Model railroader's dilemma..or how to beat the home owner's association -up date pics

[cwclark]

My wife and I purchased a new home which has a detatched workshop that was perfect for a train room...it also has a home owners' association...My first project on the building for getting the trains up and running was to remove a garage door and brick up the big hole in the wall where the garage door had been...I took the plan to the home owners' association for approval and they would not accept it unless I put in a window...a window in a train room?..well needless to say i had to put in a window to get approval for bricking up the building or face them with their liens on the property for disobeying the rules of their little social tea club....well here's the good part...the window is in with a twist...I framed the window, took a 1/2 sheet of plywood, measured it to fit in the window, mounted drywall to the plywood, painted the plywood black, mounted it in the window, and floated and taped the drywall section in the inside of the building...if you look at the building now and glance thru the window, it just looks like a regular room with the lights off....they'll never know any different!...Chuck[:D]
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[tomwatkins]

Chuck,
Excellent soloution to a potentially thorny problem. I also had a window in the part of my basement which became the train room. Did much the same thing and it works great. I didn't have to deal with a homeowner's assoc. though. The house I owned previously was in an area with one. I don't miss it.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[MAbruce]

Ahh, yes. Good old Homeowners associations. I did my time in a townhouse development and even served on the “transitional” board for a few months.

I can tell you (or anyone else): BUYER BEWARE! If you are considering purchasing a home/condo that is under an association, I can’t urge you enough to carefully read over the regulations. While the intent of these associations is to keep order in the neighborhood (usually by keeping a wacko neighbor from doing something outlandish like painting his house neon pink), I can tell you that these boards are often run by people with way too much time on their hands.

The thing (in my opinion) to watch out for is vague regulations that leave specific enforcement interpretation up to the board. This is not a good thing, especially if your board is made up of anal retentive FBI wannabes.

On the other hand, many association boards have to put up with a great deal of nonsense from homeowners. This can include something ridiculous as complaints about the color/style of a neighbor’s barbecue grill.

Chuck - It sounds like you came up with an inventive solution to your dilemma. My advice is to NEVER tell anyone in the neighborhood about what you did. You would be surprised at how many trusted neighbors turn into [censored]
back stabbing stool pigeons…

[Anonymous]

I would sucede from the homeowners assocation. Paint the house plaid, Set up a flag pole and fly the flag of Chonk Republic (upside down of course) Put a caboose in the front lawn, painted up for Penn Central and drive beat up old cars. Just to **** everyone off.

All humor aside, I don't see how people can get off telling other people what to do with their property. If people should be free to do what ever they want with their stuff, and if it makes the neighbors property values go down. Tough, its a free country, people do that kind of stuff.

Well thats all I have to say for the topic.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Having had dealings with homeowners associations before, I have learned never to buy into any neighborhood that has one ever again. Your solution is correct, and that is exactly what I have done on my last two basement trainrooms.

Windows, we don't need no stinkin windows!!!

[swg]

[Anonymous]

Chuck,

I did the same thing. I call it my Disneyland window. It has a drawn blind in it with sheet rock behind. I have seen a bunch of these fake windows at the haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

I agree witht the other poster about not mentioning your deception to neighbors. I'm not sure you are doing anything wrong anyway. They said you had to have a window, they didn't say you had to use it...

Guy

[Anonymous]

That is just what they need a window. No problem. Excellent Solution. We dont have any thing like that down here in Arkansas. Take care and keep that our secret here on the forums.

(Unless of course one of the board members happend to be a Model Railroader he he)

As stated above, never ever buy a house in a area controlled by the Associations. You do NOT need this extra problem in your life.

[CP5415]

Chuck, excellent solution!!!


Gordon

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info my wife and I are looking for our first house and I never thought about a home owner association

[cacole]

Some of those homeowner associations have been getting so out of control here in Arizona, particularly in the Phoenix area, that the state legislature is in the process of placing restrictions on them. Some even have the power to seize your property if you don't keep your house up to their standards.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

Having had dealings with homeowners associations before, I have learned never to buy into any neighborhood that has one ever again. Your solution is correct, and that is exactly what I have done on my last two basement trainrooms.

Windows, we don't need no stinkin windows!!!

[swg]

Southern Pacific-"We don't need no stinkin' paint!"
Southern Pacific-"We don't need no stinkin' wash racks!"
model railroader-"I don't need no stinkin' windows!"

[Anonymous]

What you've done is a standard architectural trick called "Spandrel Glass"; this is precisely how those downtown highrises that look like they are solid glass from the outside actually contain some solid walls as well as interstitial space where all the HVAC ducts go. A "blanked" window which matches the real windows hides all that stuff.

