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HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Hi everyone,
This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
You could try an attic antenna and see if it provides a suitable
alternative. Then, if it does, remove your outdoor antenna and keep peace with your neighbors. If not, make the "harder" decision: "Which is more important to me...my HD reception or my neighbors". Only you know the answer to this one. If your reception is marginal in the attic, come back here to let us help you make a more technically informed choice of antenna alternatives which may work well in the attic. Every reception situation is different, and you should gain a lot by choosing equipment (antenna, possibly pre-amp, feedline) carefully and installing it properly. Smarty "varioust" wrote in message ups.com... Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Smarty,
I appreciate the response! I completely agree to you. The choice of pleasing my neighbors is a tough one because I know that it wasn't reported by any of my immediate neighbors, if fact, it wasn't even anyone on my street. My two closest neighbors do not have a problem with the Antenna and I talked to them prior to installing the antenna. My current situation is optimal because I have tested my antenna in the attic with mediocre results. I can clearly get all digital stations in my area b/t 90-95% signal strength with the antenna outside on my roof. However, I am reluctant to change my setup because that also is a violation of the FCC ruling with the association wanting me to move my antenna to a more appealing location will make me spend additional $ and time. So in the end it comes down to my pride and being at the mercy of their board and the neighbor who was "policing" the neighborhood. I understand that people might be offended by my antenna, but I think others should know that their rule on antenna's is bogus and they should stop infringing upon my rights to receive free OTA reception. On May 3, 2:16 pm, "Smarty" wrote: You could try an atticantennaand see if it provides a suitable alternative. Then, if it does, remove your outdoorantennaand keep peace with your neighbors. If not, make the "harder" decision: "Which is more important to me...my HD reception or my neighbors". Only you know the answer to this one. If your reception is marginal in the attic, come back here to let us help you make a more technically informed choice ofantennaalternatives which may work well in the attic. Every reception situation is different, and you should gain a lot by choosing equipment (antenna, possibly pre-amp, feedline) carefully and installing it properly. Smarty |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On May 3, 11:08 am, varioust wrote:
Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler OK, you already know about the FCC issue but here it is again, just in case... http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html http://www.winegard.com/offair/squareshooter.htm I use one of these antennas (no preamp) at 35 miles with great results. It doesn't look like an antenna and annoys nobody - not even the wife. Might that help? GG |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On 3 May 2007 12:08:10 -0700, varioust wrote:
Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. If you don't wish to accommodate their request, which is entirely at your discretion, simply provide them with a copy of the FCC regulation. ( http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html ) And remind them that as a practical matter, it simply isn't within their authority to regulate the placement of antennas on private property, or any area under a rental tenant's exclusive control. A_C |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
In my area, all the HD is UHF. A UHF-only antenna is not quite as
offensive as a big VHF antenna. See how your reception is with a double-bow (Antenna's direct, DB2) or a 4-bow (CM 3021, my favorite) or a cute little Yagi. See if these offends your homeowners association. This begs the question: are there any satellite dishes on roofs? What is the HOA's position on these? Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On May 3, 3:08 pm, NadCixelsyd wrote:
In my area, all the HD is UHF. A UHF-only antenna is not quite as offensive as a big VHF antenna. See how your reception is with a double-bow (Antenna's direct, DB2) or a 4-bow (CM 3021, my favorite) or a cute little Yagi. See if these offends your homeowners association. This begs the question: are there any satellite dishes on roofs? What is the HOA's position on these? Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. I also looked at the Antenna's direct DB4, which would work good, except not all of my TV's are using the digital signal. I have only one that is hooked up to a digital receiver. The DB4 is less offensive to the eyes, I will admit that. However, there are still local stations that I would like to get via analog VHF where I am about 50-60 miles from the transmitters...so I decided to go with a VHF/UHF combo antenna (which is the Radio Shack 80" boom antenna). I do know it is only one individual who has complained thus far. But he mentions specifically in the e-mail that: "The board doesn't want to see a proliferation of antennas throughout the neighborhood" - so apparently I am setting a bad example to them. Although, I believe a little competition for our local cable company would be good... Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Basically, you need to decide whether to allow a small and intolerant
group to dictate to you, or endure the undying enmity of the HOA Gestapo. Given that the complainers are not your neighbors, it is not likely that you will have any significant issues should you politely stand your ground. It ultimately depends on your personal philosophy and thickness of skin. Were I replying, I would turn the argument around, and frame it as a good opportunity for neighborly accommodation. They to you, in this case. After all, it isn't as if you want to paint you house purple with pink polka dots, or do something truly heinous such as leave your garage door open for longer than is necessary for the car to enter or leave. ;) -- Alan |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
