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When moving into a new neighborhood, there are many factors to consider. How walkable is the area? How long will your commute to work be? Are there decent schools nearby? And perhaps, if you live in the United States, is there a homeowners association? A homeowners association (or HOA) is an organization that creates and enforces rules for a neighborhood or subdivision. When moving into an area with an HOA, residents automatically become members and are responsible for paying fees and abiding by the rules (or they'll be subjected to fines). In theory, an HOA just ensures the neighborhood is clean and takes care of shared amenities, such as community pools or fitness centers. In reality, however, many residents become incredibly frustrated with their power-hungry HOAs.

HOAs can implement rules about anything from the length of homeowners' grass to what days they're allowed to display holiday decorations. And when rules are broken, fines are swiftly posted on front doors, often accompanied by passive aggressive emails. We've compiled some of the most egregious HOA stories people have shared on r/AskReddit, and they'll make you want to never live in a residential neighborhood.

After you're fired up from reading these stories, be sure to check out Bored Panda's last publication on this same topic.

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#1

Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My old house's backyard bordered an HOA community. Our house was built 30 years before the community was built so we weren't part of it. We used to get notices about violations and fines if we didn't correct them. Never did correct them . They finally sent legal papers to repossess our house. Went to court with a tax map that showed our property NOT part of the HOA community. Judge dismissed their suit against us and found them guilty of harassment. We didn't get awarded much, but I made sure to break every rule of theirs I could untill we moved

Uncle_Lazlo , Nick Nigh Report

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Chucky Cheezburger
Chucky Cheezburger
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's when you build a trebuchet and start launching flaming crap bags at them.

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Now, I don't mean to vilify all HOAs. Some homeowners really do appreciate their presence. Access to amenities and increased community engagement are two possible perks of an HOA. Someone has to ensure that the neighborhood pool and playgrounds are up to safety standards, and it can be a lot of fun to have a community-wide barbeque with fireworks on the 4th of July.

Some residents also credit their HOA for maintaining their home's property value. That freshly manicured lawn speckled with bright flowers that greets you when you enter the neighborhood is the responsibility of the HOA. And if a calm, quiet neighborhood is important to you, rest assured that an HOA will shut down any rowdy parties. If you don't mind abiding by the rules and have no plans to paint your house hot pink any time soon, an HOA might be a plus for you.

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    #2

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) When my parents bought the house I grew up in during the early 90's, they got a letter in the mail saying that they hadn't paid their dues for the HOA. They took the letter into the office and asked what fees they were referring to.

    The office lady was really rude and pulled out a piece of paper saying that my parents had signed a contract and they were legally obligated to pay their monthly dues and follow the rules blah blah Karen Karen blah.

    Well, when my parents looked at the sheet they supposedly signed, it wasn't their signatures. Their names, not their signatures. Someone at the HOA had forged the paperwork, presumably bc they'd forgotten to get it signed. Needless to say, the contract was void and my parents refused to sign a new one. They were one of about 5 houses that they'd done this to in the neighborhood, one of which was our nextdoor neighbors. About 3 houses to this day still don't have signed contracts including theirs, and they get to do whatever the hell they want with their house, to the immense frustration of the HOA.

    puff_pastry_1307 , Omar Lopez Report

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    The problem arises when HOAs extend their guidelines past the simple "mow your lawn, don't leave your trash bins out too long and don't make too much noise". It seems that some derive pleasure from creating restrictions and imposing them on residents who just want to live in a peaceful neighborhood. As many Reddit users have shared, HOAs can set extremely strict guidelines on parking, approved house colors, landscaping and more. There is a line between wanting to live in an aesthetically pleasing area and policing your neighbors unnecessarily. Unfortunately, many HOA presidents stomped right past that line on their way to slap a fine on your front door. 
    #3

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My parents HOA is stupid strict. Can't have any holiday decorations up past the first week of Jan. My mom pulled a Clark Griswold and broke her ankle falling off a ladder putting up decorations before the holidays so a wreath was left on the front door longer than allowed. They got a letter with a picture and a threat of fine.

    A few summers later they and some of their neighbors decided to stick it to the man. They got a flock of plastic lawn flamingos and planted them in one of their yards. Whenever the HOA would send a letter the flock migrated to another yard. Kept it up for about a month and a half.

    wherestheiguana , James Wheeler Report

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    oktopus1973 avatar
    oktopus
    oktopus
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe they should escape whatever authoritarian regime they live under and flee to a free country.

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    #4

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) I’m being charged $400 because of a violation for a bush overhanging my walkway.

