What are you eating? Page 149

Quote: DaButt @ December 22 2008, 3:55 PM GMT

We're actually talking about 2 different situations. It sounds as if you're subject to a historical association which sprang to life long after the homes were built. I can't see how they could force a woman who has lived in a home for 80 years to join against her wishes. But in my case the association was created at the same time as the neighborhood. Everyone who owns property there knows exactly what the restrictions are before he/she signs on the dotted line.

The biggest problems will lie down the road when street repairs or pool renovations are needed and the association votes to tack on a thousand dollar special assessment to everyone's dues. That's when it gets ugly.

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Oh yes different. My house was built in 1852 with the addition added in 1872. The hysterical ass's have been around since 1991. Oh they are mean people. Snobbish, cruel, unkind, value seeking wachichu's.

Quote: roscoff @ December 22 2008, 2:40 PM GMT

Cheese Pepperoni tomato's onion and wholemeal bread.

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tomatoes*

Quote: DaButt @ December 22 2008, 3:55 PM GMT

The biggest problems will lie down the road when street repairs or pool renovations are needed and the association votes to tack on a thousand dollar special assessment to everyone's dues. That's when it gets ugly.

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Are things like street repairs not the duty of local government? Or is that what the associations are, and some areas don't have any LG at all?

I'm strictly limited to toast.

Well at least you'll be pas- No, no, bad Aaron.

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2008, 5:32 PM GMT

Are things like street repairs not the duty of local government? Or is that what the associations are, and some areas don't have any lg at all?

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If it's a gated community (i.e. the roads are private property) then the maintenance of the roads falls upon the property owners. We fall outside boundaries of the city of San Antonio, so we don't pay city taxes. (But I still paid something like $5000 this year, with almost $4000 going for schools.)

San Antonio is notorious for annexing outlying areas to increase their tax base. I've been told that they tried to do it 2 years ago, but the residents declined. I've heard that they plan to try again in 2 years and we won't be able to stop them. Even worse, we'll wind up paying city taxes for streets, but they'll be able to say "You had a chance to turn the streets over to us a few years ago, but now it's too late. You're still responsible for the maintenance."

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2008, 5:50 PM GMT

Well at least you'll be pas- No, no, bad Aaron.

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I can't work out what you were going to say!

So how did you stop them this time and yet won't be able to next?

I'm sure you'll have moved by then anyway, so no big deal.

Quote: zooo @ December 22 2008, 5:54 PM GMT

I can't work out what you were going to say!

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Probably best!

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2008, 5:32 PM GMT

tomatoes*

Are things like street repairs not the duty of local government? Or is that what the associations are, and some areas don't have any LG at all?

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Haven't you seen the documentary Mad Max?

Passing out? Passing urine? Pasting margarine? Passionate about bread?

Any close there?

Quote: sootyj @ December 22 2008, 6:17 PM GMT

Haven't you seen the documentary Mad Max?

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No.

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2008, 5:55 PM GMT

So how did you stop them this time and yet won't be able to next?

I'm sure you'll have moved by then anyway, so no big deal.

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The rumor is that they'll try to annex us again in 2010, so I'll probably still be in the same house. I guess the original offer was a voluntary annexation with a promise to take control of the streets. The next annexation attempt can be done with the stroke of the city's pen and we will have no say in the matter and they'll be under no obligation to maintain the streets. Or so I've been told.

Ouch. There goes any last notion of democracy of the "land of the free".

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2008, 6:35 PM GMT

Ouch. There goes any last notion of democracy of the "land of the free".

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Maybe I was misinformed. Here's the state statute concerning annexation, but I can't read more than a paragraph before my eyes glaze over.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/SOTWDocs/LG/htm/LG.43.45494.39276.htm

Erm DaButt that's what Hitler did to Austria, how many testicles does your govenor have?

Hooray I declare my self winner of the BSG spurious Nazi reference of the day!

Quote: sootyj @ December 22 2008, 8:12 PM GMT

Erm DaButt that's what Hitler did to Austria

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As far as I know, they can only annex unincorporated areas contiguous to the current city. I assume we have the option of incorporating ourselves as a city, but that seems like it would be taking things to far.

My father was a city planner and he's explained that annexation is usually a good thing. It allows a city to plan its growth and expand in a uniform, well-planned manner, instead of having a zillion tiny entities with their own laws and ways of doing things.

There's one tiny community that's completely surrounded by the city of San Antonio, yet they have their own police department and local government. They're so small and tax-poor that their cops spend most of their time doling out speeding tickets to non-residents, so most people avoid the area.