>>It just ain't the free country it used to be!

keep in mind, one has to make a conscious decision to buy/move into/rent/[whatever] that 'environment'

we've moved a number of times and in the course of house hunting have encountered 'communities' with some really goofy 'regulations' -

if you opt to move into a 'historic district' you should be prepared for the historic commission to decline your suggestion of paining your house lime green....

stuff like 'you can put up a fence, but not a chain link fence' - heh, that works for me, I like wood fences....

"no outside clothes lines" - does not work for me

etc

some places got ruled off our list real fast [g]

Dilbert you make a good point there!

In my case I purchased a home and was never told of a HOA right up until closing! It is on no paperwork whatsoever of mine, so it does not apply to me! I would not have bought if it had. I can not stand garbage like that! If I am buying a home and I want a fence, or a garden or heck even a few chickens and a pet goat I will have all that, I live in the County and County does not have restrictions, in our area it is city, but many areas still have County lots, I bought a home on purpose on a County lot for that reason (less restrictions)! It is a neighborhood and I will refrain from chickens and a goat out of consideration for my neighbors, but not because some Hidden HOA dictates that I can not!

So true I pay a large sum for maintenance, each facility has its own laundromat but we have special hours that does not accommodate a working family, therefore you either take a day off, or go there in the weekend, outrageous! *** I gave my washer/dryer away to make more room in my kitchen, also the constant noise was invading my quiet space, also my hubby is into electronics, and music/washer/dryer certainly is not a good mixture.

I will like to know who made up these extra special rules, what committee is involved? Amazing but all these rules that we are living by only hurts us, I would hope that was not their initial intention. It looks like no common sense was used, only book sense, now mind you I prefer someone with a little of both to make our rules.

>>who made up these extra special rules

a builder / developer buys a corn field and puts up housing with the intent to establish some flavor of "aura" about it.

think: gated community

once "management" is out of the picture - not going to happen in a condo / rental situation - the homeowner / condo association "committee" operates - and with representation from "management" and "residents"

if one does not vote, one does not has little right to beef about "the rules"

>>rules hurt us

you might feel differently if you'd paid a pile of money for a house in a nice neighborhood and then got a new neighbor who in the midst of an economic depression decided to open an auto junk yard next store - or use the back yard to store his utility trailer, 40' broke down motor home, his last four pickups that died and the three mobile homes he picked up cheap. yeah, that happens.

as for the parking lot, some things un-mentioned: does the parking lot include marked stalls for motorcycles? if so, why was it not parked there?
if you owned a motorcycle, rode home and found a car parked across three motorcycle spots - with none left - 'zactly how would you react?

I'm not advocating any specific rules of any kind or sort - but if one "bought into it" - "it" being an existing and known situation - one dang well needs to accept living by it - there are other people who plunked down their money with the understanding "there are rules" - perhaps they don't own motorcycles . . .