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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDespite drought, Calif. HOA fines homeowners up to $1,000 for brown lawns
Source: KTVU
Despite the state being a drought-zone, some San Lorenzo residents are receiving citations for having a dead lawn.
John Glisar, 55, watered his brown-hued lawn Thursday; he said its a move he didnt necessarily want to make but said he has little choice in the matter.
"The San Lorenzo Village Homes Association wants to fine me from $100 to $1000," said Glisar.
Glisar has lived in his home since 1985 and two months ago he received his first violation asking him to maintain his yard or face a fine. This month he received another violation from the association titled YARD MAINTENCE: lawn dry and dying. Glisar said he took it to the Village Association to talk about the problem and was handed back the violation with a written note in red ink that read, 30 days to get green from 1/21/14.
Read more: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/fines-brown-yards-even-amidst-drought/nczhL/
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)live in a place with an HOA.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)The states need to buckle down on these associations. Give them a taste of their own medicine.
Of course, Jerry Brown should have made the watering restrictions mandatory, not voluntary. They do it in Colorado. They do it in Nevada. Since when is California such a hotbed of "don't tread on me" libertarianism that they can't mandate watering restrictions?
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)and do xeriscape. This drought is not to be fucked with.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)a rebate - I think it's up to $2 sq/f - for xeriscaping. I don't know if your water district has anything like that, but you might check. One thing to keep in mind is that they insist (here, anyway) that you have to have a percentage of living vegetation (grass/shrubs/etc) in the yard when you start the process. I assume that is to make this sure that the homeowner is actually replacing an existing lawn as opposed to just getting a subsidy for cleaning up a trashed yard.
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)$2.50 sq ft. with a min. of 250 sq ft. Mine is really just a parkway, and may not meet the min. footage. It's my only grass, and it is next to my commercial/residential bldg. that I also live in I don't think it is much of a water-suck, but I still think it's the right thing to do. We have low flow toilets in apts, we only have 5 luckily, and the businesses pay extra in rent for water. We only have one water line into our 99 yr. old bldg.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)It sounds like a nice xeriscaped area would be great - and your city offers a fantastic rebate. Good luck!
groundloop
(11,530 posts)What a bunch of self serving lunatics. During a drought (and I assume a water emergency) those idiots are worried about keeping up nice appearances (I'm guessing here - property values). Shit people, it's time to conserve, not be dumping water on the ground. Selfish bastards.
vanlassie
(5,694 posts)green in the winter. There's a product for that. I really never noticed... Looked fine to me.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)e.g., they cannot MAKE you break a law. They should petition the city to impose restrictions. It is quite silly that they have not already.
HollyHOA
(1 post)make you break laws. At least they can keep fining you and the problem is that if you live in an HOA, you have very little recourse. You either do what they say or they make life miserable for you. Florida passed a very comprehensive bill preventing HOAs from prohibiting Florida-friendly landscaping in 2009. The basic premise was water conservation. However, we all know that HOAs dont always play by the rules, even State laws, and board members are quick to fine, take to mediation, and even sue homeowners for doing anything different than what the board members want. There have been many Florida lawsuits against homeowners on this issue, and some are still ongoing. Some homeowners have won, but the HOAs are appealing the decisions. One homeowner has submitted at least 5 architectural approval requests using Florida-friendly plants and has been denied each time. The HOA's know they have the money to outlast the individual homeowner in lawsuits.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)They cannot pass HOA's that are in direct violation of city, county, and state laws.
jsr
(7,712 posts)New Texas law forbids HOAs to ban some water conservation methods
A new state law prohibits homeowner associations from outlawing drought-tolerant landscaping, rain collection and composting.
Walk away
(9,494 posts)No need to fertilize, water or weed kill. It looks like a putting green from April to November. Keep it mowed to about 2 1/2 inches and it feels like a spongy carpet. Even the dogs love it. But for four months in the winter it goes dormant and turns almost white.
I highly recommend it. It's almost miraculous during droughts and heat waves.
narnian60
(3,510 posts)spanone
(135,919 posts)Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)My girlfriends parents have had multiple nuisance lawsuits filed against them by a neighboring HOA even though they have been out there for thirty years and the HOA community that surrounds them on three sides less than ten.