    I don’t have a walkway. Or a bush. The picture isn’t even my house. They won’t back down.

    jay_mee_d , Tony Alter Report

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    So how prevalent are HOAs? As of 2021, there were over 350,000 in the United States, regulating about 58% of homeowners. They vary greatly by state, however. Some states, such as Mississippi, have virtually no HOA presence. Meanwhile, in Florida about 45% of the population lives in HOA communities. Florida is even home to the nation's largest HOA, Poinciana Villages, which is located in Central Florida and contains 20,000 homes.
    #5

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) The first month in our townhouse, we got a notice that we had not mowed our lawn and were in danger of being fined. We didn't have a lawn. The entire yard was covered in topsoil, seed, and straw. The "lawn" turned out to be a single weed that was growing up in the shade of a bay window.

    I didn't pull it. I tied it to a stake and told them it was our garden.

    Gruneun , Devon MacKay Report

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    #6

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Everyone in my neighborhood was fined for having “dirty roofs.” Seriously, they claimed that everyones roofs were dirty and made the neighborhood look bad. It’s not like they were covered in mold or anything, hell idk how a roof is even dirty but 268 of the 284 houses in my neighborhood were fined $75 for it. We found out later that the HOA president started a power washing business and likely just wanted to drum up some business. He was impeached because of it and none of us even paid the fines

    ElMuchoDingDong69420 , Zachary Keimig Report

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    Aside from being a nuisance to many homeowners, HOAs have a quite controversial past as well. They've been around since the mid-19th century but have spread rapidly since the 1960's. At that time, HOAs were a tool for white Americans to keep neighborhoods segregated. Jonathan Rothwell, author of "A Republic of Equals", explained a bit of the racist history of HOAs in an interview with Insider. "There is plenty of evidence from historic records and housing policy discussions that anti-Black racism motivated some of the strategies used by homeowner associations, such as deed restrictions and covenants that explicitly discriminated against Black people by compelling other owners to avoid selling to them."

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    #7

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Moved to Florida where every neighborhood is an HOA. Upon moving in I felt like I had joined a sorority or fraternity and I had to endure the hazing from the HOA. The final straw was when they sent me a letter that my white mailbox was dirty. So I decided to walk down one street and took pics of mailboxes with no doors and mailboxes that were covered in mildew and I emailed them all to the HOA. I told them to not send me any more notices until these mailboxes were up to code. I haven’t received another notice in a year. I guess I passed my initiation...

    littleblue0111 , Brian Patrick Tagalog Report

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    mihaimara avatar
    Mihai Mara
    Mihai Mara
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reading these stories makes me believe that most HOA are run by whinny, easily offended, rude and mallicious people who make it their life goal to piss other people off.

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    #8

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Condo association technically, but you can't put plastic skeletons out on your balcony unless it's October.

    I may be the reason that this rule exists.

    [deleted] , Joe van petten Report

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    #9

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) House in the neighborhood caught fire. Luckily everyone was okay (they had small children), but the fire burnt a hole in the side of the house.

    While waiting for it to be repaired, the family covered the hole with a blue tarp to prevent rain from getting in and causing more damage.

    HOA fined them because the tarp was an "eyesore."

    L_bird , Andrew Gaines Report

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    Although this may sound like an issue of the past, it's no secret that racial injustice can still be found in the United States. In fact, in 2019 a woman in Florida found a "Caucasian-only" restriction in one neighborhood's HOA bylaws. It was no longer being enforced, but it is upsetting to know that those documents had not been updated to remove prejudiced restrictions. Even today, HOA neighborhoods tend to be more affluent and less racially diverse than non-HOA areas. 
    #10

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Not allowed to put a welcome mat at my front door.

    pleetf7 , Andrew Neel Report

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    delphinum4 avatar
    Zophra
    Zophra
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe one of those "Go AWAY" ones would been acceptable? :)

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    #11

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) I'm the Treasurer of our HOA. We pay $250 a year to cover road maintenance. We make sure that is all we worry about. We get Karens at meetings all the time complaining. We politely tell them we maintin the road and that is it. We have 18 laid back neighbors and 2-3 Karens.

    2asses1moo , Alan Stanton Report

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    #12

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) They told us we couldn't use hoses in our back yard. HAHAHAHAHAHAgof*ckuourselves

    DM_meYourSmallT*ts , John Nzoka Report

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    mihaimara avatar
    Mihai Mara
    Mihai Mara
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder about the reasons behind this. I can't think of a logical one.

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    Rothwell went on to say that "HOAs perpetuate racial and economic segregation by blocking fair participation in housing markets, thus denying wealth-generating opportunities and upward mobility for many Black people and lower-income families". A recent study found that homes in HOA neighborhoods sell for about 4% more than similar homes without HOAs. This may sound insignificant, but homeowners then also have to budget for HOA fees, which are typically due monthly. The amount varies by location but can be up to $571 per month, in New York for example. And there is always a chance they'll rise the next year.  
    #13

    My parents live in an HOA nneighborhood. It didn't have a ton of rules or restrictions so they moved in. One of their main rules is you can't have a camper visible from the street.

