Homeowner frustrated after HOA makes bizarre claim: 'Costing too much'

Homeowners associations have received a bad rap across the country — from fighting over who is responsible for certain repairs to confronting people for planting gardens on their own property. These organizations have made homeownership much more difficult for those who simply want to design their homes aesthetically as they please or to implement architectural designs that may help them save costs on energy bills, such as installing solar. 

For one HOA homeowner in Southern California, that was precisely their experience. 

A member of their HOA board relayed that the large trees located around the housing complex were "costing too much money to water." The insinuation was that the HOA did not want to keep these trees up around the housing complex, the homeowner described with frustration in a Reddit post shared in the r/Arborists community. 

"Do trees this large need irrigation water?" the homeowner asked the subreddit. "Or is rainfall enough?" The original poster shared a picture of one of the large trees in question, which is situated directly next to a flight of stairs that leads up to what appears to be the homeowner's house. 

Many commenters understood the homeowner's frustration. 

"A mature established tree does not need that much supplemental water. Cost is negligible, especially compared to watering turf grass," one commenter noted. 

In addition to needing minimal water to survive, these large trees can actually benefit homeowners by absorbing excess heat outside of the house in the summer and acting as natural windbreaks in the winter. Removing these trees will weaken home insulation, causing heating and cooling costs to surge. 

Well-planted native trees also create more suitable habitats and environments for local wildlife and pollinators, which contribute to a stronger, healthier local ecosystem.

Planting a garden of native plants is another way to beautify your yard using low-maintenance options. Native plants require less water and upkeep than traditional grass turf, saving you time and money on yard work and water bills. 

If you live in an HOA property, however, you may need to consult with your HOA before you make drastic changes to your property. While HOAs are notoriously difficult to work with, homeowners have successfully changed HOA rules or found workarounds to restrictions. 

If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Making it look better 🌱 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰 Helping pollinators 🐝 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

In this case, however, it seems that a personal preference against these trees inspired the move to eliminate them from the housing complex. 

The OP explained that the HOA member they had spoken with about the trees had admitted to hating trees. "To me that's almost like saying you don't like dogs," the OP explained. 

"I would never trust anyone that openly says they hate trees," another commenter wrote.

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