A recent HOA dispute showed the headaches that can come with such problems.
In a post on r/HOA, the homeowner explains their dilemma.
A management company hired by the HOA oversees violations, and there has never been an issue until they received a $1,000 fine for weeds in a flower bed.
The original violation was thought to have been taken care of with before-and-after photos. Confused, the homeowner forwarded the email as proof, only to receive a second violation. After responding to the violation via email, there was radio silence followed by a notice of a fine hearing. Another email was sent. No response.
Finally, they called the office, who copied them into an email asking for clarification.
The response read, "I will need to take a look during reinspection on Monday. Unfortunately, the prior manager did not include any pictures on the last round of violations that were sent out. I will get back with you after inspection."
To no one's surprise, they did not get back to the homeowner before the scheduled hearing.
At the hearing, they presented all of the email correspondence with the management company, showing their effort to fix the violation. But even after this hearing, the fine arrived in the mail, followed by another week of unanswered correspondence and frustration.
"My question is what recourse do I have? Do I need to contact a lawyer, or go to small claims court?" the OP asked.
🗣️ 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
For better or for worse, HOAs aren't exactly known for making anyone's life any easier — especially when it comes to eco-friendly home improvements like solar panels and native lawns. Ironically, these transitions save money and add resale value to homes.
The lengths some HOAs are willing to go to prevent environmentally beneficial changes negatively impacts all of us. A lot of homeowners don't even consider making eco-changes because of the difficulty HOA allowances present — more often than not for no reason at all.
It's hard to grow native plants if the HOA won't allow it. But knowledge is power. Working together toward a common goal is always easier, and luckily there are guides on how to make changes in your HOAs. A lot of times, it's about sitting down and having a simple conversation to show how everyone can benefit with a little bit of change.
There is a world in which everyone can be happy, healthier, and greener.
The mysterious weed debacle was met with empathy and understanding.
"I would go through the materials about your rights, the process involved with violations & disputes. There must be an appeal process," one Redditor offered.
"The lawyer will cost about as much as the fine," another warned.
"I would also make absolutely sure the board is aware you've been trying to resolve this. Go to the next meeting and point blank ask why they've been ignoring you," suggested another.
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