anarchistjoe Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 So we all know taxation is theft, I don't need to be sold on that.In debating with a statist as I explained why taxation is theft he posed the question asking if homeowners association fees are analogous. I have never been part of one of these, I don't know all that much about them, and I am curious if anyone has any input on the issue.
Marcus Clarke Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 I think that it is important to remember that you do sign a contract with a homeowner's association, and that you are bound to that contract. The "social contract" is a phrase designed to avoid the argument that you have not signed any contracts with a government.
tasmlab Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 HOA's usually only cover a few blocks, are contractual, are small enough to walk out of. In my own personal conjecture, I would think an anarchistic society would probably still have lots of these and they would resemble little block-sized governments (in a sense) as people decided to mutualize boring stuff like waste water and playground maintenance. For an argument from EFFECT, HOAs actually give you stuff. Ours does lawn maintenance, road maintenance, runs a central swimming pool, playground, tennis courts, etc. This may sound like a government, but they don't run a military, attack other countries, send pot dealers to prison, give subsidies to banks and corporations, inhibit the economy, run a welfare state, force children to go to school, manipulate currencies... Actually, if the government was just like a HOA, I would probably limit my anarchism to just complaining on discussion forums. Um, er...
dsayers Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 Depends on how the contract is written. If you are bound by the decisions of a board and they enact something after you sign, that you are bound to without your consent, then it becomes no different. If you die while living in such a house, the person who inherits the house cannot be bound by the contract. So while HOA's can be a great example of people geographically coming together to live like values, there's ways they can easily cross the line of morality.
LanceD Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 HOAs can be ridiculously over bearing entities that hound and harass you into following the rules, I've had both good and bad HOAs. However the thing that separates them from government is that they are completely voluntary. If you don't like their rules don't move into the neighborhood. This forces HOAs to compete with each other. They want their neighborhood occupied by the kind of people they want so they have incentives to run themselves in the manner that attracts these people. HOAs can be ridiculously over bearing entities that hound and harass you into following the rules, I've had both good and bad HOAs. However the thing that separates them from government is that they are completely voluntary. If you don't like their rules don't move into the neighborhood. This forces HOAs to compete with each other. They want their neighborhood occupied by the kind of people they want so they have incentives to run themselves in the manner that attracts these people. Governments just put guns to your head and demand your cash.
dsayers Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 However the thing that separates them from government is that they are completely voluntary.What if they change the rules without your consent? What if you inherited the house from somebody that agreed to rules you don't agree with? I think "completely voluntary" is an over-simplification.If it was completely voluntary, you wouldn't even need to name the thing. Like when I go to McDonald's and give them money for a burger, we don't sit down with a contract that outlines a Goods and Services Exchange Organization.
aeonicentity Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 It would be analogous if someone threatened to throw you in jail for not paying your Home Owners Association fee. At best they can find you in breach of contract, and take you to court for either reparations, or eviction. Most of the time you just suffer the wrath of peer pressure.
nathanm Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Sounds like you need an upgrade. I don't have one myself, but the one my folks got is great. For an extra $10 a month they will arrest pot dealers in the neighborhood and make them do all the lawn maintenance. They have to wear jumpsuits that say "I LOVED SELLING WEED, BUT NOW I PULL THEM" with the name of the Home Owners Association in a wicked stencil font underneath. It's very humiliating, but hey if you don't like it, don't cross the HOA. Inhibiting the economy is planned for the future as well. Ours does lawn maintenance, road maintenance, runs a central swimming pool, playground, tennis courts, etc. This may sound like a government, but they don't run a military, attack other countries, send pot dealers to prison, give subsidies to banks and corporations, inhibit the economy, run a welfare state, force children to go to school, manipulate currencies...
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