# HOA's and Yard Haunts



## Offwhiteknight (Sep 17, 2008)

Check out this video story on CNN.com

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

It's just lame. The HOA was threatening to fine these guys $2500 per day for operating a haunted house in their own home.

I really really don't like HOAs. These guys may indeed have been technically violating the HOA rules, but I think too many of them (HOAs) are just closet fascists that abuse the power they have...what gives them these powers anyway? Sorry, ranting there...

Seriously, what do you guys think about the story?


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## MansionHaunter (Sep 20, 2006)

I saw that too, and thought fondly of the HOA I have to deal with here. Yeah, they're pretty much all the same, only differing in their degree of nazi-ism. I haven't had a problem with our HOA in all the years I've been decorating the yard, but then again I haven't opened up community gates or modified a common wall without talking with the neighbors first.

It usually comes down to just one or two obnoxious, fun-spoiling neighbors that blow the whistle. In our case, they're right next door. 

But if you do your homework and get board approval first, they can't touch you. It works in your favor then.


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## kciaccio (Jul 27, 2007)

I do my own yard haunt each year, but I have to say im on the HOA's side on this one. I think he should have rented a space somewhere if he was going to do such an eleborate set up. It lookes like a professional set up in front of a residential house. I can relate to the residents. If I decided to live in a gated community and one home owner decided to open the gates up to whomever I would be upset too.


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## Beth (Sep 27, 2005)

Knowledge is power .....read your HOA bylaws before considering where you want to live!!! (I, myself think that they're RIDICULOUS, in most cases!!!) Make sure that you go to the meetings that they have so that they don't implement new rules without your consent!!! My one friend who lives in a three acre wooded community attended a meeting where some idiot was trying to have it written that everyone must sod their entire lot!!! Luckily she was there to put the skids on it!!


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## grim reaper (Aug 18, 2005)

the link dosent open the right video for me


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## itsjustme0770 (Jul 22, 2008)

As someone who has defended residents being sued by their HOAs and who have, as a last straw, been forced to sue their HOAs, I have determined that HOAs are problematic the minute people stop being reasonable. Anyway, the fun thing is that now my clients run the HOAs and I am the HOA lawyer (and I insist on reasonableness). 

Carry on.


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Nazi pricks. If I could afford the $40,000 haunt I"d take the fine on Halloween night just to say "F You" to the HOA.


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## choman77034 (Sep 11, 2008)

I live so far out in the country, I didn't even know what HOA stood for! 

I guess I should consider myself lucky to live out in the country where no one bothers me.


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## Dark Star (Nov 6, 2007)

As someone who lives in a HOA, I can say there are good things and bad things about them. But in this case before you spend $40,000.00 on a haunt you should know what your bylaws are. 

I for one, would fight it if an HOA was trying to make me take down my haunt as there are plenty of people that decorate extensively for Christmas, and nothing is ever said. 

But these guys were planing to charge for their haunt and most HOA's clearly state that you may not run any business out of your home that involves people coming and going from the home. In addition they altered a common wall and were planning on altering the gates coming into the community to remain open.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

I think dumping that much money into a home haunt and charging money for it in a residential area wasn't the smartest idea to begin with. As much as I want to do a pro-haunt, I would never accept money at my house. Too many issues: Permits, insurance, traffic, security, neighbors, parking. Just not a good idea.

Then again, living in an area with an HOA isn't a good idea either.


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## Wyatt Furr (Jun 5, 2006)

They are charging and want the gates left open?
Oh please.....
If the HOA didnt shut them down ,the city or county would for not having permits.
I have lived in both a non-HOA and HOA.
There are benifits to both.


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## kerryike (Oct 5, 2006)

Although you apparently have to obide by the regulations of the HOA, I believe that after paying for your home, paying the huge homeowner taxes, school taxes (whether you have children or not), There should be some sort of leiniency as opposed to being served a big fine such as this. 

