
> No refrigerators converted to keg coolers sitting out front.
> 
> ...



That sounds like deer camp


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## jfinch (Sep 3, 2010)

> No goats staked out for organic lawn maintenance



Thats great I'll have to remember that one.


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## FishingAddict (Sep 3, 2010)

jfinch said:


> Thats great I'll have to remember that one.



Don't forget, goats eat roots and all. If you want to keep your lawn short with out dirt patches, choose cows.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 3, 2010)

Ole Fuzzy said:


> They cannot have nary cars sitting up on blocks with weeds around them and trees growing out the broken winders.
> 
> No refrigerators converted to keg coolers sitting out front.
> 
> ...





You can strike that rule about the guineas. It is a proven fact that them and me cannot co-habit, or exist in the same general area.


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## Twenty five ought six (Sep 3, 2010)

Ole Fuzzy said:


> They cannot have nary cars sitting up on blocks with weeds around them and trees growing out the broken winders.
> 
> No refrigerators converted to keg coolers sitting out front.
> 
> ...




Actually I think the federal gov'ment says they can have 4 foot satellite dishes.  

I know the guineas like to roost on them.


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