Resolved Whats the deal with yard guys not showing up?

[eyoungren]

Just putting this out there…

My HOA requires the front yard and driveway to be presentable. No trash, newspapers, debris, leaves, etc.. We've had a guy doing the yardwork for the last three years after I finally broke down and got one. The HOA sends you a 'courtesy notice' before they fine you. The notice leaves the 'issue' open for three months, during which time any further deviation results in the actual fine.

So our guy stopped showing up. This was a few months back, I finally dropped him and have been doing it myself. It's not hard. We have a small front yard, all rock with a tree and a couple of bushes. The tree drops lots of little leaves, we get some weeds from time to time and the location of the house causes any trash in the street to filter into my driveway. It's mainly just using a blower to clean up.

My wife thinks our old yard guy fell off the wagon. My conspiracy-mind thinks that with the pandemic and all the corps snapping up the houses around us to rent, there's some shadow blacklist somewhere telling yardmen "Don't do yardwork at his house!" 'Cause if the HOA fines him enough or if he gets tired enough doing his own work, he'll sell and the corp picks up another house. IDK.

Anyway, one guy I called said he'd show up. No show - despite him being gung-ho over the phone. Two guys I called a week and a half ago (they left their card) did show and gave me an estimate. I was very specific in telling them I need someone here a couple of days before the HOA manager comes through with her clipboard checking up on everybody.

So, I text them as a reminder about this Friday, they tell me Tuesday of this week is all they can do. Fine. They didn't show up yesterday and they didn't text me about it either. I'm extending hope that they might show today or Friday, but I don't really think so.

I know a lot of these guys are very busy (for some reason) but it's sure not at my house. I do notice that a lot less of them are in my neighborhood now though, so this (to me) gives credence to my corporation conspiracy theory. Both houses next to me are corp-owned rentals. Maybe the HOA is secretly telling these yardguys to stay out, IDK.

I know they aren't pros, but I'm not paying $600 to have a landscaping company come through with a blower. I do wish though, they'd stop leaving yardcare business cards at my door if they have no intention of showing up at all.

Anyone have any insights here?

 

[CartesianProduct2014]

I no longer use a service. They’d come weekly but their service quality was very bad. So, I bought a riding mower and do it myself. Since I WFH it’s a perfect arrangement.

 

[eyoungren]

I no longer use a service. They’d come weekly but their service quality was very bad. So, I bought a riding mower and do it myself. Since I WFH it’s a perfect arrangement.

Yeah, I'm doing it myself now as well. If I had a lawn it'd be easy, but I live in Phoenix and it's all rock out front. There's only so much you can do with a weedwhacker and a blower before there's no more rock and you have nothing but dirt.

I also work from home, but I'd rather pay someone to do this. I can do it and the HOA isn't requiring perfect. But I hate yardwork and the original guy was charging $30. The latest estimate is $50, but I'm fine with that. I see it as paying a HOA fine each month to get out of doing yardwork.

So, if these new people aren't here by Sunday I'll have to do it myself again. No big deal, I just don't like doing it.

I'm just wondering what happened. My area used to be chock full of local yard people with their trucks and trailers. Maybe the pandemic made them all move on to something else, IDK. But I still encounter packed gas stations with these trucks and trailers in the morning. They just don't seem to be working my neighborhood.

 

[WeatherWeasel]

First of all, I do not have a HOA. They are stupid and a waste of time and money. Second I am 74 and have a nice person who comes. Why don't YOU find someone else other than that person. In fact, go after Miss Priss with the clipboard and as that person who they have doin their lawn and hire that person

 

[eyoungren]

First of all, I do not have a HOA. They are stupid and a waste of time and money. Second I am 74 and have a nice person who comes. Why don't YOU find someone else other than that person. In fact, go after Miss Priss with the clipboard and as that person who they have doin their lawn and hire that person

Well, this is our first home. We moved in three years ago. I'm 51 and my wife is 56 if that matters at all. We didn't go looking for a HOA, it just happened to be part of the deal.

If I didn't live in a HOA I'd be dealing with the city over weed abatement notices. Because I HATE yardwork and I hate paying people to do my yardwork. When we rented previously, we got nailed for that once because that house wasn't in a HOA and the city sent the owner the violation. The landlord was pissed at me because the owner yelled at her.

I had a 'nice person' that came for over three years, especially when I texted him. He still came during the pandemic. Then he started to come two days after texting him. The last time he showed up, but did not work. He told me he'd be back the next day so I paid him up front.

I haven't seen him since. After a month of promises of "Tomorrow, tomorrow" I just blocked his number and started looking for other people.

