Botanist moves from Los Angeles to a quiet townhome, gets fined by HOA for having "too many plants," then they destroy her rare succulent collection, driving her to move out as she vows never to live under an HOA again:'I found my collection hacked apart'

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Nov 14, 2025 8:00 PM EST

Moving across the country can be daunting, but there's something truly comforting about taking parts of your old home with you. For this woman, it was her plants, a botanist with a passion for greenery and florals. Moving from LA to a small townhouse felt like a big change, but she was excited for some peace. The best part? A front patio with just enough space to display her collection of succulents…A need for any botanist…She had been collecting plants for decades, and besides her 10-year-old son, they were her prized possession. 

However, a few weeks after moving in, it started to seem as though her neighborhood's HOA didn't feel quite as fond of the plants as she did! She soon received an email from them, stating that she had "too many plants". What does "too many plants" even mean? Days later, she came home to find that her patio garden had been ripped to shreds…roots pulled, petals torn…her succulents, completely ruined. All done by a gardener. Sent by who? Well, you guessed it…every homeowner's worst nightmare…The HOA. Her demanded explanation was met with countless excuses, until she finally decided that she couldn't accept a community that didn't accept her. 

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  • The excuses were almost laughable…clearly a last-minute orchestrated fib to try to diffuse the fire. But this woman wanted them to suffer for their actions, threatening to sue if they ever touched her plants again. Something that is meant to symbolize shared beauty for everyone has now become a symbol of dispute in this neighborhood. 

  • Gardener cutting plants
    via welcomia

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

  • HOA destroyed my rare succulent collection because I had “too many plants”

    When I left Los Angeles after fifteen years of petty theft, grime, and constant noise, I thought I was finally finding peace.
    via DahBotanist
  • I rented a townhome in what seemed like a clean, safe neighborhood, perfect for my ten- year-old son and for working remotely.
    via DahBotanist
  • The kitchen was huge, the kind of place where I could finally spread out and cook again.
    via DahBotanist
  • Out front was a patio area where I could display my lifelong collection of succulents. I'm a botanist and plant collector, and some of those plants were over twenty years old.
    via DahBotanist
  • Brightly colored aloes and agaves, all in hand- thrown Italian clay pots. The HOA rules said we could have plants in front of the unit as long as they were alive and didn't block anything, so I set them up with care.
    via DahBotanist
  • Woman gardening on her patio
    via truecreatives

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

  • Neighbors often stopped to admire them or ask questions. For a while, everything felt right. Then came the first warning.
    via DahBotanist
  • The HOA fined me $50 because my ten-year-old son couldn't lift a heavy trash bag into the bin.
    via DahBotanist
  • They said they had video evidence. That's when I realized the entire place was under constant surveillance, cameras pointed everywhere, even catching him playing with a soccer ball outside.
    via DahBotanist
  • A few months later, got an email saying I had too many plants. That was the violation.
    via DahBotanist
  • Too many. I replied with a full breakdown of the species, explaining that they barely used water compared to the fruit trees and vegetable planters other residents had.
    via DahBotanist
  • Two days later, I came home to find my collection hacked apart. Rare agaves and aloes that had taken decades to grow had been cut to pieces by a gardener the HOA sent without my consent.
    via DahBotanist
  • When I demanded an explanation, they said the gardener "misunderstood" directions, then tried to claim the space outside my door was community property.
    via DahBotanist
  • It wasn't. It was the frontage of my rented unit, with no easement or sidewalk. I told them that if they ever touched my plants again, I'd take them to court and sent them an estimate for the damages.
    via DahBotanist
  • Worried woman reading a text message
    via maksym-povozniuk

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

  • They went silent. Months later, when wildfire ash covered everything, I heard a familiar sound outside.
    via DahBotanist
  • The same gardener was back, blowing ash into the air with a leaf blower despite a city ban.
    via DahBotanist
  • I ran outside, told him to stop or I'd call the police. He turned it off right away, said he thought it was stupid too, but was told to do it.
    via DahBotanist
  • That was the last straw. I moved out. Now I live in a duplex where my landlord actually appreciates my collection and the water isn't so full of chlorine that it hurts the plants.
    via DahBotanist
  • What I learned is simple: HOAs are a waste of time. They exist to control, not to build community.
    via DahBotanist
  • I'll never live under one again.
    via DahBotanist
  • OkBite 1184 I mean, it's an HOA. They make rules for YOUR property. You kind of signed up for the silly shit, unfortunately.
    via OkBite1184
  • OP DahBotanist Renters typically don't sign or join an hoa, the property owner does that, but you're expected to abide by the rules as far as I know
    via DahBotanist
  • LupinusArgenteus Should've fought back and sued them. Now they'll just keep walking all over the people there
    via LupinusArgenteus
  • mistertheory I am really sorry to hear this happened to you. I don't know what is wrong with people when they think they should be able to control every action (almost every breath) of people in their HOA. They suck big time........
    via mistertheory
  • samanime Yup. They should have absolutely taken them to court, naming the HOA and individual members of it as defendants. That was a fight that should have been had.
    via samanime
  • Trivi_13 Definitely should have pursued destruction of property.
    via Trivi_13
  • MattCW1701 I'm still stuck on the $50 for your son not being able to lift a heavy bag. What happened there? Is there now a strength requirement in HOAs?
    via MattCW1701
  • Funkopedia Wish you would have sued them, or perhaps even the individual responsible for that, cause i can almost guarantee it was masterminded by one nut.
    via Funkopedia
  • Dull-Geologist-8204 That's a them probem.that takes time and money a lot of people don't have.
    via Dull-Geologist-8204

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sue hoa hoa stories neighbors gardening neighborhood askreddit neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories horrible-neighbors flowers fines entitled expensive Reddit botanist entitled people
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