HOA Fails: 15+ Neighborhood Homeowners Association Rules That Backfired

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Aug 26, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

An HOA (aka the "homeowners association") is supposed to collect a fee and fines and use that money to better the neighborhood. Locals pay the HOA for exactly this in hopes the make their home a better place. However, it would appear, that more often than not, the HOA board simply becomes a bunch of entitled neighbors that just want everything to be there way and for everyone else to suffer when it's not. What the heck is up with that?? 

If you have a pleasant HOA then please share your story, because it really seems like that just Isn't a thing. I, personally, have never lived anywhere with an HOA and can't imagine ever wanting to, but HOA exists, so there must be people out there who like them or something… Anyways, here are over a dozen instances from people on the internet where the HOA had an absolutely insane rule for the neighborhood and how, eventually, they backfired. 

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  • 01
    Plant - M
    via wallpaperflare
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/jepensedoucjsuis Homeowners of reddit. What are the most insane HOA rules you have had to deal with?
    via u/jepensedoucjsuis
  • 03
    Font - MrsNacho8000 · My parents' HOA has a rule that you are NOT allowed to cut down trees without a "permit" from them, at ANY time, for ANY reason. The first winter they lived there, there was an ice storm and a tree fell onto the neighbor's deck,
    via u/MrsNacho8000
  • 04
    Font - taking out his entire deck and the sliding glass door that went from his kitchen to his deck. My dad went over with his chainsaw to help him cut down the tree that was now in his kitchen, and, MID-STORM, someone from the association heard the chainsaw and came over asking if they had a permit, to cut apart the tree in my neighbor's kitchen. IIRC,
    via u/MrsNacho8000
  • 05
    Font - he told them to get bent and they tried to give him a 1000 fine for "cutting down a tree without a permit."
    via u/MrsNacho8000
  • 06
    Font - Smittythepirate We can only have 3 types of flags on a flag pole (that has to be approved) out front. An American flag, a military flag, or a South Carolina flag. One of our neighbors were warned a couple times until they took their cutesy frog flag down.
    via u/Smittythepirate
  • 07
    Font - mrsheikh. I used to live in a HOA. One of the members on the board lived across the street from my neighbor and I. He sent a letter to us saying that we all have to mow the lawn on the same day, at the same cut height, and in the
    via u/mrsheikh
  • 08
    Font - SAME PATTERN to create uniformity in the neighborhood. My neighbor and I intentionally cut on different days and in opposite patterns just to annoy the guy.
    via u/mrsheikh
  • 09
    Font - clem82. I had an HOA try to enforce that I had much to old of a car to be in the driveway. Mind you, no rust, always clean, never dusty/dirty.
    via u/clem82
  • 10
    Font - Went to court and the judge ordered a full audit of the HOA. It was not enforceable at all, they paid my legal fees and last I knew they have yet to police anything
    via u/clem82
  • 11
    Font - ObjectiveSuggestion. I used cool white led christmas lights instead of warm white, there was no specifics given in the hoa handbook. After that year it was placed in there.
    via u/ObjectiveSuggestion
  • 12
    Font - nnyx I was once "warned" about storing my trash in view of the street. I thought to myself, "That's funny, I'm pretty on top of the trash", so I checked the date of the infraction. Sure enough, it was trash day. They were upset at me about putting my trash out on trash day.
    via u/nnyx
  • 13
    Font - bra1ntraln ● Well, currently they are trying to go after me for bushes in my front yard saying you cant have a "fence" in your front yard and you must remove the bushes.... Theres a lady with
    via u/bra1ntra1n
  • 14
    Font - an actual picket fence in her front yard that is allowed to keep it. But my bushes that were planted by the previous owner about 10 years ago or more have to be removed.
    via u/bra1ntra1n
  • 15
    Font - Oh also they put a lien on some ones house for having a boat in the driveway meanwhile some one on the board has had a pop up camper in their driveway for months, not even a single notice was given.
    via u/bra1ntra1n
  • 16
    Font - warneroo. In order to sell or rent in my HOA, you must provide HOA docs to the new owner or tenant.
    via u/warneroo
  • 17
    Font - They must be bought from the HOA, otherwise the sale / rental is not legal. $200 for a three- ring binder with 150 pages of poorly photocopied documents.
    via u/warneroo
  • 18
    Font - The first page: These documents have not been updated since July 2002. Please see the HOA website for updated documents.
    via u/warneroo
  • 19
    Font - baeology Didn't happen to me, but my friend's family got fined for leaving open the garage while they were mowing. Same family also got fined for having a graduation sign in their yard.
    via u/baeology
  • 20
    Font - [deleted] My friends HOA fined him because the flag pole that was already up in his front yard when he purchased the house, was too tall.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 21
