Florida Homeowners Association Terror

In my neighborhood, homeowners used to “get in trouble” for parking on the streets in front of their homes and in their driveways in a manner that blocked the sidewalk. This is what happens when driveways are short. This is what happens when you do not park in your garage. This is why people used to park at the edge of their driveways parallel to the street in a display of ugly compliance.

Getting reprimanded for parking by your HOA is some petty shit considering some people have a lot of adults living in their houses in order to pay these rising bills (Thank you TECO and Hillsborough County Water!). So, I think the HOA backed off chastising the children for those infractions. Communication is key. And the ability to effectively communicate is a unique skill. Once again I say, we don’t know who these HOA people really are or what their motives are.

This was an April 2025 email from the HOA (I did not add bold this time for emphasis. They did that themselves. Pretty fancy!):

NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS

Hello Members,

This is an important reminder regarding proper parking practices, especially on scheduled lawn service days.

Our landscaping company has recently reported difficulty safely maneuvering their vehicles and equipment through the community due to improperly parked vehicles. In several cases, the positioning of cars has made it unsafe for the crews to access certain properties. This not only disrupts service but also creates a significant safety hazard for residents, pedestrians, and service personnel.

Please be advised: If the landscape company determines that a vehicle is parked in a way that makes it unsafe or impossible to access your property, they will not service your yard that day. Missed services due to unsafe or obstructive parking will not be rescheduled or refunded.

As a reminder:

• All residents must follow the HOA’s parking rules, as well as the regulations set forth by Hillsborough County.
• Vehicles must be parked legally and completely out of the way on designated lawn service days.
• Parking in a manner that blocks access, narrows drive paths, or requires equipment to maneuver around hazards is strictly prohibited.

Unsafe parking is not only a violation of community rules but also increases the risk of accidents.

We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our community safe and ensuring that all properties receive their scheduled landscaping service without interruption.

If you have any questions regarding parking guidelines or service days, please contact the HOA office.

 

Community Website: www.mygreencondo.net/vistapalms

Roger L Kessler LCAM Property Manager E: Rkessler@UniquePropertyServices.com P: 813-879-1139 ext 106 P: 813-879-1039

Now allow me to explain the ineffectiveness of this communication:

The very first sentence states that this is a reminder of “proper parking practices” for us children-aka the homeowners—of this neighborhood. And yet no where in the email does the HOA specify what those practices (behaviors) look like. I could just end this posting right here.

If the landscaping company is having difficulty maneuvering, it begs the question on whether what they are doing is appropriate given the tenuous situation with parking (this situation being created by builders and the economy and the result being blamed on homeowners). To start, can the landscapers do something different, like have a later start time when more people might be gone for work? This is no disrespect to the lawn people as I think they are great and I heard they get mistreated. But when it comes to coming up with solutions, you must problem-solve—not threaten homeowners! Does the HOA know how to solve problems in absence of threats?

Another thing is that the HOA states if a vehicle is the problem, your lawn will not be serviced. That is a great behavior-consequences statement. But what if it isn’t the homeowners vehicle that is preventing easy access to the yard? What if it is the neighbors’ vehicles? How would the HOA know the difference? They don’t—because they don’t talk to people like they are adult human beings. They make assumptions first.

Last, the email goes on an on about parking rules, regulations, and legalities, blah, blah blah. But the HOA fails to specify what it looks like. It is just a bunch of empty words. I don’t think many working class people get home from a long days’ work just to check HOA emails, and then read the HOA Covenants, Codes, & Restrictions (CC&Rs), and then check Hillsborough County regulations for parking to see what is illegal, alegal, and/or legal. The HOA needs to paint a picture, be specific, give examples…communicate.

Effective communication involves knowing your audience and being able to communicate in ways that they understand—this includes language AND the method of communication. If the homeowners are not responding to HOAs’ communications’, then the communicator—the HOA—must problem solve on how to best communicate. And the preferred method that the HOA communicates is by issuing fines…oh and by acting a damn fool at HOA meetings.