Homeowners Association letter

[betafish60]

Not sure if this is the appropriate location for this thread but I searched and did not find any other references to HOA issues.
I just installed my FTA system (Mercury II, 31" dish) on the south side of my house. The dish is motorized and attached to a grounded 7 ft. pole approximately 3 ft from the house. Before installing I had called my HOA this summer to inquire if there would be any problems in erecting this setup. After a day they returned my call and said it should be no problem. Well, guess what, I just received a letter from the HOA indicating that during a drive by they noticed my dish and it is in violation of the deed restriction of the HOA. They included a copy of the deed restriction which I already knew about. As all of you know the FCC has a rule which precludes any deed restrictions for dishes under 39" so I am not sure if they are just trying to bluff me into removing it or they will be able to enforce the HOA rule. I will let you know after I talk with them tomorrow.
FYI I am a homeowner located in a housing subdivision of Pickerington, Ohio.

[Sadoun]

Check the FCC guidelines here: FCC Fact Sheet on Placement of Antennas

You can just print a copy of the guidelines and present it to your HOA in a friendly way. If you are within the guidelines, they should have no objections.

[Jim-S]

Some may ask you to put it behind your house, but that may not be possible for line of site reasons. I also live in an association, my dish is in my side yard about 30' from my house along natural vegetation line. We took some leaves from the trees and had some paint mixed to match and painted the dish and mounting pole it blends right in, it can be seen from the street. None of the people have said anything. My point is maybe you can landscape or disguise it somehow. Just a thought.
Jim

Originally Posted by betafish60

Not sure if this is the appropriate location for this thread but I searched and did not find any other references to HOA issues.
I just installed my FTA system (Mercury II, 31" dish) on the south side of my house. The dish is motorized and attached to a grounded 7 ft. pole approximately 3 ft from the house. Before installing I had called my HOA this summer to inquire if there would be any problems in erecting this setup. After a day they returned my call and said it should be no problem. Well, guess what, I just received a letter from the HOA indicating that during a drive by they noticed my dish and it is in violation of the deed restriction of the HOA. They included a copy of the deed restriction which I already knew about. As all of you know the FCC has a rule which precludes any deed restrictions for dishes under 39" so I am not sure if they are just trying to bluff me into removing it or they will be able to enforce the HOA rule. I will let you know after I talk with them tomorrow.
FYI I am a homeowner located in a housing subdivision of Pickerington, Ohio.

[betafish60]

Talked with the HOA property management group today in a non-confrontational manner. I explained that when I called earlier this year I was given the thumbs up and wanted to know the reason for the letter. It appears that someone from the board of directors for the HOA pointed out the illegal dish installation. Being a homeowner and understanding the concern of having an unsightly dish in view from the streeet I indicated that I am more than willing to work with the HOA and offered to landscape and/or paint the dish to make it less visible but firmly stated that they do not have any right under the FCC rules to require the dish removal. The HOA spokesperson thought this might work but indicated she would need to present this to the board. I think it will be after the first of the year before I receive a response but will let you know the outcome.

[crankbooster]

When i Installed my 10ft c band even at my backyard, MY HOA wrote me a letter that it is too big and it is shiowing from the front. So I removed itand put it where it cant be seen from the front.

[elgemcdlf]

Oh the life with no HOA. Still don't quite understand why people agree to such a group. It is, in it's purest form self imposed socialism here in America. When taken just a step further in examination you are actually paying someone to take away your freedoms. Of course you do get to vote on who takes away your freedom. This should be a hands down win though. You bypass all the rules associated with rentals. I think Sadoun's approach should suffice. Once presented with the facts they really have no option.

[be236]

Yeah, I dont know what's the big deal with HOAs and their dislike for dishes... I mean... Pretty much anywhere you go or drive by, you see LOTS of Dish Network or DTV dishes (the 18" kind) on people's houses and sides.. and in HOA communities as well...

I dont see why so many people have a "hang up" on other people putting dishes (be it the 18" dish or 30" FTA dishes) on their house or inside their property... I dont see it as being "unsightly," since it's so common these days... for that matter, I dont see the big deal with restrictions on putting up a roof-top antenna either.. sheez... what's the big deal.. I think antennas and dishes look kinda cool (but that's just the geek in me.heh)...

I'll be moving into an HOA community soon and I read its restrictions and thankfully it's a small community, and the biggest restriction is about parking cars overnight in the street in front of your house, etc.... didnt see any restrictions on dishes (as I have seen in other HOA communites I have looked at.heh)...

