Homeowner's Association Update: 2/24/08

Great. Thanks for the advice guys.

Basically, rather than calling the guy up, I'm just going to send a letter. Here's a rough draft:

"Dear George,

Thank you for your meeting with David. It's been the most positive interaction we've had with the association so far. This whole situation has been off-putting to say the least. So far, I've had someone yell at me over the phone saying I haven't been neighborly by not joining and been receiving letters stating that before selling my house we would have to pay back dues.

The reason we moved into this neighborhood is because my new wife and I found the lack of a mandatory (and we were told 'non active') Homeowner's Association very attractive. It has nothing to do with the money, we just are not interested in being members.

Thank you for your offer and thank you for meeting with David, but we'd like to politely decline."

How does that sound? I want to be as firm, but also as friendly as possible...

I'd leave out all the parts about what happened. The situation is basically settled so at this point the only thing you need to do is decline. Bringing up the other stuff really serves no purpose other than to throw it back at him about what a bunch of crap his HOA is. At least that is how it will feel to him.

I'd say:

I appreciated you diplomacy in our meeting. It was exactly what the situation called for and certainly left us with a good impression.

Thanks for the offer but at this time we are simply not interested in joining. Should my wife and I change our minds we will let you know.

And that's it.

No need for any extracuricualr stuff that will get you nothing.

why do you need your roads paved every couple of years? if done right, in a development, would last forever

For us, they already stated that if we just joined, we wouldn't have to pay for the roads. And honestly, if there was a guarantee that all we paid was fifty bucks (which covers maintenance of this 'green area' they bought prior to us moving in so that some other developer wouldn't buy it and put up trailers on it), then I'd really have no problem.

They're just so conniving about how they've tried to force us to join, I would be afraid they'd want to do a bunch of crap that would cost us out the ass. Like, I cannot see a single good reason to be a member. It basically gives them the right to tell ME what to do with property that I pay my hard earned money for.

I'd leave out all the parts about what happened. The situation is basically settled so at this point the only thing you need to do is decline. Bringing up the other stuff really serves no purpose other than to throw it back at him about what a bunch of crap his HOA is. At least that is how it will feel to him.

I'd say:

I appreciated you diplomacy in our meeting. It was exactly what the situation called for and certainly left us with a good impression.

Thanks for the offer but at this time we are simply not interested in joining. Should my wife and I change our minds we will let you know.

And that's it.

No need for any extracuricualr stuff that will get you nothing.

That's actually really good. I might just say that...

why do you need your roads paved every couple of years? if done right, in a development, would last forever

It's not really paving, it's maintenance. The road looks blacker after they are done is all I know.

Also, just a little FYI about my neighborhood. There are only seven people who live here, it's WAAAAAAAAAAAAY out in the county. The houses retail for $300,000 for the most expensive one and $192,000 for the least expensive one (my house).

It's not like we're in some high ass rent area. Not only that, I live on the publicly maintained road, while the rest of them live up on this hill that's not.

Sounds like they want you to help pay the cost for THEIR new roads. I'd right the guy back and tell him to Bite ME!

So basically the consensus is to take FRPLG's letter and send it on?

This association doesn't serve ANY purpose but to regulate what I do on my own property. I would be paying money basically to have rules enforced on me.

Yessir. From the sounds of things, they need your dues more than you need them. Unless you joined, became President, and wreaked anarchy on the others...then more power to you.