Privacy ??

[not-a-popo]

Quick question..

I live in a subdivision that has a Nazi homeowners association, the association installed cameras to "watch the gates" , but have not installed signs letting people that are entering the property that they are under surveillance..

Is this legal?? We are talking about GA..

[manahmanah]

It is a public place and there is therefore no expectation of privacy. Why do you care of there is surveillance video of who comes into and out of your neighborhood? My HOA has them at the gates and it has actually helped the Sheriff's Department solve some cases.

Why are they Nazi's?

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Not from Georgia, but a quick Google search of "HOA installed cameras georgia" shows numerous associations mounting cameras in public areas. As to the no signs issue, courts have held that there is no right to privacy in public areas.

Hopefully someone from Ga. will chime in to give you the skinny.

[Samuel]

Quick question..

I live in a subdivision that has a Nazi homeowners association, the association installed cameras to "watch the gates" , but have not installed signs letting people that are entering the property that they are under surveillance..

Is this legal?? We are talking about GA..

WOW Godwin's Law on the very first post - is that a record?

[not-a-popo]

It is a public place and there is therefore no expectation of privacy. Why do you care of there is surveillance video of who comes into and out of your neighborhood? My HOA has them at the gates and it has actually helped the Sheriff's Department solve some cases.

Why are they Nazi's?

An entrance to private property is not public, or is it?? The also installed it at the pool. A private pool is not public area, or is it.

They have sent letters to home owners saying, the camera can, and do record our license plates. Also that every time we use our remotes to enter the property it records that as well.

In my mind, that's someone (my hoa ) monitoring my comings and goings to my home, and that's wrong on so many levels.. That's how I add in the assocition is a bunch of Nazi's in this instance.

The HOA also from time to time when the gates go down somehow manage to scramble a police officer in a marked patrol car to sit at the gate and permit access to the residents, you must show DL to the officer to enter the property, another correlation to Nazi's.

I have many more things to list if needed to show how much of a Nazi they are. Let's talk about the following residents who were fined for the following..

$700.00 for stained glass windows, my neighbor had up from the day she purchased her home back in 05, but in 09 became an issue..

1,000.00 for having a bird feeder. That happened after the couple wrote the bod and management company a letter, and sent pictures of 72 other residents that have bird feeders and asked why theirs was an issue..
Then a 700.00 letter was sent to them by the accusations attorney claiming they were harassing residents and the bod and ordered them to take theirs down, then went on to say $25.00 a day would be applied to their account until they took it down.. 2 months later and there is now 71 bird feeders, and 3 are on the bod.

$1,200.00 fine for making a home made movie at the pool on a Saturday morning. But the BOD can monitor it

$500.00 fine for having an improperly installed satellite dish. When the couple went around taking pictures of the 23 other satellite dishes on the property a bod came charging out and threatened them with police action.
A few day's later they got a 700.00 Attorney letter saying they were stalking and harassing the neighbors and the next time the are seen taken pictures they will be arrested for stalking, then it went on to say $25.00 a day would be applied to their account until they took it down.. 7 months later 31 other residents still enjoy their dishes.. One is a bod

I got plenty more to talk about...

***EDIT**** I forgot the best one yet.. The police were called by the bod for a resident that did not have their dog on a leash, the dog is a professionally trained dog and did nothing wrong to deserve the police being called, it was simply off leash. Anyhow, the police asked them to keep the dog on a leash. The bod president has a dog, a black lab that is not trained at all, but some home is allowed to walk it without a leash every day.
When the resident sent a letter to the management company asking them why that was, they later received a 700.00 letter from the associations attorney, in that letter she said they will take action to force them ti remove the pet from the property if it occurred again...

I came home last night and there she was walking her dog without a leash.. I reported that to my friend.

[Curt581]

Don't like it?

Here's the only real solution: Sell and leave. Get out. Now.

For the life of me, I will never, ever understand why anyone would buy property which is subject to any kind of approval from a management company, home owners association, or a board of directors. It always devolves into stupid, petty squabbles over who can have what and everyone having the same type and color of mail boxes, gutters, welcome mats, christmas lights, etc, and one person not liking it and appealing to an outside agency like the cops or the courts to settle their issues.

The people who run for election to these organization invariably use it as a way to exercise control over others. They are no different than politicians in government. It's all about power... having their will imposed on you. God help you if you vote to allow them the authority to levy monetary fines.

Screw that.

[Ne_Smokey_Bear]

Nazi's eh? I am dispatching a division of Shermans as we speak.

[Samuel]

[Nole795]

Don't like it?

Here's the only real solution: Sell and leave. Get out. Now.

For the life of me, I will never, ever understand why anyone would buy property which is subject to any kind of approval from a management company, home owners association, or a board of directors. It always devolves into stupid, petty squabbles over who can have what and everyone having the same type and color of mail boxes, gutters, welcome mats, christmas lights, etc, and one person not liking it and appealing to an outside agency like the cops or the courts to settle their issues.

It definately is a double edged sword, I live in an area that has an HOA. It is nice to have the neighborhood comply with normal abiding rules such as noise level, lawn care, pets, and parking regulations. The HOA is good to make sure that your neighbor's weeds for his ill kept lawn will be taken care so it does not spread onto your lawn, and to prevent a residence stockpiling broken down cars in the backyard. Issues like that.

At the same time, I have gotten the stupid letter(s) on a patch of grass that needs replacing, or I have to ask permission to paint my house a different color. That is annoying, but I read the contract before I purchased my house so it is what it is.

I helped my neighbor put up a privacy fence for him. He got a letter a few days later that the privacy fence was against regulation, so I helped him put a 2 inch gap between the posts. I also have another neighbor who is not allowed to have advertisements on his vehicle. So he has to put it in the garage or place magnets over the advertisement(s).

Like you said, the original poster should sell his place, or become a member of the board. Like any other office, the members are voted in by the community.

[Silver Fox]

[QUOTE=Samuel;1074924]WOW Godwin's Law on the very first post - is that a record?

[not-a-popo]

Like you said, the original poster should sell his place, or become a member of the board. Like any other office, the members are voted in by the community.

My home is up for sale, in the last 6 months I had 3 showings, things are not selling, so it's not as easy as that. Also I have to compete with the 21 others homes up for sale in this subdivision..

Second.. This board is all self elected.. They keep holding meetings on nights and times that are known to fail, that way they can do what they want.. In 6years they have held meeting @ 7:00pm on Thursday nights.. and in the last 6 years there has not been enough residents in attendance to start the meeting, so they win by default, and then pick their firends to join them.

This bod runs wild, does and say what they want, they are out of control..

This hoa sucks so bad that they made me sorry I ever bought my first home here.. I even cringe when I come home..