    In the county they live in you can't have a camper parked in front of the house (basically the front door is considered the front of the house). They knew this going into the house so first month they had poured a drive way addition that ran to the side of their house and into the back yard. Their house is at the end of the street so you can only see this camper I'd you walk into their side yard.

    One HOA sent my dad a pic that someone took standing in his yard. He copied the county's trespassing laws and gun defense laws to a letter and forward it to the HOA.

    He hasn't heard from them since then

    WillieMunchright Report

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    #14

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My HOA had a coup where half the board resigned on the spot, same day, and the three board members that were left handed management of our neighborhood over to some mega HOA corporation based out of LA. Before the handoff was complete, the chairman of the board fired everyone that worked for the HOA, including our incredibly talented accountant who due to his experience kept our finances so tip top that we had a surplus of money and have never had our monthly dues raised in almost 15 years.

    When we, the residents, demanded an explanation, the chairman refused by quoting an article from our HOA charter which gives the board the explicit right to manage the community however they see fit and without needed approval from the residents. He basically told us "I don't owe any of you an explanation, so suck it."

    Now we are trying to overturn his decision to essentially give our neighborhood over to some sh*tty HOA management group that treats its residents horribly like a sh*tty landlord would a tenant. Oh, and the management group that we were given to is run by a man who's only formal education is a degree in Opera. And the accountant who has been assigned to manage my neighborhoods finances, does not have a degree in finance or business. She has a degree in ballet.

    It is my opinion that our board was bribed into selling us to that management firm. Our community hired a lawyer and we are in the process of reversing what our board has done. If successful, we are going to rehire everyone they terminated and change the bylaws to prevent anyone from ever being able to do this again.

    So yeah... Thats my worst story and it's still going on right now.

    mrperson296 , vash Ghanbari Report

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    KJ
    KJ
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But ballet and accountancy have so many interchangeable skills, can't think of any just now admittedly.

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    #15

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) I got a HOA violation for my neighbor's vines growing into my yard.

    slohara , Victoria Strukovskaya Report

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    When residents are dissatisfied with their HOAs, there are several ways they can attempt to resolve the issue. Ursula Burgess, an attorney with 18 years of community association legal work, warns that completely dissolving an HOA is a lengthy and expensive process. It's usually best to start small and attempt reform first. Burgess recommends residents become active members of their HOA to stay informed and have a platform to voice their concerns. Often, a problematic HOA can be fixed by removing a board member or two. “The good news is that there is generally a mechanism that allows for members to vote out board members,” says Burgess.  
    #16

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) They wanted me to switch the color of the lightbulbs I used outside.

    Nah, I don't need someone who is that picky to have ANY power over my property.

    At that point, it's no better than renting.

    SupKilly , Carson Arias Report

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    miladyblue avatar
    Milady Blue
    Milady Blue
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You could always tell them that if they don't like the color of your lightbulbs, they are free to go ahead and buy you a whole new box, at their expense, and with no compensation to them for being such picky little whiners.

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    #17

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My grandparents lived in a old folks community with a zealous hoa. My grandmother had to go to the hospital, cause of her many health problems. My grand father would go with her. This happened once when I was visiting. There was a knock on the door at about 10am. Two elderly women with clipboards immediately jump into a speech about how the trash cans hadn't be brought in. I explained the situation. One of them said she was in the hospital the previous week but still managed to bring in her trash can and handed me what looked like a ticket for $50. F*ck. That. Sh*t.

    CaptainPeachfuzz , Charlotte Harrison Report

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    delphinum4 avatar
    Zophra
    Zophra
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because, you know, HOA regulations are more important than compassion.

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    #18

    I was just learning to drive and parked my car too far away from the curb. Parents and neighbors didn't get along so neighbors measured the distance from the wheels to the curb and parents got fined.

    Now I live in the country with pretty much no rules. We have goats and emus in our front yard.

    WombatWithFedora Report

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    Jo Firth
    Jo Firth
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    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds like you are in Australia. Where was this as I've never heard of an HOA here and to avoid it like the plague.

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    Burgess also encourages passionate members of HOA communities to join their own boards and change the system from the inside. After all, HOAs “really are meant to be there for good reasons,” she says. “If they’re not operating properly, then we’ve just got to go in and fix them.”
    #19

    Upscale beach neighborhood, Repeatedly refused my solar panel application, sighted the location of them as being an eye sore (top of the back side of the house....not visible from street) and fought me at four different meetings, delaying my installation, ultimately cited the state law and they immediately backed down and amended their covenants- ps, a clothes line is a "solar collection device" and they cannot deny you use of that either, so if you want to play dirty- hang a bunch of beach towels in your yard!

    gimp2x Report

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    #20

    It's 6:30 AM, and my cats are going nuts, and I realize someone is in my backyard. At the time I worked as a bouncer and very frequently got the "I'm going to come to your house" type threats. I live in the same HOA (albeit a huge one) as a bunch of the assh*le customers. My sliding door starts jiggling. I grab a gun, and throw open the blinds. Outside, on my porch is a f*cking old man. I start screaming, make him get on his knees and call the cops.

