rules rules rules

Last week we blogged about how apathy can harm a community in many different ways.  Everyone’s comments were great.  This week I want to take the conversation in the opposite direction.  Is it a good idea for the Board or community to be zealous or perhaps overly zealous in enforcing the governing documents and/or creating rules and regulations that many say sterilize a community?  Are there rules and regulations that are simply “on the books” but should not be enforced?  Does strict enforcement of the rules lead to an increase in value of the homes or condos, as claimed by every condo or HOA President ever known for being a disciplinarian in their community?  Or…..is that just a line they throw out to justify their crack down in the community?

What are some of the rules that you think are not justified, silly, harmful or just not worth the paper they’re written on?  For example…..everyone must park their car with the front end facing the same way.  Some people like to back in.  Does it matter?  Should you be towed for backing in?  That’s just one example.  What about leaving your garbage cans out over night?  Remember the HOA fiasco last year when the Board stole everyone’s garbage cans?  Was that the right thing to do?  What is reasonable and what isn’t?

Nobody would argue that there needs to be some rules and regulations in place in order to keep the property looking good.  However, are some rules simply stupid and not worth the fight?