'I had to literally pick up my 3,000 pound redwood gazebo and move it': Neighbor bombards HOA with requests after HOA says they're 'out of compliance'

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  • 01
    Cloud - 'I'm having a grand time wasting as much of their time as possible'
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    Font - HOA Compliance м ос I hate my HOA. The only reason I live here is because the house was dirt cheap at the end of 2010. For the most part I haven't had a lot of complaints, but during the lockdown, I decided I wanted to give my yard some much needed TLC.
  • 03
    Font - It started with putting a gazebo in my back yard. I secured all the permissions I was told I needed and completed the work. Not 2 weeks after completion I received a letter stating it was out of compliance. After weeks of arguing I had to literally pick up my 3,000 pound redwood gazebo and move it 3 more feet from the wall.
  • 04
    Font - Now I get letters complaining about the vegetation in my front yard. I get it, its been neglected for a while. I'm doing my best to comply but the trash guy only comes once a week so I can't throw away much yard waste at a time. Cue more angry letters and enter the malicious compliance.
  • 05
    Font - I decided the I'm going to remove my tree and replace it. I also want to just remove 5 plants. One of them is clearly dead by now. Their paperwork specifically says that I have to submit ONE item per design change request. So I submitted 7 different requests. One for each plant. One for tree removal. One for tree installation.
  • 06
    Font - Now they're sending me generic copy-paste replies saying I can change the yard. None of them specify what design change was approved. I just keep replying to all of them asking for clarification. The last one I got said "it" was for the tree removal and planting of a new tree... but it didn't include the original letter or even a reference number. So I just replied back that I would like the specific letter included in the email so I can have an approval paper trail.
  • 07
    Font - They burned me bad with the gazebo incident. I won't get burned again and I'm having a grand time wasting as much of their time as possible. I smile every time I reply to an email asking for specific information.
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    Font - Edit: Since many of you are saying I should run for the board, here's why I won't. I have a full time job that requires at least 2 weeks of travel each month. I have a teenage daughter that I want to spend as much time with as possible before she moves out. We go to a BJJ gym 4-5 nights a week. I
  • 09
    Font - also have a foreign exchange student living with me that wants to see America. My wife is a principal. AND I absolutely hate the HOA, so joining that team and dealing with other's hatred for it is most definitely not what I want to do with my free time. I'll play their games... maliciously.
  • 10
    Human body - And yes, I want to move. But I dunno if you realized this or not: housing prices are insane. I'm staying put for now.
  • 11
    Font - tmstksbk They care enough to make you miserable, but not enough to do their jobs.
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    Font - sometrendyname. I like getting a letter about something out of compliance, then deciding to change/replace said item so I have to submit an Architectural Committee request. There is usually a 15 day window to become compliant or be fined, so I submit that request pretty close to the limit. This request stops any fines or further action until after the Arc Committee approves my request.
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    Font - Once the approval is received I have 6 weeks to do the work, so I wait until the last weekend to actually get the work done. This takes the original problem that bothered their inspector or some overly attentive neighbor and drags it out for about two months.
  • 14
    Font - jvriesem Fun fact: studies show that HOA properties tend to grow in value LESS than non-HOA properties (controlling for numerous other factors), contrary to typical HOA claims.
  • 15
    Font - [deleted] The song won't get fooled again is your new soundtrack when gardening. 84 Reply Share useless_skin OP. I'm definitely going to play this. Maybe I'll include it in the next email I send them.
  • 16
    Font - [deleted] My neighbor asked me if I wanted to join the HOA board soon after I moved in. No thanks, I sez. I keep to myself and the last thing I want is neighbors to be mad at me for being forced to enforce some dumb rule. I balked at the HOA and the owner-occupied rule when I found the place, but it was a good deal and a nice house, so I sucked it up. Still hate the HOA though.
  • 17
    Font - jedimastermomma We have a HOA but they don't do anything but handle the community pool. Which is fine, except solicitors are knocking on our door every single day despite all the signage at our neighborhood entrance that say "no solicitation." We would like the HOA we pay for to stop it, but it kinda feels like kicking a crusted over ant hill. We don't want to be responsible for potentially activating a dormant HOA Karen or something.

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