HOA's Take Aim at Our Hobby!

Because many of us like preserving our property value. I don't need someone next door to me filling their yard with cars on jack stands. My home is the largest investment I have ever made. Ham radio is only my hobby.

Darrell

 

I am one of those who was bitten by the HAM bug long after moving into a CC&R neighborhood. Fortunately, there is no HOA, so there has been no issue (so far) with my dipole and VHF antennae. I am considerate of my neighbors and wish to pursue my new hobby. If I move, it WILL be into a non-HOA or other HAM-friendly dwelling. de WW6BBB

 

There are lots of those in CA.

There are even tower-friendly HOAs, such as Del Webb's Sun City and Sun City West, which are major Common Interest Developments that do have CC&Rs...but the CC&Rs specifically allow amateur radio antennas and towers, and there are plenty of them there.

 

Exactly why I live in the boondocks of Bigfoot, TN... As low as S-1 noise on 160M!

 

Judith,
You are obviously very mis-informed about Ham Radio and it's function and the necessity of Ham operators. If you really want to know anything about Ham radio, try contacting your local Emergency Management Response group. This is usually run by the local Sheriff or a State agency. Every emergency management facility has a Ham station built into the facility and is operated for free by Ham operators properly trained in handling emergency communications. They coordinate with hams in each community and rely on Hams to provide up to the minute information, yes some of us do have portable equipment to go on site to assist, but most are base stations that local police, fire, and rescue coordinate with to help in communications during a disaster. Sure some folks have large tall towers, but many of us have short towers that just get the height needed above the roof lines to give a take off angle for proper communication propagation. Research the facts rather than make an emotional plea hen you have no idea what you are talking about. You are probably also one of the people that would be the first to call out for help when an event takes place rather than being prepared and ready to help others in an event. Please take the time to learn before you jump to conclusions because you think it will not look good. Rules for tower height and size of antennas can be negotiated and there are ways to help make them less obvious and still perform properly. I lived in a community in West Seattle, Washington and had antenna's up on the roof of our condo association and rarely did anyone even know they were there, but we were the West Seattle emergency hub and with backup solar power were able to be ready for any event, in fact this made the property value go up, not down....do your homework.
K7RHT

 

HOA rules have their beginning in the fact some folks didn't want to "see" anyone of color in their neighborhood. Just because you don't want to "see" something does not give you dominion to prevent it. So I ask once again, exactly HOW will my tower destroy your life??

............Bob

 

There is absolutely no evidence that ham antenna impact property values at all. I can direct you to several studies that actually show property values where ham antennas exist rise or fall with the rest. No impact what-so-ever. But nice try.

..............Bob

 

In the greater Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, Fernley and Fallon Nevada area there has not been even one housing development built since the mid 1980's that does not have an HOA and/or CC&R's. 100% of these have used cookie cutter language derived from the very first one. If you want to be a active ham here you must buy your house in a area built pre-mid 1980's. Most of these areas are very high crime. If I can not buy a NEW home just because I am an active ham, then it seems not to different from the zoning discrimination laws that stopped minorities and gays in years gone bye. I truly hope that there is never a need for help from hams in a disaster here. American law principal states that it is UNLAWFUL it profit from that which has been made unlawful buy regulation or statute. Thus it could be considered a crime to receive help from hams If you live in an HOA and/or CC&R area. The HOA's have chosen to be anti any antenna that is not forced on them by government regulation. If they had be reasonably accommodated the hams then the new laws would not be needed and they could still have some say in the matter, but they chose their position.

 

Wake Up, they take more each day! Stand Up America!
Jim McGregor N4MCG
Oath Keeper

 

I may be off base, but if you move into a community with HOA's and knowingly violate its rules, you are wrong to violate them. I don't feel it is your duty to make a one-person effort to repeal the HOA rules but if the majority doesn't mind or agrees that a rule should be changed then it should be done.

Personally I hate HOAs and agree with others about the neighbor Nazis. When I moved from Houston, I never again lived in a neighborhood with an HOA. I now live on five acres in an Oregon county and I can put up a full size rhombic if I want to and I probably will someday. The local emergency response folks rely on ham radio here in Oregon and hams give their best in return. If the prognosticators are correct, we could be ground zero in a major 9.2 earthquake and tsunami and the emergency response folks are counting on our help. The poor folks in Portland and other cities with HOAs have their wish and may suffer for it.

 

Judith sounds a little nervous

If the legislation passes (and it is moving forward in a way that is threatening),
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so she makes stuff up...

community associations would not be able to require prior approval for 70' HAM radio towers and antennas, nor would community associations have the ability to create reasonable processes and aesthetic guidelines.
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If all associations already had reasonable processes in place, there would be no bill.

 

When asked "why do you live in a HOA?" I have heard "My wife wanted to be close to family or its close to town" or its close to the good schools. I hate to inform you that it is past time that you grow a set and make better decisions about where you live. You have signed a legal contract and agreed to abide by those rules. Why should you get special consideration and let out of the contract? As for hams providing emergency services , from what I have seen if a real emergency were to happen the hams will be the first ones found floating in a ditch with a rubber ducky sticking out of their nether regions because they were playing radio when they should have been paying attention to the emergency.
Legislation will not change the situation
Refusing to buy the silly over priced product will.
Your money is the only dog you have in this fight.

 

I live in the country, 15 acres of heavy forrest therefor do not have a issue. What I can not understand is why anyone would move into a subdivision knowing this ?

 

This is exactly what this bill proposes to do....

The objective is to have congress approve the bill which is to permit reasonable amateur radio antennas in HOA's. In other words, it proposes to establish a path for hams to seek reasonable accommodation for antenna's in HOA's, where one currently doesn't exist.

The FCC would have authority over the actual language pertaining to aesthetics, safety concerns, and other criteria involving how reasonable amateur radio antennas are to be installed at HOA's, in a reasonable manner, and this new FCC regulation would include language to include HOA's involvement into the matter.

Once the bill is passed, the FCC will have 90 days to draw up the actual language of the reasonable amateur radio antenna regulations for both hams and HOA's to follow. Input from HOA's is highly desired in terms of establishing acceptable guidelines to follow.

Just to be clear, the bill only seeks to permit reasonable antennas in HOA's, as opposed to outright banning them in HOA's.

In other words, the bill itself is not the final conclusion, nor is the bill intended to specifically outline how antennas are to be installed in HOA's. This is because every HOA is different and have individual issues to contend with. What works in one HOA, may not work in another. It is the intention of passing this bill so hams are able to work with their HOA's to determine what is a reasonable antenna in their particular HOA.

The primary objective of this bill is for HOA's to provide reasonable accommodation of amateur radio antennas, even if it's a hidden one. But HOA's will no longer be able to ban all antennas in their entirety.

 

The only HOA I may ever be a member of is a cemetery. Then I may fit in.

They are socialist politics in a different box.

KU4YP