50 Times People Were So Oddly Specific, They Sounded Suspicious

The idea is it stops people dragging the property prices down - but I'd rather live next to Onslow and his junker car than Hyacinth Bucket any day.

That depends upon whether you live in a conservation area or not. Was only in the news last week about a lady who had painted her front door pink and was being asked by the council to change it. Also if you live on a development with commonhold land, there can be restrictions on what you can do with the front of your property, usually to preserve the look of the development. We have this where I live, though the management company has been lax in enforcing it, hence we now have a mishmash of window designs.

This is NOT an American thing lol housing standards are all over the world. Did you think every building in Santorini is blue and white just by coincidence?

someone i know here in Belgium is not allowed to dry her clothes on her balcony and there were some other strange rules like only white grey or black outdoor furtinure or something, because they live in a very fancy building.

Not just America. In South Africa, particularly in Cape Town, every development basically has an HOA. I absolutely hate dealing with them and their overly pedantic specifications. Yes George, I'm talking about you.

Councils in the UK seem to flex their muscle often enough telling people what colour they can pain their house or front door, how high their fences can be, where they can put their potted plants and god forbid you should try to improve a little bit of neglected communal land

In Canada I wasn't allowed to have a patio umbrella above the fence line wasn't allowed to have a plant hanging on the fence could not plant flowers or veggies in the ground all this in my own back yard in a "condominium"

They exist in Canada as well. It's not super common, and I think more regulated than the lower 48, but they're there.

Then why do I see articles about Brits getting fined for cutting trees down on their own property?

Well except if you have a local council who are power tripping, stopping little old Betty from displaying her collection of gnomes because it doesn't fit the "aesthetic" making the council people feel like little gods

Sadly, it’s found its way to Europe, including the UK, where commonholds are morphing into the stereotypical American HOA. My San Francisco flat is a TIC (tenancy in common) because the other two flats in the building are own by other people. We have a standard HOA that merely covers shared expenses and responsibilities like insurance, maintenance and property taxes. My brother bought a flat condo-type home in Brighton (Hove) and has an HOA that oversteps into petty things like aesthetics. So, while it may be known as an American thing, get ready. It’s coming to a European nation near you!!!

Oh, so because it doesn't happen in the specific locality where you live, it can't possibly happen anywhere in the entire world...except the US. Rather provincial of you.

When house hunting, we passed on a great deal because it was an HOA neighborhood. Maybe that’s why it was such a good deal, because of the f-ing nosy-a$$ neighbors 😂. By God, if I want Nascar flags & a 10ft gargoyle in my front yard, it’s nobody else’s business.

Except every house in UK look this same🤣 really crazy when u go for a beer and can't find wher is your home

Unless, of course, your property is listed. The rules and regulations regarding what you can/can’t do can be pretty stringent and come with some hefty penalties, if the owners stray from them, in that case.

But... freedom and eagles and ok yes guns?

So Freeholds and Commonholds are not a similar thing? I'm fairly certain they are. Plus there are gated more posh communities in the UK that do have the equivalent to a HOA.

Miss Emma, the Council would like a word...

..... If ur able to walk to court that is.

Often a homeowner association owns a LOT of common property, including such things as a swimming pool, a club house, playground or even playing fields, a dog park...

I live in a lovely postwar neighborhood that was built in 1946 and really enjoy the eclectic mix of decor in my neighborhood ❤️ we have one house that is decorated for Halloween year round 😆

In my country it would be a "f**k you" and that's it. Or a screaming match depending on how poor the neighborhood is.

In the UK, they'll paint their house pink with purple stripes 😭

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True, but then you'd be living in the fascist f*****g trainwreck that is the UK. So it's a tradeoff.

Omg I think you’re right!!!😂😂😂

Exactly! Lol I will never understand people who choose to buy a home in an HOA neighborhood. Then again, maybe it’s a good thing….these communities attract all the Karens. They can fight with each other to the death over garden ornaments and leave the rest of us the hell alone.