A homebuyer's startling revelation about HOA rules has sparked a heated debate on Reddit. The potential buyer was taken aback when they stumbled upon a clause in the HOA guidelines that raised doubts about their ability to use their own yard.
The Reddit user shared their concerns with the r/HOA community. They were interested in purchasing a home with a quarter-acre lot, but the HOA rules threw a major wrench in their plans.
The guidelines stated: "Except in the individual patio areas appurtenant to a row house or dwelling, no planting or gardening shall be done, and no fences, hedges, or walls shall be erected."
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But the rules didn't stop there: "Except for the right of ingress and egress, the owners of lots are hereby prohibited and restricted from using any of said property outside the exterior building lines, patio and carport areas, except as may be allowed by the Association's Board of Directors."
The prospective buyer was left bewildered, unsure if they could even allow their dog to use the yard or if they were restricted to the patio area.
"Am I reading these rules right?" they asked.
HOAs nationwide have been caught preventing homeowners from making money-saving, eco-friendly updates to their properties. From blocking the installation of rooftop solar panels to banning native plant lawns, these restrictions often hinder financial savings and environmental progress.
If the original poster's interpretation is correct, they wouldn't be allowed to garden, plant native species, or create a rain garden on their own property. These seemingly simple installations can help local ecosystems thrive and reduce wasteful water usage.
The Reddit community was quick to share their thoughts.
One commenter suggested, "I suspect that the reason for the restrictions is because the HOA does the landscaping and therefore their contracts with the gardeners/landscapers are for very specific simple things like grass and obviously no fences because otherwise the gardener could just use their riding mower to do all of the grass in the yards at once."
Another user offered a more technical explanation: "Your Patio areas are 'limited common elements'; everything else seems to be COA property (common elements). Technically you can't let the dog p&s, but walk your dog to a dog run area and clean up after him in either case."
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