I live in an HOA that specifically allows only portable basketball goals but requires them to be moved when not in use.

I decided to put in a high end basketball goal that is bolted to concrete in the ground...it can be unbolted and moved if needed. It looks much better than the portable goals, and is safer. I decided to try and play by the rules and submit a request to the architecture committee. It was rejected as not being portable. They said I can either remove it, or submit an appeal. It's not really an hoa, but really a management company.

What should I do? I see 3 choices:
1. Take it down and selll, buy cheap more portable goal. I really dont want to do this.
2. Ignore the letter and hope it goes away. Assume they are just responding but nit really wanting to enforce the rule since they don't require the other portable goals to be moved when not in use.
3. Respond in a conciliatory mode, state the goal is portable, and I will keep the goal in good condition, and will move it the same amount as other homes in the community.

What do you think I should do?

Better to beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission.

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I live in an HOA that specifically allows only portable basketball goals but requires them to be moved when not in use.

I decided to put in a high end basketball goal that is bolted to concrete in the ground...it can be unbolted and moved if needed. It looks much better than the portable goals, and is safer. I decided to try and play by the rules and submit a request to the architecture committee. It was rejected as not being portable. They said I can either remove it, or submit an appeal. It's not really an hoa, but really a management company.

What should I do? I see 3 choices:
1. Take it down and selll, buy cheap more portable goal. I really dont want to do this.
2. Ignore the letter and hope it goes away. Assume they are just responding but nit really wanting to enforce the rule since they don't require the other portable goals to be moved when not in use.
3. Respond in a conciliatory mode, state the goal is portable, and I will keep the goal in good condition, and will move it the same amount as other homes in the community.

What do you think I should do?

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So do you live in an HOA that uses a management co to run things? You will get no slack from a mgmt co, because they will enforce the CCRs to prevent their contract from being canceled. Without seeing a copy of you documents, I'd say, as someone who has been involved in an HOA for 5 yrs:

1.... Your best bet if you can't get them to let you keep the current goal

2.... Don't ignore it because that can lead to fines and court. Before my time here, someone insisted on parking a boat beside the driveway. The HOA pushed the issue, the homeowner lost, and ended up owing over $5K between fines, attorney fees, court costs, and judgement.

3. If you go this way, that is good but don't throw out the " I'll move it the same amount as the other portables" because you will be taken as challenging them, and you will get special attention. They probably don't got through the area after 5 to see that the other goals aren't being moved. You may have to take yours down a few times, but it would be worth it to prove your point.

Sometimes you have to be extremely technical to get your way. You can beat them but just do it nicely.

Can u put a slab in the backyard and bolt there? Little expensive but I know folks that have done it and it's nice.

I really appreciate your thoughts. I could place a concrete pad in the back yard ( I work for a concrete company), but I'd prefer not to do that.

I'm currently thinking of responding with something like: I appreciate your enforcement of the rules in the HOA. I apologize for the miscommunication on my part. The basketball goal is in fact "portable" and I will agree to move it when not in use in compliance with the HOA rule.

Ultimately we could get into an argument of what is portable, but this way I'm showing a response.

What do you think?

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Build a fake plastic base around it to make it look "more portable".

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It's not going to go away.

Your best bet is to do this:

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Build a fake plastic base around it to make it look "more portable".

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Find a base for a portable and make it look attached to the post. I would also periodically (every couple of months or so) move the thing for a couple of days.

This is likely your best bet.

I have verified that the exact same goal has been on another property in the same HOA since atleast Jan 2011.

Yes, if I am required to un-bolt the goal and move it I could. I am fully willing and able to move it the same # of times per year, month, or week as all the other goals within the community are required when not in use. Thank goodness however there is zero documentation that other goals have actually moved when not in use. Given that the other goals are not moving, what is the difference between mine and those with a black plastic base? Nothing except mine looks better.

unbolting sounds like a pain! can you put a cotter pin in the main support to remove/lower it?

OP must be trying to groom his son into the next Lebron

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OP must be trying to groom his son into the next Lebron

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More lIke John stockton...

