They fought the lawn. And the lawn lost

General Gardening
21

same here. planting alot of grains/ legumes to feed my chickens in the rows in between my plantings further reducing my rows to still mow.

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22

You would really be depressed if you worked on some of the estates where I manage orchards. First the contractors mow then they use “industrial” leaf blowers to vacuum the lawns as if they were floors in their living rooms- every week even for a couple or few after the lawns have stopped growing, which is hilarious if you aren’t concerned about the waste and pollution. They only stop mowing when the leaves begin to fall so they can turn their crews to the weekly task of blowing and rounding up leaves- what I call the leaf rodeo. Some even do a weekly clearing of the gutters.

The good thing is that fruit trees thrive on such lawns- the more grass is mowed the less it competes with trees for water and nutrients- and voles tend to run away from frequently mowed turf. I get a lot more rodent damage in more meadow like conditions.

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23

I think the Great Horned Owls nesting by my house are helping with the rodent population this year. I’ll be doing what I can to keep them coming back. They’ll keep my figs trees going and apples happy.

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24

When we just moved in into this house 12 years ago, we made three owl houses and placed them in different locations around the property. Owls only use one of them (the other two were probably too close to the road). They don’t live in it year round, but they use it to raise their young ones. Once the young one is able to fly, they move to large trees that border my property.

5 Likes
25

I fully support people taking on their HOA even if they knew the rules beforehand. I’m an advocate for questioning authority and challenging the integrity of all institutional structures. It doesn’t mean I think they should necessarily win their challenge against established norms. Though it’s the sign of a healthy society when we have individuals willing to take on city hall.

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26

This isn’t taking in City Hall. HOAs are not governments. It’s more akin to leasing a car, then suing the leasing company because you no longer like the terms.

27

Yes, they are.

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28

No, they’re not. While the laws governing HOAs are a little unique, they’re really corporations, often but not always non-profit.

Here’s an explanation: HOAs

1 Like
29

If you don’t count HOA’s as governments, then you have an absurdly narrow definition of government.

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30

This statement is correct: “HOAs are not governed as cities or towns”. Beyond that they are every bit as much as a government, specially when you fail to follow their rules, they put a lien on your house, and end up foreclosing it from under you.

They have the power to make rules, the power to enforce them, the power to force you to do, not do, how to do, and the power to deprive you of your private property.

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31

I completely and totally disagree with you. It’s far more akin to challenging a city government

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32

How you describe an HOA is accurate. One might even be tempted to describe them as proxies for government.

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33

They have this power because they’re a corporation, and you grant them that authority when you sign their contract. When you lease a car, there are also terms and conditions.

When you sell land, you can do so with conditions. In some areas, it’s common to own a house but not own the mineral rights to the land under your feet. The owners of those mineral rights have legal claim to your property in a narrow sense. That doesn’t make them a government.

When a developer develops a plot of land, they have the right to sell that land with conditions. One of those conditions can be that you agree to abide by certain rules regarding the upkeep of your property. That developer can also create a board to ensure those who agree to that are upholding their end of the bargain. If you’re not, they can sue you for breaking the contract. They can’t arrest you, try you, and put you in their jail. Those are powers reserved for governments. Cities, counties, states can do that.

34

You can disagree, but you’re clearly, unequivocally incorrect. By your definition, the YMCA and Netflix are governments. When you get a YMCA membership, they have a governing body which makes rules you must abide by. If you violate those rules, they can revoke your membership even if you’ve already paid. They can also sue you. When you get Netflix (or cable or even just buy a DVD), there are conditions which say you can’t broadcast that content, even if it’s your property.

If you don’t like those conditions, don’t buy into them.

35

Counties can’t pass laws and put you in jail for breaking those laws, can they? In any case, county governments wouldn’t cease to be governments if they couldn’t.

And if you don’t like the laws in one state, you can move to another. You don’t have to buy into an HOA, just like you don’t have to vote to ratify the constitution. Your parents/ancestors can do so for you. HOA agreements are contracts like state constitutions and the federal constitution are contracts. That doesn’t mean the result isn’t a government.

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36

Last time i checked Netflix does not have this level of control over my affairs, nor can they kick me out of my house if i share my account.

1 Like
37

Yes, counties can pass laws and enforce those laws. HOAs can not pass laws. They can pass rules, but only so far as the authority granted to then. Many states have laws which govern the level of restrictions these contracts may extend.

Not all contracts are government.

Think of another examle, a private cemetery. You can buy a plot, but you can’t just build a hot dog stand on it. They sell it with conditions.

38

If you were to sign a contract with Netlix which stipulates they can force you to sell your home if you share your account, then they absolutely could enforce that provision of the contract.

39

What level of proof would any of you require for you to finally agreee HOAs are not governments? You could just call your state or county district attorney’s office tomorrow if you wanted.

40

That wasn’t the question. The question was whether they could, as you said, “arrest you, try you, and put in their jail.” You said, “Those are powers reserved for governments. …counties… can do that.”

And governments are (sometimes) limited by the powers delegated to them, too. Constitutionally limited governments are still governments. So are HOA’s.

And the federal government has laws which govern the level of restrictions state governments may impose. And state governments have laws which govern the level of restrictions city government may impose.

How about an argument that holds water, unlike the ones you’ve made so far.

2 Likes