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Follow-Up on man in battle with his HOA over tow truck

Submitted by WWAY on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 5:11pm.READ MORE:
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We have an update tonight on the New Hanover County man at war with his homeowners association over his tow truck. Eddie Gilsinan has given up. He lives in the Whitney Pines neighborhood and works for Phillips towing company, and is required to bring his tow truck home with him when he is on call. The Whitney Pines HOA bans commercial vehicles from being parked in the neighborhood. After Gilsinan defied the rules by continuing to park the tow truck at his home, his HOA threatened to fine him $100 a day. Gilsinan tells us his employer now allows him to leave the tow truck at work, even when he is on call.

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HOA-Tow Truck

Submitted by Happywithhoa (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 9:50am.
See how easy this was. All Eddie had to do was ask his employer. So why did this even need to be a news story? Live in a neigborhood with an HOA or don't. We all have a choice. I personally have lived in both and at this point in my life I like the HOA. I like coming home at the end of the day and seeing everyones grass cut and maintained. I like sitting on my porch and not looking at broken down cars, junk in the yard and commercial vehicles. It's just what I prefer and pay for. I realize it's not for everyone. So if it's not what you want, then don't move there. But stop complaining when you have to abide by the rules of the association that you signed up for.
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Tow Truck

Submitted by Bernadette (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 9:49am.
So what he had a tow truck in the front of his house,at least you know he had a job and could pay his HOA Dues...LOL Would it not be funny if one of the HOA members got stuck one day and he would be the one to get them out?? How ironic THAT would be. Sorry you live in that neighbor hood.
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Pros/cons of an HOA

Submitted by JMO on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 9:25am.
This should not be a problem unless he was blocking the road! At least the man has a JOB! My next home will not be in a neighborhood with an HOA. Give me 50 acres and a house right in the center!!! Our neighborhood has had issues with our HOA since the beginning. That being said I do see their purpose (preserving property value etc...) but the vast majority of HOAs are mini dictatorships and when small minded people get a little bit of authority they begin to think that they own your property. I follow all the rules set forth in our by-laws. I agree...I pay my mortgage, taxes etc and as long as my home is maintained well (grass mowed, no junk cars, no wild parties) then leave me alone and mind your business.
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Absolutely, our HOA is made

Submitted by Guest4234 (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 10:57am.
Absolutely, our HOA is made up of nothing but busy bodied old people who have absolutely NO LIFE other than minding everyones elses business. I say to them when you pay my mortgage, you can tell me what to do with my property, they don't seem to bother me anymore.
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re:absolutely

Submitted by Surveydan (not verified) on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 10:47am.
Well than change it or shut up. If you dont like it run for president of your HOA next time, if you dont then you do not have the right to complain. Just like this GREAT country we live in, the government is there for us to participate in. For the people by the people. Understand IT, participate in IT, change IT, if you do not, you do not have the right to complain about IT.
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LOL

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 10:35am.
OBVIOUSLY if you were having "problems" with the HOA..YOU WERE NOT following the restrictions...HOA boards are...ELECTED by the homeowners and can only enforce what is in the restrictions...nothing more, nothing less...if they enforce one rule, it is incumbent on them to enforce them ALL.
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One very good reason why I

Submitted by Latee (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 7:42am.
One very good reason why I would never buy a home in a neighborhood that had rules about what I could and couldn't do with the property I am paying the mortgage and the taxes on. Next thing you know they'll be telling you what color you can paint your home or if you can have a storage building or not... oops wait... they already control that too!
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Well..

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 10:41am.
Drive thru a neighborhood like Brookfield, Kings Grant or any other of the older neighborhoods with NO HOA's...look at the crap all around...yards not kept up, junk cars with grass grown up around them, commercial grading equipment in the driveway...then go into a neighborhood that has an HOA....let me know then where you would want to live. HOA Board members can ONLY ENFORCE THE RESTRICTIONS...restrictions EVERY HOMEOWNER was allowed to view and AGREED TO IN WRITING to adhere to. The restrictions are there to protect the homeowners...there is NOTHING in any restriction document that I have EVER seen that is out of line with what basically amounts to COMMON SENSE. If YOUR neighbor decided to paint their home pepto pink with lime green dots...would you mind then? If their yard became a jungle...what would you do? NOTHING if you live in a community that doesn't have an HOA...but you WOULDN'T BE HAPPY...but you wouldn't have ANY recourse to have them be a good neighbor.
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If you buy a home in these

Submitted by CountyGal (not verified) on Thu, 08/14/2008 - 6:29am.
If you buy a home in these restricted areas, you will be micromanaged and governed by the HOA. He could have avoided this issue had he bought a home in the 'burbs. Personally, I would never live in these communities for that reason.
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wow a truck

Submitted by foryou2love00@yahoo.com (not verified) on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 11:56pm.
some homeowners ornizatizations need to just stop, for crying out lould this man works. and may actually have a life unlike the ones who find it so very necisarrl to stay and keep their nose in other business. do what you know best myob. in other works mind your own business. or go where you pay rent and mind that.
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LOL

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 5:53pm.
More like his LAWYER advised him he was in deep DOO DOO and was going to throw money at a LOOSING court case... Smart man...
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Amen, at least he made one

Submitted by Guest111111111 (not verified) on Tue, 08/19/2008 - 5:44pm.
Amen, at least he made one good decision, speaking with a good attorney. Interesting how the news never mentions (or took the time to find out) how the other residents felt about a large tow truck being parked in the neighborhood. I can tell you I would not want this in my community. These rules exist to protect the value of the community, albeit sometimes at the expense of an individual. Thank goodness for a system that works for the greater good of the community. Score one for the good guys!
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