Document lack of enforcement over similar violations for as long of period as possible. Then informally approach with your case, giving them the opportunity let it die without losing or jeopardizing their authority.

Put a political bumper sticker on the backboard. Now it's free speech not subject to their rules.

You could also try making it "art".

Yes, I am now realizing I should have never said anything. So much for trying to do it right. I'm now trying to figure out how to diffuse it. Acording to a neighbor who has lived here for 6 years, he says the management company has never fined anyone.

With that being the case, do I call their bluff and see if it will die, do I respond that I will take it down after basketball season, or tell them I will switch it for a plastic base type, or claim it actually is portable...

My dad went through this when I was a kid. It doesn't go away. He ended up getting a lawyer out of stubbornness and still lost.

It's possible you'd have a case due to them not enforcing the issue at other homes but id bet that turns into a huge pita.

Is waive a white flag and get a portable one.

I'm betting your neighbors with portable goals begin to hate you in the near future when they are fined for not moving their goals while not in use.

I agree...I am trying to keep others out of this...not identify addresses, etc..

Spicewood nailed it all the way around. At least a used basketball goal is probably not that much on CL.

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Best answer is to someday move and vow to never live in an anti-freedom neighborhood controlled by an HOA again.

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This is pretty tough to do in Houston. Out of the 30-ish houses we looked at when we moved, all of them were in an HOA.

So when you remove it, does the pole stay or does the pole go? Is it flush with the ground?

There are 4 bolts that come out of a 3' deep by 18" square concrete pad...flush with grass. If grass grows over, it will be invisible

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Best answer is to someday move and vow to never live in an anti-freedom neighborhood controlled by an HOA again.

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There's pluses and minuses to both. Having an HOA that is overly picky is obnoxious but some people need a little guidance.

Seems portable to me. I would respond stating that the goal is portable and will be removed outside of basketball season.

I'd also try to go with adding a plastic base to make it look portable. Inground goals are so much better to play on. If the HOA asks, tell them you are ordering the portable base for your goal. Find a free one or one in terrible shape on craigslist you can salvage the base off of and make sure that the base covers/surrounds the bolts in the base. The HOA will never know it isn't portable. This is the look you're going for since the base bolts would be covered:



Similarly, I had my apt complex inform me that my satellite was not allowed to be permanently mounted to the deck post outside my door. So I made it look like the dish was mounted to a 2x6 that was clamped to the post even though the satellite was still screwed directly into the post. Never heard from the apt complex again.

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Similarly, I had my apt complex inform me that my satellite was not allowed to be permanently mounted to the deck post outside my door. So I
made it look like the dish was mounted to a 2x6 that was clamped to the
post even though the satellite was still screwed directly into the
post. Never heard from the apt complex again.

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Awesome.

Agnerd...that is part of my strategy...I just have to find it...


So my current plan is this:
1. Claim it's portable. Agree to move after basketball season. That should get them off my back. If not, go to step 2.
2. Tell them I will exchange it for a portable goal and do as you suggest. I will end up taking forever to execute #2 and see if they will just ignore it.

As long as the neighbors are okay with it, the management company can't really prove it's not in use unless they are driving around at 3am writing violations on basketball hoops. That's not really feasible for them, so they likely ignore them.

However, if a neighbor was to file multiple complaints, then you would have an issue. We had one neighbor in our HOA that sued her neighbor and the HOA over a basketball hoop because she felt the rules were being broken. The boys that played hoops annoyed when they stepped in her yard while playing and when the hoop was stored on the side of the property, it was visible from her office window. Technically the HOA covenants said the hoops couldn't be visible from any yard while not in use, unless it was behind your backyard fence and not taller then 6 ft.

Last I heard on that one, the owners of the hoop ending up getting rid of it and paid a fine to the HOA. I don't know what the crazy lady did with her lawsuit.

I am waiting for a kid to get hurt from a portable goal falling on them because filing the base with water every day would be a water restriction violation. I assume the his would be sued