[Submitted] Like A Good Neighbor

[Pax Nerdvana]

Like A Good Neighbor

The Debate:
HOAs, or Home Owners Associations, organizations that are charged with protecting home values, have recently come under fire for being too restrictive about what their residents can do. It's all come to a head after a man was fined 10000 @@currency@@ for painting his trash can neon green.

1.
The homeowner in question marches in through your office door, carrying a can of spray paint, and says,"They fined me 10000 @@currency@@ for me taking a little artistic license, and painting my trash can neon green. You must dissolve all HOAs, and allow us homeowners to do whatever we like to our houses."

Fallout: Neighborhoods are now filled with artistic, multicolored trash cans and lawn decorations after all HOAs were dissolved.

2.
@@femalename@@, an HOA board chair, stomps in wielding a ruler, and says,"The grass in your front lawn is approximately .2334664 inches too long. I'm going to have to charge you 12000 @@currency@@. The guy who painted his trash can was detracting value from the whole neighborhood. I demand that the government steps in to rule neighborhoods with an iron fist and arrest these savages."

Fallout: Citizens who have lawns that are slightly too high, tend to face life in prison for their crimes against home values.

Does this draft look better?

Validity:


Like A Good Neighbor

The Debate:
Home Owners Associations, or HOAs as they are known, have recently come under fire for being too restrictive and obsessive about home values.

1.
An angry homeowner marches in through your office door, and says,"They fined me 800 @@currency@@ for me taking a little artistic license, and painting my trash can neon green. I demand that you dissolve all HOAs."

Fallout: Neighborhoods are now filled with artistic, multicolored trash cans and lawn decorations after all HOAs were dissolved.

2.
@@femalename@@, an HOA board chair, marches in and says,"The grass in your front lawn is approximately .2334664 inches too long. I'm going to have to charge you 900 @@currency@@. The guy who painted his trash can was detracting value from the whole neighborhood. I demand that the government steps in to rule neighborhoods with an iron fist."

Fallout: Citizens who have lawns that are slightly too high, tend to face life in prison for their crimes against home values.

3.
An old veteran walks into the office and says,"They made me take down my sign that was in support of our troops. My son is over there fighting for our freedoms, and they made me take down my patriotic sign. My son, and me before him, have fought for freedom, and she wants us to be unpatriotic. Us vets should be allowed to do what we want to our houses."

Fallout: Military veterans are allowed to paint their houses however they want.

How does this look? I know it could do with some edits, but I'm in need of suggestions.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

HOAs only exist in the USA, as far as I am aware. And there, they're private associations which you're only subject to if you purchase a property under their aegis and sign up to the terms and conditions at the time. That means your issue basically comes down to "should legal contracts be enforced?"

[Pax Nerdvana]

HOAs only exist in the USA, as far as I am aware. And there, they're private associations which you're only subject to if you purchase a property under their aegis and sign up to the terms and conditions at the time. That means your issue basically comes down to "should legal contracts be enforced?"

I thought HOAs were worldwide. It does come down to that though. Any suggestions? And. Thanks for your time.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Not sure, to be honest. The closest issue we have at present to asking whether contract law should always be enforced is #514 Contract Killer, though the situation it deals with is so different that there's no overlap here.

I guess there's nothing wrong with it being based purely on a US siutation, but it will feel a bit alien to any non-Americans who don't routinely follow these things.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Not sure, to be honest. The closest issue we have at present to asking whether contract law should always be enforced is #514 Contract Killer, though the situation it deals with is so different that there's no overlap here.

I guess there's nothing wrong with it being based purely on a US siutation, but it will feel a bit alien to any non-Americans who don't routinely follow these things.

It probably will, but it should be ok, I guess. Do you think it looks good enough to submit?

[Jutsa]

Noo, I wouldn't say that, myself. I'd take a closer look but I've already got a bit of a backlog of drafts I wish to help with.

[Sacara]

Home Owners Associations, or HOAs as they are known, have recently come under fire for being too restrictive and obsessive about home values.

Maybe define what an HOA is to non-American users? I think you should actually note which situation triggers the issue in the first place (what you said in option one)

1.
An angry homeowner marches in through your office door, and says,"They fined me 800 @@currency@@ for me taking a little artistic license, and painting my trash can neon green. I demand that you dissolve all HOAs."

I'd consider adding more substance. Take out the first part and make it more extreme. NS loves over-the-top and irrational decisions.

Fallout: Neighborhoods are now filled with artistic, multicolored trash cans and lawn decorations after all HOAs were dissolved.

You don't need the red part.

2.
@@femalename@@, an HOA board chair, marches in and says,"The grass in your front lawn is approximately .2334664 inches too long. I'm going to have to charge you 900 @@currency@@. The guy who painted his trash can was detracting value from the whole neighborhood. I demand that the government steps in to rule neighborhoods with an iron fist."