    Low and behold, he's an "inspector" from my HOA, there because a neighbor reported me cutting down a half dead tree that was about to fall on my house. "town" cops show up. They are actual police, but only work in the HOA, they are not happy with me, but because I said the right words on the 911 call, the county sheriffs also show up. They basically have an argument with the local cops about the fact that being a HOA inspector doesn't allow you to come onto someone's enclosed deck and that since I didn't physically attack the inspector, I didn't commit a crime.

    We spend all morning going back and forth, finally, we basically agree to a "everyone go home" agreement. HOA sends me a strongly worded letter.

    MaverickDago Report

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    #21

    When I was a kid my parents had a house in a nice cul-de-sac, but it was a working class neighborhood. The transmission in my truck took a doo doo so I replaced it in our driveway.

    A few days later we got a letter citing a clause stating all improvements done on property must be done by a licensed contractor. It was a far reach but they stood by it as there was nothing in the CC&Rs against working on personal vehicles.

    My dad made me pay him back for the fine but for awhile afterwards I’d go put some oil or coolant under the HOA presidents cars and hope he wasting money chasing a nonexistent problem.

    cantuseasingleone Report

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    Even without an HOA in effect, nosy neighbors still find ways to monitor one another. Websites and apps such as "Nextdoor" have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they help neighbors stay informed about their area. Nextdoor is filled with posts of neighbors offering fruit from their gardens, alerting others of garage sales and asking for recommendations of where to find the best ramen nearby. At the same time, Nextdoor sometimes houses warnings about "suspicious individuals" spotted. Often these are accompanied by a grainy screenshot of security camera footage featuring an unsuspecting passerby. Rarely would there be any actual cause for suspicion. It's also not hard to find posts on Nextdoor complaining about the aesthetics of someone's home or demanding that everyone in the area mow their lawns. 

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    #22

    My dad was telling me a story about their HOA this week. A homeowner in their neighborhood passed away, and hadn't yet paid their HOA dues for the month. AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, the HOA president approached the mourning family and asked what their plans were for paying the back dues, and for paying any dues until the house was sold. Simply amazing.

    jeffbarge Report

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    mooglefox avatar
    Andrew Betts
    Andrew Betts
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would have told them that since the person that owes them the money is dead, most likely never.

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    #23

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Can’t be parked in the same reserved parking space for more than 72 hours. Kinda F’ed up they enforce that during a pandemic.

    Can’t park your vehicle with the front or rear bumper sticking over the curb.

    Pick up trucks have to have a bed covering.

    No kids toys, including bikes and scooters can be left outside when not being used.... got a fine for that one when my daughter took a break to eat lunch.

    Can’t have interior lights on past 10pm without have curtains closed.

    Trash has to be put out behind your car after 9pm the night before it’s picked up. It doesn’t get picked up until around 7am. No fun when you have to leave before 7. No guidance on where to put it if you don’t have a car or have to leave before 7. When asked, they tell me to just take it to the dump myself if I can’t follow the rules.

    gsddxxx654 , Mitchell Griest Report

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    #24

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My daughter was a lifeguard at the pool in our community and they weren’t allowed to give out certain equipment (it was for swimming lessons). One day the HOA president asks for equipment and my daughter says no as she was instructed. The HOA president actually says “Do you know who I am?” Then he proceeded to call her boss.

    TPhoard , Daniel Schludi Report

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    Nextdoor has become so popular for neighborhood gossip that Cathy Adams wrote an article for The Independent discussing how the app satiates our "desire to be nosy". She mentioned that one of the most exciting posts she had seen was a photo of "a dumped, skeletal-looking snake on the local common surrounded by blue bin bags like some kind of pagan ritual". That certainly caused some stir in the chat. Luckily for her, Cathy's experience on the app has been mostly positive. But every now and then, a post pops up from an individual proving they would make a well-hated HOA president.      
    #25

    Not necessarily a rule, but my HOA has been having a never ending battle with pigeons since I bought my condo 5 years ago. Their latest plan was to leave trays of poison seeds all over the complex (on the ground, no less). This resulted in a pigeon corpses appearing all over the complex with no noticeable decrease in the amount of pigeons hanging around. After a huge storm blew the trays over, it also resulted in everyone being afraid to walk their dogs for fear of ingesting poison. A+ work HOA

    obernewtyn16 Report

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    #26

    Not my HOA, but when we were condo-hunting we looked at one community that had a changelog for their house rules. They'd been amended from no pets to allowing one cat per unit, and then two weeks later back to no pets. What did that cat do?

    Victoria_AE Report

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    #27

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Window washers hired by homeowners must be chosen from an approved list of window-cleaning businesses by the HOA.

