While taking their dog on a walk through the neighborhood, a homeowner noticed something peculiar about the trees their homeowners association had planted earlier that year.
Around the base of nearly every tree, they saw tightly wrapped burlap cloth. In some instances, the burlap appeared to extend below the soil.
An experienced arborist, the homeowner became concerned for the trees' health and reached out to their HOA.
"They didn't seem to care," wrote the homeowner, who shared their experience in a post to Reddit's r/arborists. "I told them this could have negative effects on the tree such as girdling, excess moisture on the trunk base, harboring microorganisms. … Has anyone else seen this done by companies?"
Unfortunately, when it comes to eco-friendly home or yard modifications and lifestyles, many HOAs actively restrict or forbid them or cut corners. Some HOAs have even been reported to prohibit rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, native plant lawns, vegetable gardens, and even composting.
With so many HOA-enforced restrictions, it's always a good idea to understand how to navigate these disputes when they arise and how to change established rules — especially if you or someone you know lives in an HOA.
Knowing how to obtain HOA rules and find state laws; who to reach out to for questions and complaints; and how to start conversations with landlords, HOA boards, and other members of the community who may also be affected will help a great deal in these instances.
In this particular case, users on the Reddit post affirmed the homeowner's concerns about the state of the trees and advised they try to reach out to the HOA again.
"Yeah, unfortunately a lot of landscapers who don't know what they're doing do this," one wrote. "This has a high chance of causing the premature death of these trees, and the HoA will have wasted money paying for them and will further have to pay for removal."
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes — it's part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme circumstances 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Clown show. Notify the HOA, and hopefully they'll use someone different next time," another person commented.
But after taking their advice, the homeowner was met with radio silence. Now, they're considering taking matters into their own hands to save the trees.
"Told them to notify the arborist and have them check the plantings. No response! I'll just have to go on a late-night burlap removal operation," they said.
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