>How does stopping someone parking their vehicle on their private property or painting their own house any colour they choose "protecting the community?"
I have to agree. That's a completely unnecessary and arbitrary restriction on personal freedom.
>The only things I'd want a HOA to do is deal with noise violations, illegal parking, and maybe issues from a property which directly impact people living either side (e.g. smells, health issues -- like trash piling up, noise, etc).
Exactly - I'd be fine with this kind of thing, but they need/should have some kind of legal restriction to that level.
Again you guys are only focusing on one point I made. They also make rules to govern the look and feel.
Have you ever lived in an apartment that had rules? Its the same concept. No one is forcing anyone to move into these communities there is plenty of land to build your own house.
I am also against slavery but I've never been a slave. Does that strike you as odd too?
You can form an opinion on something with available facts. First hand experience can help one form or inform their opinion, but lack of that doesn't discount anything.
If you want to play that card then the majority of people's opinions on most common discussion topics is invalid (e.g. sexism, homophobia, racism, etc). If you're a white male then just don't talk about this stuff because, according to your logic, without first hand experience their opinion is invalid.
Whoa now, dont compare HOAs to something like slavery.
Slavery, sexism, homophobia, gay etc. those are not choices. Living in an HOA is a choice that you or I have to make. If you dont like them dont live in them, why would you want to destroy something you have a choice about. Others like these places, if they didnt there wouldnt be HOAs.
> Whoa now, dont compare HOAs to something like slavery.
As you well know, I did not.
I was making light of your asserting that you cannot have an opinion on a topic unless you experience it first hand. Slavery, murder, racism, sexism, etc are all areas where this kind of thinking is flawed.
> Living in an HOA is a choice that you or I have to make.
Nonsense. There are cities where HOAs make up almost all of the "nice" areas. Is it a choice when there is no viable alternative? Also HOAs always expand but then never go away, so in the future your choice will naturally shrink more and more.
> Others like these places, if they didnt there wouldnt be HOAs.
I have to agree. That's a completely unnecessary and arbitrary restriction on personal freedom.
>The only things I'd want a HOA to do is deal with noise violations, illegal parking, and maybe issues from a property which directly impact people living either side (e.g. smells, health issues -- like trash piling up, noise, etc).
Exactly - I'd be fine with this kind of thing, but they need/should have some kind of legal restriction to that level.