    Back2Bach , Dillon Wanner Report

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    If you ever own a home, I hope that you have the freedom to paint a mural on your garage door and plant as many cactuses in your front yard as your heart desires. But if you do end up in a neighborhood with a strict HOA, there better at least be a nice pool and some tennis courts to make the fees worth it. Don't forget to check out our previous piece featuring awful HOAs, and let us know in the comments if you have ever experienced restrictions like these!

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    #28

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My parents moved into an HOA a few years ago. I lived with them temporarily. One day, someone from the HOA went around to every house with a color palette of shades of white that were acceptable for mailboxes to be painted in. If the white paint on a mailbox didn't exactly match one of the shades of white on their color palette, the mailbox had to be repainted, at the expense of the homeowner. My parents had to repaint their white mailbox so its shade of white was acceptable.

    Spookiest_Meow , Mick Haupt Report

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    #29

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) They charged me $500 for leaving a glass cup on the bbq.

    Damn I was pissed. My blood boils just thinking about it. I have so many other horrible stories like my wall was flooded inside and they refused to fix it even though it was a HOA problem. I pay $617 monthly. F bastards

    PsychNurse6685 · , Z Grills Australia - zgrills.com.au Report

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    Downunderdude
    Downunderdude
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These amaze me. In Australia, we have body corporates but only in apartment blocks - never for detached houses.

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    #30

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) I have hedges in the front yard. There's dirt under them because you know, plants grow from dirt. HOA comes by and says we absolutely can't have any exposed dirt, including under the shrubs. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do about that?? I just poured mulch over the dirt under the shrubs. They haven't said anything so I think that was the right thing to do. It definitely looks sh*ttier than just the plain dirt.

    Wildest thing is that it was just the dirt under the shrubs for a literal decade

    Kuneria , Gabriel Jimenez Report

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    jon_steensen avatar
    Jon Steensen
    Jon Steensen
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Buy a lot of colourful ball pit balls and cover the dirt under the bushes with that. To top it off you can add some glitter and perhaps some flashing lights to make the dull dirt look at bit brigter and more colourful. When someone has so much time on their hands that they need to invent a problem in order to feel productive, give them a real problem to worry about and you will make their day.

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    #31

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) Condo where I used to live forbade pickup trucks. In Georgia.

    josh6466 , averie woodard Report

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    #32

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) We are only allowed to have chained link fences. No wooden or any other fencing. I’m sorry, but I want some privacy in my back yard. Our houses are so close together I can see everything the neighbors around me are doing.

    Saltyice18 , Josh Appel Report

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    jenna_helen avatar
    Jenna
    Jenna
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've seen chain link with plastic slats in it for privacy, I wonder how the HOA would feel about that.

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    #33

    The fences on your property must all be the same color, and match the adjoining fences of the neighbors property. The community was planned single-family houses with fences between houses. Looking from the street it went House-fence-house-fence-house-.... I was in the middle of the row and had a shared fence with both neighbors, that each each had their own color. I got a violation notice the same week I moved it.

    If I painted my fences to match each other, at least one of my neighbors wouldn't have matched theirs on the other side. This would have sent a cascade of violations down the street.

    burghguy3 Report

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    #34

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) We have a landscaping committee. If you want to plant flowers, they must be approved by the committee before you plant them.

    Actuaryba , Jennifer C. Report

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    ZentheOgre
    ZentheOgre
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    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good ones are wanting to prevent invasive or otherwise damaginge species. The bad ones are just one woman saying the color of x flower clashes with the neighborhood

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    #35

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) They sued me for thousands of dollars in late fees. The day after Christmas. I was told my dues date was the 15th when I bought the house. Paid the 13th for a year or more. It was actually the 1st of the month. Turns out the dipsh*t admin at the management co. input my previous address, an apartment, when setting up my account, so I never saw a late notice. Explained the situation, they said "No exceptions". I couldn't afford a lawyer to fight it.

    -OldAndInTheWay- , Viacheslav Bublyk Report

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    #36

    We had a cookie-cutter house built. One of the color palettes we could choose from included an accent color for the door/shutters that was a dark purple. The hubs and I are a little kooky so we selected it.

    At our final walkthrough, our door and shutters are brown. I tell the general that it’s wrong and show him my contract. We were the only homeowners in the subdivision that selected that color, so the HOA decided to not offer it anymore. We said fine, that puts you in breach of contract and we want to be released. A few phone calls later, my door and shutters are purple and I’m happy.

    We purchase the house. At least once a year we got a nasty letter from the HOA about our “unapproved door color.” Every time I sent them a copy of my contract and their bylaws stating that the colors from the builder are allowed. Not my problem you guys discontinued it after I picked it.

    BlondieeAggiee Report

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    #37

    Obligatory “not me but”, a Texas HOA foreclosed on and sold the house of a soldier while he was serving in Iraq. Because he and his wife were behind $800 dollars in dues

    valuesandnorms Report

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    #38

    I live in a neighborhood that has a $1 / month HOA because we have a shared drive with an area drain. That money goes to emptying the area drain every couple of years. The CC&Rs are very laid back / there are no rules so I [wrongfully] assumed that would be the experience living here.

