Homeowners Association says I can't put a DISH on my house....I need some help here! (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

Stand your ground, Michael, and let us know about the outcome. It's you're right to receive DBS.

 

[James L White]

I agree if I were you I'd tell the HOA to F**K OFF!!!!

 

[Scott L]

Lol James, oh c'mon you wouldn't really do that in person would you?
Good luck Micahel and keep us informed of what's going on. For some reason or another I find this situation very interesting. Probably because us HT geeks finally get to smack it to the man.

 

[Vickie_M]

You might take some Polaroids of those other houses with dishes. Just to have on hand to show Mr. Power Tripper or any other interested parties.
No satellite dishes...no outside antennas...is this America?? :rolleyes

 

[Julie K]

After these small dishes started sprouting up like spring flowers after a rain, my HOA sent out a notice saying that "blah, blah, blah, must get permission before installation, blah blah" (at least they didn't try to claim we couldn't have them). I went ahead without permission and put mine up anyway, and talk about "visible". My dish proudly juts out from my house for all to see.

The HOA didn't say one word.

Just do it. As everyone else has said, HOAs cannot prohibit the installation of dishes 18" or less.

 

[JasenP]

Give 'em hell Michael!!

 

[LewB]

I already have a copy of the FCC fact sheet printed out...and he will be getting a copy ASAP...maybe I'll mysteriously leave a copy on his front doorstep or in his mailbox tomorrow

Me thinks you'd better not put the fact sheet in the mail box. I believe that is a federal offense to use the mail box like that. You don't want to give him something that he can hold over your head. Give 'em Hell !!

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Good point Lew! I won't be using his mailbox at all...in fact...I'm just going to wait until he confronts me about it again.
DIRECTV should be here anytime (8-12 PST) and hopefully they can get the dish up here this morning if they are able to get a signal. I will admit it's going to be tough in my location...too many talll trees!
At least I know I can get DISH Network no matter what. I just need to have that same installer come back and have him proceed with installing the dish as I had previously planned.
The only bad thing is (if I have to settle for dish network) is that I lose my DIRECTV receivers with TiVo (Sony SAT'60's)service...and I love those guys Plus I paid for the lifetime TiVo service on one of the T60's..and that would be out the window also.
I just hope I get a decent DIRECTV installer who is willing to at least TRY and get a signal for me this time...unlike last time.
I will keep you guys filled in as things happen today....it should be fun

 

[Brian Perry]

No satellite dishes...no outside antennas...is this America??

While Michael definitely has federal law on his side with respect to satellite dishes, I think some people here are unfairly bashing HOA's. The goal of the most HOA covenants is to protect the aestetic value of the community. This specific restriction on satellites and antennae may be legally misguided (according to the FCC) but hardly un-American.

When I bought my house, I knew the HOA of my subdivision had rules regarding the construction of houses (no aluminum siding) and driveways (no asphalt). I knew they forbid swimming pools. If I wasn't willing to live with these limits, I should have looked to live elsewhere. While I and many of my neighbors have satellite dishes, I am very happy that no one has enforced his right to put one of those huge, hideous TV antennaes on his roof.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

It's your house, you can do what you want. Don't pay HOA dues, if they complain, tell them to shove it. Get yourself X-Files season 6 and check out the PARTICULAR ep dealing with HOAs (along with a horde of Doonesbury comics)

And put up a clothesline while you're at it

 

[Ryan Wright]

If I wasn't willing to live with these limits, I should have looked to live elsewhere.

Wrong. I consider my property to be MY PROPERTY. In other words, I own it, I can do whatever I like with it. No swimming pools? Where is the logic in that?
As for "huge, hideous TV antennaes", I say this with all due respect: Some people really need to relax. Putting an antenna on my roof is not going to lower the value of your property. Putting a dozen junked cars in my yard and letting the grass die would. What I'm saying here is this: I understand the rules about keeping your property looking nice. But I draw the line when those rules get nit-picky. A certain high-end neighborhood in my city is full of these restrictions. They claim you can't install satellite dishes (I showed a friend who lives there the FCC rules and he promptly put one up ), they have rules that prohibit parking boats, RVs, & other "toys" anywhere but in your garage, and various other asinine rules.
$500k for a home and you can't even park your boat in the driveway? :rolleyes
Needless to say, I would not live there. But if I did happen to fall in love with a house in that neighborhood, I'd simply ignore these rules. Personally, I'd love to hear all the lurid details describing how parking a forty thousand dollar boat in my driveway drags down property values. Trashy homes drag down property values, not expensive toys or TV antennas.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Simply inform said local HOA that if they see fit to tell you what you can and cannot do on your property, then they must be requesting an ownership stake in it, and invoice them.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

