Honestly, I like mine. Let's see...
- No palm trees: great, they're tacky as all hell, fall over too easily and people never maintain them so they fill up with rats
- No tall screening trees: great, same basic reasons
- No painting your house: great, there's always some idiot who wants a horribly clashing house
- File for changes: not a big deal, if your stuff is in order it usually takes a couple days.
- Can't leave trash cans out all week: great, less of a buffet for raccoons at night.
- Community pools: great, I go out there at 10:00 pm with a couple friends and a few beers and drift around the pool chatting quietly
The only beef I've ever had was they wouldn't let me widen my driveway by a couple feet because it'd go over HOA-maintained plants. Not a huge deal, but I just drove over the plants and then claimed it was my neighbor doing it to get me in trouble. They gave up pretty quick. My dues are pretty reasonable too.
Sorry you guys have had crappy ones, but they're not all bad.
- No palm trees: great, they're tacky as all hell, fall over too easily and people never maintain them so they fill up with rats
- No tall screening trees: great, same basic reasons
- No painting your house: great, there's always some idiot who wants a horribly clashing house
- File for changes: not a big deal, if your stuff is in order it usually takes a couple days.
- Can't leave trash cans out all week: great, less of a buffet for raccoons at night.
- Community pools: great, I go out there at 10:00 pm with a couple friends and a few beers and drift around the pool chatting quietly
The only beef I've ever had was they wouldn't let me widen my driveway by a couple feet because it'd go over HOA-maintained plants. Not a huge deal, but I just drove over the plants and then claimed it was my neighbor doing it to get me in trouble. They gave up pretty quick. My dues are pretty reasonable too.
Sorry you guys have had crappy ones, but they're not all bad.