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Dad Sells New House After Just 6 Weeks, Says The Invasive HOA Rules Make “Big Brother” Look Tame
Ah, the classic tale of Homeowners Associations (HOAs), where personal freedom vanishes, and even the simple joy of a shower rail becomes a bureaucratic nightmare. Imagine finally moving into that new home, after nearly two years of waiting, only to discover you’ve signed up for a 24/7 reality show, courtesy of your nosy HOA president.
That’s exactly what happened to one Redditor’s dad. After spending years in a sprawling two-acre property, this dad and his wife figured it was time for something easier to maintain. Downsizing made sense…until they met the HOA from hell.
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
Homeowners’ associations are like that one nosy neighbor who’s always lurking with a rulebook and a grudge
Image credits: pch.vector / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One elderly couple thought their life in their new home would be peaceful and easy until they discovered just how absurd the HOA bylaws were
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The couple can’t install a shower rail without the HOA’s approval, nor can they park their inoperable project car in their own garage
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The HOA president even sent them a cease-and-desist letter after eavesdropping on their private conversations and pointing security cameras toward their house
Image credits: anonymous
The couple sold their brand-new house and moved out after just 1 month of living there, because of the HOA
This HOA horror story began after this dad sold his two-story dream home and invested in a shiny new construction that he thought would be easier to maintain. But, as our Redditor and his dad would quickly learn, there’s nothing “easy” about an HOA with more rules than your average boarding school.
And this wasn’t just any HOA. We’re talking bylaws so invasive they might as well require fingerprints and a retinal scan just to mow your lawn. This sounds more like a prison than a welcoming neighborhood, doesn’t it?
First, Dad gets slammed with a rule about installing a simple shower rail. Now, he’s 62, so having some extra support in the bathroom is just common sense. But no, in HOA land, even safety requires a form, a board meeting, and probably a blood oath.
The straw that broke the camel’s back? A casual chat on his own back patio ended in legal threats. Our dad was sitting outside, probably enjoying his morning coffee, when the HOA president decided she had nothing better to do than to eavesdrop while walking her dog. Soon after, Dad received a cease-and-desist letter, plus cameras pointed toward his house. So much for a friendly “welcome to the neighborhood.”
I get it, HOAs have their purpose. They are designed to maintain the community’s aesthetic and property value, but sometimes they go too far. While an HOA can help keep the neighborhood looking sharp, some boards take things to the extreme, enforcing rules with little flexibility.
Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Sure, every HOA has its own set of rules. Generally, these HOA rules cover things like parking, how your lawn looks, how to use common areas, or how loud your music should be. But what you do in your own shower, or what you park in your private, closed garage seems extreme, right?
So, it would be a good idea to read the HOA bylaws cover-to-cover before you buy a property. You might be picturing your dream life in a pristine neighborhood, but without checking the bylaws, you could end up starring in a real-life version of Big Brother.
I mean, since when is pointing security cameras directly at someone’s home—as the HOA president did to our dad—considered normal? Security cameras are legal when used to protect your home and family. But, when used to spy on someone or record them without consent, it can land someone in serious legal trouble, since it can be considered an invasion of privacy.
This dad and his wife wasted no time getting out of there, flipping their new home faster than the HOA could issue another letter and even managing to walk away with a $10-15k profit. Not a bad fee for a “lesson learned!”
What do you think of this story? Share your own HOA horror stories in the comments below.
Netizens are shocked by the HOA bylaws, saying what happens inside a person’s home should be their own business
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What do you think ?
Tabitha 1 year ago
Sounds like, in the two years it took to finally be able to occupy the house, the HOA board went full fascist and created a bunch of b******t bylaws that made them the dictators over their little domain. Some people should never be out in positions of power—-as we all (in the US) are going to see—-again—-because some of our voters are totally f****d in their heads. They’re in for a rude awakening when TFG’s insanity hits them hard too, and he proves to them he doesn’t give a s**t about them or anyone but himself.
Amused panda 1 year ago
If it is a new development, the HOA board could be comprised of the original residents to move in. That would explain why HOA byelaws didn't exist when he put his deposit down but were in existence by the time he moved in 2 years later.
Load More Replies...
Esmelee 1 year ago
My grandparents lived in a community like this. Grandma had to get approval for new kitchen cabinets then when she got older and ended up in a wheelchair my family had to take the HOA to court because they refused to approve a wheelchair elevator that could take her upstairs. HOA said those type of systems were not allowed and since her place had no bathroom downstairs her only option was to move out. Judge said different.
Panda-sized Potato 1 year ago
Might be possible to pursue legal action, because it sounds like harassment and ADA violation. Really depends on state/county/city laws. I would definitely talk to a lawyer about this. He made $10-15k. Maybe he can squeeze a bit more from the HOA.
XenoMurph 1 year ago
Who wants to live with all of that. I'd rather f**k off elsewhere than spend my life in eternal battles.
Load More Replies...
Schmebulock 1 year ago
This is a complete fake a*s b******t story. They absolutely can not control what you do in the privacy of your own home. It would be totally unenforcable since they no access inside your home. Some HOAs suck but this is just not real.
Id row 1 year ago
Most people know how awful HOAs are by age 60. I'm surprised he wasn't familiar with their micromanaging tactics, they're notorious for them. There's no way in hell I'd ever move into one.
Papa 1 year ago (edited)
I'm puzzled why he even asked about installing the rail in the shower. They couldn't deny it if they didn't know about it.