NadCixelsyd wrote:
In my area, all the HD is UHF. A UHF-only antenna is not quite as offensive as a big VHF antenna. See how your reception is with a double-bow (Antenna's direct, DB2) or a 4-bow (CM 3021, my favorite) or a cute little Yagi. See if these offends your homeowners association. This begs the question: are there any satellite dishes on roofs? What is the HOA's position on these? Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. A lot of good responses here. But the OP may be in an area where some of the digital stations are on VHF or may switch to upper VHF in 2009. Many upper VHF stations will be switching their digital signal to upper VHF 7 to 13 after the analog shutdown. He also does not state what his antenna is. He may already have a UHF only antenna but the HOA is objecting to a AD 91XG or Channel Master 4221 4 Bay bowtie. The HOA - or the person lodging the complaint - is probably objecting to an antenna, any antenna, that sits above the roofline. The satellite dishes usually sit low on the roof, so in most cases, they are not above the roof line. Tyler, if you could provide your zip code and a description of your surrounding terrain, we could at least provide some advice on whether a better antenna in the attic or one placed below the roofline is a possibility. If you want to really dive into estimated signal strengths and stations for you location, try the new web site www.tvfool.com. It produces a rather technical summary, so it is not for everybody. If the HOA keeps up the pressure, tell them that a antenna on the roof is a the sign of a free society and a symbol of free speech! Alan F |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On Thu, 03 May 2007 12:08:10 -0700, varioust wrote:
My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! My response would be short and to the point. Only two words. The first starts with G and the second with F. I might add that if they didn't like the looks of my antenna don't look at it. In fact I would hope you would pass this on to the arogant assholes. -- Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php HD Tivo S3 compared http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/mythtivo.htm |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"NadCixelsyd" wrote in message
oups.com... In my area, all the HD is UHF. A UHF-only antenna is not quite as offensive as a big VHF antenna. See how your reception is with a double-bow (Antenna's direct, DB2) or a 4-bow (CM 3021, my favorite) or a cute little Yagi. See if these offends your homeowners association. This begs the question: are there any satellite dishes on roofs? What is the HOA's position on these? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excellent point! especially since the grumblers apparently not even within eyesight! If you want to get pi**ed off about an antenna, wait until the vacant lot next door becomes a cell phone tower. -- All the Best, Richard Harison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. Excellent point! especially since the grumblers apparently not even within eyesight! If you want to get pi**ed off about an antenna, wait until the vacant lot next door becomes a cell phone tower. -- All the Best, Richard Harison |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
I read all the other comments up to now and just want to add that I went
through the same thing with my HOA. FCC has a file on my complaint. There are items that you must be aware of which would give a ruling in favor of the HOA. Like, safety hazards. I had to move my antenna because if it were to fall, it would fall into neighbors yard. Other than that I had no problem. HOA decided to drop the complaint against me after long communications with the FCC. Before I moved the antenna I received signals from Tampa better than from Ft. Myers. AFter moving it, I now get Ft. Myers better. Don't know the brand name of my antenna but it is a "wing type" about 5 - 6 inches wide, maybe an inch thick and about 30 inches in length. Does a great job with stations relative far away. My zip is 33872 if anyone wants to check out distances. I also receive VHF stations but never watch them as I have Dish for all TVs except the HDTV. The antenna is up probably 19' in the air. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out. Jim BTW, some regular antennas are grandfathered into the rules and regulations. There are probably 6 still in existence. They can be seen from far away. My little antenna can only be seen from my back yard and it is a lake after about 20 yds of land. "varioust" wrote in message ups.com... Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Jim,
This is good to know. I don't think that my antenna is grandfathered in but it is around 80" long and can only be seen from half-a-block or so. It is a Radio Shack 80" boom antenna. I don't think safety issues will be a problem. Although, anything is possible I guess and I wouldn't be surprised if I put up a fight that they use that angle. Anyway, there have been a lot of good posts and I have good responses from others that I might use in my argument against the HOA. I appreciate it, and I will keep you all updated on the situation. Thanks! On May 3, 5:22 pm, "Jim" wrote: I read all the other comments up to now and just want to add that I went through the same thing with my HOA. FCC has a file on my complaint. There are items that you must be aware of which would give a ruling in favor of the HOA. Like, safety hazards. I had to move my antenna because if it were to fall, it would fall into neighbors yard. Other than that I had no problem. HOA decided to drop the complaint against me after long communications with the FCC. Before I moved the antenna I received signals from Tampa better than from Ft. Myers. AFter moving it, I now get Ft. Myers better. Don't know the brand name of my antenna but it is a "wing type" about 5 - 6 inches wide, maybe an inch thick and about 30 inches in length. Does a great job with stations relative far away. My zip is 33872 if anyone wants to check out distances. I also receive VHF stations but never watch them as I have Dish for all TVs except the HDTV. The antenna is up probably 19' in the air. