'$750??? for a satellite dish??': Homeowner challenges HOA's $750 fine for their satellite dish that has been on their roof for 2 years, force the HOA to back down by quoting the actual federal law

There's always a bigger fish, and in this case, an HOA's overzealous enforcement of their own made-up rules over a homeowner's ability to put a satellite dish on their own roof came into direct conflict with actual FCC guidelines.

This homeowner received a $750 fine from their HOA for an "unauthorized exterior modification." This was specifically referring to a satellite dish that they had had sitting on their roof for two years without issue. It was almost as if some busybody HOA board member had just been out for a walk and decided to take issue with a sight that they had likely witnessed dozens of times.

The homeowner initially intended to pay the fine and move on, just to avoid the hassle of dealing with it. But they decided to quickly research the situation and discovered that there was an actual FCC rule that protected satellite dishes under one meter in diameter from HOA restrictions. Score! Brimming with confidence and motivation from the fact that this quick bit of research was going to save them a serious bit of coin, they decided to dig deeper.

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via Valeria Nikitina

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My HOA tried to fine me $750 for a satellite dish. I got it thrown out in 4 days.

via Current_Lab_1184
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via Rasta Gubaz

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When they went to review the HOA's own Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, they found that the HOA had not folllowed the proper notice procedures either. They had only received a letter 12 days before the fine instead of the required 30-day-notice period that was outlined.
Armed with this information, they sent a concisely worded letter to the HOA informing them why they would not be paying the fine. The fine was quickly removed, with the HOA quoting “courtesy."
Really, what the homeowner needs to do from here is proceed to go after the HOA and the board member involved for overstepping and violating not only federal law but also their own rules. They need to make sure that they set the record straight that it was not a “courtesy” to overturn the fine but a misuse of power. Otherwise, there is nothing stopping the HOA from doing the same thing again in the future.
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Current_Lab_1184
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via Getty Images

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

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