When it comes to personal gardens, homeowners want to feel their space is respected and protected. Unfortunately, one homeowner found their prized blueberry bush destroyed after a landscaper made a costly mistake.
A Reddit post from a homeowner is making waves online, highlighting a landscaping blunder that has led to questions about responsibility. The homeowner shared a troubling incident where a landscaper mistakenly sprayed weed killer on their personal garden, killing the bush. This sparked a discussion about how HOAs handle such mistakes and what, if any, responsibility they should bear.
In the original post, the homeowner explained that their condo's garden is a "limited common element," meaning homeowners are responsible for maintaining their individual gardens, not the landscapers. However, the landscaper mistakenly sprayed near the condo, causing the bush to die.
The board member asked their fellow Redditors for input, specifically on how much responsibility the landscaper should bear in this situation and whether anyone else had experienced a similar issue.
The post quickly garnered responses from other people, many of whom noted that the landscaper may have misunderstood the scope of their work. One commenter suggested that landscapers — especially trainees — sometimes struggle to differentiate between weeds and intentional plants, adding, "Some landscapers can't tell raspberry from poison ivy or blueberry from nightshade."
The discussion also turned to liability. Some commenters argued that the landscaper should replace the damaged plant, while others said it depended on the HOA's rules.
"The landscaper is responsible to replace them," one user wrote.
While some Redditors were sympathetic, they also cautioned not to hold the HOA entirely responsible.
"No reason to crucify your HOA board about this," said one commenter, emphasizing that the board can't oversee every landscaping task. "If I were you, I'd just go buy a new blueberry bush and see if the HOA will reimburse you."
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Yes 💯 This certainly isn't the first time that a homeowner and their HOA have butted heads. In fact, HOAs across the country have landed in hot water not just for mishaps like this but for even more serious offenses — such as creating barriers to sustainable landscaping practices.
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When HOA rules restrict homeowners from making these updates, or just generally overstep boundaries, it hinders both the homeowner and the environment. As seen in this case, clear communication between homeowners, HOAs, and contractors is key to preventing unnecessary disputes — or dead blueberry bushes.
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