HOA forbids Home For Our Troops
Scott sent us a link to an article about a Homeowners’ Association in Evans, Georgia which initially approved and then denied permission for Homes For Our Troops to build on a lot in their neighborhood;
Homes for Our Troops — a national organization that has built or remodeled homes for more than 100 severely injured veterans — had planned to build a house for Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Gittens and his family this weekend. Gittens suffered concussive head injuries while serving in Afghanistan. After he returned home, a brain aneurysm caused a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.
Homes for Our Troops worked for four months with the Knob Hill Property Owners Association to get the design approved, according to John Gonsalves, the group’s founder. But at an association meeting, members said the 2,700-square-foot home was too small and neighbors thought it would bring property values down, Gonsalves said. A cease-and-desist order was issued as the site was being prepared last week.
Ya know, it’s one thing to keep an area exclusive and well-kept, it’s quite another to be a fricken dick about it. Know what else will bring property values down? Having a reputation for being elitist snobs.
UPDATED: As Claymore points out in the comments, the members of the HOA are revolting against the HOA board’s decision (read the comments) and hundreds of Evans, Georgia volunteers are standing by to begin construction.
UPDATED: Claymore sends a link from the Augusta Chronicle;
“We’re all just very disappointed,” [Sharon] Gittens said, adding she found out about the problem late Tuesday.. “We got real excited when we saw that they cleared the lot, cut the trees down and everything, and started doing some work.”
Brown Neck Gaitor sends this from the HOA’s covenants (.pdf);
ARTICLE SEVEN MINIMUM SIZES
SECTION 1. “Lot Size”: No improvement shall be constructed on a lot having a square footage of less than as indicated on the record plat, provided that the developer may cause the re-subdivision of up to IS developed lots, provided that the final re-subdivision shall not reduce the size of any single lot by more than 20% of its original size, and further that any such re-subdivision shall be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission of Columbia County , Georgia .
There are no other mentions of “sq” (square), “foot” or “size” in the covenants.
Here are the Architectural guidelines.
It does state that they recommend that all houses in this section be 2700 sq feet minimum (which this new house allegedly satisfies).
Now they’re just being insufferable pricks.
Category: Support the troops
I happen to know someone who lives in this neighborhood and what she’s saying is that none of the residents were contacted by the HOA to weigh in on what’s been done. The vast majority of the residents in Knob Hill are SUPPORTIVE of this house being constructed…it’s the little power hungry shitheads running the HOA that summarily made the decision without putting it to a vote. Their FB page is mobbed with residents pissed off at what they’ve done, making them out to be elitist snobs.
Looks like the residents shamed the HOA into submission:
http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2011/jun/22/knob-hill-reverses-decision-allow-adaptive-home-ve-ar-2013985/?referer=None&shorturl=http://bit.ly/kFfbKf
Wow,
I cannot tell you how disgusted I was to read this article. I followed the link and was saddened and franly a little heartbroken to read about this. As someone who is a caregiver to a person disabled by a stroke, I know first hand how challenging that living conditions can be. I also know that we still have people in this world that look down upon the disabled and don’t want “them” around. As the old saying goes “there but for the grace of God”. It could have been any one of us that have served that could be now suffering as this man and his family are. On a more positive note, I was unaware of this particular charity but now that I am I will certainly keep up with them and donate what I can to this worthy cause.
I just checked and their FB site has been disabled. On their public site, they have the following statement:
As your Board of Directors, we want to advise you of an ongoing situation involving the Homes For Our Troops organization.
A veteran and his family, currently living in Knob Hill, are waiting for a home to be constructed on Knob Hill Circle. We have been discussing proposed plans with HFOT, but we still have not received plans consistent with your neighborhood covenants. HFOT has issued a press release that has led to negative comments about our neighborhood. We want to ensure you that we are considering both your interests and the interests of the veteran as we continue negotiations with HFOT.
Please understand that any suggestion that this Board of Directors does not welcome this deserving family into our neighborhood could not be further than the truth. Many of the board members are veterans themselves and many neighbors have expressed interest in this project. This is simply ensuring this deserving family receives the home consistent with the neighborhood covenants (and that they very much deserve)
We regret the negative comments and will continue to update you as appropriate.
Sincerely,
Knob Hill Board of Directors
Rat bastards.
I hate HOAs. When I was in one, it just cemented my opinion of them. I swore that I would never, ever live under the auspices of one, again.
Concur, OT. But I was also an officer of it and some of the shit the residents want is absolutely ridiculous. Case in point–windstorm blows through and knocks down one of the resdient’s queen palms in their yard. They wanted the HOA to pay for it. HOA told them to eat a bag of dicks.
I don’t see anything at that link saying that the HOA had a change of heart. It says what they reversed was the decision to *allow* the home to be built. Pretty sure they’re still just being obstinate d-bags.