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out. Jim BTW, some regular antennas are grandfathered into the rules and regulations. There are probably 6 still in existence. They can be seen from far away. My little antenna can only be seen from my back yard and it is a lake after about 20 yds of land. "varioust" wrote in message ups.com... Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On 3 May 2007 12:08:10 -0700, varioust wrote:
Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): Man, I sure am glad I don't live in that are. They'd probably have a problem with my antenna http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/Tower29.htm They are not in this photo, but there are two located just below the position of my feet which are about 94 feet above the ground. I have two of the largest UHF TV antennas I could find. One points NW and the other south. I get good, reliable digital reception close to about 90 miles out. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"varioust" wrote in message ups.com... Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler Tell them that all these problems with the OTA HD reception has convinced you to put a 20 foot X-Band and two 2 meter Ku band satellite dishes in the front yard for the absolute best in TV viewing. Then invite the neighbors for HD sporting events in true good neighbor fashion. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
In article . com,
varioust wrote: Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! 1. Realize that if you become an adversary to the HOA you will become subject ot the absolute letter of the law on all covenants. You are throwing the book in their face. They will likely respond in kind. 2. Show up at the HOA office unannounced and ask in person to see documentation that neighbors are displeased. You don't want them to go drum up displeasure... you want to see the existing documentation for the displeasure that they claim exists. If they provide it, and if they are actually neighbors, consider talking to those folks about the issue personally. My bet is that there is no documentation. Your antenna was spotted by a HOA drivethrough. 3. Consider asking for reimbursement for your expenses to have the antenna moved... You'll agree to have it moved, but the HOA will have to have it done. And if reception is unacceptable, they will have to have it moved it back. 4. Consider moving the mast to behind the ridgeline, but extending the height to get back to the same line of sight. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On May 3, 7:20 pm, Steve Cutchen wrote:
In article . com, varioust wrote: Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! 1. Realize that if you become an adversary to the HOA you will become subject ot the absolute letter of the law on all covenants. You are throwing the book in their face. They will likely respond in kind. 2. Show up at the HOA office unannounced and ask in person to see documentation that neighbors are displeased. You don't want them to go drum up displeasure... you want to see the existing documentation for the displeasure that they claim exists. If they provide it, and if they are actually neighbors, consider talking to those folks about the issue personally. My bet is that there is no documentation. Your antenna was spotted by a HOA drivethrough. 3. Consider asking for reimbursement for your expenses to have the antenna moved... You'll agree to have it moved, but the HOA will have to have it done. And if reception is unacceptable, they will have to have it moved it back. 4. Consider moving the mast to behind the ridgeline, but extending the height to get back to the same line of sight. These are all good points. I plan on showing up at their office tomorrow unannounced (unless they are reading this thread). I'll let you know what happens. I was also planning on asking them to reimburse me for the cost of moving the antenna as well and that would really be the only way it is going to move because I don't plan on spending any more time/money on this. I have a good signal now...why should I mess with it if I don't have to. And I agree, if the move it and my signal decreases then it should go back. Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. Excellent point! especially since the grumblers apparently not even within eyesight! If you want to get pi**ed off about an antenna, wait until the vacant lot next door becomes a cell phone tower. -- All the Best, Richard Harison The covenant basically says about antennas and dishes that you can't have any antenna of any size and only a dish that has a diameter within 24" and not over 24". Which I find strange that they use 24" for dishes...aren't most dishes nowadays b/t 28" and 31"??? |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
varioust wrote:
Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. Excellent point! especially since the grumblers apparently not even within eyesight! If you want to get pi**ed off about an antenna, wait until the vacant lot next door becomes a cell phone tower. -- All the Best, Richard Harison The covenant basically says about antennas and dishes that you can't have any antenna of any size and only a dish that has a diameter within 24" and not over 24". Which I find strange that they use 24" for dishes...aren't most dishes nowadays b/t 28" and 31"??? The covenant is wrong. Check the fcc webpage for otard rules. I think someone already posted the link in this forum. Chip -- -------------------- http://NewsReader.Com/ -------------------- Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On May 4, 4:30 am, varioust wrote:
