[QUOTE=roob1;2083331]Can you really assume that the "violations evidently pass the standards of immediate neighbors"? Could there be other reasons why they continue to exist, and why the neighbors don't report? And why do the standards of immediate neighbors matter? No one is bound by the neighbors standards. And who is to measure "artistic standard"? We all see that differently...that is why there is one standard, THE COVENANTS. And why continually confuse the issue by judging other's behavior, (those that report violations)? The issue is a violation, not who reported it nor how it became known to Community Standards. The perspectives you mention may be just attempts by violators/perspective violators to rationalize their behavior, consistent with feelings of entitlement that run rampant here in TV.
To answer some of your rhetorical questions:
Yes, I think one can assume the immediate neighbors are OK with an object that may be in violation if nobody has reported it for years, and it becomes reported along with a slew of other previously unreported problems in the neighborhood, as other posters have described. I think it's a very safe assumption that someone from out of the neighborhood decided to ride through with a clipboard and make it their business to see the deed restrictions are all enforced. I think it's the most logical assumption to make in that circumstance
Could there be other reasons? Yes there could be many.
Why do the standards of immediate neighbors matter? Because that is IMO, the intent of the deed restriction covenant.
Who is to measure artistic standard? The immediate neighbors would be a good start. I'm pretty sure if I suddenly put up a slew of those cute little wood painted lawn ornaments, you know, the ones that are painted to show a lady bent over weeding, with her bloomers showing from behind, it wouldn't take 5 years and a pair of ladies in a clipboard to find out I'd violated a standard. However, I ride around and I see in my neighborhood what I consider to be a tasteful sculpted rendition of a sandhill crane artfully placed in a flower bed and I think "gee, I hope the clipboard ladies don't come and write that one up", because I think it adds some grace to the neighborhood. I think it's safe to assume the neighbors don't mind it either, since it's still there.
Since you can't dictate it in printed words, you have to let the process work it out, and the process works best if people don't treat the printed words of the COVENANT as a sacred book.
I'd go on but this post is too long already.
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