RE: RE: Serious??

My thing is, Jason, that I feel that the HOA's role here is to maintain an acceptable standard within the neighborhood, not to enforce everything to the letter of the CC&Rs. I sure don't want them breathing down my throat. You have to take our neighborhood for what it is. It's a decent middle class neighborhood, it's not Brandywine Pointe, it's not a Cool Springs, Franklin, or Brentwood neighborhood, it's Hickory Hills in Mount Juliet, TN, and it always will be.

I personally don't think anything is out of hand in our neighborhood. Sure, there are people every summer that should mow their lawns more frequently, but that's not my problem, it's theirs. There are a few people that have some junk on the sides of their houses, but that's the exception, not the rule, and I'm ok with that.

It just bugs me that people get so worked up about the small stuff, to the point where they turn to the HOA to work out the personal problems they have with others in the neighborhood instead of just talking to their neighbors, or just getting over it all-together.

Whatever it is, I have a hard time believing it's bad enough that a third party has to get involved to settle these types of things. Live and let live, if the neighborhood starts turning into a slum that's different, but I don't see that happening, not even close, there is plenty of pride in ownership left in Hickory Hills.

By Thad

RE: RE: RE: Serious??

If we let the small things go, thats when the big things start happening. Lets stop using examples and get these problems solved. If you feel comfortable to go talk to your neighbor, be my guest. But when that doesn't work, then what? I agree with Jason on most of these issues and when I cannot fix it, I would like to see my money put to use and have the problem taken care of like they should be. I understand people think that this would take away some of our rights away as a homeowner, but we bought houses in this neighborhood knowing that it had a HOA and we had to follow some set of rules. And I am sure SOME of these people probably have no idea that they are causing issues, but if they had a set of homeowners rules we probably wouldn't have any of these problems. I'm pretty sure this is the point Jason was trying to get across. It seems so many people are so quick to joins these different band wagons that when somebody tries to suggest a point they are attacked as soon as the message is posted. And another thought, watch some of the advice you give. I don't want to think what might happen because somebody decided to ''grow a pair'' and take matters in their hands the wrong way. We talk about being neighborly, well lets at least try to act like it.Oh, and if you want to attack me for not putting my name, maybe I don't want someone ''growing a pair'' and come trying to ''confront'' me.Thats kind of sad when you think about that, isn't it.

By A concerned homeowner

really...

That's comical. When I said grow a set, I meant that people need to build up enough courage, or whatever it takes, to go next door or across the street and talk to their neighbors, get to know them, and get comfortable enough to tell them if you have a particular problem with something they are or aren't doing. I am not at all saying that anyone needs to 'take matters into their own hands' in the context you are referring to.

I personally hate it when all I see on this board are grown men and women whining like kids over what I perceive are mostly small issues, and hiding behind the anonymity of a discussion board because they are afraid to talk to their neighbors.

What exactly are we talking about here that you feel is about to snowball out of control in Hickory Hills? This is not a new subdivision, it's well established. I would argue that the longer a neighborhood has existed the less likely it is to change drastically. I personally don't think Hickory Hills is trending dangerously anywhere, it's fine. There will always be a few people that need to cut their grass, big deal. If you can show me a meth lab I'll join the picket line, but I'm not going to jump all over someone because their grass is too tall or they have some extra junk on the side of their house, sorry.

You mentioned you would like to see the money we pay in dues put to use. The money we pay in HOA dues is used to maintain the common areas, landscape maintenance on the long entrance road, pool maintenance, clubhouse maintenance, pond maintenance, etc. I don't think it includes CC&R policing services. If you have a legitimate gripe you can contact Gasser and they will send a letter to the homeowner explaining the violation and giving them a set amount of time to comply. It's a better place for you to start than griping on this discussion board.

Also, if anyone needs a copy of the CC&Rs, Gasser will mail one to you, all you have to do is request it. You can probably even have one sent to your neighbor if you think they need it.

By Thad

Better Communication

Thad, I understand what you're saying that people need to address their immediate neighbors if they have an issue rather than going behind their back to resolve things. I fully agree. I happen to get along with my immediate neighbors and think we have a good enough relationship to talk when and if there is something wrong with one of our homes/lawns/etc. I get the sense, however, that my relationship with my neighbors is not the norm.

A greater problem, in my opinion, is neighborhood-wide communication between the HOA and the homeowners. HOA meetings are rarely publicized. (Kudos to the HOA for putting the most recent meeting on the community message board, please continue to do so!) I've lived here for 4 years or so and still don't know when the HOA meetings are. I hope the HOA will use the message board for every meeting going forward. Better communication of the meeting times would improve attendance and communication, I think.

Secondly, this website isn't really a positive experience. It seems to be more of a complaint forum and a place for people to pile on one another. To be honest, I really didn't want to post this message because I'm sure it will invite someone's snarky comment and might end up with a personal verbal attack. I think this website would be a great place for the HOA to better define its role to the community, and the HOA is really missing an opportunity here. Perhaps post the covenant on here, along with an outline of what the HOA is here to do. If the HOA is not the arbitrator/enforcer for neighborhood complaints, then there could be something easily accessible on this website to tell homeowners how to report and manage infractions. We all have busy lives, and I'm sure the HOA officials do too, but a little communication will go a long way in easing tensions in the neighborhood and on this forum.

Finally, other neighborhoods struggle with the same problems of cluttered houses, tall yards, etc, that we do. Each one has its own way of dealing with those issues, and each one has homeowners who refuse to comply or complain about the HOA?’s inaction or overzealous policing of the rules. It?’s really a no-win situation if the HOA role isn?’t clearly defined. However, if homeowners expectations for the HOA ARE clearly defined (again, putting them on the website is a great start) then I believe a lot of the resentment towards the HOA and our fellow neighbors can be lessened.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.


By Chris