Gated Community

Gate open rules. We live in a gated residential community (178 homes) in Florida. Our community is setup as a Condo with HOA. About 50% of households are part timers (snowbirds). The HOA is now holding a vote for the owners to decide i=f gate should remain open. For many people they prefer the gate to remain open where as many want the gate closed since they bought their homes knowing this was a gated community. If vote is to keep gate open do the residents wanting the gate closed have any rights to prevent this from the basis that they had bought into a gated community? Also each household has 1 vote however would it not be fair that the gate open period only apply to when they are residing at the their premise(winter season). Hence if they are living in NY for example and only in Florida for 3 months why would their vote count for the full year and impact full time residents that a majority want the gate closed?

First, it doesn't matter who lives there full-time or not. Each homeowner gets a vote, and all homeowners are equal. In my community, we have a lot of part-timers and they don't like that we include cable and internet in the monthly dues because they only use it when they are here. Too bad - it's the right thing for the whole community, not just some.

Many communities have the gate open during the day and close it at night. We tried to do that (we have six gates and it would cut down on wear and tear) and had a huge uproar from the community. Safety in gated communities is an illusion. Anyone who wants to get in when the gates are closed can do it. It can control traffic.

Are you saying that it's a gated community but the gates are open all the time? Or part time? Or that they are closed all the time?

If you gates are open part time or full time, you basically have no security. If your gates are closed but you make it easy to get in with codes that get passed around, you have very little security.

It's a gated community if there's a gate, but it's not a even semi-secure gated community if the gates are left open.

Sorry Melissa but I deeply disagree with your argument about the gate giving a false sense of security. If a criminal is driving down the street and has the choice of going into a gated community that has secured access and cameras or an ungated community on the opposite side of the street with none of those features. Which would they choose? Criminals look for crimes of opportunity and ease of access. Taking that away from them does lead to a safer community.

Just to add an additional point would anyone here leave their doors open or unlocked because doors and locks don't stop crime?

With MarkM, Melissa is sooo wrong. If my urban center square block high rise did not have a gated vehicle entry, no one would have bought a condo in it.

There's an enclosed kiosk at the gates that's occupied 24/7 by an access control officer. So, the exit gate is left open for a an hour or 2 every AM as many cars exit during that period.