CC&Rs deserve to be enforced
Like it or not, we can't turn back the clock on everything. Rules and regulations that govern our homes and condominiums, for example, are here to stay.

Gone are the days of small towns and large homesteads where neighbors rarely infringed on each other's rights, the days when your property was totally yours and it was up to you how it looked. Today in Conejo Valley many property owners must live according to the demands of a homeowners association. Some people dislike them.

If you're in a planned community, even the owners of single-family detached homes must follow the laws known as CC&Rs- covenants, conditions and restrictions. But the limitations placed upon the homeowners can be maddening. Some residents feel the rules conflict with personal freedom.

The Community Associations Institute trade association estimates that HOAs govern more than 23 million American homes and 57 million residents. In the last decade, homeowner associations have mushroomed.

There's no escaping the fact that if you want to paint your house bright orange, somebody will object. Or if you place a basketball hoop next to your neighbor's driveway, you'll probably get the evil eye. Want to have a loud party? Forget it. HOAs keep things in line. Without CC&Rs, life wouldn't be manageable. Dogs could run amok, somebody with a rustedout Pinto might park in front of your house, and your neighbor's lawn might look like a junkyard.

But how far should the controls go? Recently in Lake Sherwood one homeowner bristled at an HOA rule that limited the number of pets he could own. Residents of a community association in Oak Park complained that their HOA prohibited children from playing in a common area.

Ignorance of the law, by the way, is no excuse. People should read the fine print before they buy property where CC&Rs exist. If a property is rented, it's up to the landlord to inform the tenant about neighborhood restrictions.

As long as people are forced to live close together, they'll need rules and regulations.

If you don't like the rules, work to change them, but don't ignore them. Always try to be a good neighbor.