'Over a DECK BOX?!': New neighbors get fined by their authoritarian HOA for having a delivery box on their property, sparking a heated debate over HOA futility

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 25, 2024 7:00 AM EST

DEFUND HOA. This is a mantra that many homeowners and condo-dwellers have chanted in the streets of their prospective neighborhoods with great fervor for many generations. While the concept of an HOA probably means well–keeping landscaping alive, houses looking pretty, and covering the costs of amenity upkeep–the uniformity of suburban Karens can maliciously overpower even the simplest HOA. Corruptible HOA board members have proven that with each monotonous monthly board meeting, their entitlement grows, rearing its ugly head when residents least expect it. 

In our next story, a young couple was sideswiped by their neighborhood HOA after being thrown in the theoretical deep end of the community politics pool. Almost immediately after they moved in, some neighborhood Karen reported to the board that they had a violation sitting on their property–a deck box at the end of their driveway to facilitate delivery driver drop-offs. 

Unencumbered by jaded homeownership, the young couple embraced their violation and decided to try to overrule it. Scroll for the entire story of how this couple outsmarted and will ultimately outlast the elders of their HOA by calling out the most obvious truths. 

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  • 01
    Get ready with me to appeal our HOA violation. We received a violation in the mail after about two months of living in our new house to set up some contacts. We live in a very rural community.
    via laurynchayce
  • 02
    Our house is at the very end of a mile long street. We are one of two houses on the entire street and our neighbor, her is not even within sight. You can't even see them from our house. So we are at the dead end of the street and our driveway is very long, probably like 100ft long. And it's very steep. It's steep like uphill to our house. The violation came from the chief of security. We put a deck box at the very end of our driveway.
    via laurynchayce
  • 03
    so here it is The deck box behind our HOA violation
    via laurynchayce
  • 04
    It's like one of those deck boxes you keep like pool floaties and stuff. And that way our delivery drivers have somewhere to put our packages. Our violation was for clutter. So they are basically saying that our deck box is clutter.
    via laurynchayce
  • 05
    The whole reason it's there is for our delivery drivers to be able to put our packages in the box. And that is for multiple reasons. We don't want them to have to either park at the bottom of our very long steep driveway and walk all of our packages up to our porch or them have to pull all the way up our driveway and deliver the packages and then have to back all the way back down the driveway.
    via laurynchayce
  • 06
    And again, we live in a dead end street. You can't just back out and go on. Once you get down, you have to make a whole bunch of three point turns to get back straight whenever it snows or ices. Our driveway is like impossible to get up or down. So we don't want delivery drivers either walking like attempting to walk or drive up our slippery driveway just to deliver our packages.
    via laurynchayce
  • 07
    And we also don't want to get sued if somebody slips and falls on our driveway. Also, selfishly, if they are driving their delivery trucks up and down the driveway all the time, that will damage our driveway. And it's like a full concrete driveway. It's not like gravel or anything.
    via laurynchayce
  • 08
    We also don't want them to just leave our packages at the end of our driveway, just like laying there open to the elements. That would be a lot more unsightly, we feel like, than the deck box being down there. I have attempted to explain all of this to the people that issued the violation and they are dead set on our deck box being clipped.
    via laurynchayce
  • 09
    So we are appealing the violation because we truly do not see any other way to keep the delivery driver safe, maintain the integrity of our driveway, and also to not have to leave the packages at the bottom of the street. We don't see any other option. I have already sent the email with all of our explanations, all of our reasonings, and I sent pictures. They should have plenty of context.
    via laurynchayce
  • 10
    So the people that issued the violation are technically employees for the community, totally separate from the board. So technically, the board did not issue the violation, the administration did. So the administration suggested that we attend the board meeting in person, which I am more than happy to do.
    via laurynchayce
  • 11