Well....STRIKE ONE
DIRECTV installer just left....and there is indeed no line of sight for me here at the new house! We tried everything....but nothing got us a signal on the A Satellite (101) which is where most of the programming is on DIRECTV these days. The only thing we could do to possibly get a signal or line of sight is to erect a 20-25 Foot pole in my front yard...this should allow it to clear the row of trees that are blocking my view to the satellite. And this is something, HOA laws/rules withstanding, that I don't even want to put in my yard :frowning:
But it is good to know that I could do just that if I wanted....
I'm pretty ticked off...but it's not the end of the world. I just have to sell my Sony DIRECTV Receiver (SAT-T60 w/ TiVo) now.
I'm going to have to go with Dish Network now...or just go with AT&T Digital cable. I'm not really sure. Any suggestions?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Don't pay HOA dues, if they complain, tell them to shove it.

Yeah, I always go to old X-Files episodes for my legal advice.
Not paying your HOA dues can be an extremely dumb move. Your mortage likely requires timely payment of the dues, and your chaces of refinancing or selling the property down the road are pretty much nil if you HOA dues are in arrears. It can also seriously affect your credit, and is one of the first items (along with your current mortgage payments) that any lender will look at. (Many lenders, especially mortgage companies, will forgive you a late charge or two in some areas, but never on mortgate, insurance of HOA payments.) I worked for mortgage companies for over three years, and I've seen first hand the kind of problems that can arise from non-payment of HOA fees.
In some jurisdictions and HOA can place a lein on your home, and in some cases even sieze it, all for HOA dues. Now Jeff may be right in saying that you could successfully fight some or all of this in court - but you would have to fight it and that could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars even if you win. I certainly wouldn't risk it.
Regards,
Joe

 

[Andres Munoz]

I'm going to have to go with Dish Network now...or just go with AT&T Digital cable. I'm not really sure. Any suggestions?

You already got a signal with Dish Network, so go for it.

I also live in a condomium. After reading the FCC laws a couple of years ago, I found out that you can install any antenna on any area where you have "exclusive use". That could mean your backyard, balcony, etc, etc. The only thing you need to watch out for is that you don't cause damage to structures that the HOA owns.

In my case, the HOA didn't want me installing anything on the roof because of potential leaks, or anything on the walls because they didn't want any drilling done on them.

I was lucky enough to be able to get a signal from my backyard (I have exclusive use of that) so I mounted the dish on a pole, put the pole in a bucket with concrete, buried the bucket in the backyard and used the existing holes (from previous owner's cable tv) to route the satellite cables inside the house. I made the installation as clean as possible (the bucket is barely visible, all you see is the pole coming out of the ground) and I haven't had any complaints from anyone.