Several people I called, did not call back. Most of the actual licensed, bonded and insured companies want over $300 every two weeks to run a blower around my property. I don't need that. I need cleanup once a month before the manager shows. One person I contacted was professional and business like. He didn't show up.

Now these guys, who left their business card, showed up and gave me an estimate. We agreed on a date. They didn't show.

So I AM looking for someone, but in the meantime doing it myself because I want to avoid the HOA fines.

 

[0128672]

I would think others in your HOA are having the same issue. Have you had a chance to talk with your neighbors about reliable help?

 

[TSE]

The idea of HOAs and people telling me how to live just disgusts me. Could never and would never join such a community.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Maybe talk to some of your neighbors who use/ a service they like. If they’re in the neighborhood already with other jobs, it seems more likely they’ll show up.

 

[eyoungren]

I would think others in your HOA are having the same issue. Have you had a chance to talk with your neighbors about reliable help?

I would think others in your HOA are having the same issue. Have you had a chance to talk with your neighbors about reliable help?

I actually got the old guy because of my neighbor.

That said, the house on my left was sold to a corporation that snaps up houses and makes money from renting them. There are a lot of homes in my neighborhood that this has happened to. The corporations that own the houses seem to provide their own cleanup crews.

The home to my right was bought by an independently wealthy landlord who owns several homes in several states and does not live locally. That guy contracts with his own people to do cleanup.

The neighbors across the street do their own work, but one of the homes was sold recently I believe. Probably another corp bought it. The other one is in the process of being sold.

My neighbors on the left I am quite sure simply eat their HOA fines or give the HOA the finger. Because they never clean up. The neighbors on the right I learned not to talk to. I suspect they are operating some sort of marijuana grow house and while they can be out on the front porch from time to time, they really do NOT want to talk to anyone - and don't try approaching their door. They get upset.

In short, I am surrounded by corporation owned homes that provide their own services to the renters. Everyone keeps to themselves.

 

[eyoungren]

The idea of HOAs and people telling me how to live just disgusts me. Could never and would never join such a community.

Same. I don't care for HOAs, but our situation at the time as first-time homebuyers put this home within our reach. It's a nice house, built in 2007. I don't like the HOA, but as HOAs go there are far more evil ones out there.

 

[satcomer]

This was very reason when I retired Went to small town that had it's cable tv/Internet setup I moved there! Sure it's bedroom community but I have fiber and it's not to shabby and my next step after I save some money to run fiber through the home and run at 10g speeds and do a YouTube channel about country living!

 

[TSE]

Same. I don't care for HOAs, but our situation at the time as first-time homebuyers put this home within our reach. It's a nice house, built in 2007. I don't like the HOA, but as HOAs go there are far more evil ones out there.

Understandable! I’m glad you like your house and I’m not hating on any aspect of you. Owning a nice house is very important and it sounds like you do.

Your story just reminded me of how my brother moved into the wealthiest community in Chicago suburbia and their HOA mandates every house to get their leaves blown by the HOA’s company of choice. That company charges $500 per month and came by once a week. I was there when they did it and two guys parked in front of my brothers house, chatted for half an hour in the truck, begrudgingly got out of the truck, blowed around the house as quick as they could for about five minutes, got in the truck, then left. And he HAS to pay for that.

 

[bunnspecial]

Understandable! I’m glad you like your house and I’m not hating on any aspect of you. Owning a nice house is very important and it sounds like you do.

Your story just reminded me of how my brother moved into the wealthiest community in Chicago suburbia and their HOA mandates every house to get their leaves blown by the HOA’s company of choice. That company charges $500 per month and came by once a week. I was there when they did it and two guys parked in front of my brothers house, chatted for half an hour in the truck, begrudgingly got out of the truck, blowed around the house as quick as they could for about five minutes, got in the truck, then left. And he HAS to pay for that.

The condo where I lived for 10 years(rented, not owned, but when I moved out had lived in the little community longer than anyone else) had a $200-some-odd a month HOA fee but it covered yard work, general upkeep, snow removal, etc.

The lady I rented from authorized me to go to HOA meetings on her behalf-she was in California by that point(had bought the place for her daughter to live in while she was in school) and basically was happy as long as I sent her a check every month and took care of stuff that needed fixing all at her cost.

In any case, it was a never ending battle there with the lawn service. Invariably we'd hire a new company, they'd do great for 6 months, their service would drop off, we'd bug them and they'd get a little better, and then we'd end up dropping them after about a year.

