A Nashville resident is trying to buy a condo and install an electric vehicle charging station before purchasing, but they are facing obstacles.
The resident asked for advice on Reddit, and many people had a lot to say about their experiences, but unfortunately, this was pretty typical.
The Nashville resident posted on Reddit in the r/HOA subreddit seeking advice on their situation.
The resident is under contract to buy a condo in Nashville, Tennessee, and one of their contingencies is to install a EVCS. They were able to get preliminary permission, but the homeowners association wants them to get an insurance policy with them listed on the policy, and "the liability coverage must not be less than $1,000,000."
They want a charging station to be installed in the shared parking garage. They asked if anyone else had gone through this process and if it was reasonable what the HOA was asking for.
They also asked: "Is there a better way to come to an agreement with the HOA?"
Unfortunately, most commenters who came to the person's aid said this was pretty typical.
HOAs are known to make it difficult for owners to install upgrades like charging stations. For example, one new Tesla owner wanted to install a charger in their shared garage after their purchase, but the HOA would not allow them to do so. The HOA cited safety concerns as its reasoning. EVs are actually less likely to catch fire than gas-powered cars, 0.3% compared to 1.05%.
Another woman in Virginia said that dealing with the HOA and extra costs imposed by the HOA is making it difficult for her to switch to an EV.
HOAs making it challenging for consumers to switch to EVs is a problem because of the impact switching can have on children's health. According to E&E News, if the U.S. met its targets of 100% EVs by 2035, EV trucks by 2040, and a "fossil-fuel-free electric grid by 2035 — it could prevent 2.79 million total asthma attacks among children, 147,000 pediatric bronchitis cases and over 500 infant deaths by midcentury."
Luckily, there are some ways to work with your HOA, such as making changes to by-laws.
The HOA is just worrying about itself, as one Redditor said, "They get no benefit. They don't want or care about the charging station. They're just worried about being paid damages if they occur."
Another said, "Don't buy it. Don't. This is only the beginning."
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