A viral Reddit post captured the attention — and frustration — of the internet as one homeowner shared their ordeal with an overly stringent homeowners association. The post on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit detailed how the HOA asked the homeowner to repaint their entire house during the holiday season because of slight paint fading.
In the post, the homeowner included side-by-side images of their house: one from a few years ago and one in its current state.
The difference? Faintly faded fascia and trim that have taken on a slightly orange-pink shade. The HOA's reasoning? The color change no longer aligns with the "approved paint schemes" for the neighborhood. The post's caption reads, "HOA making me repaint my entire house during Christmas week because the paint has slightly faded."
This demand left many Redditors questioning the priorities of HOAs across the country. These rigid requirements often impede homeowners from making more sustainable updates, such as adding rooftop solar panels and switching to eco-friendly landscaping.
Sustainable modifications such as planting native gardens and installing solar panels can save residents money in the long term and reduce air pollution. Yet many HOAs continue to enforce limiting rules at the expense of residents and a sustainable future.
Commenters on the Reddit thread did not hold back. A professional photographer commented that in the image on the left, "the sky is much warmer and the whole image looks too yellow. The images were also taken at different times of the day. I would argue that it's not that different and less of an issue."
Many other commenters agreed, with one saying: "OP please fight this! … If they can't see reason, take photos of the HOA board members houses at different times of the day where the colors look different and show those photos to them."
"That's the problem with HOAs," added one more. "The people you want running them are too busy to run them."
This post highlights the opportunity for a much-needed conversation between homeowners and their HOAs. While frustrations with strict rules are inevitable, these situations can serve as starting points for rethinking how HOAs can shift priorities away from cosmetic changes and toward modern sustainability goals that benefit both homeowners and the environment.
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Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely not 💯 By fostering open dialogue, homeowners and HOAs can work together to create guidelines that are both practical and forward-thinking.
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