'Update: I found a loophole!': Home owner shares their tactic to get around HOA "bald spot" ruling

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
May 28, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

"Tell them to sod off," quipped one person who was thrilled at this homeowner's HOA workaround. 

When you picture your dream home, maybe you imagine a big lawn for your kids to run around in. Maybe you envision a wrap-around porch where you and your friends can sip lemonade in the summer. Perhaps you dream of a home where you can decorate it in any color or style: your imagination is the limit. 

Well, you can forget most of your housing dreams the moment you move into any neighborhood run by an HOA, or homeowner's association. These groups are famous for their strict nature. They'd prefer to control every little aspect of the neighborhood, from what color your home is painted to the plants you choose for your front lawn. Why would that be their business instead of yours? Beats me. You're the one paying that mortgage, so until the HOA coughs up some cash, they shouldn't be making any demands. That's the unfortunate and high price one pays for moving into an HOA-run space. 

This person knows that all too well, but at least they scored a small victory. Check it out below. Then, have a laugh at these utterly bizarre divorce cases. 

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    BB BA MB
    via Daniel Helpiansky on Unsplash
  • 02
    What bald spots, HOA? HOA got on us for "bald spots" in our yard. Now they are considered Halloween graves. All we needed were dollar store tombstones. By the time the "20 days after a
    via u/Popular-Squirrel-103
  • 03
    holiday" rule kicks in for decorations, the grass seed would have sprouted through the soil.
    via u/Popular-Squirrel-103
  • 04
    UPDATE: I FOUND A LOOPHOLE! I planted bluebonnet seeds (the state flower) with the grass seed. We are required to mow our lawns with the exception bluebonnets present. It's
    via u/Popular-Squirrel-103
  • 05
    the only "weed" they would permit. Come spring we are going to be the lil house on the prairie!
    via u/Popular-Squirrel-103
  • 06
    CaptainPunisher Did it specify which holidays? If not, change them up for all the most menial holidays: arbor day, veteran's day, Thanksgiving, armistice day, Chanukah, Christmas, jeans Kwanzaa, etc... Make sure you never have more than a 20 day gap between "holidays". Look at Hallmark's list of holidays if you need ideas.
    via u/CaptainPunisher
  • 07
    Infamous-Ad-52... Anything in the rules prohibiting you from discing the entire yard and re- seeding? Or getting rid of lawn and going to a rock garden with native grass "to conserve water" or to "provide natural habitat for birds, bees?"
    via u/Infamous-Ad-5262
  • 08
    ImTooTiredForT... Nah. Leave the tombstones up for Christmas. Just put lights on them for a Nightmare Before Christmas.
    via u/ImTooTiredForThis_22
  • 09
    CoderJoe1 Ha, tell them to sod off.
    via u/CoderJoe1
  • 10
    Silly_DizzyDazzle I live in a HOA and they were bothering my neighbor about his grass not growing under a large shade tree. So he would spray paint his dead grass green once a month. I proudly stood watch ready to yell "car" in case anyone one drove by while he was spraying. HOAs !
    via u/Silly_DizzyDazzle
  • 11
    wireswires HOAs sound like a complete nightmare OMG, what a waste of energy having to deal with so many petty rules regarding the upkeep. of your own property. Sorry, someone complaining about bald spots in a lawn is so petty, this post really triggered me.
    via u/wireswires
  • 12
    randomnumber7... Bald spots in october? I guess we force grass to grow in the winter now. (assuming north hemisphere since halloween)
    via u/randomnumber734
  • 13
    whoozywhatzitn... Get some nice ground cover like clover or moss or something. Won't need to mow it, it doesn't grow that high and you don't have to water it as often.
    via u/whoozywhatzitnow
  • 14
    Rabid Dingo Any bald spots on HOA maintained areas? Take pictures and say I'll fix mine. after you fix ours.
    via u/Rabid_Dingo
  • 15
    Godnessy4 America is rly messed up with this HOA stuff, bald spots on the grass? do you get a ticket if your window is slightly open? if your tree isn't green enough?
    via u/Godnessy4
  • 16
    shwm8507 Realtor to me when looking for a new house. I have a lovely home in a gated co.munity with a reasonable HOA Me to my wife in front of Realtor we need to find a new realtor. We left.
    via u/shwm8507
  • 17
    PacificTridentGl... You could have gone creative with holiday decorations and held onto that seed for a while.
    via u/PacificTridentGlobel

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hoa plants house bald halloween home owners association driveway ground home dirt parking petty
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