Harvard Villas HOA

Are there rules to how many cars one can park on their driveway?

All homes were built to accommodate 1-3 cars on the driveway, depending on the home style. But, if you take a drive down Paseo El Arco, you will find a house (in the corner) that tore out the front lawn to accommodate 7 vehicles.

I was appalled to see my moms next-door neighbors house loaded with 7 cars in the driveway. This once ideal place to live has turned into a barrio resembling that of Santa Ana, not even La Zanja is this bad.

I?’m seeing modified driveways (that are normally built for 1-3 vehicles) to accommodate the cars that are not allowed on the streets. In the case of where my mom lives, she is one of the last two original homebuyers left on her street. This new neighbors (left side) of where she lives, has torn out the front lawn and cemented the small parcel, and now park 7 vehicles in their driveway, this is in addition to the 2 parking permits per household. Meaning this household has 9 cars!!

Doesn?’t the homeowner association know or care that the kind of driveway alterations being done (no car limits in driveways) begs for a low class environment.

Damian Orozco
949-973-4677

I believe this is against the CCRs of the HOA.  You cannot modify the exterior of the property without approval from the association.  You can check your mom's copy.  If she does not have a copy she can request a copy from the association at 714-234-0297.

 

Yes it is a serious problem on many of our streets. Many homeowners bought homes they could not afford and rent out rooms in their homes to the detrimentof the entire community. If you feel that the problem is out of control you can file a report with the association at the same phone number.  You can request that the complaint be made anonymously.  (I am not certain it will be kept that way)  You can also complain to the city.  There are occupancy health and safety codes.

 

In the Capistrano Garden homes #2 they have successfully petition the city to reduce the number of parking permits issued by the city and associations.

 

Attending a city counil meeting and expressing your opinion is another way to get action.

 

http://www.sanjuancapistrano.org/index.aspx?page=4

 

 

Some of these homes have already been foreclosed upon, but not all.

I am in property management and 7 vehicles is not allowed, unless the CC&R'S have been modified to allow for this action, as a rule, the association can not change the intend of the developer, i.e. example, 2 car garage, garages must be maintained in such a manner as to allow for the parking of 2 vehicles and must be used for that purpose, only after utilizing your garage you may park two vehicles on your driveway. The CC&R'S may state no parking on driveways is allowed.

 

Rita

Actually, we are witnessing the birth of a business in our neighborhood:  the boardinghouse.  We live on Cliffrose Street and there is a house next door that did the very same thing to their driveway, except they decided to park everyone on the street around our cul-de-sac instead of keeping them in their driveway.  So much for our kids riding their bikes around the cul-de-sac and less cars due to the cul-de-sac vs a through street...I complained to the HOA and they sent a letter to the owners who, by the way, own several homes in the Sycamore Creek - I bet the one on your street too.  They take out adds for "rooms for rent" on Craigslist and sell each bedroom with access to the common kitchen and backyard area for $500+ a month.  Just think, 5 bedrooms and a coverted living room to rent makes 6 room X $500 a month = $3000 - well over what their housepayment is because they buy these homes as distressed properties at the bottom of the market price tier.  The other problem is that since there is no individual lease per se, these people are not vetted by any background check for criminal history or Meghan's Law.  You could have a child molestor living next door...Also, at least wth our neighbor, none of the room renting tenants have a contract or even know who the owners are...Since the homeowners own several of these "Boarding Houses" they install a couple in the Master Bedroom who claim to be the owners, whoever they are.

 

I called the Riverside Building Permit Department and the Building and Zoning Commission since we are in the unincorporated part of the county, having recently voted down becoming annexed by City of Corona.  The county has a loophole when it comes to these "Boarding Houses".  Yes they are zoned Single Family dwelling units but a Single Family has a muddy definition in the laws and may include many members of different familial names, unrelated to each other.  So as long as they keep the units as a "shared kitchen and common areas" unit without breaking it up into apartments with individual baths and kitchens, there doesn't seem to be alot we can do about it.  

 

Our next step is to raise the awareness at an HOA meeting, but so few people attend them, I am not sure we can do much of anything.  You make a complaint to the county building permit agency for the illegal changes they made but I'm not sure it will bring much action.  We are definitely displeased and disappointed with all the cars, traffic, noise and drama brought about by the lower class people renting the rooms out and the ones renting the rooms.  We moved here to raise our children and I don't feel safe without the endless parade of people next door being vetted.  It's really too bad, this neighborhood seemed perfect for families when we first moved in...