A prospective homebuyer in New Jersey turned to Reddit for advice after their homeowners association's rules placed one of their top priorities for buying the property in jeopardy.
The thread, posted to the r/solar subreddit, explains the situation. The association's restrictive rules about rooftop solar panels appear to conflict with state law.
"I am trying to figure out how restrictive such HOA practices are and if I should proceed or pull out of the contract. Solar is a big part of my decision to buy property this has now left me conflicted," the original poster wrote.
It's a scenario that plays out across the nation: a homeowner's wish to install eco-friendly upgrades encountering obstacles from an HOA. It can be frustrating to see arbitrary aesthetics stand in the way of progress, but fortunately, the law is usually on the homeowner's side. For those living in areas without legal protections, there's still a way forward.
With thousands of savings on energy bills on the table, it's a legal battle worth fighting. Once the path is open, figuring out the best option can be confusing. TCD's Solar Explorer can help take the guesswork out of the process. To really max out those incentives and compare quotes from vetted installers, one Explorer partner — EnergySage — has all the information you need. If those upfront costs are prohibitive, Palmetto's LightReach program makes finding the right lease simple.
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One of the responses noted that the board may still have the right to insist the poster explain themself in a letter and offered some counsel about how to approach it: "You could write them a letter with a bunch of dollar figures. It's not reasonable that you spend wildly out of pocket each month to maintain the look of the building."
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