    That's why we made the decision to appeal it, because all of our neighbors were saying it was unfair and that they didn't even care about the deck box. And a lot of people said that they wanted to get one themselves because they thought it was a good idea. So I will keep you guys updated on the result of the board meeting.
    via laurynchayce
  • 12
    Reply to kay.sip's comment Update? Update on our HOA violation appeal
    via laurynchayce
  • 13
    We were there three and a half hours. He sat through the board meeting, which lasted 3 hours. And at the end of the board meeting, they're like, does anyone have anything say? And we were like, I guess this is my time... They hadn't brought up our violation. They said the discussion for violations happened at the previous meeting. We missed it.
    via laurynchayce
  • 14
    One of the board members goes, well, if you'd like, we can schedule a separate time to discuss your appeal. And I go, we've been sitting here for 3 hours. We would like to finish this tonight. They're like, okay, well, if you can wait until after the meeting is over, we can give you ten minutes to discuss it. Sounds good. So then during the open to the rest of the community for comment, we got stuck behind like three long winded old dudes after everyone left.
    via laurynchayce
  • 15
    Finally, they were like, all right, tell us your story. So I gave all the same reasons that I told you guys in the last video, why we had our deck box, why we believe we should have it, all of our reasons, everything like that. They were basically all like, we all understand, we all agree, but we have to go by the bylaws said that they are going to take some time to discuss it and try to find a way that it can fit within the bylaws.
    via laurynchayce
  • 16
    So they are going to discuss it on their own time, I guess, and figure out a way to compromise. But since it's like quasi governmental stuff like with the Hoa that can't be handled over email, you can't just send your reasons, you have to show up. So we will give an update to the update when they update us. Who knows when that will be.
    via laurynchayce
  • 17
    Okay, I know a lot of you guys want to see the deck box and driveway situation so here it is. This is our driveway and this is our deck box ara FedEx
    via laurynchayce
  • 18
    I put that little sign on it so the delivery drivers know that this is for packages. Also covering where I put like black numbers for our address. It is every bit of 100ft and if I were a delivery driver and had to walk up this deliver packages I would not be happy. Here is a view from the front porch.
    via laurynchayce
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 9884513024
    via laurynchayce
  • 20
    You have to kind of back out and then make a whole bunch of points before they can drive off. And especially in their big trucks. Hopefully that gives some more context to the deck box driver situation.
    via laurynchayce
  • 21
    Vicca DEFUND HOA PERIOD. This is absolutely ridiculous, in the world with so many problems a deck box in YOUR OWN driveway should be least of their concerns 1-26 305 Reply Lauryn Chayce | Daily Life Creator You'd think there would be bigger things to worry about 52 Reply 1-27
    via Vicca
  • 22
    Ellie Hill Over a DECK BOX?! 2-6 1 Reply Jessica Rouse What in the world did they talk about for 3 hrs.. 1-27 276 Reply Lauryn Chayce | Daily Life. Creator Every. Single. Little. Thing. And the members can watch over zoom and make comments so we had to listen to them argue 1-27 175 Reply
    via EllieHill
  • 23
    user8530374738603 The fact that HOA complain that it's "clutter" & you literally have NO NEIGHBORS that even see it?!?! They need crossword puzzles or paint by numbers to occupy their spare time! 1-28 1374 Reply Lauryn Chayce | Daily Life Creator Literally 1-28 88 Reply
    via user8530374738603
  • 24
    Liz my husband is a UPS driver and loves/appreciates when customers have easy access delivery spots like this. much safer in the winter, and saves time! 1-29 69 Reply Lauryn Chayce | Daily Life. Creator Exactly!! Thank you! 1-29 12 Reply
    via Liz
  • 25
    theresa I drive for Amazon, these boxes are my favorite LOL 1-28 123 Reply Linda If they have a problem with it, maybe paint it a earthy color to blend in with the scenery 2-6 ♡2 Reply Lauryn Chayce | Daily Life Creator We told them we'd be willing to do that! 2-6 1 Reply
    via theresa

  • For the full videos, click here to enjoy Laura's first-hand account of their HOA attack and click here to see the deck box in all its glory.

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deck box hoa neighborhood drama defund hoa house neighborhood homeowner homeowership community board meeting violation hoa violation story HOA rules neighbord karen tiktok
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