I got a letter from the homeowner's association a couple of weeks ago. It seems that every time the landscape committee walks around inspecting the development, they send me a letter suggesting that I paint the garage door, clean the stains off the stucco on the front of the house, or paint my fence! I usually hold them off for a few months until they send me a couple more reminders, then I take an hour or so some Saturday and do it! One time they sent me a letter asking me to attend one of their monthly meetings to explain why I had not completed the task they had "assigned" me months ago. I decided to accept their invitation. You know what they say, only a fool represents himself in front of the HOA board. But, since the HOA board president lives next door to me, and I had been the real estate agent for the Treasurer when she bought her house, I thought I might have someone there who might keep me from being led away in chains!
My goal was to try to create a more neighborly way to deal with a problem owner like myself, who was just a bit slovenly, but, in general, a pretty good neighbor!
The meeting was held at one of the board member's home. Cookies and coffee were served. We all sat around the kitchen table. It was right neighborly!! When the agenda came around to me, I told them that the task had been completed. (I wanted to remove their edge!) However, I read the board the letter and indicated that I did not appreciate the threatening tone. After all, it is a small development and most everybody knows everybody else. I asked the board members if they would have sent this letter to their best friend. One of the younger, least experienced with life members said "that was not the point, and I wasn't his friend in any case!", which I thought was a telling answer. My client treasurer spoke up and was very nice, and thought perhaps the letter could be "tuned up" a bit. When I mentioned that the board has to understand that this letter sounded like the first step towards "foreclosure" of my property, the response was,"Oh no! No one would do that". I reminded them that they had the power to do just that!
I think there were at least two of the board members who would have taken pleasure in doing so--to anyone they could squeeze into that foreclosure position! In any case, the topic was closed with the direction to the HOA manager to see if a re-phrasing of the "request" letters could be reviewed!!
The letter I got a couple weeks ago "suggested" that I should paint my house. Well, it probably should be painted. But it is a 3-4000 $$ job and I sure wasn't going to take that on at my advanced age of 61.5 yrs.
One of my neighbors happened to be having her house painted when I got home from work one day, and my Board President neighbor was standing out front talking to the painter. He was thinking of painting his house too! I told him I got a letter from the board suggesting that recently and he said "Man! I told them I would talk to you and that they should NOT send you a letter"! (He remembered my history with letters.) We bounced it around for a couple days and put together a package deal on both houses!! So it looks like I will be clear of letters for the next few years, or until one of my trees starts breaking up the neighbors sidewalk with roots!!
Unfortunately, we have a deck off the master bedroom upstairs that has been producing multiple colonies of termites for a number of years. It is something that should be repaired prior to painting. Every time I step out on it I shake it a bit just to see if it will still hold me up! I figured that on a Saturday I could get out there, rip off some of the most badly damaged wood , nail in some replacements, and I would be home free!! Except, every time I removed a board, the structual piece underneath it or beside it was rotted or termited! Not only that, the deck turned out to be the only part of the house that was well built, using 3.5 " nails. So it was going to be hard work taking it apart, and most all of the structual wood had to be replaced. It is the deck from hell, and unfortunately I do not think I am up to the task. I consulted my painter who also does carpentry, and he estimated $1500 with a gleeful look on his face. I added it to his all ready inflated pricing for the paint job!!
There goes my golf budget for about 5 years!! When all is done I am going to have the termite guy out and have him tent the house with me in it and kill every living thing in every nook and cranny. I will die like a bug, but in peace, knowing that my wife can stand out on our newly rebuilt repainted deck without worry and watch the sunset, sip a margarita, and think of how I was gassed and died with no pain.
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