Homeowner flabbergasted over aggressive threats from HOA: 'I am at a loss as to what is the best course of action'

Yahoo

2 days ago

Homeowner flabbergasted over aggressive threats from HOA: 'I am at a loss as to what is the best course of action'
An exasperated homeowner reached out to Reddit for advice after their homeowners association claimed their lawn was not "up to standard." After discovering their irrigation system was broken, the original poster immediately notified the board president that the HOA had paid to fix the entire system.
However, according to the OP, their HOA disregarded their attempts to fix their irrigation system and put them in mediation. Even though they had paid for the system to be fixed, the HOA is sending attorney letters to the OP and ignoring their attempts to contact the board.
"I am at a loss as to what is the best course of action," wrote the OP. "... It's honestly been a frustrating process, as well as a waste of time and money."
Redditors in the r/HOA forum empathized with the OP and tried to offer potential next steps.
"The jump to mediation is weird," responded one user. "What should happen is that you get a violation notice, you get a period of time to address it (say 30 days) and if not addressed, you get fined."
Since the OP's irrigation system is tied to the common area irrigation system, one Redditor made an interesting point alluding to why the HOA may have escalated the situation so quickly.
"Your irrigation is tied to common area irrigation? So the water and electricity you pay for waters common area?" they said. "Sounds like they could be rushing you to mediation before you realize you should be getting a lawyer for the common area expenses you've paid."
Across the country, HOAs have created unnecessary headaches for homeowners, preventing homeowners from adopting money-saving, eco-friendly updates. For example, Redditors have shared how their HOAs have stopped them from growing native plant lawns, denied their use of an outdoor clothesline, and prevented them from charging their electric vehicle.
Despite these challenges, homeowners can still attempt to resolve incidents like this with their HOA and revise their bylaws.
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