HOA fines homeowner $50 a day for painting his mailbox the color they told him to paint it, facing a total fine of up to $1550: 'Feels like they just look for ways to squeeze money out of us.'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Sep 7, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

You know that feeling. Sometimes it seems like you just can't win; you follow the rules, and they're just used against you anyway. When the rules have been written like this and are enforced by those who twist them to suit themselves, it really can feel like a no-win game.

This homeowner shared how their HOA had reached out to them to let them know that their beige mailbox needed to be painted black, so they obligingly went and got the paint and took care of it. They were surprised to find that, not two days later, they received a new notice in the mail citing "unauthorized alteration of property" along with a $50 fine. 

This was bewildering since the "alteration" had been made at their request. But it wasn't going to stop there; the fine was $50 a day until it was "corrected," and "correcting" the situation required them to submit a form that would take up to 30 days to process, meaning that the homeowner could be facing up to $1550 in fines. 

There's nothing fun about being stuck on the receiving end of perpetual fines when there's seemingly nothing you can do to get out of them. And this type of financial squeezing is the kind of thing that seems to be specially reserved for local parking authorities and HOA boards.

This HOA clearly thinks they're the Rolling Stones or something. If they wrote a hit song would go something like this:

We see a line of mailboxes and want them painted black. 
Now that you've changed the color, we want them painted back..

Advertisement
  • 01
    So the HOA here sent out a notice last month saying all mailboxes needed to be beige instead of black. Mine was black, so I went out, bought paint, and did exactly what they asked. Two days later I get a violation notice saying "unauthorized alteration of property" with a $50 fine. I called them and explained I literally painted it beige because of their letter, and the manager tells me I should've filed an architectural request form first and waited for approval. For a mailbox color change that
    via lorenz-nike
  • 02
    Now they're telling me it's $50 a day until it's "corrected," but when I asked what "corrected" means they said to leave it as- is but still submit the form and wait up to 30 days. Basically I'm being fined for not waiting for permission to follow their own rule. Feels like they just look for ways to squeeze money out of us.
    via lorenz-nike
  • 03
    Cheezburger Image 10550473728
    via Brian Patrick Tagalog briantagalog

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 04
    PenHouston I would be at the board meeting complaining about the property manager and getting the fines wave.
    via lorenz-nike
  • 05
    Fool_On_the_Hill_9 My guess is that your manager is an idiot and probably is acting on their own. Either way, your first step is to appeal the action to the board and hope common sense prevails. In the meantime, I suggest submitting the paperwork just to show good faith, in case your board is also filled with idiots.
    via lorenz-nike
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10550474240
    via Avi Waxman

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    lesterfazwazzle Eww gross. I hope it's just an internal dumb glitch for them and they waive all those fees once everything is in order.
    via lorenz-nike
  • 08
    guy_n_cognito_tu I normally like HOAs, but this is ridiculous. You shouldn't need permission to do.....exactly....what they told you to do. And, if they were going to insist on the architectural request form, then that fact should have been in the notice they sent.
    via lorenz-nike

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

Tags

hoa hoa stories neighbors neighborhood homeowner neighborhood-drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories terrible neighbors hoa drama Bad Neighbor neighbor hoa members
Scroll Down For The Next Article