As more and more residents experience the frustrations of a strict homeowners association firsthand, many HOAs are developing a reputation for being stubborn and unsympathetic in enforcing their regulations.
One Orlando mom, Ariel B. (@the_arielb), recently shared her own HOA horror story on Instagram and Reddit, recounting how she was fined and penalized when her five-year-old son was recorded swinging on the branch of a magnolia tree.
Shockingly, touching and swinging from communal trees isn't even prohibited by the HOA bylaws.
What's worse, the HOA president also accused the boy in question of throwing rocks in the local pond and generally participating in "noxious and offensive" activities without evidence — all via a cease-and-desist letter, without warning.
While the recorded footage does show the child playing on the magnolia tree, and while it's possible the boy may have skipped stones across the pond surface, there is nothing to suggest any damage or alteration to the tree or the community overall, especially not to the degree the letter suggested.
In addition to the letter, the family was charged a fine of $380 in legal fees for the HOA and has been on the receiving end of a range of HOA complaints ever since, seemingly in a targeted and vindictive manner.
"Since the tree 'incident', the HOA president has sent the mother numerous warnings about visible trash cans," Ariel explained in the Reddit post. "The mother noted that over 20 other homeowners store their cans in the same spot on their properties, but none of her neighbors are receiving similar warnings."
As HOAs prioritize the well-being and appearance of the neighborhood, it's not unusual for them to impose unreasonable regulations upon residents. In particular, many bylaws intended to preserve cohesion and uniformity within a community prevent homeowners from choosing eco-conscious, money-saving options for their homes, such as installing solar panels and upgrading to native plant lawns.
If you ever find yourself in the crosshairs of an unrelenting HOA, you can get involved directly by working to change the bylaws, helping make them more forgiving and environmentally open-minded for yourself and future residents.
Responses to the Reddit post empathized with the mother's situation and expressed some indignation at the absurd turn of events.
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No way 👎 "Bringing in a lawyer, getting a cease and desist letter … was a significant escalation," one commenter wrote. "Kind of like setting your house on fire when a can of Raid will do in getting rid of an ant problem."
"Wow just wow," added another. "Let kids be kids."
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