'It was time to protest the overreaching HOA': Teacher hires lawyer to save his pecan tree

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 30, 2023 11:00 AM EST

When you find your dream home, you may have to put up with an HOA. Home Owners Associations are a "necessary and unavoidable evil" when buying a home, as the homeowner in this story knew all too well. It's all well and good to say, "Just avoid buying a home in an HOA area, how hard could it be?" Well, pretty difficult, actually. Depending on the town you want to live in, you might have to accept being under HOA rule in order to buy a home. If you have to choose between a HOA-run house in a good school district that's near parks and stores, or a beat-up house on the outskirts of town with no HOA, it's easy to see why you might choose the former. 

U/JMP817 shared their favorite malicious compliance story ever, which happened to be enacted by their high school teacher. The teacher's HOA didn't care for a pecan tree in their front yard, and they wanted it removed ASAP. 

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  • You can check out the entire story below, plus reactions from commenters and additional info from the OP. Next up, these managers shared the wildest reasons they've fired an employee, like one dude who always skimmed the till to buy tacos for lunch. 

  • 01
    '...An HOA guy comes out and points... and says it can not be there, it is an eyesore. My teacher responded, "Sorry you feel that way"
    via Clau Alexa on Unsplash
  • 02
    "Self Metering Flower Pot" defeats HOA LOC When I was in high school back in the late 90's, one of my teachers shared a story with the class in order to explain why we would have a substitute teacher in the next week. This is by far my favorite story in the vain of Malicious Compliance.
    via u/JMP817
  • 03
    My teacher was in his late 30's, married for only a couple of years, and over the summer he and his wife bought their first house together. As is typical, the house was in a development that had an HOA. While he wasn't thrilled at the idea of a meddling HOA, it is a necessary and unavoidable evil. He went through their CCR's with a fine tooth comb and decided that while there was some stuff he wasn't a fan of, overall he could live with it, so they signed the papers and bought the house.
    via u/JMP817
  • 04
    About a week after they move in they get a Non-compliance letter, stating that the tree in their front yard was not an approved species and must be removed. Problem is the tree was native to that spot, was estimated at 80 to 100 years old, and was a Pecan. I mention the type for two reasons. First, a Pecan produces nuts (obviously) and that is why the HOA said it can't be in the front yard. After all, a lawnmower flings a rogue pecan through a neighbor's window and there will be an issue. The se
    via u/JMP817
  • 05
    Pecan is the state tree of Texas and as such gets a little legal protection. Basically, to cut one down you need to have a permit. To get that permit you have to show the tree is diseased or a hazard. Just being in the way is not sufficient.
    via u/JMP817
  • 06
    My teacher is upset as the tree is large, provides lots of shade, and he likes eating pecans. He writes back to the HOA who turn a deaf ear and point to the CCR and refer him to their legal team for any further questions. He then contacts the county and state who both come back with he can't remove the tree without a permit or he will face a large fine and/or jail. He copies that letter and sends it along with his own letter in a certified envelope to the HOA lawyers.
    via u/JMP817
  • 07
    The lawyers come back that the CCR is binding, he is not allowed to have fruit or nut producing trees in his front yard, but ornamental trees of flowers and flower pots (this part is important) are fine. If it isn't removed in 30 days they will begin fining him. At this point he gets his own lawyer and turns it over to him. A couple of months go by and we are to the part of this story where he is explaining why there will be a substitute. He will be going to court to have a judge weigh in on the
    via u/JMP817
  • 08
    The next week comes and after the court hearing he comes in and says that basically he lost as the judge ruled the CCR did apply and the tree had to go, however since it was a native tree at the time of development, the HOA would be responsible for all costs of removal, not him as the homeowner. Now, most people probably would have let it go at this point. Sure, you lost the tree, but it isn't costing you anything. Not my teacher, the man decided it was time to protest the overreaching HOA and t
    via u/JMP817
  • 09
    After going through the CCR's thoroughly, he took a trip to Home Depot and bought some hose, fittings, and a nicer Kohler toilet. He set the toilet up in the middle of the yard right where the tree had been and ran the hose and fittings to his outside faucet so that it was hooked up for water in (not hooked to a sewer, this is the front yard after all). He then dumped some potting soil in the bowl and planted some decorative flowers.
    via u/JMP817
  • 10
    It took a few weeks, but the non- compliance letter came in stating he had "house waste" is in front yard and it must be removed within 72 hours or he would be fined. He wrote back there was no house waste. They responded again and he stated they needed to come show him where this supposed waste was. The next day an HOA guy comes out and points right at the toilet and says it can not be there, it is an eyesore.
    via u/JMP817
  • 11
    My teacher responded, "Sorry you feel that way about my self watering flower pot, but I see nowhere in the CCR's that state what style of flower pot is or is not allowed." HOA guy gets verbally heated and threatens to call the cops to which my teacher agrees. Having his bluff called the HOA guy leaves.
    via u/JMP817
  • 12
    A week or so goes by and the class I am in is pestering our teacher everyday for new stories on this. He said he got a letter from their lawyers which he sent straight to his lawyer. His lawyer agreed with him that the CCR in no way, shape, or form puts any qualifiers or limitations on flower pots and as the flowers are clearly visible, it doesn't constitute "debris or trash" in the yard. A few back and forth things happen between the lawyers and then the HOA moves for a
    via u/JMP817
  • 13
    trial, which gets the same judge as before. The judge reviewed the case and dismissed it as frivolous. He did put in his remarks or decision something along the lines of "While the defendant's choice of a flower pot is eye-raising and isn't traditional, there is nothing illegal about his use of a commode as art in his yard. The plantiff has failed to demonstrate any sound reason this would violate existing rules and bylaws of their association."
    via u/JMP817
  • 14
    ImALittle TeapotCat I really can't imagine a judge allowing an HOA rule to override state law.
    via u/ImALittle TeapotCat
  • 15
    JMP817 OP I believe the law is that the trees can be removed so long as a permit is received. The judge granted that permit as it is pretty standard to not allow fruit and nut bearing plants in the front yard. Basically, the judge said the tree was ok to remove and gave permission, but put the responsibility onto the HOA since it had been in that spot prior to land development for housing.
    via u/JMP817
  • 16
    akkristor A 100 year old pecan tree? holy that thing would have been expensive. If the HOA had to cover the costs of the removal, they should have also covered the massive reduction in property value for a tree that old.
    via u/akkristor
  • 17
    JMP817 OP Yeah it was huge, not sure if there was anything about reduced property values, but I agree.
    via u/JMP817
  • 18
    FaithCPR I was really looking forward to some ingenious way that he made the tree into a "potted plant". While I enjoyed his bit of revenge, I'm still disappointed for the tree.
    via u/FaithCPR

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hoa neighbors plants malicious compliance letters house neighborhood home owners association malicious-compliance-reddit neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories tree malicious compliance reddit home
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