decaturbob
Well-known member
Condo rules can be changed. Get on the board and then try....right now you have no leverage when it comes to condo rules and bylaws...you agreed to abide by them when you bought the condo
Truck issue with condo board
- Thread starter merlinmurph
- Start date
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steveblonde
Well-known member
define "Truck" it maybe that they dont want commercial vehicles in which case the definition may be weight based and a 3/4 ton is not a commercial vehicle - ie dump truck or cube van etc
John From Detroit
Well-known member
merlinmurph said:
As I said it depends on who is doing the classification and in some cases even why.
The Auto makers and I think the Feds do indeed call them "Trucks" in most cases but do you recall the Pick up, I think it was a Toyota, with a pair of seats and belts in the BED of the truck? Well the Feds called that one a "Car" Seems at the time there was a very restrictive tax law on TRUCKS so they slapped the back seats in, dangrous as outside seeting is on a pickup, and called it CAR.
In Michigan for registration reasons if there are side windows all the way back.... That is a Station Wagon.. Now you and I may know it is an "Econoline van" but the registration says it is a Station Wagon.. I do have a story about how bad this is. (I can tell an Econline by the VIN alone, or at least could back a few years ago).
As it happens I'm kind of trained in this kind of thing,, (Part of my Police Dispatcher Training since I had to enter Impounded cars in the computer system... or trucks or vehicles of any kind, so I had to know how to code 'em.. By the FEDERAL code book, as well as by the STATE code book)
So I'd guess the Condo Board is using the "Registration" standard that michigan uses so an SUV with windows down the sides is a Station Wagon
They may also be going by the license plate There are places in Detroit where if you park with COMMERCIAL plates, you get a ticket, and other places where if you park with Passanger Car plates.. You get a ticket,, but in both cases the OTHER type of plate you don't.
2kGeorgieBoy
Well-known member
John..the vehicle you refer to was the Subaru BRAT (Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter).
Badlands Bob
Well-known member
Tell the board not to worry about it. You will be moving, along with your truck, within 30 days. You are going to rent your condo out to a Section 8 family with 6 kids.
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 52,047
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Good idea, but some condo associations don't allow sub-leasing, or don't allow it without prior Board approval.
JudyJB
Well-known member
I was on a condo board for 13 years, and I will never buy another condo, let alone serve on a board.
If you DO decide to buy a condo, talk to someone like me who has served on a board to get the real lowdown on what can go wrong and the problems you can have. Also, most people let a lawyer look at the bylaws, but that is not enough. You need someone who is knowledgeable with condos to go through the bylaws, but they also need to look at the financials for the past 5 years (at least) and review the reserves fund to see how much money is put aside and what repairs they expect over the next 10 years. Preferably, they should have had a professional maintenance plan done that predicts future costs. If you have to pay someone, do it! There are association management companies that might do it for you for a fee, but it might save you big $$$ over the future.
At least that will prevent "most" surprises.
If you DO decide to buy a condo, talk to someone like me who has served on a board to get the real lowdown on what can go wrong and the problems you can have. Also, most people let a lawyer look at the bylaws, but that is not enough. You need someone who is knowledgeable with condos to go through the bylaws, but they also need to look at the financials for the past 5 years (at least) and review the reserves fund to see how much money is put aside and what repairs they expect over the next 10 years. Preferably, they should have had a professional maintenance plan done that predicts future costs. If you have to pay someone, do it! There are association management companies that might do it for you for a fee, but it might save you big $$$ over the future.
At least that will prevent "most" surprises.
blw2
Well-known member
My first home purchase was a townhouse of about the same vintage, maybe a bit older. Had similar language in the rules.
I wouldn't be surprised if the full language in yours isn't similar....
You say it says "no trucks."....but what does the rest of the paragraph say?
I don't remember the exact wording now, but at the time I was convinced that it meant in my case, trucks as in commercial trucks.... plumber's rigs with ladder racks and a vise mounted to the bumper and hoses hanging on the side, kind of things.... It was in a paragraph, listing commercial vehicles, RV's, boats, and all sorts of things but the wording left me thinking that was the intent anyway..... that the writer didn't mean nice private pick-ups.
Well, turns out that at some point before my time there, there was a resident with some big jacked up monster 4x4. So the board interpreted the rules to suite them to get the truck out. It was a very small complex with tiny driveways and really barely enough room for a civic, so i can see why they didn't want monster trucks!
Luckily, I wasn't driving a pickup at the time, but there was one neighbor with an F-150 that had to pull into his garage every night. The garage was not wide enough for him to open his door, so he had to crawl out into the bed through the sliding window to get out. I felt bad for that guy, I think he was a renter and probably didn't know about it till after he signed the lease.
It used to really get my irish up though that if I had wanted to I couldn't go out and buy a $40k+ silverado while the HOA president was driving around in a oldish car with fading paint taht needed a bit of body work. I was always tempted to get the most awful beater of a leak trap bondo buggy CAR to park in my driveway in protest.... and fire it up every now and then just to smoke out the place.... really bring up the property values.
Anyway, good luck.....
I wouldn't be surprised if the full language in yours isn't similar....
