[TowerTalk] CC&R's

[Alan Beagley]

We just bought a house in W. Michigan and had to look for quite a while 
before we found a suitable property. Our first choice turned out to have 
CC&Rs explicitly banning antennas other than small dishes close to the 
roof (can't now recall the permitted height). We ended up with a 
29-yr.-old property in a nice neighborhood with underground utilities, 
brief (only 2 pages) CC&Rs that do not mention antennas or transmitters 
-- and no HOA. I did consult an ARRL Volunteer Counsel for advice on one 
point, and he said that the CC&Rs he sees are typically 50 pages. One 
ham wrote that the CC&Rs for one subdivision (in Illinois, IIRC) were 3" 
thick and nobody wanted to let him read them.

Note that if I had not asked for a copy of the CC&Rs before ever making 
an offer for the property, I still would not know what the restrictions 
were: the documents presented at closing mentioned something along the 
lines of "applicable covenant restrictions," but the document detailing 
those restrictions was not made available at that time.

I haven't yet done anything about putting up a tower -- or even my 
VHF/UHF vertical -- so it remains to be seen whether any of the 
neighbors think that antennas and towers are terrible and are willing to 
pay a lawyer to try to prevent me from erecting one.

The municipality has a "hands-off" approach to amateur radio 
towers/antennas under 70' high and does not even require a building 
permit to ensure the safety of the installation.

Alan AB2OS


On 01/01/04 12:38 pm Tom Champlin put fingers to keyboard and launched 
the following message into cyberspace:

> There has been a lot posted about antenna restrictions. Here in the Kansas 
> city area it's no different. Wanting to buy a new home, I have been to many, 
> many new housing additions. I recently found an addition that had a few 
> larger lots left. I currently use a TX-455 and X9 with slopers. I will have 
> to give this up when I move next summer. As the builders are now offering 
> cheap stereo systems with in-ceiling speakers, I will probably have to 
> mothball the Alpha as well. I recently bought a Big SteppIR vertical that I 
> hope I can somehow put up when I move. I selected the largest lot, which 
> adjoins a horse ranch. The CC&R's in my subdivision say something like this:
> 
>                            SECTION 13
> 
> No outside television or radio antenna, or satellite dish or receiver, shall 
> be erected, installed or maintained on any Lot, or on any structure on the 
> Lot, except that one satellite dish or receiver not exceeding two (2) feet 
> in diameter shall be permitted on the side, roof, or chimney of a dwelling 
> house.
> 
>                            SECTION 15
> 
> No outbuildings, storage sheds, storage tanks, or any other free-standing 
> structure detached from the residence shall be constructed or maintained on 
> any Lot.
> 
> 
> So, I guess If you want full blown ham radio, you need to live on a large 
> acreage, away from other people. ($$$). Or, live in a shack next to a crack 
> house where nobody cares. I doubt if anyone ever cracks the CC&R's on behalf 
> of ham radio. I have to admit, I have seen some really trashy looking 
> antenna setups. Most non-hams see all of them as trashy looking and a blight 
> on the neighborhood, not to even mention the RFI. If I can use the vertical, 
> I think it will satisfy my current needs.