Homeowner outraged after condo association blocks simple home upgrade: 'They may be liable for injuries'

One homeowner ran afoul of their condo association when they tried to do the right thing for their bank account and the planet but did it the wrong way.

This Massachusetts homeowner posted about their dilemma in the r/legaladvice forum: "We have recently purchased an EV and would like to charge it from our home."

Depending on the condo or apartment, this would not normally be a problem, but the original poster was experiencing some confounding factors.

"We do not have a covered garage and park the cars in front of the unit (we have our own dedicated assigned parking spots outside each units)," the OP said.

Without the shelter and privacy of a garage, the original poster tried to charge their car by running a cord from the vehicle to the condo window. But the condo association vetoed that plan.

Homeowners associations and condo associations are known for preventing money-saving and green home improvements of all kinds, and many have tried to stand in the way of electric vehicle adoption. Some residents have had to change the rules just to get an EV.

Watch now: AITA for refusing to pay my HOA for destroying my garden?

However, in this case, the condo association is the reasonable party, as commenters pointed out.

"Running a cable across the path is a serious tripping hazard," one user said. "They may be liable for injuries there and if so they have a very good reason to disallow this. (The other possibility is that you'd be liable for injuries, which is a reason you shouldn't do this.)"

However, they also offered a solution. "It is possible to bury a cable from your house; under the path and have a charger pop out on the grass strip," they said. "See if your HOA will let you do that. It is more expensive than an extension cord, but it's the right way to do this."

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