Among the beauties of owning your own home is adding new features to a property to make it perfect for you and your family.
Whether it's installing a high-tech kitchen or simply painting the walls a different color, having the freedom to make changes without obtaining permission from a landlord takes a lot of the stress out of home renovation.
Unfortunately, some are still restricted from making beneficial alterations if they buy a property within a community run by a homeowners association.
One Redditor found this out the hard way when trying to install a new heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.
In the r/HOA community, they detailed that they had obtained permission from the community-run organization to go ahead with an HVAC upgrade — but when it was time to install it, they were handed an unwelcome notice.
"Today as the crane is about to hoist the unit on the roof (already have a hole for ducting in my roof) we are served with [cease] & desist from HOA," the Redditor said. "Apparently our neighbors complained about it and the HOA lost the paperwork (or so they say)... they are now backtracking and saying we are not approved. It looks like internally they never actually reviewed the request in the architectural committee after they lost the paperwork and now have no idea what they approved."
With the removal of permissions, the Redditor then had a hole in the roof and no central heating, so they pleaded for help from others who might have experienced something similar.
While HOAs were undoubtedly created with the best of intentions, community members are finding it frustratingly difficult to adhere to draconian rules and make beneficial changes to their property.
Whether it's being prevented from installing solar panels — which will save homeowners money on electricity bills — or simply making a garden more friendly for pollinators and less thirsty, bureaucracy, pettiness, or a lack of understanding can make these changes feel like an impossibility.
But there are ways to make these alterations achievable, even though it might take a bit of extra work to get to that point. Laying out the case for those cost-reducing or planet-saving changes clearly and with sufficient evidence might make committee members change their viewpoint.
In the case of this Redditor, some people in the comments had advice that was worth considering.
"IMO, the only paperwork you need is the approval they sent you. Regardless of their loss of paperwork, you have a written approval from them," one said.
"It sounds like you are in a position to consult a lawyer," another added. "I'm sorry you are in that position — but get your paperwork in order and fight this!"
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