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Do you dislike your HOA?
Homeowners Associates (HOAs) exist to protect homeowners from other neighbors who could potentially do damaging things that will drop the value of their homes. It's your most significant purchase, and it's good to be protected. But do HOAs go too far?
Chase, a resident of the Stone Creek neighborhood in Walton, Georgia, feels that his HOA is overstepping its boundaries. He painstakingly built a custom Mercedes/Toyota Tacoma truck lowrider and parked it in his driveway, only to receive four letters from his HOA demanding its removal.
Can You Relate to Chase?
Imagine dropping $33,000 into a custom car, and you can't park it in your driveway? However, the car is not quite finished. It runs but just barely.
The HOA told him he couldn't have an "inoperable" vehicle parked at his house. However, Chase ignored the letters and said the custom lowrider actually runs and drives.
Chase is so adamant that his car runs and drives that he and his friends made a video on his Prodigy TV YouTube channel.
In the video, Chase's friend Graham says,
"So, he gets these letters in the mail from the HOA saying that the vehicle is inoperable. This is not inoperable; it runs and drives down the road," he says, pointing to the custom car.
Chase says, "So, boys, you remember the "Merino" that we built. Graham says, "This was the project where Chase was riding down the road on a bare frame of a Toyota Tacoma with only an engine. That is what the chassis of this bad boy is."
"I had this thing hiding in the woods, and they're, like, no, you're getting this out of the shop and taking it to your house."
Graham laughs, "I knew he'd get a letter from the HOA."
Chase also received letters from his HOA about another car he had parked in the driveway. The tire was about six inches off the driveway and on the grass. "They sent me a letter saying I can't park on the grass."
"This isn't the only issue, though. The man gets fined for parking his truck and trailer on the road; he gets a letter if he leaves a car on the road for more than two hours," his friend Graham explained.
Chase jokes, "If I fart and it smells bad, the HOA fines me immediately." But Chase doesn't care because he says he's moving out in two months.
They knew the HOA would have a field day with the custom lowrider because it didn't have a license plate. "It's registered, but we didn't put a tag on it," Graham says.
The custom Mercedes/Toyota Tacoma lowrider truck has full hydraulics, and it can be lifted, lowered flat on the ground, or tipped all the way to one side.
Chase says the truck was supposed to be a project with a $10,000 budget. He bought the 1940s Mercedes car from his Grandma for $800 and found a 1989 Toyota Tacoma T100 for $1,000. They swapped the body to the Tacoma's chassis and added hydraulics.
Chase Dumps a Lot Of Money Into the Custom Lowrider
"Truth be told, I'm like $33,000 in this car, and I told Grandma no more, we aren't doing it anymore."
Chase fires up the lowrider's Toyota engine and says, "I don't know how to drive this thing. I've never driven this car in my life. It's my first time driving a stick. This thing is like a pit mobile. It's bouncy."
"I don't know what the neighbors don't like about this car," Chase's pal laughed. "I love it," Chase agrees as he drives down the Stone Creek neighborhood's street.
It's bound to get worse when Chase posts the video on the official Stone Creek HOA's Facebook page.
If that wasn't enough, he bought a customized Georgia license plate. Check out the video to find out what it says.
He thinks the neighbors turned him in because they are afraid to walk on his side of the street. "So, we are here to make a video to show that this vehicle runs and drives down the road," Graham concludes.
Comments Support Chase
@Kylejeepadventures - I live across the road from an HOA of 25 houses- boy, I piss them off with my two-stroke snowmobile, whistler turbo diesel 6x6, straight pipe old jeeps, wrenching in my shop at 3 am with the music turned up, hitting bass. My 30 acres isn't Part of an HOA.
@paulhare662 - I bought a 1971 Kaiser Deuce and a Half on a Sunday. On Monday, zoning enforcement was banging on my door to inform me that "commercial" vehicles were not allowed in my neighborhood. It was indeed big but not "commercial. I parked it in the street exactly 12" off the curb as is legal for 6 months to piss them off.
@colby484 - Wait, Walton GA? You're in the same county as me. Walton's always had odd laws or people they look at differently if they see you having too much fun. I'm dealing with a similar situation over a 4 Wheeler even though all my neighbors have ATVs sitting side by side.
Final Thoughts and Questions For Homeowners With Neighbors Like Chase
So, imagine living next door to Chase. He has a nice family; he and his wife have a little girl, and everything is good until Saturday morning. You hear Chase and his buddies revving up his custom car. The sound pierces the neighborhood.
What Would You Do?
Would you complain to the neighborhood HOA to have the 'custom' car removed, live with it, or take over for a few cold pops and join in the fun? I want to hear your thoughts and experiences. Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.
Check out my Toyota Tacoma story: My Wife Drove My Toyota Tacoma With 37K Miles and Accidentally Filled It Up With Diesel and It Wouldn’t Start, The Toyota Tech Saved My Truck and My Marriage
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Prodigy TV
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