HOA Karen tries to get neighbor to take down "cheap" and "sloppy" lights: 'Please don't take this personally'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 21, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Having an HOA board member as your next-door neighbor can definitely make you feel like you're constantly being watched. It seems like the kind of thing a homeowner should be made aware of prior to signing anything. Think of it as feeling like your boss is hovering over you all day every day, waiting for you to make a mistake. However, instead of this being in your office, it's in your home.

This Reddit thread was posted by a homeowner who received an aggressive email from their HOA Karen neighbor stating that she did not approve of their "cheap" and "sloppy" lights and implying that if they did not take them down, she would push for the HOA to get involved. Now, thankfully, the original poster was smart enough to check the rules and regulations to see if their lights violated their contract in any way. Of course, they didn't. This Karen just needed to be difficult in order to feel superior.

Keep scrolling below for the full email and to see how folks reacted in the comments section. For more stories like this, check out this post about a guy who got unjustly fired by his Karen employer.

Advertisement
  • 01
    "[Your lights] appear to be, for lack of better wording, cheap and sloppy"
    via Nikola Knezevic
  • 02
    My lovely neighbor and HOA board member Here is a great email i got from one of our lovely board members. The ccrs and acc rules do not require lights to be approved by the way. The lights in question were around 25 bucks a piece and higher quality solar lights.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 03
    just my two cents here. I walk the neighborhood a lot in the evening and see many landscaping lights. My husband and I recently installed some at the cost of $36,000 (for which we got ACC approval). Though I would never expect or assume anyone should spend this much, I do agree that we may need clarity in the rules.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 04
    I saw your lights recently. And again, just my two cents, but they appear to be, for lack of better wording, cheap and sloppy. I am so sorry to say this, but as a homeowner, I would hate to see that next to me. I think solar lights can be beautiful when installed properly (whether by a professional or homeowner).
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 05
    Please don't take this personally. I think your house is so amazing, and so gorgeous!! I think better laid/installed lights would keep it amazing.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 06
    interwebzdotnet .22 hr. ago Lol, somehow this person seems to be implying that their personal design tastes need to be incorporated into the HOA documentation.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 07
    warbeforepeace OP. 22 hr. ago The funny thing is i offered to write lighting guidelines. Instead they paid a lawyer to do it, who did it incorrectly. Now almost anything with lighting is unenforceable since 100% of the homes in the neighborhood violate the new standard. It went into effect several months after this email was sent.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 08
    Ballet_blue_icee. 21 hr. ago $36,000 for LIGHTS? Someone has too much extra cash or too little common sense.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 09
    warbeforepeace OP. 16 hr. ago The lots in this neighborhood are half acre but its still expensive.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 10
    VirginiaUSA1964 19 hr. ago $36k better be lit light. a football stadium
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 11
    Retired Yng 14 hr. ago Buy more IMMEDIATELY and place them all around the house.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 12
    warbeforepeace OP. 11 hr. ago I did something even more petty. I bought three govee curtain lights and put them in each of my front facing windows. I change the change the colors on the all the time. They cant regulate indoor lighting.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 13
    Speakinmymind96. 17 hr. ago What a bizarre email, and how inappropriate that she shares how much she spent on her lights...like who gives a f- k. She seems to be trying to use the HOA rules and her role on the board to regulate taste. If you aren't in violation of the CCR's, ignore her.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 14
    Street-Snow-4477. 14 hr. ago Total ple. Probably jealous of your gorgeous home and it's tasteful professional lighting lol
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 15
    warbeforepeace OP. 11 hr. ago She also has a chicken wire fence in the backyard. But apparently im trash.
    via u/warbeforepeace
  • 16
    Street-Snow-4477. 5 hr. ago Sorry OP. Your neighbor sounds miserable. Gotta wonder how many letters like that she's sent out to others over the years. You do you. That will aggravate her most!
    via u/warbeforepeace

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

karens hoa house neighborhood homeowner neighborhood-drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories entitled people karma karens in the wild entitled reddit thread Reddit karen entitled people
Scroll Down For The Next Article