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Vermont Ham finally gets approval for antennas on his own property

Seems to be a big deal with a lot of hams. On some of the ham forums, they always talk about the HOA thing.... 'How do I hide my antenna?' etc.
 
Part of that HOA Control mindset šŸ˜ .
Why is it that only one hobby has to go to so much trouble to operate? I used to tease one of my friends, that gun owners should have to go through years of public hearings, and get permission from every neighbor within two miles, before they can buy a rifle. He always said they can't stop either one in his land.
The whole thing gets pretty absurd. There's always the neighborhood "expert" who swears that a two-watt transmitter will cause neighbors' big screen TV sets to overload and explode, burning down everyone's houses.
The HOA lawyers love to stir up the paranoia, with photoshop pictures of 150-foot NASA dishes on top of houses.
It's a game.
 
Gun owners DO have to do that, if they want to have a range on which to _use_ their guns. So really it's very similar. I can _own_ an amateur radio transmitter (or rifle), but if I want to _use_ it I may have to go through an enormous amount of garbage, hassle, and expense.

It's only a game to the lawyers, because they get paid big money to play for you.
 
My HOA here in FL started making noises about banning drones, I showed them the case law on the subject and warned them the minute they did not only would I sue the HOA and the individual board members, but I would get the FAA involved as they are the only entity that has control over the national air space which starts at the tops of the blades of grass.

Then there was HOA BS about flags ( most states passed laws preventing HOA's from interfering with the display of the American Flag) and more famously the FCC rules on "OTARDS" which allowed for TV antenna placement on buildings in a HOA
 
I used to do the Satellite Home Viewer Act stuff. I got a letter from someone in a Park City condo, who said she had to be allowed Distant Locals, because she was told she could only have one antenna.
I drove there, and saw that nearly everyone had multiple dishes, as well as OTA antennas, on each unit. I talked to the FCC lawyers, and gave her the facts. She admitted she was testing the stations, and that she was an FBI agent.
 
I never got to meet her, face-to-face, so I don't know how cute she was...she said she was single. I guess I should have asked our Investigative Reporter, who later worked for them
 
One of the unique issues concerning HOA "law" is that much of it is contractual, as opposed to merely being a zoning or similar issue.
 
Exactly, and while you cannot legally enter into contract to do something illegal, you can legally contract away all (or nearly so) your rights.

As far as Iā€™m concerned, in this country right now weā€™re WAY behind recognizing where the threats to our liberty have shifted to.
 
I asked my friend what he would do with his gun collection if/when his HOA bans guns. I think he had a mini stroke.
 
I remember listening to Paul Harvey on the way to work one morning (many years ago).
He reported something about a town in Florida, that had just banned pickup trucks and other "non-sedan" vehicles from public view. It seemed that someone complained they were "ugly", and should be kept hidden from view when parked on the owner's property.
My co-worker was not happy hearing that, as he looked out the window at his pickup and horse trailer.
 
kenglish said:
I remember listening to Paul Harvey on the way to work one morning (many years ago).
He reported something about a town in Florida, that had just banned pickup trucks and other "non-sedan" vehicles from public view. It seemed that someone complained they were "ugly", and should be kept hidden from view when parked on the owner's property.
My co-worker was not happy hearing that, as he looked out the window at his pickup and horse trailer.
Click to expand...
You may be thinking of Coral Gables, FL. It's just outside of Miami and has LOTS of restrictions. They have loosened the pickup truck ordinance slightly. Here's how it currently reads:

ONE pickup truck may be parked outside of a residence if all three of the following requirements are met:
a.There are no items in the bed of the vehicle.b.The vehicle has no commercial markings or advertising, and no commercial equipment or appendage is attached to the exterior of the vehicle.c.The vehicle is unmodified and has no more than four (4) wheels.
 
That sounds like the one. Hopefully, antennas are allowed on the trucks.
 
Mikey Radio said:
You may be thinking of Coral Gables, FL. It's just outside of Miami and has LOTS of restrictions.
Click to expand...
Coral Gables, adjoining the city of Miami to the south, is very protective, even in architecture. I lived there briefly around 1984 and I had one of those magnetic signs you put on the car door so that visitors from Latin America could identify me when I picked them up at the airport for my radio syndication company; I left it on one night when parked outside the garage, and got a city fine for it!
 
I hope you let them know that you were moving because of that kind of stuff.
 
kenglish said:
I hope you let them know that you were moving because of that kind of stuff.
Click to expand...
Lol, I don't think it'll help as it's been that way seemingly forever, and many residents like it that way. The pickup truck ordinance dates back to the days when the surrounding area was a bit more rural and some residents owned or worked on farms. The city didn't want them bringing agricultural equipment (including pickup trucks) home and parking them on the street or in their driveways and making the neighborhood look like "Green Acres".

The most recent debate I remember reading about took place about 8 years ago. It became pretty heated because you had younger people and families who now saw pickup trucks as personal or family vehicles, and thought it was silly that one couldn't have their truck parked on the street or in their own driveways. They either had to keep them in the garage or out of sight. The "old guard" and residents who'd lived in Coral Gables for years didn't want to budge, and wanted no pickup trucks at all and saw it as a slippery slope and if they gave in on this, then what next. it seems the updated ordinance I posted above was a compromise.

There are lots of rules there including what time commercial vehicles can be in the area, it specifies how any vehicle in the city for commercial or contracting work must be marked and decaled, the hours and days one can do yardwork and landscaping, the color pallet one must abide by when painting your house, etc.
 
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Agreed; Iā€™m familiar with the rules and regs for displaying the shield. For whatever reason, Bogartā€™s film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre came to mind so I made the post.
 
I was told by officials of the power utility that they are often accosted by HOA Nazis, for showing up in trucks and wearing work clothes, when the power is out.
They often just have the crew move on to the next assignment, and put that neighborhood at the bottom of the list.
When Karen gets cold, she becomes more cooperative....especially when the neighbors are angry.
 
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