You used "marches in" in the previous issue as all. Maybe change the wording? I don't quite get the point of this one: why would an HOA board chair try to get the Government to basically replace them? I believe this is what is what she's asking for. Maybe make another option to have someone else suggest that?

Fallout: Citizens who have lawns that are slightly too high, tend to face life in prison for their crimes against home values.

Uncessessary comma.

3.
An old veteran walks into the office and says,"They made me take down my sign that was in support of our troops. My son is over there fighting for our freedoms, and they made me take down my patriotic sign. My son, and me before him, have fought for freedom, and she wants us to be unpatriotic. Us vets should be allowed to do what we want to our houses."

Honestly, I don't really get the whole option here. I don't think it's relevant enough to be its own option. If you decide to keep it, make sure you add a validity to ensure the nation has gone to war before.

Just some brief suggestions here; it's entirely up to you whether you accept them or not.

[Chan Island]

Homeowners associations are, as far as I know, a US only thing. But one thing that much more of the world does have, which as far as I remember is not at all addressed by the issues in much depth is the phenomenon of neighbourhood watches and the restrictions they might put on people.

On the other hand, one way you could turn this around is to make this an issue asking if Homeowners Associations should be introduced or not. That way those who see the value in having these bodies can then put them in, and the rest of us in blissful ignorance as to what they are can safely choose the don't put them in option.

EDIT: perhaps the inciting incident could be the neon rubbish bin guy actually. We have an issue about a person wanting to make an unusual home, but something like that, while technically not illegal and a bit ridiculous to legislate against (though this is NS, so who knows) is something that would fall under the purview of an HOA or Neighbourhood Watch.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Agree with Chan Island. Non-USA folk could understand an issue about Neighborhood Watches without turning to google.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Agree with Chan Island. Non-USA folk could understand an issue about Neighborhood Watches without turning to google.

I'll edit it today, if I remember. Thanks for all the advice, everyone.

[Australian rePublic]

Just curious, how do trash cans work in America? Seriously, how? Here in Australia, (this will very by council, but generally) you get three bins with three different coloured lids. One bin is for general garbage. This is generally red. One bin is for recycling (or two if your council makes you separate paper and bottles) this yellow, or yellow and blue if there are two, and the third one is for garden waste, which either has a green or light blue lid. If you paint your garbage bin a different colour, I doubt that the garbageman would collect it, probably because he wouldn't know which one it's supposed to be. I would assume that the garbage man wouldn't take it, I doubt anyone's ever tried it...

[Pax Nerdvana]

Just curious, how do trash cans work in America? Seriously, how? Here in Australia, (this will very by council, but generally) you get three bins with three different coloured lids. One bin is for general garbage. This is generally red. One bin is for recycling (or two if your council makes you separate paper and bottles) this yellow, or yellow and blue if there are two, and the third one is for garden waste, which either has a green or light blue lid. If you paint your garbage bin a different colour, I doubt that the garbageman would collect it, probably because he wouldn't know which one it's supposed to be. I would assume that the garbage man wouldn't take it, I doubt anyone's ever tried it...

Where I live, we have two bins. The slightly shorter one is recycling; it's green with a blue lid. The big one is trash. It's all green. The green is a very dark green.

[Australian rePublic]

Just curious, how do trash cans work in America? Seriously, how? Here in Australia, (this will very by council, but generally) you get three bins with three different coloured lids. One bin is for general garbage. This is generally red. One bin is for recycling (or two if your council makes you separate paper and bottles) this yellow, or yellow and blue if there are two, and the third one is for garden waste, which either has a green or light blue lid. If you paint your garbage bin a different colour, I doubt that the garbageman would collect it, probably because he wouldn't know which one it's supposed to be. I would assume that the garbage man wouldn't take it, I doubt anyone's ever tried it...

Where I live, we have two bins. The slightly shorter one is recycling; it's green with a blue lid. The big one is trash. It's all green. The green is a very dark green.

Here the recycling bins are taller than the normal bins (although the green bins and yellow bins are collected on alternating weeks). Don't you guys have green bins? In either case, if this guy paints his bin, how will the garbage man know if the bin should be collected?

[Pax Nerdvana]

Where I live, we have two bins. The slightly shorter one is recycling; it's green with a blue lid. The big one is trash. It's all green. The green is a very dark green.

Here the recycling bins are taller than the normal bins (although the green bins and yellow bins are collected on alternating weeks). Don't you guys have green bins? In either case, if this guy paints his bin, how will the garbage man know if the bin should be collected?

Evryone sets their bins out on the curb, and the sanitation people drive by and pick it up, regardless of color, I think.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Issue submitted.

[Fauxia]

Good luck, then

[Pax Nerdvana]

Good luck, then

Thank you. It probably won't get too far, tbh.

[Australian rePublic]

Good luck

[Pax Nerdvana]

Good luck

Thank you.