Good luck Michael.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

I'll be paying my dues...no worries there. I just didn't like the way the Pres of the HOA handled things the other day. he clearly does not know the FCC regulations whatsoever...and if this is the case...he should clearly not be in charge of my HOA.
For now, I just called and setup an install of AT&T Digital Cable at my house. It's not what I wanted (DIRECTV) but it will have to do for the time being.
With cable, I like not having a contract and the ability to cancel anytime I want...for no reason whatsoever at all. And once I get the dish issue worked out with my HOA I plan on getting Dish Network.
Getting Digital Cable now will also give me some time to set the HOA straight on the "no dish issue" without causing too many enemies right off the bat in my new neighborhood. I do plan on living here for quite awhile...and I don't want to be known as "that guy".
I plan on taking pictures of each and every dish in my community that is visible from the roadways and putting together a package along with a printout from the FCC Fact Sheet for all (& the President) to see at the next HOA meeting.
The biggest reason I wanted a dish is for the NFL Season Ticket package that I already paid for to DIRECTV. I sure will miss watching my hometown Indianapolis Colts continue to lose big games like they did this past Sunday against the Titans. Hopefully next season, the NFL will allow other carriers (Dish Netowrk/Cable companies) the license to broadcast or offer the Season Ticket, and get rid of their exclusive DIRECTV only deal. The NFL contract w/ DIRECTV is supposedly up after this season (2002).
I'm sure that I won't like AT&T Digital Cable that much. For now, I'll just have 1 TV (my Sony 57HW40 HDTV) on Digital Cable, while the others 2 TV's in my household get just the Basic Cable.
I will have to buy a standalone TiVo now...and sell my existing combo unit...as I cannot live without my TiVo!
I just purchased a ReplayTV 5080 PVR the other day...and it's just not the same as having TiVo. Lot's of cool features on the Replay...but I think I'll return it for the TiVo standalone later today or tomorrow.
Thanks again for all your help everyone! I will for sure keep you updated with any new information I get in regards to my situation. I will have a dish sooner or later (hopefully sooner) but I do want to make sure I go about getting the dish the right way.
I do still have a 18" DIRECTV dish laying around somewhere...maybe I'll use it in my front yard as a planter of some type for the wife? I wonder if that's "allowed" by the HOA

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

Ok, apparently I'm a bit confused. What, exactly, is a homeowner's association, and why do they have the right to extort money from you?

 

[Todd Hochard]

I consider my property to be MY PROPERTY.

Of course, if you live in a deed-restricted community, that doesn't completely apply. If you move into such a community, you are, by default, agreeing to their rules, so you essentially have choices-
1. abide by them.
2. get them changed.
3. move.
That is all. The rules are in place to keep your neighbor from restoring his Pinto (over a several year period) in the middle of his front yard. The deed-restrictions give them the right to place a lein on your home, until the problem is corrected (and the lein paid, depending on what needed to be done).
Keep in mind- these rules wouldn't be in place, if so many people didn't want them.
Todd

 

[Ryan Wright]

Hi Todd,

I've found that "so many people" don't really want them. These insane covenants seem to apply only to exclusive communities. I'll simply be sure not to move into any such community.

Now, my neighborhood does have covenants. No HOA, but we can't do certain things. But they're all very logical things. You can't burn your house down and put a mobile home in it's place. For that matter, you can't put a mobile home anywhere on your property. You can't erect non-permanent structures and let people live in them. All very basic things that really are directly related to property values. I understand these types of restrictions. They make sense.

Then the city has it's own laws, which keep you from growing tall weeds in your front yard or parking junked cars where everyone can see them. These also make sense.

But - and I think most people will agree with me - some of these HOA rules we hear about from time to time on this forum are insanity. What's the deal with the swimming pools, anyway? What is the rationalization for that one? And the parking - where is the logic in not allowing you to park a boat or RV anywhere other than your garage? Is some potential home owner really going to say, "Oh, will you look at that! The neighbors have a BOAT in the DRIVEWAY. No good redneck hillbillies. Charles, bring the limo around; we're leaving."

And if they did, would you want to live next to someone with such an elitist attitude?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Ok, apparently I'm a bit confused. What, exactly, is a homeowner's association, and why do they have the right to extort money from you?

Extort is the right word Basically it's a dictatorship or Orwellian proportions. They dictate what colors you can paint your house, curtains in the windows, grass, shrubs, what you can have in your yard etc etc. In excahnge for living under their fascist dictatorship, there are supposed benefits (some have an athletic club, communal pool and/or facilities to hold parties that you can book cheaply for example). The theory goes that if you don't have any eyesores like clotheslines, antennas or individuality that everyone's property values stay high.
I personally WOULD be all for an organization where you pay a low flat rate where people come and do all the exterior work for you, trimming, cutting, painting and whatnot, but in every HOA I've ever seen you still have to do it yourself
Can you tell that i have many friends who hate their HOAs?