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HOA Violation - visible garbage can

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by rharse, Dec 12, 2006.

  1. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    Well, I got my first HOA violation notice. My garbage can was in public view! I tpyically kept in by the front corner of the house behind a large holly thinking that the green of the holly and the garbage can and the fact thay is was "all square" would soften the offense it must give to passers by. I'd like to know how many others have been cited. This morning I paid lots of attention to other violators and there were at least 12 (I stopped counting after that) on Ridgeway, Highview Trail, and Stone Hollow. Has anyone else received a similar citation? I have rectified the situation but:

    1) As one can see, most two car garages don't have two cars in them and we're fortunate to be able to squeeze our two in. However, that leaves no room for the garbage can.
    2) Has anyone built a privacy screen so you can keep the garbage can outside but still easily accessible?
    3) I do find it interesting that I got this warning when I see many lawns and gardens which definitely detract from the beauty of the neighborhood. Does the HOA issue landscaping warnings?
    4) Anyone esle for seeing if this HOA guideline can be modified to allow for keeping the garbage cans in an accessible yet mostly out of the way place?

    Thanks.
     
  2. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Answers:
    1) You don't have to use the overly large cans. You can request a smaller one or, in our case, we purchased our own that have dimensions that fit in our garage.
    2) Numerouls residents have applied for and built privacy screens .
    3) Yes we have, but lawns and gardens don't stink, fall over, or blow all over neighbors yards on windy days (these are the common complaints the HOA receives about garbage cans being left out.)
    4) Other options are available. you can keep them in a shed, in an approved enclosure or screened area or, if screened, in the rear of the house.

    This is one of the most complained about violations the HOA receives from residents.
     
  3. woopity

    woopity cdubs ya know!

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    if you want a smaller can--i've got a practically brand new one that's i used for a few months (before the HOA switched from AAA who did NOT provide a trash can). I think it's a 60 gallon one that i paid about 60 bucks for that's taking up space in my garage....i'm not sure how the market is for selling trash cans, so i still have it.

    I'm still in amazement that there is no hosebib on the front of my townhouse---apparently due to HOA policy. who needs a hosebib in the back of their garage??? :D i guess i should be thankful that the one on the back of my house isn't in the bathroom downstairs instead of the back of the house. i'd hate for someone to see an unsightly hose as they walk on the path behind our house and happen to climb over the fence to see it.
     
  4. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    it was probably some design style thing..

    its not against the hoa to have a hose in front specifically (our town home has one) but its probably something to do with modifying the style/view of the house. Your section has a specific view.. mine something different :)

    (not a member of the modification committee :D)
     
  5. woopity

    woopity cdubs ya know!

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    After the house was framed and they started running the plumbing and all that---i came by and saw where the hosebib was. When i asked the supervisor about it, he blamed the HOA. maybe they worked the design around a request NOT to have hoseboxes and all that sitting on front porches...who knows. i just had to buy an extra 25 feet of hose to run it around my garage, on top of getting it out to the grass to water it. never thought i'd need a 75 foot hose to water grass in a townhouse.
     
  6. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    This is absolute utter bs. The HOA had absolutely NOTHING to do with your hose bib.
     
  7. woopity

    woopity cdubs ya know!

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    not surprised--especially after i saw other houses with hose boxes....oh well. atleast if i want to wash my car in the garage--i have the option. :D
     
  8. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    Well, not to ruin everyone's fun, but to bring this back to the original topic:

    vacliff
    1) You are right. I can look for a smaller garbage can. I'll need to size it so that everytime I want to bring out the garbage, I won't have to move one of the cars which is what I have to do now.
    2) Good to hear
    3) According to the HOA covenant and citation, there is no implied fear of garbage cans falling over and spilling garbage. It says that they must remain out of public view which implies people don't like to look at garbage cans. Garbage cans can easily blow over if stored outside behind a fence, in the back yard, etc.
    4) Again, good to hear this. This is probably the route I will go.

    OK, anyone else want to go back to hose bibs - go for it! :)
     
  9. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    rharse-
    #3 was what the most vocal complaint is from residents when they call to complain about their neighbor's cans.
     
  10. woopity

    woopity cdubs ya know!

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    nahhh..i've built that bridge and gotten over it. :D i beat the system by running the hose around the garage and mounting it by one of the garage doors just inside...so it's accessible. let me know if you want this trash can :)
     
  11. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    woopity,

    Thanks for the offer. I like the big can and will most likely apply to build a privacy shed.
     
