Working with a landscaper to create the yard of your dreams is something many homeowners look forward to. However, when homeowners associations get involved, this dream can turn into a nightmare. One homeowner is facing pushback from their HOA for their garden plans.
A landscaper took to Reddit for advice on handling their clients' difficult HOA.
"I created a landscape design for a client," they explained. "When I was designing their plan, the client's HOA guidelines showed a 'recommendation' that plants are not within 3' of the home's foundation. Since this was just a recommendation … and this client's yard is very small, I designed plants so that their mature sizes will grow just shy of the side of the house."
They added that their designs show how the mature plants will look, as is industry standard. However, this seems to have caused a bit of an issue.
"The client loves the design; however, their HOA will not approve it because the plants are within 3' of the foundation. … Is there any recourse to reply to the HOA to get it approved? This would not be such a big deal if the front yard was not just 9' from front to back (and this would otherwise eliminate 1/3 of the plants)."
Disagreement with an HOA is an all too common occurrence. HOA restrictions often make it hard to make eco-friendly choices like growing native plants or installing solar panels. There is hope, though, as some homeowners may be able to band together to get changes to bylaws passed.
The helpful folks on the HOA subreddit had plenty of advice on how to handle these issues. One person suggested: "Show them a design that will match what they see when you are done planting. The initial planting should be 3 ft. from the foundation to avoid another disapproval."
Another person explained their experience, saying: " I worked on the Design Standards for my community. The recommendations are there to help our neighbors submit something within reasonable boundaries. … Our board is receptive to discussion and has even visited sites to get a better understanding. They haven't denied an ACC application since. Hopefully, your board is receptive to your discussion."
Fingers crossed that this landscaper, homeowner, and HOA can come to an agreement. Incorporating more beneficial plants will make their neighborhood greener, friendlier to wildlife, and maybe even cooler by preventing the formation of a heat island.
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