Since you received the blessing of your immediate neighbors, you might want to pass that information along to the board. If you can't find out who complained, you might want to find out how many complained. If it's one person who's being a jerk, ask what it would to do apease them. Excellent point! especially since the grumblers apparently not even within eyesight! If you want to get pi**ed off about an antenna, wait until the vacant lot next door becomes a cell phone tower. -- All the Best, Richard Harison The covenant basically says about antennas and dishes that you can't have any antenna of any size and only a dish that has a diameter within 24" and not over 24". Which I find strange that they use 24" for dishes...aren't most dishes nowadays b/t 28" and 31"??? If what you say about the size is true, sounds like the HOA doesn't want _any_ type of receiving device. Any Stepford Wives there? GG |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
I'll be interested to hear what happened when you visited the HOA
office. You analyzed the problem very well in your first note. I'm very impressed with the thoughtful, sensitive letter that your HOA sent to you, and I'll probably Many of the responses gave you good advice on alternatives to your current location and on the pro's and con's of, as you said, "being a good neighbor". There were also several responses that advocated an adversarial approach, and I hope you decide to go with the a "good neighbor" alternative. I've been an HOA president for several years, and I've learned a number of things from that experience. I'm very impressed with the thoughtful, sensitive letter that your HOA sent to you, and I'll probably save it as an example of an excellent way to deal with issues, even though our HOA does not have deed restrictions like those in your area. Among the things I've learned over the years are that immediate neighbors usually will not tell you directly when there is a problem. They don't know whether you will be pleasant and cooperative, or whether you will be hostile and argumentative. For many (most) people it is simpler and less risky to just ask the HOA president, board or other officers to deal with the situation. People think they are paying dues to the HOA and that is one of the services they should expect. It is a service that you also expect - now and in the future. It sounds like you have some reasonable alternatives that would be within the spirit of what your HOA is trying to achieve. It is highly likely that you are going to expect the HOA to enforce rules and provide services in other ways that you think are important. And it is certain that your neighbors will form an opinion of you influenced by whether they perceive you acting in a mature way that maintains everyone's property values, or whether they perceive you as being stubborn and insensitive and jeopardizing everyone's property values - including your own. Bernie On 5/3/2007 2:08 PM, varioust wrote: Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to
respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Did you put the antenna up yourself or did you hire it done? If the latter, I would tell the board if they want it moved, they can pay for it. And then tell them that if the reception is not adequate, they will pay for it to be relocated back in the original position. HOAs need to be kept in check. You boad talking about property rights is laughable. HOAs go against the very spirit of property rights. "Clear and unobstructed view"... of what? Do you live near Mt. Rushmore and the antenna is "blocking" the nose of Teddy Rosevelt? Your antenna has as much right to be on top of your roof as does your HOA president's car being in his driveway. Perhaps his car is "obstructing" your view!! As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. Now, I wouldn't put the tone of the letter the way I wrote this message, but the message itself would be very similar. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
And it is certain
that your neighbors will form an opinion of you influenced by whether they perceive you acting in a mature way that maintains everyone's property values, or whether they perceive you as being stubborn and insensitive and jeopardizing everyone's property values - including your own. BS. Right from the HOA President's Propaganda handbook. They throw the "property values" crap in your face. Hog wash. What affects property values are interest rates, local economy, and how many busy body do-gooders are in your neighborhood who believe they know how to manage your property better than you do. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Bernie wrote:
I'll be interested to hear what happened when you visited the HOA office. You analyzed the problem very well in your first note. I'm very impressed with the thoughtful, sensitive letter that your HOA sent to you, and I'll probably Many of the responses gave you good advice on alternatives to your current location and on the pro's and con's of, as you said, "being a good neighbor". There were also several responses that advocated an adversarial approach, and I hope you decide to go with the a "good neighbor" alternative. Despite the thoughtfullness, and sensitivity of the letter (and in my opinion it was not that thoughtfull or sensitive) the fact remains that the HOA has no authority in this matter. Its similar to saying your kids have too long of hair and when they ride their skateboards in the driveway, they adversely affect the property value. The proper response of the HOA to the complainers should be the same in both situations "we have no authority". |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"Larry Bud" wrote in message ps.com...