Incidentally, this is an excellent idea for those who want to transform a bedroom or other windowed space into a train room, with a continuous backdrop. The black plywood can just be nailed up to the window casing, and thus be removable when it comes time to sell the house.

[Anonymous]

There was one near my area when I was in the east coast. Certian foods were not permitted to be cooked at dinner hours to reduce the odors about the area. How is that for draconian rules?

Thank god for 3 acres and a 100 watt sound.

[IRONROOSTER]

I agree, I would never again buy into a neightborhood with a homeowner's association. The worst part is the dues I have to pay every year for which I get no benefit.
Enjoy
Paul

[FJ and G]

Remember those snobby kids in high school who turned up their noses and thought they were better than everyone and gossiped incessently?

Wonder what they are doing today?

They all are board members of the homeowners association.

Dave Vergun

[eng22]

QUOTE: I would sucede from the homeowners assocation. Paint the house plaid, Set up a flag pole and fly the flag of Chonk Republic (upside down of course) Put a caboose in the front lawn, painted up for Penn Central and drive beat up old cars. Just to **** everyone off.

All humor aside, I don't see how people can get off telling other people what to do with their property. If people should be free to do what ever they want with their stuff, and if it makes the neighbors property values go down. Tough, its a free country, people do that kind of stuff.

Well thats all I have to say for the topic.

YES!

[Anonymous]

Hi
Ahh The body corperate under a different name a bunch of [censored][%-)][:o)] with too much time on there hands.
One in a block of units a friend of mine lived in stopped a friend of mine building his railway until he stopped the board chairman getting Esential modifications done to his unit on the same grounds that was too much noise.
Regards John

[vsmith]

The BEST way to beat the Home Owners Association is with a LARGE METAL BAR!

Your solution was a very good one, I would have hung a cheap metal blind between the window and your plywood in th closed and lowered position, further masking the plywood backing.

I HATE HOA's, they're a bunch of jerks trying to tell me how to life and what I can do in my own house. I wont buy if there is an HOA. Rather move out to the boon-docks then no one can tell me what i can do to my Double-wide Manor house!

[Anonymous]

I'm just glad we don't get "organisations" like this in my part of the world - out here, you can do pretty much anything you like so long as it doesn't adversely affect anyone else, though having said that "Residents Associations" are found in some places - thankfully they've not spread out here yet!

Whoever it was made the point about freedom, I agree. These groups have set themselves up as unelected "rulers" effectively - in a democracy! I'm pretty sure I recall a lecture I attended last year (I'm studying International Politics at degree-level) which explained that under democratic systems the populace get to choose their leaders - who chose/voted for these people?!

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Grayhound Challenger

I would sucede from the homeowners assocation. Paint the house plaid, Set up a flag pole and fly the flag of Chonk Republic (upside down of course) Put a caboose in the front lawn, painted up for Penn Central and drive beat up old cars. Just to **** everyone off.

All humor aside, I don't see how people can get off telling other people what to do with their property. If people should be free to do what ever they want with their stuff, and if it makes the neighbors property values go down. Tough, its a free country, people do that kind of stuff.

Well thats all I have to say for the topic.

GC, I tend to agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Hey Chuck
How about mounting a photograph of a room (like a shot of the inside of Grand Central Station ) behind the glass and trimmed with fake curtins. That should fool the nosiest association nazi that might snoop on you.

BTW, how's the wood butchering going?

[cwclark]

Hi Gary,
I have two L girder benches built already but got behind with this window thing...gonna go home after work and sand the mud down a bit and paint the fake - wall? window? whatever it is....I have 5 more benches to do and then will start the L girder joists and then the sub bed goes in...gonna have a tight fit in the yard area but think i can pull it off....Chuck

[Big_Boy_4005]

If you look in the dictionary under homeowner's association, you will find:

Suburban Neo Fascist Organization

Frankly they are totally un-American and should be outlawed. Please keep in mind that this rant applies only to free standing single family homes, on lots with no common land. Condos and townhouses are different.

The problem is created by land developers, especially the national home builders. They have taken a decent concept and perverted it into a self-serving load of crap!!!! When they are done, you are left with a bunch of garbage attached to the title to your home.

They like to control the appearance of the development while they are trying to sell the lots or homes, so they create these homeowner's associations. Of course during the construction they own the majority of the lots and they give themselves more votes per lot than they give their customers, my experience was 3 to 1.

In order to preserve their majority, they open new sections of the developement slowly. Eventually, they can no longer hold that majority, and a transition takes place. In the association power vacuum, a few control freaks step up and the trouble starts.

I had the misfortune to live next door to one such control freak, when my ex wife decided we should put up a fence. Those idiots threatened to sue me, what a crock!!!!

