I recently moved to an "active adult" community, basically to get away from kids. Love them, but was tired of dealing with them in the pool I used to swim in. To my surprise, the first day in my new pool (which is almost 25 yards!), I was approached about my "fins" and "kickboard." It seems the pool "rules" prohibit large flotation devices. My kickboard is 17" long. The Board then decided to prohibit fins.. I am fuming. :bitching: I can't even fight it because, conveniently, the board doesn't meet until September! I swim in the morning, and there is NO ONE in the pool. My fins are also short fins. They ruled them as "hazardous." Did you ever hear of anything so insane???? Yes, I could swim without them, but a great deal of my 3600 yard workout includes those items. The irony is that the pool is hardly used, unless the weather is over 90 and the water over 85. UGGGHHHHH.
I had to join an outdoor pool and PAY (even though I pay plenty in the "active adult" community per month in association dues) for the summer, and as my prior thread whines, 2 weeks later, I received a whopping sinus infection. I'm ready to quit swimming.
Just curious... Are you living in a Del Webb community? I ask, because I live in a Del Webb Sun City community in Georgia. Here, I had to contend with the noodlers in the past (happily, it was all resolved, and we get along just fine now), and the water temperature is warmer than I would like (our indoor pool is kept at 84 in the winter and 82 in the summer). Fortunately, there are no ridiculous rules like you are experiencing. You have my sympathy. :bighug:
Maybe they should outlaw anyone that can't swim from the pools !!!!!!!!!!
No standing on the bottom will be allowed !!!
If you want to stand in the water ---- take a shower !!
OMG, this is one of the reasons I hate HOAs. They're usually run by the clueless who believe that only through totalitarian rule will they keep residents from littering their lawns with pink flamingos or painting their shutters puce. My suggestion is to attend the next board meeting wearing your fins and tell them they're special orthotics and without them your toes will fall off. :argue:
Or go to the board meeting and demand to know where in the insurance policy it shows a liability for swimming with fins and a kickboard. If they can't, they have no right to stop you from using them, and they can mind their own business.
Denise, if I had any idea they would create such an absurd rule, I never would have moved here. I had dreams in the not-so-distant future of persuading them to put in a lap lane. Yeah, that might happen! They have the nerve to call themselves an "active Adult" community. Yet, they allow soccer sized balls, noodles and large rafts in the pool! If I thought I could find a lawyer who would even consider such a case, I'd try and take them to court!:argue: They actually are trying to find a way to "Fine" people who break their "rules."
Yes, I should have added this in my first post -- I neglected to mention that even though my short fins and kickboard are prohibited, soccer sized balls, noodles and RAFTS are allowed! Are there any lawyers out there who want to take on this HOA?:D
Elaine, no I don't live in that area. I live in the tri-state area.
Yes, I know. What I was asking is if you live in a Del Webb community. They are nationwide, and I was curious which active adult community you are living in. Since there are lifeguards, I would say it's definitely not a Del Webb community.
Queen, Some long time residents told me to wear the fins and use the board but I swim partially to relieve stress, and would feel very uncomfortable doing that. This is what would happen: lifeguard would approach me and tell me I couldn't use the items, if I continue to use them, lifeguards contacts either his supervisor or a board member, who then can try to remove me from the pool. Way toooooo embarrassing.
Elaine, no I don't live in that area. I live in the tri-state area.
Talking to an attorney sounds like a good idea, but remember that if you sue the hoa, you're suing yourself because you pay dues and whatever payout they make will come back to bite you in a fee hike. We had something like that at our last home, where the board decided to spend more than $1 million to repair roofs and pro-rate the homeowners based on the size of their units. Ours was one of the two largest, so we were charged the most even though our unit was newer and there was nothing wrong with our roof. They just went through and replaced them all and charged us the most while we actually had the least repair. Nothing we could do about it. They did this without holding open meetings or getting input from the residents. They told us after they'd signed the contracts.
I honestly would suggest that you talk to your board members. Read through the hoa rule book and the insurance policy because I'll bet you're the only one who'll have done this. They can't just fine people unless it's allowed by the rules. Usually, an hoa establishes rules based on what's covered or not by insurance. If they're just being a bunch of jerks and you don't want confrontations, join a center with a pool. Consider that the added expense will save you stress.
I don't know where you live, but I can tell you from having just moved back from New England, that they have some of the worst hoas on the planet with some of the dumbest rules that benefit no one except by making the people who establish them feel like they sit on the iron throne.
Hi Denise, you couldn't have said it better. They are pompous, arrogant and unfriendly lot who sit at the front of each meeting as though they are kings of a country. It's nauseating. So many homeowners have told them it's ridiculous, that I come in the morning and there's no sense to the rule. Even the guard backed me up.
Do I have access to the insurance policy? I have the golden book of rules, but don't know about insurance policy.
