F-150 Owner Still Can’t Park Pickup in His Own Driveway!
Remember the story about the Manlius, New York homeowners “ass-ociation” that filed a lawsuit against a Ford F-150 owner to bar him from parking in his own driveway?
Well, that’s still on but we received a truck load of comments from our readers and we want to share your advice with the poor unfortunate truck owner, David Orlando.
“When you buy a home in a restricted neighborhood, you agree to live by the rules….. even if they suck.” says forum member KJ Smith.
The Kimry Moor Homeowners’ Association has it in for Orlando’s 2014 black Ford F-150 and argues that the truck does not meet its “private passenger automobile standards” for the neighborhood.
The F-150 fits inside Orlando’s garage, but he is using it for storage and doesn’t have room for his truck at the moment. Also, he tried to file a counter suit against the HOA but that was tossed out of court.
Here’s a small sample of the responses received from our forum that range from tough love to a little bit of inside information from a reader who lives in the area.
“Late to the party, but I live about 20 minutes from this guy. His problem is that he owns the garage he parks in front of, but, get ready for this… He doesn’t own the driveway. The HOA owns every driveway, lawn, and common area. This way they can dictate what can and can’t be in your driveway, what you plant, shrubs, trees, if its visible to the neighbors the HOA has a say in it. Here’s a good one too: No Propane grills with tanks, no portable charcoal grills (if it was legs and/or wheels its a no go) They want built in grills, natural gas preferred, and they have a list of approved architects to design and install your “outdoor kitchen”. If your house was approved for a porch, you must have an OK for any seating you wish to put on the porch and seating is all that is allowed on the porch, no recycling, no trash cans, no hoses can be visible. You may not wash, wax, or maintain your vehicle in the HOA driveway or roads. The HOA in that guys development is out of control. Now I do have to tell you, its a VERY elite area he lives in, you must be pre-approved to even look at houses in his tract. The town of Manlius is very nouveau riche and way snotty, mostly because they’re they were rejected from hobnobbing in the Hamptons of upstate, Skaneateles. If you have some money here you live in Manlius and Fayetteville, if you have stupid money, you live in the power play compounds of Skaneateles.” –nydiver
“I would think a homeowner’s driveway is private property, but I guess not in the People’s Socialist Republic of New York (I grew up in NY, but now consider myself rehabilitated.) As long as the truck doesn’t have commercial plates, I’d tell the association to go pound sand.” -Warthog49
“I would buy the biggest, baddest, ugliest, lifted up, redneck, mud-covered SUV (think: Bronco, Excursion, etc) and park it in the driveway out of spite. Hey, it’s not a commercial vehicle, it’s an SUV, just like the next door neighbor’s Toyota Rav4! Whaddya gonna do about that, homeowner’s association?” –exranger06
“When I lived in the Peoples Republic of Illinois I had the same issue with my regular cab pickup. At the time I could only get truck plates, unless I put a camper on the back, which would allow me to get RV plates. With truck plates, I was not allowed to park in my driveway or street. Lucky for me a nice person at the police station told me there was no ordnance against parking on lawn (side yard or backyard). Also they told me they never enforce the ordinance unless someone complains. Everyday I pulled in on my side yard & parked right by my neighbors window. The same people who complained.” -zr7gt390
“People who get buyers remorse after choosing an HOA get zero sympathy from me. The specific use of an HOA is to maintain property values and to maintain specific desired qualities in a neighborhood. Part of maintaining quality expensive neighborhoods is economic segregation and strict land use policies. That works fine for many people, but those who don’t want that should make the adult choice to live elsewhere.” – monckywrench
“I would read the HOA’s carefully to see if they are inclusive or exclusive. i.e., state you can do everything except…, or the following is allowed… Then I would park on the lawn!” -taxgod4u
The case has been filed with the Onondaga County Supreme Court and is still pending. Stay tuned.
Tell us what you think about it in the forum.>>
Photos courtesy of Fox News & Google.
