HOA uproots 19-year-old's decade-old plants without warning, he considers suing them: 'I'll see what I can do to get my plants back'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2025 5:00 PM EDT
Man's arm in green shirt reaches down to pull up plants

 

This HOA was acting completely out of line by removing some 10+ year old plants from a resident's home! 

HOA neighborhoods are known to be nuisances to the actual residents — just ask this 19-year-old who was mildly infuriated to discover what his HOA did! 

Many HOAs will apply big fines to get little problems fixed. Like maybe you leave your trash can out for an hour too long, and the HOA doesn't like that, so they give you a $150 fine. What does that accomplish? Well, not much, except lining the HOA's pockets and making residents unhappy and a lot poorer. They'll do the same thing for lots of minutia: perhaps your home is painted the wrong shade of beige, or your plants are too bushy, or your car is parked in your own driveway, heaven forbid. HOAs are basically known for having the most inane rules in the world, and enforcing them with an iron fist. 

Still, this person's claim goes even further than usual HOA policies. They believe that either their HOA or their landscapers just completely uprooted the plants in front of their house! They shared photos, and I'm no plant expert, but those are some pretty ripped up plants that don't look like they could survive being replanted. It's an especially cruel thing to do: instead of giving this person a few weeks to replant them or risk a fine, they just took matters into their own hands. 

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  • Commenters urged them submit a strongly worded complaint to try and get their plants replaced. Let's hope they win their case, because this should never happen to any plant owners ever again. 

  • 01
    Woman in overalls and white shirt examines pink flower bunch in garden setting
    via A. C. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    'HOA/Landscapers removed my plants that have been here for almost a decade'

    Pale yellow house with pink flower bushes, white flower bushes, and neatly trimmed yard
    via u/KASGamer12

    Here's the before photo…

  • 03

    And here's the after photo!

    Cheezburger Image 10568704000
    via u/KASGamer12

    So they just left the plants there?! That's so disrespectful. 

  • 04
    Pale yellow house with pink flowers
    via u/KASGamer12
  • 05
    Didn't get any warnings or violations on my HOA app. They just randomly uprooted/kills the
    via u/KASGamer12
  • 06
    plants that have been grown for over a decade. A bit more than mildly infuriating.
    via u/KASGamer12
  • 07
    drowning... That could be a violation on their part. If those plants were there that long without a single notice, they essentially accepted
    via u/drowningini****s
  • 08
    them even if technically they were against the rules. If you want to fight it, you could probably win and be allowed to replace them.
    via u/drowningini****s
  • 09
    KASGamer12 OP Yeah I've submitted a complaint, I'll see what happens/if I can post an update
    via u/KASGamer12
  • 10
    GARGEAN Complaint? Fucking sue them for the cost of buying and replanting same maturity plants.
    via u/GARGEAN
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    Woman with braided hair touches flowers with gloved hand
    via A. C. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    KASGamer12 OP I should. Based on their response I'll see what I can do to get my plants back.
    via u/KASGamer12
  • 13
    Possible-Tangelo9344 I know there's tree law, maybe there's also bush law.
    via u/Possible-Tangelo9344
  • 14
    DredgenCyka Okay I looked it up and bushes can and sometimes fall into the broader scope of tree law. So OP should definitely get a consult with a tree lawyer. Just depends on the jurisdiction is the issue. For example, Arlington Virginia which is close to me, has ordinances that specify trees and bushes, where as some other county may not protect bushes at all. It really depends
    via u/DredgenCyka
  • 15
    Man in green touches plants
    via JSB Co. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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