Once upon a time people bought a house, painted the front door a color of their choice, found a door knocker they loved and house numbers that looked just right, planted their favorite flowers, shrubs and bushes, stood back, admired their work then went in and shut the world out of their private space.  But then came homeowner associations with their tomes of covenants, rules, regulations, permits, approval forms, nosy neighbors, nasty neighbors, fines for having unapproved garden hoses in their front yards, cracked flowerpots on their front steps, dusty mailboxes and window shades that are the wrong shade of white.  And suddenly there was nothing left of the owners choice.  Even the joy and pride of homeownership was gone only to be replaced with fear, acrimony, hate and discontent.  Have HOAs improved housing or are they destroying a once sacred way of life?

Bill Davis joins us On The Commons.  Bill, a Texas attorney and frequent guest, expanded his practice to include representing homeowners in the fight of their lives with their residential associations.  In most states it is that time of year when legislators gather to propose legislation, often sponsoring bills to strip homeowners of more of their rights and to empower HOAs to exert ever more control over the owners.  We talk about that and we also brainstorm about the  need for HOAs.   Are they truly needed and what real purpose do they serve?  We wonder if there are cheaper, better and more efficient ways of delivering any services that might be perceived as benefits to homeowners in residential neighborhoods.  Maybe it is time to start thinking outside the box and investigating ways of improving and simplifying life at home.

What People Want