I also have a big C-band dish that I would have liked to move into my new place, but probably that might raise a few eyebrows, but with the expensive of hiring a dealer to move it cost ($600? maybe)... and the lack of any "ITC" (free in-the-clear) channels left, I probably will just leave it at the old house. oh well...

[Sadoun]

HOA have good rules for the most part and I appreciate with they do to protect the value of the properties. Imagine if people started parking their RVs, junk rusted cars, trailers, and so forth in front of their driveway.

However, most HOAs missed the boat on the Dish issue. That is were you can show them the FCC guidelines and educate them about your rights.

[elgemcdlf]

Originally Posted by Sadoun

HOA have good rules for the most part and I appreciate with they do to protect the value of the properties. Imagine if people started parking their RVs, junk rusted cars, trailers, and so forth in front of their driveway.

However, most HOAs missed the boat on the Dish issue. That is were you can show them the FCC guidelines and educate them about your rights.

Generally speaking birds of a feather flock together. So if you are the type that has an RV (most of which are quite expensive) you probably live in a neighborhood with people that have RV's so not a big deal. I have never lived in a HOA environment and have never had the problems you list above either unless you are talking way back when I was first starting out on my own (apartment dwelling). Of course back then I could not have afforded to live in a community that had an HOA so I am right back where I started. If you can afford to live with an HOA you can afford a decent enough neighborhood without an HOA and the problems are not there.

[Sadoun]

That's why I keep telling my wife I need to move out to the country side where HOA is no where to be found. Then I can put a real C-band dish at my house

[rainman]

Yep I wouldn't trade my 8 acres for nothing.

[lumpkin666]

Originally Posted by be236

...I also have a big C-band dish that I would have liked to move into my new place, but probably that might raise a few eyebrows, but with the expensive of hiring a dealer to move it cost ($600? maybe)... and the lack of any "ITC" (free in-the-clear) channels left, I probably will just leave it at the old house. oh well...

You and a friend could easily make the move yourself. The biggest cost then, would be a new pole (unless you can dig yours up, or cut off enough to reuse). And if you aren't finding any free C-Band, you aren't looking the right places

[wejones]

Re HOAs, I don't see ANY redeeming quality in them. They are nothing but discrimination, ie along the lines of Steve's birds of a feather statement, but more sinister, in that it's the birds of one flock discriminating against the actions of the birds of another flock. I think the HOA rules should be made illegal before it gets out of hand and they drift into the realm of discriminating against more than just people's hobbies. There is no way I would ever (again) live in a HOA community. People say that there is nothing wrong with these HOAs because anyone who lives in one has signed an aggreement agreeing to the rules, and as long as these things are a very small percentage of the available housing in an area, perhaps they are harmless, however they are getting so numerous that they threaten to dominate the housing that is within range of the jobs in an area.

Re ITC on C-band.... ITC generally refers to free analog, and yes that is getting very hard to find, but there is still a some up there. There are also free (fixed key) VCII channels, and free (ZK or FP) DCII channels on C-band. Again, not numerous, but they are there. Re free DVB channels, ie FTA, these are getting more and more numerous. I watch more FTA programming from C-band than from Ku. If it weren't for PBS being on Ku, it would probably be 90% C-band, but that's just because of my personal viewing interests. Ie whether C-band or Ku is for you really depends on what you intend to watch.

Re moving a C-band dish, I have taken a couple off their poles without taking them apart, and I don't recommend it, unless it's only moving a few feet. It's best to take them completely apart, however often these things get so rusted or corroded that it's hard to get them apart, so the decision of whether to move a dish probably should start with an evaluation of whether you can unscrew the bolts.

Re moving out into the country, when I moved to where I live now, we were searching for property with south-west facing hills for a view of the conus sats, but I forgot that despite owning 2 chain saws, that those darn trees can grow almost faster than you can cut them down. I initially had a view from 135 in the west all the way to somewhere around 30 in the east, but my view was under some trees and over other trees, and between other trees, and now all the darn trees have grown, so that my view is shrinking and shrinking, and even though I have 40+ acres here, there just isn't any place I could move the dish that would give me a view of the arc without cutting down hundreds of trees. For Ku, I can see the arc just by having several small dishes that I can move to where I can see different parts of the arc, but for C-band, this isn't as easy. Anyway, when moving to the country, consider what the view will be if the trees grow, not just where they are currently.

[Sadoun]

Originally Posted by wejones

Anyway, when moving to the country, consider what the view will be if the trees grow, not just where they are currently.

The first thing I would look for is how clear the LOS to the Clarke Belt

[rainman]

Originally Posted by Sadoun

The first thing I would look for is how clear the LOS to the Clarke Belt

yeah that is a must when looking for a new house.