Entitled HOA board members force non-HOA neighbors to pay toward public maintenance

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  via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

  A homeowner goes through contract negotiations with the local HOA.

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

• Surrounded by HOA

  
  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil

• Here's where the author and their family went wrong. By opening up negotiations with the HOA, they might be giving these guys mileage and loopholes to fine them down the road (pun intended).

  The author seemed to be aware of this, at least somewhat. For instance, they mentioned the degree of worry they had about specifying that they can in no way become part of the HOA, even if they contribute some funds to the public road that they themselves occasionally use. 

  Still, what this family may not realize is that the public road fine is a means to an end. These board members don't really care about whether or not this couple drives down the road that they funded. What they care about is an excuse to get more and more money from them. In other words, this road would just be the beginning.

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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Unsplash+ (Ahmet Kurt)

  Traffic officers place orange cones on a public road that the HOA is funding.

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

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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Avi Waxman

  A series of identical white and red houses in an HOA neighborhood.

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

• Clearly, this story struck a chord with several members of this online community. Their intense response to the couple opening negotiations with the HOA board likely reflects their concern for their future in the neighborhood.

  Not only is it possible that these commenters have found themselves in similar situations, but it's also equally plausible that they have had other experiences beyond HOA negotiations that remind them of this predicament. For instance, negotiating contracts with your employer can easily apply to this same scenario. If you don't protect yourself and ensure that you are protected in writing, then you might not be immune to being manipulated by folks like these HOA board members.

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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil
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  via Robyn-Gil

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