'What is the most BS fee or fine that you've ever received?': Homeowners come together to discredit HOAs

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Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Apr 13, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Another day, another HOA complaint. Seriously, is there even an HOA out there that is actually loved by the neighborhood? Because right now, we are only finding stories of HOAs being manipulative, power-drunk, entitled, and just straight up a bunch of boomer Karens constantly throwing tantrums. Shouldn't they be working on fixing up the local park? Or figuring out how to get the city to come fill all those potholes on your street? Why is it just HOAs fining people who are just trying to live their lives for having the wrong colored front door or something so friggin' stupid? Recently, angry homeowners on Reddit took to the subreddit r/f***HOA to provide their stories on why the HOA is a load of BS. Mind-boggling experiences of the HOA sending fees and and fines for the dumbest reasons. Oh, you have to go somewhere tonight and you need to put your trash out 5 minutes before the designated time? TOO BAD, FINED! It's all absolutely ridiculous.

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  • 01
    Property - Posted by u/helpfuldunk 4 days ago What is the most bullsh t sub-$100 fee/fine that you've ever received? Question
    via u/flicker-steven-martin

    Reddit post by u/helpfuldunk

  • 02
    Font - We all know that 4 or 5 figure HOA balances are devastating, but what about the smaller stuff that irks you? You ever get a fee/fine that was under $100, that you knew you could pay to get it over with, but still refused and strongly contested it because it was invalid or unreasonable?
    via u/helpfuldunk
  • 03
    Font - Orthonut 4 days ago . OH! OOOHHHH! I was house and pet sitting for my brother who lived in a ritzyish neighborhood of our home town. He invited me to bring my dog who got along well with his golden and to just have a great time please bring in the mail a few x and 'if you have time please mow the lawn Friday evening or Sat afternoon " I mowed it sat afternoon after our dogs got loose and I spent tome searching for them. (mine was lost for a couple of weeks, his hung out on the porch. It w
    via u/Orthonut
  • 04
    Font - After everything blew over he got a fine for grass being too long Friday evening (day dogs got loose and I was also working late on call emergency services) and ANOTHER FINE FOR GRASS BEING TOO SHORT Saturday Evening (day I mowed without adjusting his mower height)
    via u/Orthonut
  • 05
    Font - fartymcfartface9 . 3 days ago We just got one. It's total bullsh t in a number of ways. About 18 months ago, we get a message from HOA saying our windows are showing rot and that replacement is recommended. So, we refinanced the property and used the cash to replace a half-dozen windows. We went through the entire approval process. We then hired a contractor to install the windows.
    via u/fartymcfartface9
  • 06
    Font - As the windows are being installed, the architecture committee is unhappy with how the install is going. They are not PRECISELY the way that he wants them. He calls us out to the property to discuss the windows; he is flabbergasted that something went awry. He admits that we followed the process perfectly and tries to convince us to sue our contractor for an incorrect install. A couple of months later, the HOA tells us to remove the new windows and that, being generous, we could re-instal
    via u/fartymcfartface9
  • 07
    Font - We are miffed and retain an attorney because we followed their process and the windows were installed per our application that was approved. Basically, we just spent $20,000 and we are not about to spend that amount again. We proceed to spend about $4000 on legal fees in which our lawyer argues with their lawyer. Based on their financial disclosures, they also spent $4000 on legal fees. The last of the letter from our lawyer was: we will replace the windows if the HOA provides a precise e
    via u/fartymcfartface9
  • 08
    Font - We ignored their letter and they have ignored ours. The deadline for compliance was last week. A few days later... we received our fine: $100.
    via u/fartymcfartface9
  • 09
    Font - johnl1800 3 days ago Where I used to live you weren't allowed to put your garbage cans out before noon the day before pickup. I was heading out and looking at the clock saw that it was 11:55am. I figured that by the time that I put my shoes on, unlocked the gate and dragged the cans out to the curb that it would be close enough. Apparently not as I received a violation notice for putting my cans out two minutes too early. While I didn't actually get fined for I thought that it was absurd
    via u/johnl1800
  • 10
    Font - johnl1800 2 days ago This place was a pain in the a: 5. While they didn't do anything illegal they were obsessive about enforcing the rules. Here's an example. There was a list of plants that you were "allowed" to have in your yard and a specific number that you must have. No more, no less and nothing not on the list was allowed. They used to literally walk the neighborhood, clipboard in hand, counting the plants in everyone's front yard and checking to make sure that nobody tried to snea
    via u/Johnl1800
  • 11
    Font - Fair Host_595. 3 days ago In April of 2020, the whole town was basically shut down - drive up orders for groceries or RX, no indoor shopping, eating, etc. And, my usual guys that cut the lawn got a ton of requests (everyone was home and more aware of their lawn, I guess?) so instead of coming Saturday, they were coming that following Wednesday. Tuesday, I'm walking in from checking the mail and notice an old guy driving literally 3 MPH past my house and staring. Then speeds by quickly.
    via u/Fair_Host_595
  • 12
    Font - Ok, weird. So I wait around and here he comes, quickly, then breaks really hard and slowly creeps by my house - TAKING PICS. I ask him what's going on, and he said the POA had received "numerous complaints" about my grass being too long. So he's documenting it to report back to the POA. I asked him if he thought it was that bad, and he said that my grass was indeed too long. Bruh. It was a couple days past due. And the town is nearly shut down. I explained the situation to him, and he so
    via u/Fair_Host_595

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failblog hoa homeowner discredit-HOA toxic-hoa Reddit homeowners association HOAs
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