    The HOA president (the guy who schedules the area drains being emptied) is a Boomer on a power trip. He is in my business about everything. I got a new furnace and he threatened to sue me because the utility company had to use the driveway. I scheduled a specialty garbage pickup with my garbage company and he called me screaming that I put garbage out in front of my house that morning. I have a retaining wall in front of my house and he came by and yelled at me for cleaning it. The list goes on and on.

    Total nightmare experience and I will never live somewhere with an HOA of any kind ever again.

    Inconspicuousness Report

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    cybermerlin2000 avatar
    cybermerlin2000
    cybermerlin2000
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    $1 a month? I would refuse to pay and tell him to f*ck off and, if you have more people live in your houses than him, vote to disband the HOA

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    #39

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) My old boss lived in an HOA that demanded that trash cans couldn't be at the curb for more than THREE HOURS before or after trash collection. She got fined all the time because she was working during those hours and would have to bring it in late.

    theschullz , the blowup Report

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    Arthur Waite
    Arthur Waite
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In my neighborhood, we have an unofficial 'Good Neighbor Policy', an someone will always pull the empty bins away from the street, if you can't, or the trucks come at an odd time.

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    #40

    My parents modified the front porch, and now it was different from the other houses in the block. Once it was done, a middle aged lady comes out of nowhere (I had never seen her before, nor she ever talked to us before) to kindly warn us that we had just lost the right to vote on HOA or some sh*t like that since we did an "unauthorized modification". We replied with the equivalent of "K, thanks". And, once again, we haven't seen her ever since.

    It's like she crawled out of her lair to inform us that we lost a right we didn't even use, as if it were a huuuge major offense. F*ck that.

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    ZentheOgre
    ZentheOgre
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's effed about that is how many people get screwed over wheel chair ramps. You think medical items would be protected but often have clauses that prohibit them such as any ramps must be made of concrete (professional installs only) or wood is only allowed from certain stained colors. The space underneath must be cleaned weekly. No dirt debris is allowed to collect and other such things that seem to ignore that the ramp is to help a person with mobility issues and not a decor item

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    #41

    Not allowed to park pick up trucks in the drive way with two exceptions: the Cadillac EXT and the Lincoln Blackwood. These were described as luxury vehicles. The HOA president also drove an EXT so he basically exempted himself from the rules.

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    #42

    We've only been part of an HOA for the last few months, and it's already living up to every stereotype I ever had in my head.

    They held our once-annual meeting with very little notice, and like 6 people showed up. They elected a new "association" and immediately decided to spend $700 on dog sh*t receptacles, even though like 4 people have dogs, and the whole neighborhood is one street.

    This sparked an incredible amount of drama. One guy on the HOA decided he was going to get super defensive when people started questioning this decision, and it quickly devolved into him just taunting people on Facebook because he was on the board and they weren't, and if they didn't like his authority, they should change the by-laws. Then someone left a bunch of dog sh*t in his driveway. Then he resigned from the HOA. No word on the dog sh*t receptacles.

    This has all happened in the past 3 days.

    scottevil110 Report

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    #43

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) HOA “lost” paperwork for change of ownership when we bought our house. They sent us letters saying there would be a lien placed on our home if we didn’t pay the overdue amounts plus over $200 of late fees. I had to call them 3 times to even get someone on the phone who knew how to help me. Then I contacted escrow who said they had already not only sent all the paperwork, but turns out we had already paid the fees. Called HOA again and they were insistent that we hadn’t paid or sent over paperwork. Called escrow again and requested they contact the HOA themselves to sort this out and HOA still insisted we owed a late fee. Started losing my sh*t until escrow said they would pay the late fee.

    A month later we got a letter in the mail saying we were being fined for leaving our trash bins out longer than necessary. F*ck HOA.

    sneakypandas , Sieuwert Otterloo Report

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    #44

    Other way around, my mom was the president of the HOA for her backwoods little neighborhood.

    Maybe 30 people lived there. Everyone used one well. The well had a problem once so no one had water. It was 800 dollars for a temporary fix or 2000 for a permanent fix... My mom had a meeting where out of the 30 ppl 5 showed up. No big deal, those 5 people funded the 800 dollars to get it fixed since they’ve been without water for almost a week. No one would spilt the cost and dues were so low it didn’t cover them so those 5 people paid for everyone’s well.

