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Comment by behringer | Hacker News Reader

I'd say too bad. You should ask your local politician for a noise ordinance and then call the police and have them apply the law.

HOAs should be illegal. There should only be one government body, if there has to be one at all.

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Sure, but which government body - city, county, state, federal?

I don’t particularly like my HOA, but I could live elsewhere and at least feel like I have more say in my HOA than any of those other bodies.

City of course. Over here, across the pond, cities make local noise regulation and have a local city municipal police (not state police) which is responsible for a minor complaints and general oversight. Of course the only reason why it works is that it's a city, so fewer officers can cover a lot more people-per-area than in the widespread suburbs. Same story like with mass transit, neither is economical in the suburbs, they are too expensive compared to cities.

But why obviously? Is city really the best level? Seems to me much easier for people to move between neighborhoods than between cities. When I was younger, I had no problem with loud neighbors in a louder neighborhood - older now with kids and very happy to pay for quiet despite other trade offs.

> why obviously?

In the U.S., ordinances tend to be local. If you have a problem with a noise ordinance, you go to your local authorities.

There's still the question of how much power the group should have over the individual.

I live in a city where people are shot and killed every week (no exaggeration) and car jackings weren't even tracked until the last couple years. The city government can't manage things that are getting people killed or brutally beaten, so where should late-night noise rank on their priorities? I can still hear the gunshots when I'm going to bed, but in my HOA at least I don't have to worry about my immediate neighbors causing too much trouble. There's at least some level of local accountability, despite the tradeoffs.

I think they would manage just fine if you and everyone else gave them their monthly HOA fees.

> where should late-night noise rank on their priorities?

Below those things. Still doesn’t make it a state or federal legal issue, unless it becomes systemic to the point that it’s affecting folks outside your community.

HOAs are a contractual matter. If you buy a house with someone, you should be able to put a noise rider in the contract.

We did have a noise ordinance, and I did call the police on them. I can only wish that you get a neighbor like I had one day.

"Hi, police! My neighbor's having a raging party that's winding down, and a bunch of drunk people are about to hit the streets. Want to arrest a bunch of drunk drivers tonight?"

No one wants to party where the cops routinely show up. Honestly, some of these things are so easy nip in the bud.

> No one wants to party where the cops routinely show up. Honestly, some of these things are so easy nip in the bud.

Owning a property known to a bunch of miscreants as the home likely responsible for all those expensive DUIs isn't exactly a desirable risk-free position to be in.

You don't exactly have to advertise it.

Unless we're talking a high density urban environment, there aren't generally too many candidates for retaliation - especially for angry folks not too concerned with getting it wrong.

Yes I'm sure complaining to your HOA is WAYYY safer.

I can only hope your HOA takes your living space over the paint on your door some day.

As if that works. There are places where there is a 2 hour response time for gunfire.

> HOAs should be illegal. There should only be one government body, if there has to be one at all.

Good luck with outlawing people's ability to freely associate by entering into contracts.

Oh don't get me wrong, you can agree to an HOA, but that doesn't mean the next owner of the residence should have to, or that you can't rescind your agreement at any time.

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