My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Did you put the antenna up yourself or did you hire it done? If the latter, I would tell the board if they want it moved, they can pay for it. And then tell them that if the reception is not adequate, they will pay for it to be relocated back in the original position. HOAs need to be kept in check. You boad talking about property rights is laughable. HOAs go against the very spirit of property rights. "Clear and unobstructed view"... of what? Do you live near Mt. Rushmore and the antenna is "blocking" the nose of Teddy Rosevelt? Your antenna has as much right to be on top of your roof as does your HOA president's car being in his driveway. Perhaps his car is "obstructing" your view!! As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. Now, I wouldn't put the tone of the letter the way I wrote this message, but the message itself would be very similar. I agree with almost everything Larry Bud says. But do try to remain civil. A friendly approach is generally better. If you can't move your antenna without ruining your reception, then politely stand by your rights under the FCC's rules. But if you can make it less conspicuous and still get good reception, then why not keep the neighbors happy? |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"L David Matheny" wrote in message ... "Larry Bud" wrote in message ps.com... My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Did you put the antenna up yourself or did you hire it done? If the latter, I would tell the board if they want it moved, they can pay for it. And then tell them that if the reception is not adequate, they will pay for it to be relocated back in the original position. HOAs need to be kept in check. You boad talking about property rights is laughable. HOAs go against the very spirit of property rights. "Clear and unobstructed view"... of what? Do you live near Mt. Rushmore and the antenna is "blocking" the nose of Teddy Rosevelt? Your antenna has as much right to be on top of your roof as does your HOA president's car being in his driveway. Perhaps his car is "obstructing" your view!! As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. Now, I wouldn't put the tone of the letter the way I wrote this message, but the message itself would be very similar. I agree with almost everything Larry Bud says. But do try to remain civil. A friendly approach is generally better. If you can't move your antenna without ruining your reception, then politely stand by your rights under the FCC's rules. But if you can make it less conspicuous and still get good reception, then why not keep the neighbors happy? I see the HOA as wrong in even asking for someone to make concessions or suffer financially in a matter that they maybe aware they have no legal right to in the first place. The "friendly" nature of their letter suggest they are well aware that they have lost the right to enforce their rule and believe they still have can achieve enforcement thru other methods. There still exist a hint of we have a rules and you have broken our rules and the HOA will deal with you, even in their carefully crafted letter. The HOA's letter should have addressed considerations that the HOA association was willing to offer to make moving the antenna as little are no financial burden to the homeowner. Because it is their position it is for the benefit of others that it should be moved let them pay. I'd be inclined to ignore the letter and if pressed on the issue ask that any cost to move and experiment be paid by the association. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
**Update**
I sent an e-mail back to the president and responded in a very humble and civil way. I made it known that I was somewhat offended about the point of me being unneighborly and uncitizenly if I didn't move the antenna. I noted that I am a good citizen and that being a good citizen means you let other people know about their freedoms and rights and that I thought maybe letting others know about the FCC ruling on this matter would be more "citizenly" of me. I also noted that once they revise the covenant to be in compliance with the FCC on the placement of antennas that the situation will be resolved because I should then also be in line with the covenant... I have not yet received a response from them. When I stopped by the HOA office the other day (during working hours) the door was locked. I called the # on the door and didn't get much help as to who has or where the records are for the HOA. Thank you all for your advice and help on this issue. If I receive a response or anything else develops, I will keep you informed. Thanks! |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On May 7, 9:21 am, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote:
In article om, Larry Bud wrote: As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. And yet stupid sheeple put themselves into the position of being governed by HOAs. The sheeple get what they deserve. And the politicians, counties, and townships have their hand out. Depending on the development, it relieves those entities from providing services even though they are still paid for by the owner in the HOA (in the form of property taxes). So the HOA gets a double- whammy, paying for property taxes, AND HOA dues that might go to roads, trash pickup, snow removal, etc. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
