Park in your garage.

Find a locked mini storage who will let you park there over night.

Then find the biggest POS beater you can find to drive back and forth to your van.

When we first moved into our neighborhood, a Snap-On dealer wanted to build a house in here as well. The developer, not HOA, told him he would have to build a bigger garage for it. The developer didn't want it out being seen while he was trying to sell lots.

My HOA won't allow it either. I put in an 8' fence with a sliding wood gate to "enclose" my driveway area with the back yard.

HOA CC&R's are the most difficult housing contract you will ever run into...it is the purest sense of a take it or leave it type deal; and they hold all the power. That being said they are there because people can be fools and slobs, and the rest with common sense and decency must suffer because of that. Around here many communities and all high-rises have an HOA board and to my knowledge none of them allow work vehicles parked during off work hours, which are typically 5pm-7am and weekends. Many also restrict what gate you are allowed to use and time limits can depend if the vehicle is plain or wrapped. Many times it is often up to the discretion of the guard at the gate, but as a resident you will be required to abide by the CC&R until you take legal steps to have it changed. Violations can include fines and if not paid the fines will lien against your property.

While HOA's can be real pains, a lot of times the reality is they have no power. In NC, if you don't pay your HOA dues, they can get a judgement against you, but they can't foreclose on your property. They can only get paid if you sell. Same goes with enforcing rules like unallowed vehicles. The HOA can sue you, but again can only get a judgement for monetary damages. They can't force you to stop the violation. But in Florida, they can foreclose on your property and have you arrested for violating POA rules or not paying dues.

Yah, I don't know where the OP lives; the laws will vary state to state but from my knowledge they all have the power to put a lien on the property if you don't pay the fines, dues, and other assessments. A reasonable person should not want their property encumbered by these liens due to a credit hit, extra penalties and interest back dated and other legal fees associated with them.

I guess that's why I call it a take it or leave it contract...if you don't want a hit like this and care about things, you need to bow down to the HOA regime. Oftentimes calm and collected minds can come to an agreement if talked over in person regarding these matter; it's not all that appealing for either party to be in this adversarial position.

I don't know how many people read these CC&R's (I did) and it's crazy; mine is about 2" thick and damn near as unconscionable and oppressive as one can get.

Is it tagged in the company name with commercial tags?

Then a garage is one out.

The other is to have it tagged in your name with standard tags, so it is now your daily driver.

Maybe make it look like a conversion van with some big stripes down the side with "Signature" in the stripe....


A carpenter friend of mine had his work van lowered, put on a set of Cragar mags with low profile tires, full length running boards and such. Not only did it look really good, his HOA decided they might end up losing when he threatened to sue if they pursued the issue.




But, I actually like the idea that was mentioned earlier. Find a secure place (you need a warehouse anyway) to park the van, and get an absolute ugly as sin, POS, and drive that back and forth to the warehouse, or just park it in the driveway.

Read up on the rules real good and see if there is anything restricting landscaping decor. Then find the ugliest, most offensive piece of artwork you can find and put it in the front yard

I like the 18 subwoofer deal lol

FUGG the hoa. Fight them. Bunch of whiner wanna be's that THINK they have more power than they legally do in the end. FUGG THEM.

Nothing like idiots trying to force you to conform to "their" societal rules.

The subs would probably violate a sound ordinance and could get you a ticket or jail time. But lighting up the neighborhood with some high powered spotlights that happen to point at other peoples Windows probably would not.

Or borrow Duct Tapes holiday lights and set them up year round.

Just start violating every other ordinance and make the "neighborhood tattle tales" people earn their keep sending you notices all the time. Do not mow your yard. Let the weeds get out of hand. Paint your driveway bright pink. Put on some mexican circus music in the front yard when you leave for work. Let your trash pile up and start stankin' up the hood. Cut the exhaust off the beemer and put some cherry bombs on it and make it a rule to only drive at WOT in 1st gear in that neighborhood. When they knock on your door, answer it without any pants on and start spouting off about aliens and consipiracy theories. You may as well have some fun with it if they are going to be DBs about a freakin' van. Maybe you should buy a hearse and park it in the driveway. See what they think of that. Or a molestor van with the teardrop windows and roof vents. Some green shag carpet would be a nice touch.

Walk around the neighborhood wearing only a bathrobe and ask neighbors if their daughters are allowed to date yet

Lmao! You guys rock!

So my neighborhood doesn't have an HOA persay, it's just a make shift one. However it is the townships ordinance, after reading deeper into it it doesn't look like I have a prayer. Not only is the ordinance not allow work vans it also bans conversion vans (except for handicap use) height cannot exceed 80" (and of course my van does)

I called my lawyer customer up and he just advised me that it's not worth pursuing due to legal fees would exceed the cost of a new vehicle because you know, it's dealing with the government.

I don't know what todo now, even though I got a fantastic deal on my van it looks like the depreciation of it is staggering, more then it should have been so I'm going to pay a fortune to get out from this, unless the diesel helps hold the Value more, doing my own research there is not a used diesel transit in a 500 mile radius.

I'm going to hold of until I go to the "hearing" but it sounds like I'm
Boned. Really do not want to work out of a truck. The Mercedes metris doesn't fit in my garage but is certainly under the height requirement! Should have never got rid of my transit connect :( of course I need the space of a full size van now. This is dumb.

I am going to put speakers all over my front yard now and play music throughout the day. I'll just program it to come on and off within the towns ordinance, then put a sign out and say " my van doesn't seem so bad now does it?" :P

How far is your house from your parents house?

What is considered a "work van"? Just the logo/graphics? Or how it is registered? If you register it personally rather than through the business, does that not make it a "non-work" van? How much taller than 80"? Could you put airbags on it and drop the frame to the ground when you park it? :)

How do they get away with banning conversion vans? Who the hell do these people think they are? Surely owning a vehicle of your choosing falls under some constitutional right. Telling me that in order for me to live where I want to live, I have to get rid of my van sounds like communism to me.