Load More Replies...
talliloo 1 year ago
back in the days when i was married, my husband and i were excited to finally start looking to buy our first house. it seemed at the time that most of the houses we looked at were HOA neighborhoods. one of the worst arguments we ever had (and for the most part we rarely lost out tempers with each other-even the divorce was amiable) was due to his falling in love with house that had pretty much everything you could want in a home but i refused to agree due to having a HOA. the agent tried to convince me that they weren't as bad as they were made out to be but i refused.
marianne eliza 1 year ago
Want to put a curb bit on your HOA? Change the way people get on the board. No elections, no volunteers. Every single home owner, whether they live there or rent it out, must serve 1 year in rotation. No ifs, ands, or buts, except in cases of disability that would prevent a person from serving. Take way the power from the Karens.
JayWantsACat 1 year ago
No defending the HOA but who moves into an area with an HOA and doesn't comb through the bylaws and everything before even looking at purchasing? And there's no way they can regulate what you do INSIDE your house, though that may have to do with when construction for that can take place.
Carl Roberts 1 year ago
Something sounds made up about this whole thing. We all know HOAs are evil, but we also know people on Reddit are prone to make up stories for "karma". There is simply no way an HOA has the authority to tell you what you can do or keep INSIDE your house. And then there's the "cease & desist" for having a private conversation in your own backyard (which NO lawyer would touch), and the HOA president just happens to live next door. Come on. AND the owner DIDN'T read the bylaws during the TWO YEARS before they moved. This story is complete baloney.
Watermelon 1 year ago
I'm stuck on the shower rail. Federal law (ADA) definitely takes precedence over a stupid HOA. I'm not saying OP is lying, and I definitely think the dad did the right thing by getting out. It just seems like some important details are missing here.
Load More Replies...
Tabitha 1 year ago
Sounds like, in the two years it took to finally be able to occupy the house, the HOA board went full fascist and created a bunch of b******t bylaws that made them the dictators over their little domain. Some people should never be out in positions of power—-as we all (in the US) are going to see—-again—-because some of our voters are totally f****d in their heads. They’re in for a rude awakening when TFG’s insanity hits them hard too, and he proves to them he doesn’t give a s**t about them or anyone but himself.
Amused panda 1 year ago
If it is a new development, the HOA board could be comprised of the original residents to move in. That would explain why HOA byelaws didn't exist when he put his deposit down but were in existence by the time he moved in 2 years later.
Load More Replies... Esmelee 1 year ago
My grandparents lived in a community like this. Grandma had to get approval for new kitchen cabinets then when she got older and ended up in a wheelchair my family had to take the HOA to court because they refused to approve a wheelchair elevator that could take her upstairs. HOA said those type of systems were not allowed and since her place had no bathroom downstairs her only option was to move out. Judge said different.
Panda-sized Potato 1 year ago
Might be possible to pursue legal action, because it sounds like harassment and ADA violation. Really depends on state/county/city laws. I would definitely talk to a lawyer about this. He made $10-15k. Maybe he can squeeze a bit more from the HOA.
XenoMurph 1 year ago
Who wants to live with all of that. I'd rather f**k off elsewhere than spend my life in eternal battles.
Load More Replies... Schmebulock 1 year ago
This is a complete fake a*s b******t story. They absolutely can not control what you do in the privacy of your own home. It would be totally unenforcable since they no access inside your home. Some HOAs suck but this is just not real.
Id row 1 year ago
Most people know how awful HOAs are by age 60. I'm surprised he wasn't familiar with their micromanaging tactics, they're notorious for them. There's no way in hell I'd ever move into one.
Papa 1 year ago (edited)
I'm puzzled why he even asked about installing the rail in the shower. They couldn't deny it if they didn't know about it.
Load More Replies... talliloo 1 year ago
back in the days when i was married, my husband and i were excited to finally start looking to buy our first house. it seemed at the time that most of the houses we looked at were HOA neighborhoods. one of the worst arguments we ever had (and for the most part we rarely lost out tempers with each other-even the divorce was amiable) was due to his falling in love with house that had pretty much everything you could want in a home but i refused to agree due to having a HOA. the agent tried to convince me that they weren't as bad as they were made out to be but i refused.
marianne eliza 1 year ago
Want to put a curb bit on your HOA? Change the way people get on the board. No elections, no volunteers. Every single home owner, whether they live there or rent it out, must serve 1 year in rotation. No ifs, ands, or buts, except in cases of disability that would prevent a person from serving. Take way the power from the Karens.
JayWantsACat 1 year ago
No defending the HOA but who moves into an area with an HOA and doesn't comb through the bylaws and everything before even looking at purchasing? And there's no way they can regulate what you do INSIDE your house, though that may have to do with when construction for that can take place.
Carl Roberts 1 year ago
Something sounds made up about this whole thing. We all know HOAs are evil, but we also know people on Reddit are prone to make up stories for "karma". There is simply no way an HOA has the authority to tell you what you can do or keep INSIDE your house. And then there's the "cease & desist" for having a private conversation in your own backyard (which NO lawyer would touch), and the HOA president just happens to live next door. Come on. AND the owner DIDN'T read the bylaws during the TWO YEARS before they moved. This story is complete baloney.
Watermelon 1 year ago
I'm stuck on the shower rail. Federal law (ADA) definitely takes precedence over a stupid HOA. I'm not saying OP is lying, and I definitely think the dad did the right thing by getting out. It just seems like some important details are missing here.
Load More Replies...
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