Group: alt.tv.tech.hdtv Date: Thu, May 3,
2007, 12:08pm (CDT-2) From: (varioust) My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler Though your within your rights and I'd want to tell the HOA where to get off, remember you have to live with these people. For $20 and a rope you can get teenager to take down an antenna easily Plus now you'll have the HOA on your ass for everything you do so be prepared to live by the letter of the law in everything or risks fines greater than the cost of removing the antenna. Plus you could have dogs making unscheduled stops on your lawn, scratches on your car, the lists go on an on. Not a good idea to live in a place with a HOA and it's a worse idea to make an enemy of them. As Bea Smith says "accidents will unfortunately just keep on happening." |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large
enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. " I re-read what your HOA wrote to you, and this line caught my eye "for the time being"... what's that supposed to mean? I suspect it's the HOA's way of saying "moving your antenna until we can talk to the lawyer to see if there's away around federal law or if we can fine you..." |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
"varioust" wrote in message ups.com... Hi everyone, This is my first post to the group so I apologize if this is not the correct place to post. I have been enjoying the threads in this group and I decided I would post to see if anyone has an idea of what I should do in this situation. I apologize in advance if I should be posting to another group. I have been having issues with my HOA who disparately desires me to relocate my antenna from the highest point on my roof (where I receive line-of-sight with transmitters) to a more suitable location (attic, or where it is not visible from the street). Obviously, I know that "technically" they can't tell me to do this because of the FCC ruling in 1996...however, they used what I call the "good neighbor" approach on me. Listed below is a portion of the e-mail from my HOA president (and it is long): "" The Board of Directors is currently discussing the heart of the rule governing the prohibition of the placement of an antenna in or on a member's lot or dwelling; that being the true aesthetics involved in a member using this sort of equipment for their receptive needs. We are discussing and seeking consultation as to the Board's responsibility to oversee the requirements or restrictions of placement of such antennas to stay in keeping with the spirit of rule #18 in our covenants. But with all "restrictions" we must carefully weigh the individual member's rights to what is legally allowed against the other member's rights to a clear and unobstructed view. We will be discussing the manner in which a member would be conscientious of their neighbor's property as they would their own and ask each member that decides to follow this FCC ruling to place their antenna where it is not visibly seen by the surrounding homes or passersby. After saying this, in the spirit of neighborliness and citizenship, we are asking that you consider relocating your antenna. Several other members have installed similar antennas in their attic crawl spaces. If the reception there is unacceptable or your attic isn't large enough to accommodate then we are asking you, for the time being; to relocate the antenna to the north side of your home's ridgeline to at least reduce the amount of visibility. The reason we are requesting this from you is the very reason this was brought to the Board's attention. It is displeasing to your neighbors. Please consider this request until the Board can make a final decision as to how it will regulate the placement of the equipment that our covenants still conclude as being unsightly. "" My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Thanks, Tyler Before I moved into a "closed" community I asked for a copy of the CCRs. I found nothing among them which was objectionable. Over the years here I have learned that here there are three sets of rules: Rumored rules - that which residents spread among themselves as being the rules; Cited Board rules - the way in which individual board members interpret the actual written rules; The written rules - those which would be contested or used as a defense in court. The first two often bear little or no resemblance to the latter. Yet, they do represent possible "community" reaction to their being "broken." In my community the written rule has been modified, from time to time, by board action, resident vote, or by state or federal law. One example of CCR amendment was that the (1960's) builder-installed, attic TV antennae were largely inadequate for good OTA reception. As these are multiple dwelling buildings, the roofs are not resident "exclusive" zones and even before the FCC got into the act, the CCRs were modified to permit roof antennae of a reasonable, and therefore almost uniform, size and height. The one-time total restriction against satellite dishes too was modified to permit the presently predominant small dish. Sadly, when cable arrived here and the vast majority of residents subscribed, few removed the roof antennae. An example of state law superceding CCRs is the few-year-old California law striking