Off Topic Forum...

[MrsCat 6]

77.50 to go see new kids on the block! #######!???

Talk about cashing in on the past.

i am totally still going i dont care

Could you do me a favor - corner Danny and tell him that Cat in Edmonton, Alberta is still waiting for her signed poster . . . . . sigh.

[L_n_O 3]

check out my thread in OT re: wedding photography.. would appreciate your input my fellow canucks!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=132298

[Carlawarla 1]

Good morning!

Had a quiet, uneventful, HOT weekend here. OMG Karen, I just read your posting about your interview. How fabulous!!! Let us know EVERYTHING that happens!! Best of luck!!

Edited June 9, 2008 by Carlawarla

[Ban Hammer 13,491]

good morning everyone.

i've never understood the personal property tax thing either btw. as some of you have said, taxes were paid when it was purchased, then taxed every year after? imo it is an incentive not to buy a new car.

charles and nessa - home of the $600+ year personal property tax on cars.

Wow! True Charles, does this not stifle the U.S. auto industry? In Alberta eveyone pays the same for registration - I think it was like $74 for the year this year - at least it is fair if everyone is paying the same.

Oh, and on a side note, as of January 2009, Albertans will no longer pay health care premiums (currently $44 a month single and $88 a month family).

i think it impacts kansas dealerships for sure, as a person trades in an old car for a new one and gets hit with personal property taxes at the time of registration. in texas we just paid the registration fee, i have no idea where this idea that the better/newer the vehicle the more the state can tax you on it came from.

one more thing i learned when we got nessa's car is that kansas taxes rebates too, missouri does not. there is a way for the missouri dealership to write up the paperwork so it is not taxed in kansas when you go register the vehicle

and good monday morning to everyone. thank you for the coffee today carla, i missed it over the weekend.

[trailmix 77]

Good morning, thanks for the coffee Carla!

Ok so, as i'm sure you all remember, I mentioned - when we first moved here - that they certainly pay a lot of attention to the landscaping.

Now this is a good thing of course, however it is getting on my nerves.

According to the complex newsletter, lawn days are Mon and Tues. Imagine your neighbour doing their yard 2 days a week (they were also around here Friday with chain saws for sculpting the bushes on the traffic circle).

Oh maybe this should be in the vent thread (don't tell krikit).

- Also, according to the complex newsletter, only 2 people have shown any interest in being on the board, although the vice pres position is open and the pres quit as he sold his unit.

They have closed down the car wash on the premises and they also suddenly discontinued the door pick up of garbage (that really annoys me - this place has 1 garbage area and it is at the opposite end of where we are).

Most of their time is spent fighting with the developers that it was bought from - whatever, I have decided we will make a great attempt to purchase a house where there is no Home Owners Assoc involved.

Edited June 9, 2008 by trailmix

[Flames9_RN 358]

We have a condo, and luckily our condo association is down to earth. But were looking to purchase a house next year, and surprisingly many of the neighborhoods have home owners associayions (HOA) I never expected that, I assumed it was more of a condo/townhouse thing and not your single family house! msot seem to be around $1000 a yr! crazy! My inlaws live in carrolwood region of Tampa,and they are in a HOA (just found that out) and they only pay like $300 a year. Always good and bad things about them!!

[Eric_and_Corinna 0]

Yeah, the beauty of condo living!

My condo association is comprised of 17 small townhouse units on a private dead end drive, and the majority of the owners are young professionals who pretty much keep to themselves. But, the old HOA President's wife used to wake up at 5am every morning to compile a list of cars that were parked in driveways (this is a no-no). The driveways and common cul-de-sac are to be kept vacant for snow-clearing purposes. But this lady would enter all these license plates numbers into her spreadsheet and have her husband leave notes about not parking on people's windshields, and further violation would result in towing. Thank God they moved!

I can't wait to own a house where I can put my rusty pickup in the front lawn along with a boat and assorted bathtubs.

Oh, and $300 a year would be a steal! We pay $216 per unit per month

[SpiritAlight 1]

I read your writing Trailmix as complex newsletter, in other words: an unnecessarily complicated newsletter.

Then realized you live in something like a friend does.

Hers is a co-op in Vancouver. They are quite popular there, and there are family ones, etc.

She was president for 2 years and then thankgawd ended it.

People are/go nuts with their committees about gardening, garbage, laundry room, noise, tenants and guests, etc etc etc etc etc...phew.

It never ends.

I house-sat for her and for another person in a different complex/co-op.

At least my friend's place allowed guests to stay there; the other place treated me as if I were there to rob them....just because I was a new face!

One woman closed the front door to the building behind her and glared at me as I was trying to get in with her with arms full of clean laundry.

That floored me.