    Well in preparation for the actual fix she tried to raise money but only got half away there when it broke. My mom went door to door asking for everyone’s share before they’d fix it. It was like 50 dollars. It was another week without water. No one would pay for the well they all used. Finally around half of the neighborhood raised the money to fix it. Later they all had a huge BBQ at my parents house but the people who didn’t pay weren’t invited

    RaxDomina Report

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    Kimi Tomminello
    Kimi Tomminello
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It still gets too me seeing "HOA" and "backwoods town" in the same sentence. Usually when you get to hicksville people are so anti HOA I'd be afraid to even utter the words. I could just picture one of my neighbors if anybody tried to tell him to get the 8 broken down cars off his yard or my other neighbor if you told her she can't have her bright pink and purple barn 🤣. I'm wondering if the other half of this argument is the people that paid to have their own personal wells put in wondering why the heck they should be responsible for paying for everyone else's water.

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    #45

    my Friend lives in a neighborhood with an HOA and it doesn't let you paint your room any colors except white or light grey, because it can "attract attention" if seen through a window

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    oktopus1973 avatar
    oktopus
    oktopus
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank goodness this kind of authoritarian meddling never happens in the USA, Land of Freedom! Oh,, wait...

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    #46

    HOA lost my quarterly check. Sent a notice that I didn't pay an October quarter. Showed them the receipt from when I dropped it off. Then started naming each quarter before until I didn't have receipt proof they received it and then it was "that is the one you didn't pay". Tried to charge an extra $5 for something, sold the house and moved far away.

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    #47

    I've never lived in one, but I remember a story where a guy wanted to build something like an 8 ft privacy fence. The HOA said the fence couldn't be higher than 5 ft. The wording only said fence, so he built a 5ft concrete partition, and stuck a 5ft fence on top of it.

    [deleted] Report

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    KitFrey
    KitFrey
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    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey, if it aint in the rules no one says you can't do it!

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    #48

    Friend of mine lived in a building that didn’t allow vacuuming between the hours of 1-3pm; the time of the HOA president’s child’s nap time.

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    Hermien Greeff
    Hermien Greeff
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am sure I can find other noise making equipment, not listed in their rules. Malicious compliance 101.

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    #49

    You can't leave your trash cans anywhere visible unless it's trash day. For reasons too difficult to explain, it's almost impossible to get the cans in the back yard, so we had them at the side of the house (in the shade, practically invisible unless you were standing in our driveway). Fast forward to a letter from the HOA reminding us of that rule and helpfully including a photo of our cans.

    My dad's/stepmom's condo association told them they had to get rid of a potted plant on their front porch because it clashed with their front door. Their WHITE front door. No colors clash with white!

    BarracudaImpossible4 Report

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    #50

    The HOA I'm in currently is controlled 100% by the building company that developed the neighborhood. That control moves to elections once 100% of the plots are developed within the development for residential purposes. The literal last plot currently has a nice looking storage garage for landscaping equipment for the communal areas that the builder maintains. They've maintained control of the HOA for the last ten years.

    They don't pester anyone. The only rules for appearances are that the property must comply with state/county/town codes for appearance, building, and fire code.

    Misfits9119 Report

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    cybermerlin2000 avatar
    cybermerlin2000
    cybermerlin2000
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds like they planned a HOA blocker just to keep the corrupt away from power. Good for them

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    #51

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) I was putting on new siding... very obviously too, had ladders up and everything. But there was just plywood up one morning on part of my house, facing the street. I got a knock on the door at 7:30 AM, a code enforcement officer (in uniform, looking vaguely like a cop) was visibly upset and acting like I'd taken a dump on the front sidewalk or something. Told me if I didn't have the siding up by the end of the day I'd start getting fined every day.

    SanchoMandoval , James Kovin Report

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    #52

    My gf parks in the garage and I park in the driveway. I was getting quotes to get a little roof to go over my driveway to protect my car from our crazy weather. Block charter states that the house cannot be modified from its ORIGINAL design that was built in 1986 to include a roof extension either permanent or temporary. We get a severe hailstorm at least once every 2-3 years that causes billions in damage to homes and vehicles. But F*CK THAT we gotta make sure all our houses look similar.

    rapalosaur Report

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    #53

    My HOA and their management company had a scam where they would not cash any dues check you sent them, no matter when you sent it, until after it was due, so they could add late fees. I would send the checks via Certified Mail, with delivery confirmation and return receipts, received with days to spare, and they still wouldn't cash them. Payment via their website never worked. I would call and try to pay by credit card over the phone, and they would just hang up. I handed the check to them in person... They still waited and charged a late fee.

    Then they refused to sign the closing paperwork when I sold my house. The delay almost cost me the sale.

    I'm honestly not sure if they were scumbags or just criminally lazy. Both are infuriating.

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    Mr Zipperface
    Mr Zipperface
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is fraud and needs to be reported to the police, sounds like the OP had plenty of evidence.