That's why I say

NEVER AGAIN!!!

[pmsteamman]

So let me get this home owner's assocation thing right, I spend or morgage a whole lot of money for a house only to have someone else (that has nothing to do with my bank account) tell me what I can and cant do with MY house? They can kiss my caboose.

[Anonymous]

Thats the same feeling I get PM steam man. One thing I like about Wyoming. With the exception of Jackson Hole. (Which is really more of a fly in subburb of Beverly Hills) these things dont exist out here. God Bless Wyoming and the USA. And like I said before, everyone in a home owners assocaition should sucede from it.. Paint the house plaid, Set up a flag pole and fly the flag of Chonk Republic (upside down of course) Put a caboose in the front lawn, painted up for Penn Central and drive beat up old cars. Just to **** everyone off.

[pmsteamman]

The hell with the PC cab, I would put up my live steam around the yard, find the dirtist coal possible and run the thing every day and make sure I blew the whistle every hour on the hour.

[garr]

Hey Y'all,

Just know the rules going in and definitely read the fine print. If it is a subdivision there will more than likely be covenants and a HOA. By buying property in the subdivision you Voluntarily agree to abide by the restrictions. If this bothers you, do as others have advised and definitely DO NOT buy the property. This will save you, other property owners, and the HOA a lot of headaches. The restrictions are ideally in place to protect the property values of each owner in the subdivision.

My house is in a subdivision with covenants. I had heard all the horror stories about HOAs, so I read and understood the restrictions before buying.

I went a step further and decided to serve on the board--mainly to contol the power hungry factions. So far it has worked great. If a homeowner complains too much about other neighbors, I place the complainer on the architectural review board and they quickly learn the limitations on the HOA as well as the homeowners. Usually this solves the problem.

The HOA can not expand its power without a lot of red tape-so know the covenants before buying, and if you can live with them, you will be safe.

[Anonymous]

Smart thinking I work in the architecture dept for a home builder and deal with HoA's and ARC ( which are harder than HoA's) Black out windows are perfectly legal we have never had a house kicked back due to a blackout window.
As long as the fire marshall and or building inspector doesnt give you grief then forget them. Also if you really want to rock their world get elected to the HOA and then make everyone in the neighborhood paint their homes in railroad colors
" Yes Bob you will have the Armour yellow and harbor mist grey with a red accent stripe"

Ha ha ha

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by garr

Hey Y'all,

Just know the rules going in and definitely read the fine print. If it is a subdivision there will more than likely be covenants and a HOA. By buying property in the subdivision you Voluntarily agree to abide by the restrictions. If this bothers you, do as others have advised and definitely DO NOT buy the property. This will save you, other property owners, and the HOA a lot of headaches. The restrictions are ideally in place to protect the property values of each owner in the subdivision.

My house is in a subdivision with covenants. I had heard all the horror stories about HOAs, so I read and understood the restrictions before buying.

I went a step further and decided to serve on the board--mainly to contol the power hungry factions. So far it has worked great. If a homeowner complains too much about other neighbors, I place the complainer on the architectural review board and they quickly learn the limitations on the HOA as well as the homeowners. Usually this solves the problem.

The HOA can not expand its power without a lot of red tape-so know the covenants before buying, and if you can live with them, you will be safe.

Voulenteering to serve on the board is one way to get things done. I did that only to have them vote me off when the fence thing came up. Covenants for the purposes of architectural control are real sore spot with me, unless it is for historical preservation. To me, having to get someone else's approval to alter MY HOME is an invasion of privacy. I shouldn't have to agree to abide by someone else's rules in order to buy a home I like, that's nonsense.

The home I live in now, also came with a batch of covenants, though these were considerably less restrictive. Again I bought the lot, though this time I was the builder. After jumping through a couple of very easy hoops, construction started. There is alledgedly a homeowner's association in my subdivision, but when the developer turned control over to the home owners it collapsed from lack of interest.

My advice to anyone buying a home that falls under the jurisdiction of an association is to investigate the board members, and check to see if there any dues or fees that they can collect or control. If you find that there is no source of revenue for the group, you are pretty much safe to act with impunity. Without money, there is no means of enforcement, and the whole thing is a farce and a sham. This is the situation where I live now.[:D][;)]

[BNSFNUT]

Your solution sounds like some of tricks that peaple who are amateur radio operators had to due to hide antennas from HOA that would not allow outside antenna. Some where very creative. Fortunely we radio peaple had a powerful lobby and the Federal Gov on our side and laws where passed to help us.
But I don't see much chance of a law for model railroaders soon.
HOA's seem to be mini goverments unto them selves, they start out with loftty goals but most decay into a small group of peaple trying to force their will on every one else.