I had to struggle with my keys, laundry, open door with a finger, and she stood by watching me....to make sure I had keys, I guess...and still.

When I opened/unlocked the door myself and managed to get inside, I asked her what she was thinking.

She said that there were many break-ins etc etc...and when I pressed for stats, she had very little to report.

Then I asked here the question:

Do you think I would try to rob this place with an armful of laundry?

(oops, yup vent thread...sorry...I will blam Trailmix for this one)

Oh and good morning everyone.

I have put off my road trip until tomorrow.

Cancelled with Priceline as they were completely ridiculous when I went to pick up the vehicle last night....plus with this on-going biblical forecast, I think tomorrow will be a better start. I am much happier to take my sweetie's car anyways....less parameters.

This will also give my muscles and bruises a chance to recover somewhat as the 20-35 knot breeze (maybe more) over the weekend put us through the grinder at the regatta.

3 wins out of 4. We won over-all!!!

Good times.

Challenging. _/)_ _/)_

Edited June 9, 2008 by SpiritAlight

[Sprailenes 47]

Jordan Knight still looks amazing. *sigh*

And Cat I'll let monkey face, er I mean Danny know.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Yeah, the beauty of condo living!

My condo association is comprised of 17 small townhouse units on a private dead end drive, and the majority of the owners are young professionals who pretty much keep to themselves. But, the old HOA President's wife used to wake up at 5am every morning to compile a list of cars that were parked in driveways (this is a no-no). The driveways and common cul-de-sac are to be kept vacant for snow-clearing purposes. But this lady would enter all these license plates numbers into her spreadsheet and have her husband leave notes about not parking on people's windshields, and further violation would result in towing. Thank God they moved!

I can't wait to own a house where I can put my rusty pickup in the front lawn along with a boat and assorted bathtubs.

Oh, and $300 a year would be a steal! We pay $216 per unit per month

What i was getting at, that many houses have HOA's as well. Just another thing to watch out for when buying. And not all HOA's are bad. I'm all for HOA's that keep vehicles off peoples lawns and junkers away as well. Im not spending big bucks on a house, to have some one neglect thiers,lol

[SpiritAlight 1]

Yeah, the beauty of condo living!

My condo association is comprised of 17 small townhouse units on a private dead end drive, and the majority of the owners are young professionals who pretty much keep to themselves. But, the old HOA President's wife used to wake up at 5am every morning to compile a list of cars that were parked in driveways (this is a no-no). The driveways and common cul-de-sac are to be kept vacant for snow-clearing purposes. But this lady would enter all these license plates numbers into her spreadsheet and have her husband leave notes about not parking on people's windshields, and further violation would result in towing. Thank God they moved!

I can't wait to own a house where I can put my rusty pickup in the front lawn along with a boat and assorted bathtubs.

Oh, and $300 a year would be a steal! We pay $216 per unit per month

What i was getting at, that many houses have HOA's as well. Just another thing to watch out for when buying. And not all HOA's are bad. I'm all for HOA's that keep vehicles off peoples lawns and junkers away as well. Im not spending big bucks on a house, to have some one neglect thiers,lol

The thing about such regs Flames is that there is no true limit to people's ability to over-react, micro-manage and everyone has different standards...for example you may think you cleaned your house well, and I come along and spend another week cleaning. Know what I mean? This can refer to lawns, etc. Some people may not like the noise level, some may not like the look of your vehicle and/or you have too many vehicles, or the colour your painted your front door. The list is endless.

There are too many rules making living (enjoying) more and more challenging.

Why can't we all just get along. Hee, hee.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Oh I agree, im not a big HOA fan, but the facts are, people just dont care about other people, if they did, HOA would not be required!! And yes some HOA do get carried away with the laws. Our condo association is pretty mellow, so thats a good thing.

[trailmix 77]

Yes, from the houses I have been looking at it varies from no hoa, to $ 75 a quarter to over a thousand a year.

I remember krikit saying her hoa is really good.

The thing is, you don't know if you are going to get a great hoa that organizes lawn mowing or an overpriced busy body - so i'll just say no to hoas.

hoa is a funny abbreviation

[Flames9_RN 358]

One has a right to see the HOA agreement prior to purchasing, and its usually one of the items one puts in the sales contract, so if ya don tlike what ya see, you can back out! Plus when purchasing I'm one of those people that knocks on various houses throughout the neighborhood to get a fee of everything. Would preferably not reside in a HOA area, but those seem to be in the minority out where we are looking. But on the other hand, everything seems to be in nice shape and no purple houses,lol

[Sprailenes 47]

I'm going to great adventure tomorrow!

And for once its an outing NOT with my husband.

Which I think I need. Just some girl time with my bff.