A4 owner car gets booted, achieves cult status in 10 days

[Ingolstadt]

This is a very interesting read. Apparently in US gated communities, the aunts and housewives who had nothing better to do would frequently create a HOA (Home Owners Association) to create guidelines for the neighborhood; as a means of 'For-the-good-of-all"

Imposing rules like what color of paint your house could use, what can or cannot be done to your house during a renovation, getting fines for not taking care of your garden, etc; and in this particular incident, contracted the neighborhoods parking administration rights to APS, Arizona Parking Solutions; who would clamp cars that violate their rules and $140 would be impounded to the owner.

So the owner, forum member of VWvortes (The A1 and A2 German) had stayed there for almost a year till the HOA was set up, and APS contracted for the neighborhood. For months he had parked his car on his designated parking spot with the removable tag, that's required to be put on at all times, till one day on the 10th of June 2008, he forgotten to, and was clamped and asked to pay for the fund.

Pissed, as he knew the APS officers patrolling the area knew him and his car deliberately clamped him for the $140, he did the unthinkable, since if you do not pay your fine in 3 day's time, your car would be towed away, he 'somehow-managed-to-placed-his-car-into-his-garage-with-the-clamps-ON-check-the-thread-to-see-how' and got on a 10 day ordeal with the company, the cops, the HOA and so on.

This guy had apparently reached cult status in the US, attracting the thread a quarter million of views (250,000) in less than 10 days to follow on his ordeal.

Check it out, and it's worth to leave you mistress, boss, wife, kids, friends, interviews, presentation or whatsoever for 2 hours to go thru the 61 page (maybe more now) thread at VWvortex.

Audi A4 Owner got clamped (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3880087&page=1)

[henk4]

if you decide to live in prison you should stick to the rules of a prison....

[IBrake4Rainbows]

According to the story, while the Owner of the A4 moved into the community, he did not agree to be part of the Home Owners Association that brought this.

Technically he's done nothing wrong - the clamps have not been tampered with or removed.

Fighting the power, thats interesting.

[henk4]

According to the story, while the Owner of the A4 moved into the community, he did not agree to be part of the Home Owners Association that brought this.

Technically he's done nothing wrong - the clamps have not been tampered with or removed.

Fighting the power, thats interesting.

if these people in fenced communities want to impose tribal rules, "democracy" says that everybody lives up to them....

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Exactly.

Thus my hatred for Gated communities.

[cmcpokey]

if these people in fenced communities want to impose tribal rules, "democracy" says that everybody lives up to them....

the problem is, it's not just fenced in communities. just about everywhere you buy a house these days, there is an HOA. their level of involvement varies, but this is not an unusual circumstance. my mother received threats of fines because her house needed painting (even though she already had the painters scedulaed to come paint the house) and they can make you re-paint your house if they dont approve of the color. what's even better, is that you typically have to pay to be in the HOA, and it's not voluntary. I havent read through the thread, but i would suspect that his non-participation is in violation of the neighborhood policies.

[P4g4nite]

Whenever I'm directed to a long or "epic" thread I play a game called Godwin hunter. This fascist rule gated community seems ripe for comparison so off we go.


EDIT: Page 9
So I called the HOA Community manger, and keep in mind this is not actually the HOA booting cars but a contractor...errrrr......wait a minute........Hitler didn't do any of the killing himself......not responsible......some one else did it....she's off the hook....oh wait

9 Points for this thread

[Matra et Alpine]

You do all know this is calling for a "land of the free" comment, don't you :)

[Kitdy]

I don't know that I agree with Home Owner's Association's ability to impose these rules at all. I suppose it is within the confines of the law and people do chose to live there but the rules to me often seem silly and extraordinarily fascist-like.

Even if this guy is in the wrong (which if you read the thread carefully, he played it well and I don't think he is) I still want to see Arizona Parking Solutions and Home Owner's Association change their regulations as it seems to me that the people of the community probably disagree with the mass bootings that took place which turned out to be improper I think because they neglected to warn the offenders with a note.

What it boils down to is to a defiant guy that doesn't want to pay his fee because he forgot to do something he should have, and an egomanaic trying to be vindictive and make a quick buck.

Whatever becomes of this, if this makes major news that company is going to be reviled as typically, people dislike parking enforcement official greatly and this guy has taken it to a new low.

[Matra et Alpine]

PS: Wheel clamping by private companies or on private land is ILLEGAL in Scotland.

We have a few openings left if anyone wishes to emigrate here :D

[ScionDriver]

I'm kind of with Henk here but I am also not. Don't live in a gated community if you don't want to live by their rules. But also why the hell do these people care so much? Why do they need a HOA in the first place? You live in a gated community for the security not so that your house can be the same as every one else's and people can tell you where/how/when you should park, garden or paint your house or even how tall your grass should get. It's ridiculous. The houses in these communities aren't going to drop in value because ONE neighbor has a lime green house and a shabby garden. It's Arizona. It's a bunch of old retired conservative people. I don't understand why anyone would want to live somewhere where you actually have to be approved to live there. Ridiculous.

I say good for the man to fight the power. He's just sticking it to them and taking advantage of their own rules.

[nota]

Capitolism at its ugliest


Well not really but still obnoxious & of course morally bankrupt

[henk4]

I'm kind of with Henk here but I am also not. Don't live in a gated community if you don't want to live by their rules

that is actually what I said, apparently all praise goes to the Audi owner, but he "provoked" the neighbourhood in which he choose to live.

[Quiggs]

How many of you actually read the entire thread?

When he moved into the community, there was no parking police. The HOA brought them in later. His car sat in the same spot for as long as he's lived there. The parking pass was still in the vehicle, though not displayed per the rules. APS knew the car, knew that it lived where it did, and booted the car anyway. They also booted a pool cleaning service truck that was parked on a white line. As well as many other residents for minor, stupid infractions. Not only that, but APS is also in violation of their own contract by not issuing warnings before booting cars. APS needs to die in a fire.

Edit: And this thread further proves. Do NOT **** with the Vortex.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Quite. The Whoretex is a dangerous enemy to make.

But you can't fight City Hall. Or in this case HOA.

[Quiggs]

Quite. The Whoretex is a dangerous enemy to make.

But you can't fight City Hall. Or in this case HOA.

You didn't read it either. :(

The HOA was on his side, for the most part. He was taking on APS, the towing company that the HOA contracted to police the neighborhood.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The HOA is not on anyone's side. They only can be considered friendly to him because he's done nothing illegal according to the HOA's agreement with APS.

Basically, as long as no one's angry at them, they're happy. They still created this mess by allowing this company to run about the neighbourhood like cowboys.

[ScionDriver]

This is what happens sometimes when these rent-a-cops organizations come in, especially with something like parking they become real sticklers and write you up for real minor infractions maybe in attempt to get money or maybe out of boredom or maybe just doing what they think is right.