A homeowner in Arizona faced a frustrating roadblock when their HOA rejected a request to install solar window film on front-facing windows, and Reddit users had a lot to say about it.
The Arizona Redditor shared their plight on an anti-HOA subreddit and said the HOA's primary concern was the film's reflectiveness, arguing it would be too noticeable from the street.
This decision seemed especially odd, the Redditor said, since a house on the same street had highly reflective window film and there were no specific prohibitions against solar film in the HOA governing documents.
"Do I have any additional arguments?" the homeowner asked, seeking strategies to convince the HOA to approve their request — particularly since it was intended to save energy, as the film is intended to help a home stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Redditors quickly chimed in with various suggestions and shared their own frustrations.
"Why not look at a non-reflective ceramic film with a low tint level that would be transparent to the outside," one said.
"I use nonreflective for my home and commercial businesses," said another. "It makes a huge impact."
"Imagine paying huge money for the bulk of your adult life to have to get permission from someone else to try and make your home cooler," added a third.
Across the country, homeowners are increasingly finding themselves at odds with HOAs when trying to make eco-friendly updates to their homes. HOAs have been caught preventing environmentally conscious modifications. These actions not only stymie individual efforts to reduce utility bills but also hinder broader environmental progress.
An HOA in California denied a homeowner's request to install solar panels, claiming they would disrupt the neighborhood's aesthetic harmony.
Another HOA prohibited a resident from replacing their traditional grass lawn with a xeriscaped yard, insisting it violated landscaping guidelines. And a resident's proposal to plant shrubbery along a fence was rejected by their HOA because of their unspecified "intended use of mulch."
To help navigate these challenges, The Cool Down has developed a comprehensive guide for homeowners dealing with restrictive HOAs.
As one Redditor said in this solar window film case: "Try again when a new board is elected. Better yet get on the board."
TCD's HOA guide offers practical advice on how to work within HOA frameworks to achieve eco-friendly changes. It highlights the importance of understanding the governing documents and bylaws, attending HOA meetings, and gathering community support. The guide also emphasizes researching state laws that may favor homeowners' eco-friendly initiatives and provides strategies for effectively communicating with HOA boards.
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