No, I was referring to the comments section…several of the residents posting there are basically shaming the Board and the Property Owners Assn into having to readdress the situation. I was going to post their comments from Knob Hill’s FB page, but it’s been taken down. The best I could do was the Association’s statement posted on their public site: http://www.knobhill.org
WTHFF is this shit: “We have been discussing proposed plans with HFOT, but we still have not received plans consistent with your neighborhood covenants.”
Uh, approval was given, then WITHDRAWN. Assholes.
I was referring to Jonn’s update above.
I’m with Old Trooper and others, had nothing but wretched experience with HOA turds.
The only thing they’ve been good for is astronomically increasing the HOA dues almost every year. And for what, keeping the grass mowed every few weeks?
What a bunch of jokes.
Between the residents storming the gates and the shitstorm of bad press, I give this until the weekend before the Board reverses itself or at least agrees to help with the redesigns.
I pay my HOA $125/year so the community snow plow can pile snow up in front of my driveway. It’s cheap at double the price.
I hope other milblogs pick this up…I’d love to see this HOA absolutely shamed into honoring their original commitment.
As we discovered last week, the best way to spread the word is to hit the Facebook “Like” button.
Does Homes for Herod work with home building companies since that it would be a safe assumption that these companies have worked with Home Owner Associations. So they would know how do clear up red tape issues like this.
@ #10Scott: My comment was a general observation; I hadn’t seen yours yet. 🙂
“Case in point–windstorm blows through and knocks down one of the resdient’s queen palms in their yard. They wanted the HOA to pay for it. HOA told them to eat a bag of dicks.”
Yeah, but miss a due and the HOA can take your house. HOA’s are communism in America and should be banned. The HOA doesn’t own the land and shouldn’t be allowed. Period. You want an HOA? Buy some land, build houses on it, and rent it out.
I’m with OT. I will NEVER, EVER, EVER live in an HOA. I’ll go back to an apartment first.
Claymore,
It doesn’t look like they have backed down.
Homes for Our Troops has now been told that it must begin anew the entire approval process and that the house needs to be at least 3,400-square-feet and multi-level to even be considered.
Jonn, I sent you the link to the Covenants and the Arch review requirements.
The covenants have NOTHING in them about house size and the review requirements state 2,700 sq ft and no requirement of levels.
They can go screw…
Let me say this in defense of the IDEA of HOAs- as I live under one in Colorado (as do quite a few folks). It keeps the neighborhood CLEAN. yeah, there are some over-reaching ones, for sure, but how many of you want your neighbor putting cars up on blocks in the front yard just cause it’s easier there? If you’d paid 400k for a house, do you want neighbors just parking anything/everything their kids drag home into the yard?
Piles of lumber just blowing all over? Weeds/grass that harbor vermin growing out of control?
In many cases, HOA’s make no sense. But, when you have houses in somewhat close proximity (lots less than an acre, for example) it helps set standards.
Most of us here are used to ‘rules’ like we had in the military. HOA’s can be the same- BUT, there are those that ‘act stupidly’ as in this case. And they can be shamed into acting appropriately…
It doesn’t look like they have backed down.
Not yet…but the clouds are gathering. 🙂
I hope that a local attorney will come forward to help this family fight my neighborhoods disgusting decision. In the meantime I am going to see about a petition for other homeowners like myself who support this family and the building of their home. The HOA has done more to hurt our property values than any house that was going to be built!
@Mr Wolf: what neighbor who can afford a $400k house puts cars up on blocks in the front yard? Who makes enough money to afford a $400k house and HAS TIME to put a POS car up on blocks, or would want to? Your argument makes no sense in this context. Your argument makes sense when you consider that your HOA keeps people out of your neighborhood who could only afford an $100k house.
How very very sad. My son best friend just received a home from HFOT, the house is lovely and the neighbors in WISCONSIN opened him and the house with open arms, hearts and their souls!
May the nobs on the hill realize who made if possible to live where they do! God Save A Soldier and may he curse those who get in the way! The total value of the house is nearly 300K!
(Imagine the value of the house if it were in Chicago! doubled easily)
Low Life Idiots! Besides who’d want to live next to a bunch of snobby buttholes anyway.. Wisconsin welcomes you as do we!
God Bless you!
I was paying over 450 dollars a MONTH for HOA dues on a condo a while back; needless to say I no longer live in the place.
What did I get for that? Horrible neighbors that made loud noises at all hours of the night, complaint after complaint to the HOA did nothing. Couldn’t rent out my unit due to occupancy rules. Graffiti in parking areas. Had to pay for all utilities.
[…] June 24th, 2011 Claymore sends us this link to an update from WJBF Channel 6 TV station on the post I wrote yesterday concerning Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Gittens and his family who trying to build a home with […]