HOA president threatens to sue grandmother for her 30-year-old garden: 'How dare she'

A garden can bring peace, beauty, and even unity to the person who tends to it and their surrounding neighborhood. But picky homeowners associations can sometimes get in the way of everyone experiencing those benefits.

This happened to a Reddit user's grandmother. The Reddit user went to an anti-HOA subreddit to share the frustrating tale. 

Their grandmother had originally received special permission to have her garden in the front. That exception was due to the unsuitable conditions in her backyard with excess shade and sparse amounts of sun.

The original poster said that the former HOA leader "gave her and only her permission to grow her garden in the front" for 30 years.

After a leadership change due to the original leader's retirement, everything changed. The new head, described as a 20-year-old college student, insisted that the garden be moved to the backyard. When the grandma protested, the new leader dismissed her concern.

Appeals about the health of the garden also didn't move the Gen Z HOA president. The OP's grandma continued to refuse forcefully and accused the new HOA head honcho of "being a youngster with her head up her a** trying to throw her weight around."

Unfortunately, the story concluded with the HOA leader threatening legal action.

This situation reflects wider challenges faced by homeowners in HOA-regulated communities. Across the country, HOAs have been known to limit homeowners from making eco-friendly updates like installing native plant lawns.

They've also stood in the way of residents enjoying natural features like gardens, flower bushes, and trees on their properties. That is despite their benefits from a health and environmental standpoint. 

For those looking to navigate such challenges, it's better to try to work with HOAs whenever possible as opposed to an immediately combative approach. In this case, though, it didn't seem like there was much the OP's grandma could do.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Online commenters supported the grandmother and had suggestions for a next move.

A user wrote: "Making her yard look beautiful! How dare she?!? For real, you'd think the HOA would be happy she's caring for her yard."

"Take to the news outlets," another suggested. "Let [the HOA leader] be outed for being a fool."

"She could possibly legitimately argue that by letting it go for that long that the HOA has given up the right to try to enforce the rule on her now," a commenter opined while suggesting they consult a lawyer.

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