down "no pet" covenants in communities such as ours. A number of residents and a majority of the board members voted to construct "new rules," posing as covenants, and making it near impossible for our elderly residents to have dogs. Principal among this retaliation was "no walking of animals" on community grounds. Of course this never would have stood a court test and was stricken eventually, but it's illustrative of the knee-jerk reaction that some administrations have to a perceived loss of control - not unlike regionally and nationally elected administrations;-0) We here have no term limits for elected officials on the board - de facto, as it's rare that anyone else wants the job - and sadly that sometimes requires ad hoc committees which may end up in court to persuade the board toward a new way of thinking. Never-the-less, in a gated community of 7,000 dwellings, the need for rules and a board to handle them and a rather large cash flow, is obvious. Ideally residents would refer to rules and community actions by "we" or "our" rather than "they" or "their." Even in this somewhat Eden of CCR controlled communities, I hear many of my neighbors using "they." Not unlike citizens referring to our government, eh? As a member of a community I accept my share of the financial burden of any action against the community. However I believe I would feel somewhat uncharitable toward another member of the very same community who would cause me and our fellow residents to bear the financial burden of his no longer agreeing to the covenants he accepted when buying in, particularly so when the dispute could have been resolved beforehand by making known to the board his intended action and flexibilities. Winning is neither everything nor the only thing. Sample before-the-fact letter to the board: Dear sirs, since the FCC has ruled that covenants regarding antennae are generally unenforceable, we'd like to place an antenna for the reception of local and fringe TV transmission on our roof. As we may be the first in the community to do so, we've spoken with our immediate neighbors and finding among them no objection to our plan we'd like to seek your counsel as well. We're planning to acquire the materials and labor for the project in about two weeks. Your early reply will be appreciated. If you'd care to stop by or call, we're generally home between . . . |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On 7 May 2007 05:32:53 -0700, Larry Bud
wrote: My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Did you put the antenna up yourself or did you hire it done? If the latter, I would tell the board if they want it moved, they can pay for it. And then tell them that if the reception is not adequate, they will pay for it to be relocated back in the original position. HOAs need to be kept in check. You boad talking about property rights is laughable. HOAs go against the very spirit of property rights. "Clear and unobstructed view"... of what? Do you live near Mt. Rushmore and the antenna is "blocking" the nose of Teddy Rosevelt? Your antenna has as much right to be on top of your roof as does your HOA president's car being in his driveway. Perhaps his car is "obstructing" your view!! As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. I agree. Thumper Now, I wouldn't put the tone of the letter the way I wrote this message, but the message itself would be very similar. |
HD Antenna and Home owners association issues
On Mon, 7 May 2007 12:56:32 -0400, "L David Matheny"
wrote: "Larry Bud" wrote in message ps.com... My only response is: WOW! Can anyone give me a good idea of how to respond to this. Or recommendations on what I should do. Should I cave in to the "good guy" response, or should I fight this? I don't want to upset people, but I also think people should be aware that I am within my rights to have my antenna where it is...so it comes down to a matter of principle. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance! Did you put the antenna up yourself or did you hire it done? If the latter, I would tell the board if they want it moved, they can pay for it. And then tell them that if the reception is not adequate, they will pay for it to be relocated back in the original position. HOAs need to be kept in check. You boad talking about property rights is laughable. HOAs go against the very spirit of property rights. "Clear and unobstructed view"... of what? Do you live near Mt. Rushmore and the antenna is "blocking" the nose of Teddy Rosevelt? Your antenna has as much right to be on top of your roof as does your HOA president's car being in his driveway. Perhaps his car is "obstructing" your view!! As you can tell, I HATE HOAs. They are the next step in the destruction of private property rights. Now, I wouldn't put the tone of the letter the way I wrote this message, but the message itself would be very similar. I agree with almost everything Larry Bud says. But do try to remain civil. A friendly approach is generally better. If you can't move your antenna without ruining your reception, then politely stand by your rights under the FCC's rules. But if you can make it less conspicuous and still get good reception, then why not keep the neighbors happy? Why should he be the one that tries to be friendly by moving his antenna? Thumper |
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