Looks like my paint job is going to have to stop :( (HOA issues)

[Kershaw]

what mrsleeve said.

[Massimo]

I don't think they have any ground to stand on.

If this the case time to start replying trolling letters for good lol's

[HarryPotter]

I like sleeves idea, tell em to pound sand, they are usually old people fed up with their wifes and have nothing better to do other then snoop around in everyones business. I paint a lot of houses in HOA places and all the old people are always snooping around everyone elses business.

[Bimmerista]

You have til June 30....just get the job done by then.

[Varinn]

Where I live we call them Strata councils, but I JUST went through something similiar. I've been working on a project car over the last couple months, did an engine rebuild in the garage and decided to drop it in at the house. I had the car parked on our driveway all times and when working on it I would roll it half into the garage, pull off the hood and throw the car on stands. Some of the neighbors thought it was pretty cool but one guy got his panties all twisted up and came over one day to yell at me about how I had to stop immediately and take the car to a shop "or else". He wrote a complaint to the strata manager about how I was "making excessive noise, littering the yard with car parts and oil, and ruining the image of our community". This resulted in them sending me a letter to cease all car repairs in the garage/driveway or I would be fined $200.

I was always careful to keep quiet and never used air tools or grinders outside. I did all work between 9am and 5pm with the car always left overnight with all wheels, hood, etc installed, no mess outside. In the end I went ahead and ignored the letter after talking to a few people in the community and when the fine showed up in my mailbox I recruited a lawyer (my immediate neighbor) who shot back by filing a harassment charge against the guy who came to yell at me in my driveway. He dropped the charge, now I smile and wave every time he drives past and I have my car on stands.

TLDR; fight back, they'll almost always back down when you dont bend over

[CarsSuck]

I will admit I know little of condos, other than my brief experience with my gf renting one. Owning a condo gives you certain rights over renting, but essentially all the common areas, including parking areas are owned by the "condo group". You basically own your apartment and little else. You have zero standing, especially with the contract you obviously signed, which prohibits such activity.

HOAs are something completely different than the condo group. HOAs have almost no standing in Virginia property law. The law is almost always on the side of the property owner, and unfortunately your not on that side in this case.

And check out the virginia legal aid society. Great info on this type of stuff.
HTHs, sorry for your predicament

[MaksV]

always avoid all HOA's this is the truth. time to do work with garage closed, or at least mostly closed.

[drumad]

Attached.

[scottinAZ]

is the garage attached to your condo, or is it a separate area? if separate they may argue that it is not part of the "Unit" as described in 18b. if attached, they can fuck off. (they can anyways as far as Im concerned)


FUCK HOA's. too many busy body assholes with nothing to do but bitch about what you are doing while saying everything they do is rosy.....

[Axxe]

It's simple. Keep it tidy, and don't get all offensive with them. Are there any clauses against snooping around your premises? I'd invest in a super cheap wifi camera and install it with view on your garage to see if someone comes snooping around regularly. Make sure you put a "smile, you're on camera" sign in plain sight so that it can be used in court if it goes that way. It's one thing to do a periodic check for compliance with suitable warning, it's another to come snooping everyday to try and "catch" you.

[Raxe]

Agreed with sleeve, they're just puffing out their imaginary chest.

Good luck with your project. Sanding a car down in a closed garage is awful.

[drumad]

I am sure thats just what your pissed off neighbors/CM did too while you were AT WORK

I still find it funny when people ask if my parents are home.

[mrsleeve]

Point taken, but if you saw what dust was actually outside, then you'd be surprised. You'd have to go looking for the maroon dust around the garage door to even realize it's there.

I am sure thats just what your pissed off neighbors/CM did too while you were AT WORK

[drumad]

This is where you went wrong.
If you had previous run-ins with the HOA, common sense should have told you to be diligent about cleaning up your surroundings.

Point taken, but if you saw what dust was actually outside, then you'd be surprised. You'd have to go looking for the maroon dust around the garage door to even realize it's there.

[ThisGuy310]

I I knew eventually I'd have to clean up the excess dust but was holding off on it.

This is where you went wrong.
If you had previous run-ins with the HOA, common sense should have told you to be diligent about cleaning up your surroundings.