Crazy for Tech, but not everyone’s crazy about it
Joe Mahoney / Times-Dispatch
Jennifer McQueeney, a 1998 Virginia Tech grad, stands in front of a house in Midlothian that she and her friends (at right: Justin Clark, standing; Robert Ridout, seated left and Ryan Groseclose, seated right) decorated for the Virginia Tech-U.Va. game.
Jennifer McQueeney's house is decorated for Christmas.
It just so happens that everything is orange and maroon and has Virginia Tech logos on it.
The 1998 Virginia Tech graduate decked out her Midlothian home for the seventh annual "Crazy for the Hokies" contest.
But the Charter Colony neighborhood association, however, isn't feeling so festive.
A recent letter sent to McQueeney by the association says the Tech decorations violated a policy about "decorative ornaments and other landscape accessories" because they don't represent any recognized holiday. The letter also said the decorations were put up without the board's approval and must come down.
"It was just for fun," McQueeney said yesterday. "I figured it wasn't a big deal."
And "most of the neighbors have liked it," she added.
The association's office was closed yesterday, , and no one could be reached for comment.
The contest is held by the university each year, and there's always a different focus. This year's contest invited people across the country to decorate their front yards. McQueeney and roommate Rob Ridout, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, said it took them and one other roommate four days to decorate.
They painted the front lawn orange and maroon in a checkerboard pattern. The front door, the garage door and every window on the front of the house is covered in orange plastic. The shutters on the windows are covered in white Virginia Tech bed sheets.
Baseball caps hang from tree limbs. A homemade flag that stretches from the roof to the ground drapes the side of the house next to letters that say "LET'S GO HOKIES."
The mailbox is decorated with Virginia Tech logos and streamers, and a blow-up Hokie Bird sits among the bushes. McQueeney said she used to have an orange and maroon Christmas tree on the porch, topped with a football helmet, but has taken that down to protect it from the weather. They've also taken down big maroon and orange letters that spelled out "VIRGINIA TECH" over the garage.
And that's just the front yard.
The backyard was marked like a football field, complete with cardboard football players, though rain has erased most of the paint.
McQueeney and her roommates said the association gave them until next Friday to take down the decorations or face a $10 fine every day they stay put.
But if the roommates win the Hokie contest, the $5,000 first-place prize should help cover their fines.
The contest winner will be announced tomorrow during halftime of Virginia Tech's game against the University of Virginia in Blacksburg. First place is $5,000, second place is $1,000 and third is $500.
The contest ran from Sept. 1 through last Friday. Decorations had to be up for at least three days.
"I respect that they want to protect everybody's investments and not let them trash their houses," McQueeney said. "We're not trying to offend anyone."
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Susie98p, or Mary Crimm…
She paid you (the first check she mailed was sent back b/c you left an unclear/incorrect address on the vm), for 6 weeks of service with a $4 tip each of those weeks. You would never show up on the days/times you agreed on so she had to leave a check in the mailbox for you, which she did and the check was cashed. You never showed up reliably which is why she asked you to stop coming by.
Are you familiar with VA Stalker laws? Perhaps you both should be? You can stop driving by and creepily slowing down looking into her home now.
Man, I thought it was just cat ladies who were the “crazy” ones
Let it go Crazy lady, let it go.
Seems like there may be alot of UVa alum on the board.
An orange & maroon checkerboard lawn—in a Chesterfield County neighborhood. Sorry but I think that’s asking for trouble.
we lived under a HOA when we lived in a townhome. At first, it was great; the people on the board really cared about the people, as well as the units. That changed when a bunch of older retired people got on the board. Then one of the Board members would literally walk the property 2 or three x/day looking for infractions. They also played favorites- some people could do things where others couldn’t do the same thing. HOA, while they seek to make sure propertys aren’t devalued, are often run like a dictatorship. This one at CC needs to let it be - it’ll run its course when the contest is over. It’s called a COMMON SENSE approach, instead of coming on with the board up the butt attitude.
Ind Thinker,
HOA are not necessary for the reasons that you have listed. The County already has ordinances against those kind of issues and more, however, this is America, and you are free to live areas that restrict your freedom.
It looks nice and I hope they win the contest for their efforts. I have no problems; however, with a strong HOA and I belong to one. It prevents decorations like this from becoming permanent, it also prevents offenses like turning your front lawn into an extra driveway or a car repair shop, or neglecting the outside of your home. It just boils down to where you like or chose to live
Is it such a big deal….Leave it up!
I am glad the HOA has nothing better to do.
Why on earth anyone would invest in a home where membership to a HOA is required is beyond me. You may as well live in a condo or townhome. If you must belong to something, save your money and join a country club.
HOAs are generally run by people who are retired and don’t have anything else to do and have a proverbial board permanently up their patooot. In addition, they rule the HOAs like their own little kingdom and God forbid you get in their way. The HOA at Charter Colony needs to take a MAJOR chill pill and get over their self importance.
The McQueeneys should be grateful to the Home Owner’s Association. They allow us to identify the petty tyrants who want to dictate everyone else’s lives and lifestyles before they get into positions of real power. Now, how to DEAL with such neighborhood authoritarians is another matter…
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