Jim Greenwood has a brand new Ford F-150 sitting in his driveway — the virtual symbol of the Texan lifestyle. However, the Stonebriar home owners association in Frisco, Texas views the F-150 as decidedly low-brow in their high-end community and has told him to remove it. The HOA allows only the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline and Lincoln Mark LT. Ford’s new motto is “Drive One,” just don’t try to park one in Frisco.
Not long after the appearance of the new truck, he received a formal notice that read: “Mr. Greenwood, you’re violating a subdivision rule that prohibits pickup trucks in your driveway.”
Mr. Greenwood insists that the Ford F-150 isn’t much different from the Lincoln Mark LT.
However, Bill Osborn of the HOA board has said au contraire: “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.”
Besides, he added (I hope with a certain haughty accent): “It’s our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people.”
Now, before you conclude that the Stonebriar HOA is a bunch of senseless snobs, they do allow you to drive a Ford or other low-brow vehicles if you keep them hidden in your garage — away from offending eyes.
The law allows HOAs to set such conditions. It is not a governmental act and thus not subject to the same rules. It is strictly a contractual matter. Greenwood consented to those conditions when he moved into the development. Besides, Ford can hardly complain. It was Henry Ford who told customers that they could have any color Model T “so long as it is black.”
For the full story, click here.
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I do believe that
you should publish more about this subject, it may not
be a taboo matter but generally people do not discuss such topics.
To the next! Best wishes!!
etc etc etc – niblet aka dundar aka martha aka martha h aka bartlebee aka zakimar aka cromag’non’man aka jim winchester
http://jonathanturley.org/2008/07/28/getting-right-with-god-church-shooter-allegedly-targeted-knoxville-church-due-to-its-liberal-views/
mespo727272 1, July 29, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Patty C:
Unless we see more, you’ve won with the “under” bet since he only went for 7 hysterical replies. I am guessing more is to come, but I am willing to concede defeat. I also think we should nominate Gyges for the Euphemism Award after our hero’s diatribe against him for something he didn’t say and in response to a question to someone other than our comical friend. “Wordy”, how’s that for avoiding the real thing? Bravo Gyges! I haven’t wanted this to be competitive, but in my sport we do know victory is at hand when we get into the head of the opponent. We’re there and it’s vast, desolate, and scary. Yikes!
jonathanturley 1, July 30, 2008 at 8:01 am
BARTLEBEE:
I have removed three of your comments which included foul language directed at another person. This site is committed to civil discourse. I do not want to bar or censor anyone on a site that has free speech focus, but we need to maintain a minimal standard of civility in discourse. Also, I would appreciate it if you would try to combine some of your comments rather than have four or five one-line comments following in one after another. The problem is that there is a limit on the number of comments which appear on the opening page. We welcome continued exchanges and dialogues. However, having four comments in an uninterrupted line prevents other comments from being visible for the other readers on the home page comments column.
JT
BARTLEBEE 1, July 30, 2008 at 2:07 pm
No problem JT.
Since you permit bloggers like mespo and patty to attack new bloggers, unprovoked, and litteraly badger them until they finally retort with some uncivility of their own, and then penalize the blogger who dares respond to the non stop stalking attacks of your two favorite friends, I will do you one better.
I’ll leave your blog and never post in it again.
You guys spend your days damning the right for cronyism, yet clearly it is a dual standard when it comes to your own.
Notice not one word to mespo or patty, about their non stop attacks on me.
Not one word about how they follow me from thread to thread, insult me, harrass me, demonize me, and generally try and interfere with my comments to other bloggers.
Just let them piss me off enough to wear I might use some questionable language, and then walla. Here comes the teacher to chastize me for responding to these two GOONS you keep on hand to drive out anyone who won’t goosestep to the blog beat.
This isn’t a vehicle for free expression, nor does the free speech you so loudly proclaim on Countdown exist here.
What you have here, is an “ECHO CHAMBER”, where bully liberals like messpo and patty c, are permitted to drive out new bloggers by badgering them until they either leave, or react in a way that draws your rebuke.
Well, you can “say” you don’t like to censor all you want, but you just censored me, and without so much as an inkling of alluding to the bloggers, who harrassed me until I finaly let loose with some bad language, obviously to try and discourage them from talking to me.
I don’t talk that way, it should have been obvious to you that my intent was to make it unpleasent for them to keep harrassing me.
But apparently that was neither visible to you, or you just didn’t care. Either way, I won’t hang out in an ECHO CHAMBER, where left WINGNUTS like Patty and your pal messpo, are permitted to badger bloggers, but responses from those bloggers are censored and stifled.
I really thought you believed the stuff you say on Countdown, and who knows, maybe you do.
You just don’t practice it yourself.
So I will bid you good morning sir, and leave you to your ECHO CHAMBER, so you guys can “talk” about free speech.
😀
Oh… and in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.
******************
When are you leaving-again? So we can mark our calendars in gleeful anticipation…
I think the true test of the pickup being “Ford tough” is for the owner to donate the vehicle — with significant momentum — to the premises of the HOA (specifically, its lobby or reception area).
It’s tough not being able to buy the vehicles that will show my true worth. I’m embarassed every time I have to go to the store. I know that people laugh at me when I pull up next to their Hummers. What can a poor man do except to admit that he’s yet another dreary member of the masses? My face is burning red.
The shame Michael, the shame:)
Getplaning,
I like your comment because it shows how ridiculous the whole thing is. By the way I drive a PT Cruiser Convertible and also a 93′ LeBaron
Convertible. They wouldn’t let me buy in that community, assuming I had the money to do it.
But they will allow one of those ugly Honda Ridgelines?
Anyone who joins that “sort” of community (!) deserves what they get. He knew their moronic rules when he signed them.
“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.” I certainly hope the HOA has checked each allowable vehical for the amount and plushiness of their interiors. If they haven’t they’re not serious about their jobs. I’m thankful that there are people like this to enforce the important codes in this world. Do you know that Australians, even the super wealthy ones, hang their laundry outside to dry (well the super wealthy pay someone else to do it). The horror is overwhelming. And don’t get me started on seeing swingsets in the side yard. That is just crass. Heaven forfend.
It isn’t just the govt. who likes to abridge people’s rights anymore.
Dude doesn’t need get rid of his truck. Get rid of his neighbors!!
A sad commentary on how status has become intertwined with the American ethic. The mindset of the HOA leadership is absurd, yet I would guarantee that they don’t see it that way. To them they are protecting their home values and their community’s standing in the eyes of the surrounding area. Little do they realize that from the status perspective of “old money” in this country, this is more the action of parvenu’s and social climbers.
He should have bought a GM. Nobody minds a GM product.
I would counsel a new Escalade and a trip to see Xzibit on “Pimp My Ride.” I used to enforce these restrictions when I stupidly accepted the “offer” to serve as president of my HOA. I do know these restrictions are strictly construed against the HOA and I bet there’s nothing in there about “screamin’ yellow” fenders, purple tailgates, and boom box speakers with LCD TV’s attached. Vive la difference!