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Comment by wutbrodo | Hacker News Reader

Thank you for the thoughtful answer! I'm not sure I understand. I have a friend renting a condo from its owners, which I gather isn't an unheard-of occurrence. Given that she's not paying the "property taxes" (HOA fees) and not a member of the direct democracy "government" (the HOA), is she any different from someone living in this development who rents from an owner?

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They pay the HOA, it's just built into their rent. Most property owners and landlords don't tend to overlook stuff like that.

Yes, I know. That's the case for my friend, and I don't think anyone would suggest that her situation is horribly undemocratic. The parent comment's claim, as I understood it, is that this is horribly undemocratic because my renter friend is not directly a member of and represented by the HOA, as those rights are proxied through her landlord. My point is that I don't see how that differs from this proposed development: either you own, and are represented by the HOA-equivalent, or you rent, and are in the same position as any renter of a condo.

It sounds like they would suggest your friend's situation is horribly undemocratic.

Sure, but that brings me back to my original question: people's reaction to "Google wants to charge property taxes" has been nowhere near their reaction to "condominiums exist". I'm hoping to get an answer to my question that isn't simply "people are stupid and react based on buzzwords instead of a basic understanding of what they're talking about".

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