One frustrated homeowner spent two years trying to get their homeowners association to address a mud puddle on their front lawn that was the HOA's responsibility to maintain.

The original poster complained about it in a Reddit post. "Basically, before my husband and I bought our house, we noticed a large, muddy area of standing water in a tree-covered spot on the front lawn," they explained. "The HOA president assured us that they would take care of it as it attracts mosquitoes and is unsightly."

However, the HOA reneged on that promise. "Almost two years later, nothing has been done," said the original poster. "Every time it rains, it turns into a marsh. After a day or two of no rain, it's perfectly dry. This is why it surprised me when I just ran into her outside and asked about the issue. She stated that she had had it evaluated (what? When?), and there is nothing anyone can do as it's a natural spring. I find this very unlikely as it's only wet after rain and perfectly dry otherwise. Where can I go from here?"

It is unfortunately common for HOAs to ignore what homeowners want in favor of what benefits the association. That can mean preventing gardening — despite all the benefits of a well-designed garden, such as improved health and lower costs for the homeowner — and it can also mean neglecting repairs and maintenance that should be the HOA's job. Flooding is one possible result. It can sometimes take a lot of work to change the rules.

Fortunately, as some commenters pointed out, all it would take is something like a French drain or a well-planned rain garden to fix the issue.

"Have a reputable landscaper evaluate it (not theirs) and see if a French drain would help, and if so, send an email to the HOA with the landscaper's estimate form," suggested one user.

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A French drain is a good alternative if there is a specific destination the original poster would like to direct the water toward, but if they would rather let the water soak into the ground without it flooding any other area, then a rain garden is better. This turns a marshy or low-lying area into an asset, with water-loving, deep-rooted plants thriving in the extra wet and helping it soak into the ground instead of running off. Many homeowners have installed these gardens with great success.

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