The Valentines Day Grinch has struck....

[Orville]

Well I WAS working on a Valentines Day show, but I just got a "Rule Reminder" from our Manufactured Home Park Office stating: "Please remove the Christmas Decorations and Lights".  

The ONLY things out there are my controllers, the RGB lights along the roof and on my Handicap Ramp and the 2 LOR Singing Trees in front of my house that I was going to use in my Valentines Day Display that I had started working on.  And possibly something for Easter, but not sure on that due to limited songs for that Holiday.

Here is what I had said in another post {What's the earliest you've taken your Christmas lights down"  I made bold the part that is most relevant to this discussion.

----------------------- COPIED from other Thread -----------------------

Just got mine down EXCEPT for the LOR Singing Trees and RGB lights on 01/07/2021.  What I took down were all my Blow Molds, Gemmy Lightshow Stars, and Snowfall Lights.   I am considering doing a Valentines Show this year using the Singing LOR Trees and the RGB Lights and possibly adding in some more RGB lighting on the house{depending}.   Just trying to determine should the Valentines show be only the night of 2/14 or should I run it a few days {3-4 days before} and last show on 2/14?

Will be trying to use some of the love songs like:  "Can't Fight This Feeling" by R.E.O. Speedwagon, "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher, "Love is Love" by Boy George and Culture Club, "I'm Going To Love You Anyway" by Cristy Lane, "Call Me" by Blondie, "Together in Electric Dreams" {don't recall the artist, but from the Movie: Electric Dreams Soundtrack}, and "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers just to name a few.

That's sort of my plan for Valentines Day.   Easter is one Holiday I've not found very many songs for unless using a lot of Christian based songs, then there's quite a lot, but none there about Easter Bunnies or Candy.   So I'm not sure what, if anything, I'll do with Easter.

----------------------- END COPY -----------------------

There has never been any such rule when I moved in here in 2012, now all of a sudden on 01/12/2020 we have a rule that was NEVER told to anyone, they just started writing these last year on the same date  I know because my neighbor got one last year.   And we both have lived here for years, rule didn't exist when he moved in, didn't exist when I moved in, I still have a copy of the original rules and regulations,

I have tried to explain to these folks these lights I use and their controllers ARE NOT just Christmas lights, they are used year round for safety lighting by illuminating dark areas of my yard, they are used on my handicap ramp to light the ramp after dark so someone doesn't fall or trip because the ramp is a 66 foot long wrap around and the porch light doesn't give enough light to illuminate the entire ramp or walkway.  Added lighting is needed, but these folks say, nope, all has to come down.   Put it back up on Valentines Day, but they don't seem to comprehend the way we do things, that isn't possible.  Tried to explain the process, but they don't want to hear it.  They think this stuff can be done in one day, how wrong they are.

So can you now say: Valentine Grinch? 

Seems we're getting one for every Holiday now.

They're still not going to be happy because taking all the RGB stuff down is still going to take me at least 3-4 days to do it.  And they dang well better understand that!   I've got to open all the controllers and get the cat5 cables down first, then the controllers, then the lights.   The new owner of this place is a bonafide A-HOLE!  As no one was ever given any "NEW" sets of rules and regulations, they just start writing them up with NO NOTICE of ANY changes to them!    How I wish I had the funds I could MOVE out of here and into a nice area/neighborhood WITHOUT managers and any type of Home Owner's Association.  I LOATHE THEM!

After this, I may not bother doing any more shows outside here, because I find this ridiculous.  At least NOT outside, only inside my home.

Well that's MY rant for today!  What's yours?

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by Orville
Hit 3 instead of 2, 2013 is now 2012, the year I moved into my current home.

[Mr Grunts]

We have a rule here too, same as you. However they can not force you to remove them if you are setting up a different display. Tell them It is for V Day and they should leave you alone. I got my notice 4 days ago when I started taking down my lights, I was in my yard getting ready and they dropped it off telling me to take them down. HA!!! I left them up and still running my show. I still get people driving by and thanking me, even last night. No where to go or do because of Covid. Hey I know a really cool light show we can go see. Let them talk I say and warn you, but what are they going to do?, evict you. They dont want to loose the rent on your site. If they persist call your local tv station and tell them. They love news like this.

[dibblejr]

10 minutes ago, Mr Grunts said:

We have a rule here too, same as you. However they can not force you to remove them if you are setting up a different display. Tell them It is for V Day and they should leave you alone. I got my notice 4 days ago when I started taking down my lights, I was in my yard getting ready and they dropped it off telling me to take them down. HA!!! I left them up and still running my show. I still get people driving by and thanking me, even last night. No where to go or do because of Covid. Hey I know a really cool light show we can go see. Let them talk I say and warn you, but what are they going to do?, evict you. They dont want to loose the rent on your site. If they persist call your local tv station and tell them. They love news like this.

They may not "evict" or they could "evict" based on rule violations. However an easier avenue for them is to fine you for rule violations and place the unknow lien on your place.  You may not ever know until you try to move or sell.

Is it nice "no" but it is the rules. Remember the guy with the American flag quite a few years ago. In the end it didn't go well for him.

Every situation is different and in this case its easier to ask permission or address it at a HOA meeting than it is to ask for forgiveness esp when they have served you a written notice. Maybe get support in writing and have a "decoration clause" added that mentions each holiday and a period of time.

This is why I do not live in a HOA. I made that mistake once and took  a $30K loss in 1 year. The above statement was based on my personal experience. While I was closing on the home they placed a "grass needs to be cut within 2 days notice" on the door. We did not go back to the house until a week later.

I disregarded the notice since it didn't look tall and that was the day we closed on the house. For sure they knew that. A year after I decided I could not tolerate the close proximity of the homes and decided to sell, I found out they placed a lien on the house, for the fine and interest.  Could not sell the house with a $200 lien. LOL 

JR

Edited January 12, 2021 by dibblejr

[tlogan]

50 minutes ago, Orville said:

they are used on my handicap ramp to light the ramp after dark so someone doesn't fall or trip because the ramp is a 66 foot long wrap around and the porch light doesn't give enough light to illuminate the entire ramp or walkway.

Sounds like you could threaten as an ADA violation. THEN see what they say.

[BWCFWI]

Orville, run a show. If they "fine" you set up a Go Fund me page and link it here. I'm sure, myself included, we will pay it for you. Just the info I've learned from you and others on this site is worth way more than what than fine will cost.

 

 

Brian

[Orville]

17 hours ago, BWCFWI said:

Orville, run a show. If they "fine" you set up a Go Fund me page and link it here. I'm sure, myself included, we will pay it for you. Just the info I've learned from you and others on this site is worth way more than what than fine will cost.

 

 

Brian

Thanks for the offer Brian.  They don't "fine" folks here, if they give you 3 violations, they go straight to "eviction". even if you own your home, they "evict" and take possession of your home.  And being on Disability, I just can't afford to move with what little Social Security pays, which in my case is just slightly equal to a little over $5.00 an hour, if you break it down into a 40 hour work week over a 4 week period.  Then folks wonder why Seniors or folks that had worked for years, got disabled on a job or some other means, or they just retired just barely make ends meet.

However, if they write me another "rule reminder" about the RGB Lighting on my Handicap ramp, I'm going to do whar tlogan suggested, and contact the ADA because without lighting along the ramp at night, someone could get hurt because it is pitch black and the porch light by the front door casts shadows along the ramp section that leads into the 2nd section coming to the front door, and the back section where it makes a large U-turn of sorts doesn't get any light at all in that area and about 1/4 to almost half of the second section is also pitch black after dark that leads up to the front door.  Definitely a safety issue, which I can definitely prove.