Actually, before we started hiring our own lawn people, we'd use a management company that coordinated all of that, but we had the same experience with a management company where they'd be good for a little while and then fall off.

I should say too that this HOA was different from a lot of the horror stories I've heard of them. Virtually everyone living there was in their 20s-30s-40s and were working full time professional jobs. As long as things looked halfway presentable no one cared. Twice I had my car parked down in my designated parking spot with the head off of the engine, and for several years while I was there had a spare engine and several other parts sitting out in plain view. When someone was selling, I'd get asked to tidy up a bit, which I did, but otherwise people were more interested in talking to me about what I was working on than telling me I wasn't allowed ot do it.

 

[eyoungren]

Understandable! I’m glad you like your house and I’m not hating on any aspect of you. Owning a nice house is very important and it sounds like you do.

Your story just reminded me of how my brother moved into the wealthiest community in Chicago suburbia and their HOA mandates every house to get their leaves blown by the HOA’s company of choice. That company charges $500 per month and came by once a week. I was there when they did it and two guys parked in front of my brothers house, chatted for half an hour in the truck, begrudgingly got out of the truck, blowed around the house as quick as they could for about five minutes, got in the truck, then left. And he HAS to pay for that.

Our HOA management is a third party hired by the board. We aren't the only HOA that the clipboard lady oversees. But, my assessment (what they charge you each month) is $55. A portion of that is used for the common areas, of which there is not a lot. It's a KB development with smaller houses in one part and larger houses in another part. No condos, no apartments so not a lot of connecting stuff.

Now if my assessment included lawn care then I'd be talking to my HOA - but they leave all that up to us.

For the record, the manager never leaves her car. All the photos of our 'violations' have always included her car's side mirror.

 

[0128672]

Our HOA management is a third party hired by the board. We aren't the only HOA that the clipboard lady oversees. But, my assessment (what they charge you each month) is $55. A portion of that is used for the common areas, of which there is not a lot. It's a KB development with smaller houses in one part and larger houses in another part. No condos, no apartments so not a lot of connecting stuff.

Now if my assessment included lawn care then I'd be talking to my HOA - but they leave all that up to us.

For the record, the manager never leaves her car. All the photos of our 'violations' have always included her car's side mirror.

That has to be one of the weirder jobs a person can have.

 

[Mousse]

Did a dense fog move through your area a while back? Because that sounds like the premise of...

I like working on my yard. It gives me a chance to get outside and away from the kids for a hour or so. My wife wants to hire someone to do our yard, but I put my foot down. This is the hill I'm dying on. Yardwork is my time, my quiet time.?

The idea of HOAs and people telling me how to live just disgusts me. Could never and would never join such a community.

It's almost impossible to find a place that doesn't have an HOA anymore. Gotta live out in the sticks to get away from those Clipboard Karens.

 

[eyoungren]

That has to be one of the weirder jobs a person can have.

Yeah, that's all she does…that and showing up at all the various HOA board meetings as the representative for the HOA management company and managing the accounts.

It's an industry.

 

[eyoungren]

Did a dense fog move through your area a while back? Because that sounds like the premise of...

I like working on my yard. It gives me a chance to get outside and away from the kids for a hour or so. My wife wants to hire someone to do our yard, but I put my foot down. This is the hill I'm dying on. Yardwork is my time, my quiet time.?

It's almost impossible to find a place that doesn't have an HOA anymore. Gotta live out in the sticks to get away from those Clipboard Karens.

I will never experience that day (although I will check out the movie). My wife is Mexican (first generation American born).

 

[eyoungren]

Well…I guess I found new yard guys. The same that told me Tuesday.

They showed up on the day I actually asked them to.

 

[satcomer]

One more peace of advice, never buy a homes in a cul-de-sac! I lived through the 2012 Super Derecho and saw many cut-de-sacs stuck in when big trees fell across the only drive out! They had wait the seven days before a logging crewmen brought over their equipment and freed them! My boss was caught into that fiasco so that's why I saw never buy in that kind of home!

 

[eyoungren]

One more peace of advice, never buy a homes in a cul-de-sac! I lived through the 2012 Super Derecho and saw many cut-de-sacs stuck in when big trees fell across the only drive out! They had wait the seven days before a logging crewmen brought over their equipment and freed them! My boss was caught into that fiasco so that's why I saw never buy in that kind of home!

I would also say never buy a house on a street corner or one that is at the end of a T intersection. Both types I've seen on the news with out of control cars crashing into living rooms.

 

[WeatherWeasel]

So far, we have been lucky. we are on the corner so to speak. so far after 38 years, so good. but then again