    Font - He countered by flying a pirate flag on that flag pole. They are even less happy with the flag pole now.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 22
    Font - ItsMRslash . My friend bought a house and they threatened him with a $150 fine for not mowing his yard after 3 days of living there. He
    via u/ItsMRslash
  • 23
    Font - said he'd be happy to mow it at 3 am when he gets off work, or they can wait until his next day off and he won't wake up the whole neighborhood. They quietly went away lol
    via u/ItsMRslash
  • 24
    Font - [deleted] My Townhome neighborhood has an HOA that covers the exterior of our homes (since they all share the same exterior, being connected and whatnot). My front door has developed a rotting spot on the edge, so I sent a claim in for the HOA to replace it. They
    via u/[deleted]
  • 25
    Font - said the front door does not fall within their definition of the exterior of the home. That's fine, whatever, I'll just buy a new one. But wait! I have to fill out an EXTERIOR CHANGE REQUEST to get a new front door. The door they
    via u/[deleted]
  • 26
    Font - said doesn't count as exterior. needs and EXTERIOR change request sent to approve any external changes made. They want to control what my door looks like, but I have to pay for it.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 27
    Font - Truedeal. I lived in a fairly large 'family friendly' townhouse community. There was a community baseball field, at least it was set up like a baseball field with the fences and backstop, but essentially it was just a giant field, further down was a playground and fenced in
    via u/Truedeal
  • 28
    Font - tennis court. It was meant to be used there were dozens of kids playing baseball, football, soccer, or whatever on it all the time. For really no reason they decided to shut it down. Overnight they put up signs to not use it and keep out. If your kids dared to even walk across it police would be called in minutes. We were playing tennis on the courts
    via u/Truedeal
  • 29
    Font - one day and police were called, the next day it was locked up with a chain and combination lock. We called the hoa and were told we would have to give them proof we actully played tennis to be given the combination.
    via u/Truedeal
  • 30
    Font - My parents and a lot of other parents got in long arguments on the phone and at the hoa meetings about why they made these ridiculous new rules, they were essentially told 'because we can.' It became a war in the community against the old ladies that ran the hoa and the younger families with kids.
    via u/Truedeal
  • 31
    Font - Mimtu. I was threatened with an $85 fine because they claimed my tree was shading the sidewalk by 2". It was such an odd complaint. I just wondered what kind of person was involved with that report.
    via u/mimtu
  • 32
    Font - abrokenelevator · Limited number of pets, didn't matter what they were. Two animals on the property maximum. I've seen that in rentals but never before in a community of homeowners
    via u/abrokenelevator
  • 33
    Font - onetimerone. Mailbox post has to be a perfect 90 degrees.
    via u/onetimerone
  • 34
    Font - ITDEFX101. Our HOA enforcer aka Bully likes to go around with his cell phone and take random pictures of people's property. If anyone's front yard isn't as good looking as his, then he would send notices. My wife was out there in the spring making the front look nice when she saw the bully walk by
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 35
    Font - and take a picture and walk off. She finished and the front yard was nice looking with flowers and stuff. The next day we get a notice stuck to our door stating that we need to redo our entire front yard with what my wife just did.
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 36
    Font - Two years ago I was cleaning the living room and I moved the couches around and let one of the dogs outside while I was working. The back gate was shut. Some how during the time I was working in the living room, the HOA guy came by and yanked the gate open and the dog got out. Didn't
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 37
    Font - notice this until I was done and my dog was gone. I had to search the area quickly because I had to go to work in an hour. Luckily she didn't go very far. When beagles get that sent lock they go after it! How did I who it was him? Got a notice the next day to "secure" my back yard gate.
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 38
    Font - My neighbor has an open fence area since she has an end unit. She reported that she would be playing with the kids and the HOA would walk by trying to be sneaky taking pictures with his phone. Visitor Parking is rarely enforced. When they do enforce it they tow, yet there
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 39
    Font - are times I see work trucks in vistor spots overnight. I always get my parking pass from my HOA board and put the tag up for my guests....yet when I come back from a late night movie and I see cars parked in visitors spots with no tags I am like WTF dude!??!
    via u/ITDEFX101
  • 40
    Font - But to be honest, I have been here for nearly 10 years and they can't do anything to us legally.
    via u/ITDEFX101

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