South Carolina Hams fight to amend homeowner association restrictions

I moved to SC in 2021. We specifically moved into a neighborhood with no HOA and no zoning, outside of the hamlets, villages, and cities. I wrote the county about my intended tower, and they asked me if it was commercial or private. Since it's private, they said zero permits or applications necessary. If you've got the ability to stay out of HOAs and zoning...do it.

 

I just got confirmation today that Tommy Pope Speaker Pro Tempore at SC House of Representatives will be supporting this bill going forward! 73's

 

Any insight on the Senate?

 

Another "whip the dead horse" thread on hams in HOA's. As a ham, if I did move into a house under an HOA (and I have several times before), I would go in with all the knowledge I can get after reading all the HIOA rules. If I did move into an HOA, I wouldn't want a neighbor putting up a tower/mast anything, painting their house purple with yellow shutters. HOA's exist for a reason and that reason is not ham radio. However, it's not just ham radio it's anything like running a business in your garage and having high traffic and cars parked everywhere. What HOA would allow some guy with a lawn care business parking truck and trailers full of mowers, weed eaters to move in?

HOA's exist for a reason whether we like it or not, so why move into an HOA with restrictions if you want to do some of those activities? If you do move into an HOA and don't read all the documentation and get told to paint your door a certain color, plant only authorized shrubs, and no big, tall antennas only a sat dish that can't be seen from the street, then it's on you.

 

Did you read the bill before you replied?

 

Yeah been there done that, I know the rules before going in.

If the bill goes through that's fine for you in SC. To think it's going to change anything across the country dream on.

 

I can understand an HOA being opposed to somebody putting up an 'antenna farm' on a 'postage stamp' lot. I get that! But some of the properties I have been looking at have >1.5 acres, (which is what I have now), with some as much at 3~5 acres but still in an HOA. I don't know what the so called 'strength' of the HOA's in these places are but would an accommodation be made for an antenna on a sizable lot like that? A fellow over on a different board, who is an attorney, had his sale agreement on which he purchased a house be contingent on if he could place an antenna of his liking on the property. I don't want to get in the paramutations of agreements with how the sale is conducted. But the fact remains that this was done and can be done. If it doesn't fit your liking, find another place that does.

 

Years ago when houses were not selling, some HOA's (builder owned) offered special incentives in order to sell houses. I only know of one such antenna incentive in a very small, very expensive HOA community. Would you be kind enough to tell us the HOA community which offers 3-5 acre lots....

 

When I lived north of San Antonio, the street I was on had an HOA. There was a little green drainage space between my street and the next. The next street over was a ham who had a 60' tower with a tri-bander and a few dipoles hanging off. I went over and introduced myself. and asked about his setup. He bought his house before the builder had a chance to set anything like an HOA or covenants up and when the subdivision was done there was a push to put in an HOA. Since he had been there before the HOA couldn't force him to remove it (legally). They tried, he won, and they finally had to leave him alone. Last time iI was in San Antonio I checked, and the tower was gone. I think he sold out and the new owner had to sign on the HOA,

 

The ARRL is working to pass - National Legislation HR 4006 and a companion Senate Bill. They are pressing hard in Congress and the Seante. We decided to give it a go here in SC to get ahead of the game.

 

David I was there, you just asked the wrong person in the booth, David Minster NA2AA (CEO of the ARRL) was aware as were some of the directors. you are totally wrong about what teh ARRL is doing to push the Bill.. why don't you just ask your section manager... being ME!

 

working on it.

 

In practice it depends on how the CC&Rs are written. In the HOA I lived in, it took 90% of all homeowners PLUS their mortgage holders to change a CC&R - which is effectively impossible. (The CC&Rs were the HOA rules, there were no derivative rules).

Our legislature overrode that by law to a maximum of 67% but didn’t change who had to approve it. So it’s still essentially impossible in that subdivision because of the mortgage holder requirement.

 

W2AAT said:

You will have to look up on realtor.com I think there were a few down near Beaufort and the Wadmalaw, St. Helena and Edisto Island areas.

 

HOA? Never..ever..based on principle.

HOA = "hooked on authority."