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    #54

    We can't install solar panels on our roofs because they're an eyesore

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    cybermerlin2000 avatar
    cybermerlin2000
    cybermerlin2000
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Check your state laws under energy conservation/green energy. State law overrules HOA rules

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    #55

    Homeowner Association Nightmares: People Are Sharing The Most Infuriating Encounters They've Had With HOAs (35 New Pics) We rented a condo from the people who owned it and it was associated with a HOA. We like to grow things but there was no balcony so we just had two large pots, one on either side of our door. We got a notice one day that we had to get rid of our only plants because they didn’t fit the aesthetic of the building, or something. Basically, they were too ugly.

    They also didn’t have a room to discuss whatever it is they discuss at meetings, so they would do it in the gym for some reason. They’d move all of the equipment to the side and set up their tables and chairs and then never moved anything back. One time I accidentally barged in on them in my workout gear and I actually had the nerve to ask them if there was a boardroom I could work out in. I said it on my way out, so I don’t know what their response was. But yeah, we didn’t renew our lease there.

    Cirrus-Ramparts , Sabrina Mazzeo Report

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    #56

    My dad lived on a golf course in St Augustine, FL that had a very relaxed, hands-off HOA. Unless someone filed a complaint. Then they had to act.

    Some retired jackass walked the neighborhood daily and reported anything he didn't like, and the HOA had to sort through his complaints to address those that were actually a violation of a rule. Most of his bullsh*t was just something he didn't like and he thought ought to be different.

    My dad had a small boat on a small trailer (like a bass boat with just enough trailer under it that it wasn't sitting on the ground) in his back yard. It belonged to a friend and we had use of it in exchange for storing it. You had to go into the yard and look over the fence to see it. But somehow, this jackass saw it and he reported it.

    Anyways, we had to comply because it WAS a rule and he WAS breaking it. But I always wanted to get revenge on that miserable old bastard. I wish he'd snapped a leg trying to climb the fence...

    But like most of these stories, it was an individual abusing the system that made it a pain in the d*ck. There's always at least one...

    Darth_Corleone Report

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    emory_ce avatar
    Carol Emory
    Carol Emory
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    According to St. Augustine's Ordinances, if you put up a "No Trespassing" Sign and they get another photo from this old man, he can be arrested and jailed for up to 60 days. Maybe that will teach him to mind his own business.

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    #57

    There were 366 units spread out on over 200+ acres of land.

    One of the residents got fined $1,250 for putting outdoor Christmas lights on 2 trees in front of their unit (outdoor decorations being prohibited beyond residents' front door entryway).

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    #58

    My grandparents once told me someone from the HOA came around one time to measure their grass with a ruler to see if it was over the allowed length.

    ScotchPate Report

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    Stephanie A Mutti
    Stephanie A Mutti
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All of these people who have too much time and not enough to do should take up painting or swimming

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    #59

    This isn’t quite a traditional HOA story but I still think it is interesting. So at my school they closed off a fence letting kids go out one way, to walk home. Because of this my walk home was extended like 5 minutes, but it was still annoying. However one old dude named Frank let me walk through his yard to dramatically slow down the time of my walk home. Then he died (RIP) and his son liked me and gave me cookies, and then said the HOA said I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m still a bit bitter but the cookies were very good so it all evens out.

    MlKETROUT Report

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    jon_steensen avatar
    Jon Steensen
    Jon Steensen
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well I guess the HOA cannot prevent him from having guest over, so pay him a short "visit" on the way home every day (basically just spend a few seconds saying hello and goodby in rapid suggesion. I also guess that they cannot disallow unplanned drop bys so you could just say that you went there to supprice him, but unfortunately it turned out that he was not a home. When you make stupid rules, you can be sure that someone will start looking for the loopholes to prevent them from having any effect. Silly rules will only cause silly actions.

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    #60

    I recently started renting a house in an HOA community. One of the first pieces of mail I received was from the HOA telling me that my fence had not been approved by the board and the house is in violation of the HOA rules. That was a fun note to get in the first week after uprooting and moving across the country with no money.

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    #61

    My wifes aunt and uncle live in an HOA neighborhood. Their current problem is that the ground is higher than their 1st level and it's slopped towards a group of condos. Every time is rains bad, their condos flood. They don't have basements. HOA won't do anything and it seems a few of their residents are lawyering up. This has happened since they put in a storm drain and for some reason it backs up into their common area which is behind the group of condos.

    bwalz87 Report

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    Stephanie A Mutti
    Stephanie A Mutti
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes buyers do need to look at the environment and either accept that nature is going to do its thing OR find somewhere else that doesn't have natural risks.

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    #62

    In my neighborhood, we are not allowed to have blue trampoline covers. They must be green or black.

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    #63

    No oil derricks in front or behind the houses (inside your enclosed side yard is fine). Also, no gem mining anywhere on the property

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    #64

    No member of HOA here, but my landlord included a rule in my rental contract that I have to put up white curtains at all windows.

    peely_gonna_stealy Report

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    Seadog
    Seadog
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    so buy colored curtains with white outsides. AutoZone said we had to wear black socks so I bought black socks with white feet, the white doesn't show above the shoe so they can't say anything about them.

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