  12. gryphon

    gryphon Banned User

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    I sure hope that none of the garbage covenants are being changed! While our neighbors are great and our street is always kept looking nice, you can walk through some parts of the community and see lots of violations, especially garbage related ones.

    I mean this next point sincerely and mean no dis-respect... We have two decent-sized vehicles, and we can fit both of them in our garage. I wonder what kind of garage can't accomodate a garbage can and a couple of cars.

    On a side note, I saw a great bumper sticker on a Honda Fit this morning:

    "Osama Loves Your SUV."

    The next car I saw was a Chevy Suburban with a "God Bless America" sticker.

    What a country we live in! I laughed so hard on the rest of my trip into work!
     
  13. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    gryphon - no disrespect shown

    However, I have a Parkdale with a Toyota Sienna and a Lexus ES 330. Our garage is a two-door garage. So, while I can get both cars in plus the garbage can (and next to nothing else), I must move one of the cars out to get the garbage can out. As a matter of fact, I have to fold in one of the mirrors of the Sienna to get it in the garage at all.

    All that being said, we are now keeping it in the garage (at least during the winter). I will most likely look to build a privacy screen to keep it outside in the summer.

    Thanks.
     
  14. gryphon

    gryphon Banned User

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    This makes sense now. Our garage is of the one-door variety, so I can see how you would have the difficulty with a two-door type.

    The home builders in our area should recognize that most people in Loudoun drive big vehicles (I think that the Sienna and ES 330 qualify as large) and make garages that can accomodate.
     
  15. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Guess this is when a townhome is better ;)

    I have a minivan and a car.. and a 2 door garage door. The first 4 feet of the garage are occupied by shelving/floor stuff and I can still get my can in/out without taking the cars out. Well.. ok.. only behind the smaller car. The minivan goes all the way to do the garage door :)
     
  16. neilz

    neilz New Member

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    The VM model I had on Marsh Creek had two garage doors, there was enough room to put the larger toter between the cars on the door wall. Luckily, with my Mini, I didn't need to pull out the car to move the toter, still, I usually stopped and pulled pulled out the toter the night before when I returned home from work before pulling into the garage.
     
  17. kahlua1

    kahlua1 New Member

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    I agree that it really is somewhat challenging to get the can into the garage (we also have the 2 door garage doors) and we have a smaller SUV and sedan.
    We need to pull the cars in/out to get the can in/out and it is always a gripe when our kids have to squeeze past the stinky? trash can to get into the backseat of the car in the mornings.
    For the winter, we keep it in the garage out of sight but in the summer when our shrubs are in full bloom and it is mostly hidden from the street we hope to keep it (and any potential bugs/ants) outside. We think we are pretty conscientious about the rest of our home and have seen other issues around the neighborhood which are more unappealing than a "tastefully hidden" trash can. (Neglected or overgrown lawns/gardens, basketball hoops in streets, blown off shutters, trash cans right in the front yard/driveway...??)
     
  18. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Ah, basketball hoops in streets is the first thing the Conenants inspectors went after!
     
  19. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    well she knows my street light better then I do!
     
  20. Neighbor

    Neighbor Member

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    I got the violation letter too. I don't know what I will do at this point. I am 100% sure it will NOT fit in the garage (Same parkdale model). I am not going to explain the reasons why it will not fit, as there is always some single person with no kids who claims they can fit anything they want in the garage. Don't try to convince me. Anyway, maybe I will throw a tarp over it :) Then it will be out of sight. Of course that might warrant a different violation. I don’t know. I have a walk-out home on a steep hill and I sure as hell am not wheeling it around the back of the house up and down the hill. I also can't build a side shed very easily because the slope is so steep (It is possible, but not practical). The trashcan just needs to be “not visible from the common area.” With that said, I am thinking that I will just block it with something else. Herein lies the problem…with what? I might be able to throw some lattice around it. As already mentioned in this forum, it seems that dozens and dozens of people have the same problem because approximately every other house on my street has a visible trashcan. Maybe I will put a trashcan cozy over it….Tarp. Any suggestions (BESIDES behind the house, shed, and garage)? By the way, on another note, my neighbors put a runway (pure white sidewalk) from the front of their house to the back of their house I am guessing almost any modification can pass with the committee if that thing did. It is uuuuugggggly!
     

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