Some homeowners like the standardized look that comes with living in an HOA. However, many people chafe at overly strict HOA regulations. It's an especially big problem for homeowners who may want to add eco-friendly home upgrades like solar panels or who want to connect to nature through gardening and outdoor activities.
Here are five times an HOA went to unreasonable lengths to control their residents.
🗣️ 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
One homeowner had thoughtfully xeriscaped their yard — a technique of landscaping with stone, gravel, and drought-resistant plants in order to conserve water, popular in hot areas. The few plants were healthy, but that didn't stop the HOA from citing the owner for "dead" plants and demanding that they be removed. The photo of the so-called infraction showed two very green shrubs in a gravel bed.
This homeowner had already had multiple run-ins with their HOA over small issues, but one additional letter took the cake. The HOA insisted that the owner needed permission before buying an electric vehicle. That was an especially confusing ruling, seeing as the HOA had previously complained about the owner's existing gas-powered truck, and commenters questioned whether the HOA even had the authority to make that demand.
One homeowner was run off their feet by a series of emails from their HOA. First, the association required the homeowner to remove weeds. Then, it insisted they plant new grass in the dead spots (likely left behind by the weed removal). Another letter arrived demanding that the homeowner send photos of the new growth within six weeks — a tight and likely unachievable timeline for establishing new grass.
In one neighborhood, a video went viral showing a man who claims to be the HOA president haranguing two teenage boys who were fishing in the neighborhood pond. The HOA president physically intimidates and verbally threatens the two young men, saying that he'll throw their phone in the water. He even appears to break one of their fishing poles after grabbing it out of their hands.
This HOA is another one that created a problem for an EV owner, but rather than going after the vehicle itself, the HOA placed a roadblock in front of the owner's efforts to install a charging station. Located in California, the association couldn't legally forbid the owner to install a charger, but it demanded to be added as an "additional insured" on the homeowner's insurance policy, something no insurance company would agree to, according to the owner.
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