To gain some insight from the experts on HOAs, we reached out to the hosts of The HOA Show podcast. First, we wanted to know what inspired them to create their show. "Since its inception, this podcast has been an endeavor underwritten by Cline Agency Insurance Brokers," they told Bored Panda. "Education has always been of upmost importance for the Agency, and because we found ourselves being frequently asked the same questions by different clients, we wondered if there was a way for us to compile the information into one, easy to understand place, so that we could readily pass it along to Board Members and Community Managers. It quickly became apparent that podcasting would offer that perfect marriage of accessibility and reliability for sharing valuable information."

We also wanted to hear about some of the worst HOA stories they had ever heard. "Sadly, there are too many to list," the hosts shared. "In terms of severity, the stories are never sadder or more severe than when the actions or inactions of a Board of Directors lead to serious injury or the loss of life. We’d recommend that folks tune in to our spin-off podcast 'Love Thy Neighbor', essentially a True Crime Mini-Series on Community Associations. We have four episodes already out that detail some of the worst moments of a Community Association’s life. Warning, they can get pretty dark."

We also asked the hosts if they think HOAs are overall a negative or positive thing. "Community Associations have the opportunity to be one of the most positive experiences that people can be a part of," they told Bored Panda. "Human beings are communal by nature. We seek and crave strong communities. And when you have a group of wonderful people, all volunteering their time on behalf of the community, with the main intention of making their community stronger and better, then you have a winning recipe for a positive experience. But those volunteers must be putting the needs of the community above their own. We call this Fiduciary Duty." 

"When you have Board Members, Volunteers, or just members of a community that place their own needs above those of the community, that’s when you’re most likely to have a negative experience," the hosts explained. "When personal agendas and vendettas are the motivating factors behind people’s involvement and decisions, you’ll inevitably foster a feeling of hostility and resentment from those folks who are harmed or simply left out by the clearly selfish choices of those few individuals."

Lastly, the podcast hosts shared, "Over the course of producing this podcast, one of the things we’ve been so grateful for are all the guest experts who have participated in these podcast conversations. Without exception, all the experts who have donated their time are considered by the industry to be exceptionally qualified and experienced in their respective fields. Their guidance and expertise have undoubtedly helped thousands of communities."

If you'd like to hear more HOA stories, be sure to check out The HOA Show right here.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of HOAs, count your blessings. They are not inherently bad, but particularly in the United States, they have gained a reputation for implementing ridiculous regulations and charging their residents outlandish fees for simple things. There’s currently a drought happening, so your grass is dying? We don’t care, here’s a $50 fine because your lawn is unsightly. You painted your garage door light blue? That’s not an approved color. Here’s a $200 fine, and you have one month to repaint it before you are met with another fee. 

In theory, HOAs ensure that a neighborhood is neat and tidy and that residents have somewhere to go to voice their complaints, but in practice, they tend to cause more issues than they solve. It’s great to have an organization in place to decorate the neighborhood with lights during the holidays and host community parties at the neighborhood pool. But is it worth the enormous fees and having to comply with strict rules? Many homeowners would say, “Absolutely not.”  

The crazy thing about HOAs is that although many residents don’t even support their presence, they are still required to financially support them. Just how expensive HOA fees are depends greatly on the neighborhood, city and state a homeowner lives in. But at the state level, HOAs in New York and Hawaii charge the heftiest fees, averaging between $520-570 per month. And when it comes to the state that charges the lowest HOA fees, that would be Wyoming, with an average cost of $100 per month. 

It’s absurd to think that these homeowners are all essentially paying the cost of renting another apartment, or at least a bedroom in one, just to keep the people in charge of their neighborhood satisfied. In 2019, the average monthly HOA fee in the United States came out to $290, which was $40 more than the average monthly cost of utilities for Americans. But instead of paying for heating, water, gas and electricity, these residents were paying for someone to keep a close eye on them all and hand out fines every time a trash can was visible or an 'unsightly' car was parked on the street. 

