Getting Dish In A Condo With A COA

[EvilEuro]

I have a friend who would like to get Dish but is having issues with his COA. His COA has very strict by-laws with regard to "common areas", and says that he does not own the exterior of the buildng, the roof, or the garage, and therefore cannot mount a satellite dish on any of those areas.

I know that there was legislation passed years ago regarding these issues, dishes under 1m, and HOAs. However, I can neither remember the name of the bill / law regarding this issue, nor can I remember if it also deals with COAs as opposed to HOAs.

For those who live in condos or have had to deal with similar fights to get their Dish, what have you done to do so? What did you have to cite to shut your COA up and permit your Dish?

Basically, what does my buddy have to do in order to be able to get Dish? He has a corner unit and therefore doesn't have a backyard / courtyard area where he could "hide" the dish.

Thanks in advance for all of your advice.

 

[Peter Parker]

OTARD. Do a search on this site. it will tell you a lot.

 

[EvilEuro]

Thanks a lot. I couldn't remember the name for the life of me. Search will now commence.

 

[DishSubLA]

And those stupid policies force people to use their balconies, and that looks so awful. The apartments and condo/townhomes that I've seen that accomadate installs on roofs look so much better to the eye. Far better for aesthetics to accomate roof installs, but some owners/HOA's sometimes get a "kickback" for not allowing installs and forcing tennants to cable cos.

 

[sam_gordon]

IIRC, the law doesn't really help condo owners. They can not use "common areas" to mount dishes. So they're stuck using their balcony. That basically leaves two options... pole mount in a bucket of cement or mounting to the balcony railing.

 

[JM42]

As stated, the Condo's policies all sound within the OTARD guidelines. If he doesn't have a patio/deck/porch with line of site, there's not much he can do other than try to get the board votes to implement a change.

 

[boba]

As stated, the Condo's policies all sound within the OTARD guidelines. If he doesn't have a patio/deck/porch with line of site, there's not much he can do other than try to get the board votes to implement a change.

He should have checked the bylaws before buying the condo.

 

[EvilEuro]

Thanks for everyone's input on this. Yes, it appears that he is hosed by the condo bylaws. He has had the condo for years and was previously happy with his local cable. But things changed and he wants to make the move to Dish. But unless he can work something out with a rather draconian COA, it looks like that's not going to happen.

He also has no balcony on which to mount a dish, so that's not an option either.

All of this makes me happy that I don't live in an HOA / COA / any form of OA.

 

[sam_gordon]

Sounds like a case of "I don't care about the rules as long as they don't affect me."

Of course he can find out what it would take to change the rules (probably requires a certain amount of signatures from owners) and work to that end.

Most HOA/COA rules are designed to "keep up appearances" so as not to affect resale prices. How far they take the rules (just maintenance? Exterior color? Exterior decorations? etc) varies by the association.

 

[Hall]

He has had the condo for years ... with a rather draconian COA

If the COA is that bad, why has he stayed there for years ?

 

[dare2be]

Most HOA/COA rules are designed to "keep up appearances" so as not to affect resale prices.

That's too wide of a brush to paint with. COAs are much different than HOAs. COAs are more designed to protect and delineate "property" and right-of-way, since the exterior structures such as roofs, exterior walls, driveways, etc and common areas are owned by the association and not the condo owner.

 

[mdram]

depends on the COA

FIL had to out in a new front door and screen door (his were only 3 years old) so everyone's would match
yeah there is $1500 needlessly spent

 

[Jim5506]

His best bet might be to campaign surreptitiously to get on the board of the COA and work on the satellite rules from within - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

 

[dishcomm]

I have a friend who would like to get Dish but is having issues with his COA. His COA has very strict by-laws with regard to "common areas", and says that he does not own the exterior of the buildng, the roof, or the garage, and therefore cannot mount a satellite dish on any of those areas.

I know that there was legislation passed years ago regarding these issues, dishes under 1m, and HOAs. However, I can neither remember the name of the bill / law regarding this issue, nor can I remember if it also deals with COAs as opposed to HOAs.

For those who live in condos or have had to deal with similar fights to get their Dish, what have you done to do so? What did you have to cite to shut your COA up and permit your Dish?

Basically, what does my buddy have to do in order to be able to get Dish? He has a corner unit and therefore doesn't have a backyard / courtyard area where he could "hide" the dish.

Thanks in advance for all of your advice.

Unfortunately, the Owner's association does indeed have the right( with the backing of law) to prohibit the installation of satellite antennas on "common property"
OTARD which one can find here...https://www.fcc.gov/media/over-air-reception-devices-rule
Pay close attention to this....."Exclusive use and control".....That phrase is a limiting rule. It essentially limits placement of said antennas to patios, balconies or inside the actual living area itself.
Should your friend's condo Ass'n have a rule that bans installation on common or non exclusive use areas, he is out of luck. Condo life is not fair.
He's stuck with cable or cord cutting( Netflix etc)

 

[Claude Greiner]

He could get one of those fake rock covers. Unless someone watches him install it, I doubt anyone from the condo association would complain about a big grey rock or even know it is there.

f**k the association. If I had a choice I wouldn't move there in the first place

 

[Jim5506]

You put up the pole and place the rock over it - after a month or so - in the dark of the night, you install the dish on th pole under the plastic rock, maybe plant some bushes around it to beautify your flower bed, with their permission, of course. And you've got to figure out how to get the cable in the condo.