Here's one for the books.
If you live in the Stonebriar subdivision in Frisco, Texas, pay careful attention to the make and model when you buy a pickup.
Jim Greenwood is learning his lesson the hard way.
You see, Jim bought himself a brand new Ford F-150 pickup, brought it home to Stonebriar and parked it in front of his house. I bet he was proud of that new truck. I sure would be. You know, new car proud, the emotion that makes your eager to show your neighbors?
Bad mistake.
Jim started receiving notices from the Stonebriar Home Owners Association (HOA) notifying him that he was in violation of the rules of the community that prohibit parking pickup trucks in driveways out front of homes.
As it turns out, that's not quite true.
The HOA does allow residents to park "luxury" trucks on driveways, including the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Avalanche, the Lincoln Mark LT and a few others, like Chevy Suburbans and Hummers. . .just not the standard Ford F-150.
Bill Osborn, a member of the HOA board, explained, "The high-end vehicles that are allowed are plush with amenities and covers on the back. It doesn't look like a pickup. It's fancier."
When Greenwood appealed, noting that his truck is not a lot different from the Lincoln, the HOA responded, "It's our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people."
Can't believe they said that!
Snooty just isn't pretty, is it? Class is a bigger issue in this nation than we'd like to admit, but then, this is not a new development.
Tomorrow I'll post a note about an interesting development that is starting to play out in the nation's cities. It seems that wealthy folks are actually moving back to the central cities of America, while the poor are moving to the suburbs.
Watch out, Stonebriar! The pickups are headed your way.
[This post was inspired by reading Steve Stoler's report, "HOA: Pickup not in right class," in The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, August 17, 2008, 2B]
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11 comments:
I just ate breakfast and I am about to hurl.
RC
Careful RC, we might kick you out of the neighborhood for that.
If prejudice like this is so blatant, I'm sure we're barely scratching the surface.
Not in Texas!
That is really blatant and a little too close to home (literally). But it's nothing new. Valet park your Honda at any Dallas restaurant and see how fast they move it out of sight as you stroll past BMW's, Lexus's and Jag's to get inside. I would say, "that's Dallas for you"; I guess, unfortunately, it's also Frisco.
My brother fought the HOA in Las Vegas and won. His "sin? His satellite receiver could be seen from the street.
Snootiness that has to be defined and enforced is so uncouth.
Thurston Howell III and Lovie would be proud.
this is collectivism guys. when you buy into a neighborhood with hoas, things like this are going to happen.
its one of the main reasons I can't stand collectivism, it gets worse, and more oppressive to the poor, as the collective gets larger. Urban Renewal in the 60s is a great example.
I'm guessing my lowly minivan would be out of the question in that neighborhood.
I do find it hard to believe an association in TEXAS would ban any kind of truck. Isn't an F150 the official state vehicle?
I don't know why, but this makes me think of Travolta's truck in the movie "Urban Cowboy" - remember the little license paltes - Texas Bud and Texas Sissy! What would the HOA have done with license plates like that?
The guy should have bought him a Toyota!
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