One Pennsylvania resident was frustrated over their homeowners association's inaction regarding a flooding issue that seemed to be clearly the HOA's responsibility.
"Last February, my property flooded, causing damage to my yard, water to infiltrate into my basement & it's still unknown that the damage has been to both my house's foundation & sand mound septic system," they wrote in a Reddit post. "... I found the direct cause. A storm water pipe on the road above me is aimed downhill in between both properties behind me. … The President of the HOA had come out one day with a member of the EPA or DEP. The president has told me in the presence of the government employee that the HOA will be installing a swale for resolution."
Unfortunately, no such project took place, and the original poster's property flooded again. "About an hour ago, 2 directors from the HOA came to see the still active flooding on my property," they said. "The one director was very guarded and kept insisting that since the issue was on my property, that I was financially responsible for resolution."
Sadly, HOAs are often reluctant to step up when their action or financial resources are needed to fix an issue with utilities, common areas, or flooding. Not only can this lead to costly property damage, but it can also lead to environmental damage.
In this case, for example, the repeated flooding could cause erosion, not to mention the accompanying pollution, as dirt and any pesticide or fertilizer from the yards involved is swept into local waterways.
Meanwhile, the fix is not complicated. A swale, like the one the HOA president initially proposed, is a low, marshy hollow that would gather the water and trap it before it could flow into the original poster's yard. This would give it time to soak into the ground instead of flowing over it, and it could even water a rain garden that the neighbors could enjoy.
Watch now: Is this common bathroom item making you sick?
"I'm hoping this time, something is actually done but I'm not getting my hopes up," said the original poster.
"Unfortunate that you can't remember which department it was that said it was the HOA's issue. First step is to get that in writing from the agency," recommended a commenter. "After that, you'd want to take that documentation to the HOA board (officially and in writing) asking for a reply on when they intend to fix the issue."
|
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