You say it says "no trucks."....but what does the rest of the paragraph say?
I don't remember the exact wording now, but at the time I was convinced that it meant in my case, trucks as in commercial trucks.... plumber's rigs with ladder racks and a vise mounted to the bumper and hoses hanging on the side, kind of things.... It was in a paragraph, listing commercial vehicles, RV's, boats, and all sorts of things but the wording left me thinking that was the intent anyway..... that the writer didn't mean nice private pick-ups.
Well, turns out that at some point before my time there, there was a resident with some big jacked up monster 4x4. So the board interpreted the rules to suite them to get the truck out. It was a very small complex with tiny driveways and really barely enough room for a civic, so i can see why they didn't want monster trucks!
Luckily, I wasn't driving a pickup at the time, but there was one neighbor with an F-150 that had to pull into his garage every night. The garage was not wide enough for him to open his door, so he had to crawl out into the bed through the sliding window to get out. I felt bad for that guy, I think he was a renter and probably didn't know about it till after he signed the lease.
It used to really get my irish up though that if I had wanted to I couldn't go out and buy a $40k+ silverado while the HOA president was driving around in a oldish car with fading paint taht needed a bit of body work. I was always tempted to get the most awful beater of a leak trap bondo buggy CAR to park in my driveway in protest.... and fire it up every now and then just to smoke out the place.... really bring up the property values.
Anyway, good luck.....
Until you either move or get the board to relax the rules just store the truck in the same lot you store your trailer. I assume you pay for storage since I doubt they are letting you park your trailer there if they don't want a truck.
While I think the rule is crap, you did know the rules when you bought the place so complaining now is pointless. Hope you figure something out that works for you.
While I think the rule is crap, you did know the rules when you bought the place so complaining now is pointless. Hope you figure something out that works for you.
mrschwarz
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2009
- Posts
- 875
Do you have the option to park on the street? In Texas, if the streets are public (not private) streets, HOAs don't have jurisdiction over them.
merlinmurph
Well-known member
Been awhile, time for an update
We're still on the road, just visited New Orleans, on the way to Savannah to visit my dad for Christmas
My argument to the board is that the US Government classifies almost all SUVs as light trucks. Even my previous car, a Honda Element, is classified as a light truck. The condo rules from the late 80's are very vague in that they say that no trucks or commercial vehicles are allowed, with no further definition of a what a truck is. So, if they ban my pickup, they also have to ban most SUVs. Talking with people in more modern HOA's, the truck verbiage in their rules is much more extensive. I anticipate that the board will ignore anything I say and fine me if I park in the lot.
Meanwhile, we are proposing a change in the rules which requires a majority vote (we have just 26 units). This vote may happen in Jan '17
As a contingency plan, I'm going to look for a place to potentially store the truck close by. Storing it where the trailer is stored is an option, though it's not close, ~10-15 minutes.
Parking on the street is not an option.
Stay tuned.
We're still on the road, just visited New Orleans, on the way to Savannah to visit my dad for Christmas
My argument to the board is that the US Government classifies almost all SUVs as light trucks. Even my previous car, a Honda Element, is classified as a light truck. The condo rules from the late 80's are very vague in that they say that no trucks or commercial vehicles are allowed, with no further definition of a what a truck is. So, if they ban my pickup, they also have to ban most SUVs. Talking with people in more modern HOA's, the truck verbiage in their rules is much more extensive. I anticipate that the board will ignore anything I say and fine me if I park in the lot.
Meanwhile, we are proposing a change in the rules which requires a majority vote (we have just 26 units). This vote may happen in Jan '17
As a contingency plan, I'm going to look for a place to potentially store the truck close by. Storing it where the trailer is stored is an option, though it's not close, ~10-15 minutes.
Parking on the street is not an option.
Stay tuned.
raybbj
Well-known member
I hate strata councils and HOA's. I'm getting ready to buy an F350. I don't think we have any restrictions, plus there's an F150 parked in my lot, but I better check before I buy. I feel for you, Sucks not being to park your own truck in front of your own home 
Just noticed in your profile you have an F250 LARIET?? Heck, that's a sweet ride! I am sure WAY nicer than most other vehicles parked there. Maybe they are trying to prevent Jalopies from getting a way in but could they really be upset about that vehicle? Where I live the doctors are proud to drive those!
hedhunter9
Well-known member
Here in Indiana, You can register many SUV's as Trucks and get truck plates.. Blazers, Suburb.. etc.. We always ran truck plates
on ours as they were cheaper !
Bob
on ours as they were cheaper !
Bob
merlinmurph
Well-known member
KandT said:
Yup, go figure. I even brought up the point that these trucks can cost upwards of $70k and, as mentioned above, toyed with the idea of finding someone with a sh*tbox and have them park it there for a few days.
It's a funny crowd. I think some people are a little full of themselves, and they want to "maintain the character of the place". This isn't some mega-exclusive property, though it is nice and presents itself very well as it is small, well-maintained, and landscaped well. Regardless, you take the good with the bad. I never miss a weekend of skiing, etc. because I have to work on the house.
Anyways, I'm going with the "SUV'S are trucks" argument.