While HOAs tend to be classified as a uniquely American issue, there are actually various organizations around the globe that monitor homeowners and residents in annoyingly similar ways. In Japan, for example, there are “management associations” in place that have presidents, just like HOAs, and serve to keep an eye on condo buildings and their residents. The president and board of these management associations are responsible for setting and collecting fees from residents including a management fee, which is intended to pay for maintenance in the building, and a repair fee, which will go to major repairs in the future. And while these fees may sound like no big deal in theory, as all residents want their buildings operating smoothly, they often become problematic.    

If condo residents in Japan find a management association’s fees to be too high, they won’t want to live there in the first place. But if the fees are too low, there won’t be enough funds available to keep the building in tip-top shape. For example, the life expectancy of a condo in Japan is typically about 40 years. After that, it becomes necessary to make major updates, particularly to the plumbing. But there are currently hundreds of thousands of condos in Japan that have been around longer than 40 years and are in need of serious maintenance. Because of this, condo owners are often suddenly met with huge fees and fines, because the building has not raised enough money to cover the repairs and the jobs have become more intense after being put off.

Another inherent problem with these management associations in Japan is that it can be hard to find anyone who is interested in running them. Most residents have no interest, which often means that the only people who do want to be in charge become a bit too power-hungry. This means that the associations are often rampant with fraud and mismanagement because there aren’t enough residents playing active roles in the organization and keeping the president and board members in check. This sounds quite familiar. I’m sure many of the photos featured on this list would have never happened had these HOA presidents and board members sought outside opinions on the matters. But they seem to have become too wrapped up in their power, and all sense of logic has flown out the window.

So if HOAs are charging exorbitant fees to millions of people around the world, you might be wondering where all of this money is going. Well, according to Quicken Loans, HOA fees cover a variety of things including amenities like neighborhood pools and community clubhouses, municipal services like trash removal and neighborhood security, maintenance and repairs, and a reserve fund kept for any unexpected emergencies. For example, the reserve fund should cover the cost if a natural disaster like a hurricane knocks over a huge tree and leaves it blocking the road in the entrance of the neighborhood. What is interesting, though, is that not all HOA communities have amenities. I can understand some of these costs, but if your neighborhood does not have a pool, a security guard, or any grass and trees that aren’t on private property, I sure hope you are not paying HOA fees.      

Another problem with HOAs in the United States is that they have become almost impossible to avoid. About 75 million Americans currently live in HOA communities, and that number has only been rising over the years. So moving into an area without an aggressive HOA might be easier said than done. If you are trying to avoid the tyranny of an HOA, Deborah Goonan of Independent American Communities provides some tips. First and foremost, they recommend renting rather than buying. While owning a home is a dream of many individuals, it can actually be smarter to rent for a variety of reasons. 

“The combination of a mortgage payment, property taxes, insurance, home maintenance, and HOA fees can stretch your household budget to the brink. And if — or when — your homeowners, condo, or co-op association raises its regular fees or imposes a special assessment, the additional cost can break your budget,” Deborah explains. “Rather than pinching every penny to afford homeownership, rent a few years longer, pay down debts, and save more money for a down payment, retirement, or both.”

Deborah also recommends seeking out an older home if you’re trying to avoid joining an HOA. She notes that as of 2018, the United States had at least 346,000 HOA-governed communities. But in 1970, there were only a mere 10,000 of them nationwide. Because of this, many older homes will not be part of a mandatory homeowner’s association area. And even if they are, Deborah says that older versions of HOAs tend to be much less strict than their younger counterparts. “Pre-1970 HOAs are more likely to be voluntary-membership associations,” she explains. “That means you don’t have to join the association and pay annual dues, unless you want to.  In contrast to mandatory HOAs, voluntary membership associations don’t have the power to impose monetary fines, and they cannot file a lien on your home and foreclose to collect unpaid fees.”

I hope these photos are not making your blood boil and that you don't have to tiptoe around your current neighborhood for fear of an HOA fine showing up on your doorstep. Be sure to keep upvoting the photos that you find most ridiculous, and then feel free to share any personal experiences with power-hungry HOAs in the comments below. While HOAs seem to be flourishing around the world, particularly in the United States, hopefully calling them out online will eventually lead to them become a bit more relaxed. Only time will tell... But in the meantime, if you'd like to hear even more HOA horror stories, don't forget to check out this Bored Panda article next.