Dad moves out after maliciously complying with his HOA's 22+ rules

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Jun 4, 2026 3:15 PM EDT

Why is this HOA steaming over the way this homeowner followed the rules?

Buying and upkeeping a home is a great pleasure in life. But many people purchase their homes, realizing they're in HOA neighborhoods, but not realizing how much the HOA rules will cramp their style.

When you first pay your HOA dues, you may already be wishing you never moved into HOA territory. Then, you get a fine for something like leaving your own car in your own driveway. You ask yourself how you could get a fine, hundreds of dollars, for something so small and fixable.

Then, you begin to plan what you'll do next, which is exactly how this father made his own HOA totally irritated with his creative evasion methods.

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Father and toddler daughter water backyard plants at their home in an HOA community, in a representation from models.
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Kids and father play with a beach ball outside of their spacious home and grassy back yard, as demonstrated by models.
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Want to have a pool party? Think again.

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Father and 3 daughters run and hold hands while enjoying their backyard in an HOA-run neighborhood, as 4 models display.
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The Station Wagon rule seems like it was made for just one specific person

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No generators? How strange

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Those would be helpful to have in a pinch, but the HOA says no way.
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Community pool and other amenities in an HOA community, as displayed in a depiction.
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Garage Sale day sounds kind of fun, but it's a shame the residents can't just have them whenever they please

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That is a handful of rules, and many of them seem so petty. Who care if you have a 3D printer in the privacy of your own home? What if you want to have a bird or a lizard as a pet? You can't even open your own garage door? Sheesh. Heaven forbid a homeowner enjoy their own property.
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Here are a few photos they shared, demonstrating their car's odd parking spot

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This is referring to the first rule, where the HOA expressed that they didn't like where that the Grandmother was parking her Audi

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It looks like they literally drove this thing to the back yard and let it sit there on that otherwise pristine lawn. Did the HOA dislike it because it was red? Or was this one of those HOAs that gets irritated when people park any cars in their driveways at all?
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People couldn't believe how silly these rules were

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Such an oddly specific set of rules.
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It truly sounds like an HOA President has it out for one specific neighbor

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Everyone else is subject to these ridiculous rules that someone created just to spite like, Robert from apartment 5A, or something. The specificity is just too great to be written off as common sense rules.
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This is an odd one because these cars are so rare that they're rather classy looking

via SeniorChiefPogi

Cars from the 1940-1950s tended to have this type of wood paneling, and it is most certainly not a trend these days. Someone who owns a car like that probably just keeps it to tinker with… and I imagine that's exactly why the HOA turned their nose up at it.
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In an increasingly uncertain world, this rule seems unnecessarily harsh

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I didn't even understand this rule the first time I read it

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Do they mean no stray cats? Maybe? I think they literally mean that you can't take your cat for a walk on a leash. But um, most cats don't even seem to like that. If anything, a lot of cats seem to love when their owners set up outdoor canopy tents with netting on the sides, allowing the critters to peer out at the bugs and birds, but still have the safety of their parents by their side.
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