Not at all. You mention you had a HOA, so that's always "off the list for consideration". It doesn't matter if the city does a good job of plowing. It matters that you've given up your rights.You must be looking in the wrong places. I just left a suburb of Indy, with an HOA and the city did a great job plowing our streets.
If I were on a planning commission I would require the developer begin an HOA’s as part of approval for for large subdivisions. If I were a developer I would want one anyway to protect my investment as I sold off lots to keep the crazies that bought the first lots from destroying my property values on the remaining lots.
You don't have to look far to see lists upon lists of HOA horror stories. What I can't understand is why so many on a pro-freedom-loving forum are so happy to give up all their rights and freedoms to their local neighborhood autocrats and why they are pushing for "how great it is" to not have freedom.
Outside of people in this thread, everyone I know who is in an HOA hates the HOA and is only there because there's no other choice (besides much older houses that usually have small rooms and poor layouts).
11 Insane HOAs
HOA Horror Stories
HOA Horror Story
HOA Nightmare
American HOA Story
Ridiculous HOA
HOA Seizes house
Fight against HOA
HOA Troubles
HOA Strikes again