One Florida homeowner was stumped when their homeowners association sent them a violation notice that they had no way to remedy — because it wasn't true.
They posted about their experience in r/HOA for advice. "I received two violations for 'dead grass,' but my grass isn't dead," said the original poster. "It's simply dormant in spots due to the unusually cold weather we had past couple months."
For proof, the homeowner shared not just any photo of their lawn, but the very photo that their HOA used to illustrate the violation. It shows a mostly green lawn with just a few yellow patches.
"I take good care of it and do all scheduled maintenance like fertilizer and watering," said the original poster. "In each of these infractions they took a photo a month apart and you can see it's getting better with added sunlight."
Unfortunately, this is a common story in HOA neighborhoods.
Not only do HOAs push for lawns over more economical and eco-friendly yard options like vegetable gardens and native plants, but they also put pressure on homeowners to use unreasonable amounts of water, fertilizer, and weed killer to keep an unnaturally green and uniform appearance. This results in water waste, even in times of drought, and can also wash excess lawn chemicals into local water sources.
Despite these drawbacks, this is a story that is repeated over and over across America.
Even in the original poster's neighborhood, they aren't the only ones being hounded by the HOA. "The entire neighborhood has gotten these letters with dead grass violation," said the original poster. "How can I prove to the HOA that my grass isn't dead?"
"Get your yard evaluated by the University of Florida. It's free. Provide the results to your HOA," suggested one commenter.
"If I was in your shoes I'd run to be on the board to be more reasonable," said another user.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
If you're in a similar situation, you may not have to take over leadership of the HOA to overturn a decision like this. Just follow the association's steps for changing the rules, and you can have a more reasonable set of neighborhood guidelines.
|
Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes 💯 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