All in all the point I'm trying to make is: too many people have their noses in what everyone else is doing...whether it's importannt or not. Just tring to collect a pay day...after all, this is honest haunting fun for the public, not putting graffiti on walls or disrupting the public, etc.IMHO


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

As much as I hate siding with the devil, I have to go with Wyatt and kciaccio et al and say these guys screwed up putting such massive money and time into something like this and not checking the codes. It's a gated community for pete's sake, you know there are rules in those places. If they would have charged they would have been in violation of state and municipal codes as well. You can whine all you want about how much hard work you put into it but if you don't bother to check the rules and make sure things are greenlit ahead of time that's on you. I feel sorry for them but not completely.

C'mon, let's be real. If you're just hanging some scenesetters and posing a few bluckies and tombstones around most people -- even HOAs -- aren't going to bitch, and if they do it's not too difficult moving stuff around or into the backyard to shut them up. But 40 freakin _grand_? Gimme a break. Maybe these guys have huge piles of throwaway cash plopping out of their buttholes but I know *I* don't, and if I'm gonna invest an insane amount of money and effort into something I'm sure as HELL going to do all my research and get my ducks in a row first. Not doing so is just plain foolhardy.


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## eanderso13 (Apr 10, 2008)

I agree with Revenant and the like...that was clearly not just a yard haunt or a garage haunt! And charging admission was a big no-no. If they've got $40k to blow on a poorly-planned (from the logistics side) haunted house, they probably have a few grand for renting a space somewhere.

Luckily, we haven't had any issues. and a lady down the street who love Halloween has told us she's really good friends with the president of the HOA and to tell her if anyone gives us any crap!


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

HOA's suck It's like living in stepford -ville..
why anyone would live in a community HOA I don't understand..

The guy should have known better...*DA*


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## NecroBones (Feb 10, 2006)

I agree that these guys should have checked the codes if they were going to run a haunted attraction that was going to charge money and do so inside a gated community. Whether it's the HOA bylaws, or county codes, or whatever, they should know better.

Having said that, HOAs seem to cause more problems than they solve. If they're reasonable, and do what they're intended to do (maintain some minimum standards, organize and maintain the common areas, trash pickup, snow plowing, signs and fences, etc), they're fine. But the problem is that usually the people who are most interested in getting involved in managing the community are also the same people who want to stick their noses into everyone else's business, and those "minimum standards" start becoming oppressive. 

My HOA requires me to paint probably a good 2 years before it really needs it, and bugs me about decorations that are visible in my windows (inside my home!). Everything is a "violation" that has to be fixed within about 2 weeks (30 days, but they don't send the letter for a good solid week or two), and they've never once coordinated a neighborhood or building-wide painting deal or anything like that. But they're free to be a couple of months late for anything that they schedule themselves to do. It's really turning me off to HOAs, and makes me want my next house to be HOA-free.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

If these guy just did a one day Halloween haunt (no charge) there probably wouldn't have been a problem. Instead they were trying to open a business in a residential community that would go all month (without HOA approval). Not the smartest move. I agree with some of the above comments, they should have rented space elsewhere. I lived in a community where we refered to the HOA as Nazis, but in this case I'd have to reluctantly back the HOA. 

Hell when I move I specifically looked outside of the old community because of the HOA and their fees.


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## dflowers2 (Mar 5, 2007)

I guess all of this talk about HOAs jinked me. I got a letter from my HOA this Halloween in reference to a "metal fence" erected at the front of my property. Some busy body saw my wood and pvc fence prop and thought it was a real metal fence. Luckily, my HOA listened to me and realized it was a Halloween decoration and did not go any further with it. Lucky for them, I would hate to have to restrict everyone in our neighborhood from putting our Christmas lights, Easter Bunnies, etc.


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

LOL, if you spent 40K on a home haunt then you should have read the bylaws AND you better make sure you've got some kicka## insurance just in case you have an accident. It was a really great haunt though.


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