'All flora must be HOA approved': Neighbors discover clever HOA workaround that lets them grow their favorite plants

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
May 27, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

HOAs rule with an iron fist, controlling even the tiniest of details. Home Owner's Associations (HOAs) are a thorn in the side of everyone who happens to plant themselves in HOA territory. Not every neighborhood has one, but the ones that do are able to spring huge fines on the residents. The group is known for fining people hundreds of dollars for parking in their own driveway, or keeping their boat outside where they can see it, or painting their house a slightly wrong shade of brown. Instead of tackling big issues, they're known to punish people who fail to bring in their trash cans immediately, and for going after kids who leave their bikes on the front lawn. 

Here we have a story of an HOA battle that seems minor, but does actually have bigger implications. This person just wanted to plant some plants, but they had to request permission from the HOA first. To be fair to the HOA, some plants are invasive species, while others grow super fast and are hard to get rid of (like bamboo or kudzu.) This person had their own workaround anyway: check out the full tale down below. 

Next up, these first dates went very badly, like one person who told his date she had to only "order off the dollar menu." 

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    Cheezburger Image 9927711744
    via Mick Haupt on Unsplash
  • 02
    All flora must be HOA approved I used to live in a suburban neighborhood. The houses cost a tiny bit more than the next neighborhood, so the people on the board/neighborhood volunteers thought they were better than everybody. They did things like adding a gate, which nobody wanted, to keep out the nonexistent burglars.
    via u/abigmisunderstanding
  • 03
    If you wanted to plant anything in your yard, you needed approval. Write it up, submit it, wait for the stamp. They could make you tear your landscaping out if you didn't.
    via u/abigmisunderstanding
  • 04
    One resident didn't like this, and submitted a form with all the plants they requested to cultivate. It was a long list of the specific names (the Latin names) of a bunch of weeds and invasive species. It was approved.
    via u/abigmisunderstanding
  • 05
    dolo724 Grandma and mom bought an HOA house in an arid state and were horrified at the requirement to keep up a green lawn. They put in a request, by mail, to change the lawn to xeriscape (think native, low to no water, low maintenance required) and waited for a response. No response was ever received,
    via u/abigmisunderstanding
  • 06
    or made, so they ripped out the short grass and gave it the "I'm living in a desert" treatment. The HOA complained, but their own rules allowed it.
    via u/abigmisunderstanding
  • 07
    ValkyrieKarma I've got some lovely Latin phrases they can say to the HOA
    via u/ValkyrieKarma
  • 08
    onfront It's beyond my understanding how any freedom loving American could live where a bunch of (HOA) Karen's can tell them how to live on their own property. Just boggles my mind.
    via u/onfront
  • 09
    Usakiia Depending on your state laws, native plants and trees are sometimes protected and can't be restricted by an HOA. Your master gardeners in your area are a great usually free resource to this information. -^
    via u/Usakiia
  • 10
    JaschaE Well, maybe he realy wanted to plant those. Maybe not in his own garden...
    via u/JaschaE
  • 11
    Zoreb1 Sometimes the rules were made by the builder and it is costly for the HOA to have them legally changed.
    via u/Zoreb1
  • 12
    9lobaldude Ignorance is bliss
    via u/9lobaldude
  • 13
    silentaba God, i have 200 square meters of easement out front that i wish i didn't have to water, mow and keep in decent condition., And i live on a roundabout. Wish i could rip up the lawn and let some native Australian bush grow.
    via u/silentaba
  • 14
    anshu_dipit A good malicious compliance would have been to send 50 different forms for different plants and species.
    via u/anshu_dipit
  • 15
    imameanone Cudzu. Grows 4 inches a day.
    via u/imameanon
  • 16
    tuppence07 I do not understand why anyone else, outside of your household, would have ANY say on what is in on your garden or premises.
    via u/tuppence07

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hoa plants house home owners association driveway floral latin petty flowers home parking
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