ignorance, judgment, neighbors

If the covenants are not part of your closing documents, then someone, either the previous owner or the listing realtor may have a legal problem or the Title company failed in its actions.

The burden is on those parties for disclosure of property restrictions in most states. Discussion with the Title Company or Escrow Agent might be in order.

If the disclosures were in fact made, you have no recourse.

Becoming the Covenant Police yourself to gain exception to valid covenants because other covenants are being violated likely would not end in success for you.

Sorry for your problems, but hope you can sort them out.

Thank you for you service!

If you really did not agree to the 'covenants' they may not apply to you. Just because there is a piece of paper calling them out does not mean they apply to you or that you agreed to them. Especially if there is no HOA or other governing board to make them rule of law. Your real estate agent may have done nothing wrong. Many instances of local do-gooders with covenants trying to be enforced where there is no law giving such authority.

On the other hand, if there are such restrictions and you specifically made the requirements for an RV on site known to your realtor then they may indeed have liability in your loss. You will need an atty then.

One thing I would not give up is your right to fly the flag!!

Let the HOA enforcers make an issue out of that then go to the media. Just the kind of thing that news folks love to cover on a slow news day.

Go down to your courthouse and ask to see your recorded deed. If the covenants are not recorded with the deed, you can tell them where to go. If they are recorded with the deed, than you could have a problem-------------if they are willing to hire an attorney and go to court.

I suspect you could generate a lot of public sympathy over the flag pole thing flying the 2 flags-----------maybe enough to embarrass the rest to shut-up.

Any and ALL HOA's should have been disclosed at least at closing. They are after all tied directly to the title of the property.
I would contact whom ever is the president of the HOA and ask them. As for the neighbors? There is nothing you can do about their attitude, so why worry about them. Yes, I would sell out and go live in the MH. The old saying "you can't fight city hall" comes to mind. Put up with the idiots or move, but don't stress over it.

Wrong Lane wrote:
One thing I would not give up is your right to fly the flag!!

Let the HOA enforcers make an issue out of that then go to the media. Just the kind of thing that news folks love to cover on a slow news day.

My flag pole plans are still in effect. Spoke to a VA rep about the flag issue and according to him there is a federal mandate making flag restrictions unlawful.
So now will just have to find the tallest pole I can.

Well,, test the waters a little,,, Have "Driveway camping week"! By law they have to issue a warning of non compliance!! In that they will give you a time to have what ever fixed or removed,,,, It would be right up the minute that I would stay camping!!!
Sounds like most of the neighbors are "Keyboard tough guys"!!

In the mean time,, be prepared,, photo the non compliant and prepare a notice of violations to charge them!!!

After you move your MH, bring it back and stay right up until violation time (IE 24 hours,48 hours) What ever,, then let it go for a period of time,,, then "Camping week again,, You get another warning,,, What ever!!!
If they enforce you,, they (who ever that may be) must enforce for all!!!

I live where HOA's are seldom enforced,, I did receive a notice I could not store my boat on my side yard so I moved it into the drive way,,, then saw another neighbor put paver blocks to park HIS boat on this side yard,,, I did the same,,, got the warning,, ignored it and nothing ever came of it!!!!

Usmcsousa,
First off, I want to thank you for your service to this country, however it being torn down by you know who. Anyway, when we were looking to move the last time, we had toys. We had a boat, a Jeep and a motorhome. As much as I really like clean, well kept, nice looking, neighborhoods, with what appears to be that people (of whom we've never met) actually care about their property, lawns, landscaping, cars etc. etc. etc., it's really hard, on a limited income, to find the most perfect neighborhood within a price range we could have afforded.

But, the most important part of the move was, to find a place that would accommodate our toys. I have never, and will never, ever, "store" my coach away from our residence. It's a prerequisite that both of us demand that we be able to have whatever toys we have at the time, be at our home. Now, there's neighborhoods all over this country that will, or will not allow such a thing.

If one is even remotely thinking of procuring an RV in the near or, distant future, and think like us, than when looking for a new place to live, you must make sure, by inquiring to whomever you need to go to, about the placement of an RV in an intended neighborhood. There are beautiful neighborhoods all over that allow RVs to be parked at or alongside or, behind the residences.

As much as we love our coach and, RVing in general, I really HATE them in the street. I'm not fond of them in the front driveway either. Ours is alongside the home, on concrete, covered. As I stated, it's tough to find the "Perfect" neighborhood that is accommodating to your needs and, still looks good and is safe and clean.

But, in your case, as much as a serious pain in the a$$ as it would be, if you really want your RV to be near you, I'D MOVE! I know, I know, you like your home and, it was work to finally get there but, it all depends on just how adamant you (and maybe your wife) would like to have your coach with you.

I'm tinkering with mine about every day, in one way or another. I'd go POSTAL if I was forced to store it. So, it's up to you, you can take a stand, fight it, and have hateful neighbors for the rest of your life and even with spending money on lawyers, (which no one wants to do), there's a good chance you will loose and, then you're out that money and STILL HAVE TO STORE IT! Or, you can move.

Only this time, ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING!
Scott

This was in the news sometime back about a neighbor taking a guy to court because his newly installed roof line was two high. It was HOA thing as well. I think his original roof missed the height restriction by just a few inches...

So he had to tear off the roof and make it lower to satisfy the HOA rules.

He ended up with placing his FINGERS window facing the neighbor that made the complaint...


Photo from GOOGLE Images

Roy Ken

Most neighborhoods have deed restrictions when they are first formed. This is something that most developers use to show new buyers how the homes are to be built and maintained, etc.
Now that it is established that deed restrictions are in place,you need to look at the realities of them. If your housing development DOES NOT have an HOA, deed restrictions are useless. The local building department DOES NOT enforce deed restrictions. Deed restrictions are enforced by the HOA and this enforcement is paid for by an assessment to ALL homeowners. If you do not have monthly assessment payments going to an HOA, you do not have one and there is no money available for legal enforcement.
Basically without an HOA, the deed restrictions become unenforceable and you can basically tell the little old lady, and any other neighbors, to pound salt.
Now, forgetting deed restrictions, you need to find out if there are any CITY ordinances that prohibits parking an RV out front of your house, etc. Some cities do have such restrictions and those are enforceable by the building code enforcement folks.
If there are no CITY ordinances restricting your RV, or flag pole, then enjoy yourself and forget about others.