Navigating the rules and policies of a homeowners association is notoriously challenging, especially if you are a renter of a home that is a part of an HOA.
In a post on Reddit, a renter in Northern California shared a story about a surprise visit from a group of workers who entered their property to complete HOA-sanctioned work. These workers used the original poster's water and electricity to complete their project.
The user expressed surprise over this work and utilization of their resources and asked, "Do I have a right to have the landlord reimburse me for the water and electricity the workers used?"
They wondered about their rights in this situation, as the landlord did not warn them about this work and the use of their utilities.
Complications with HOAs have been popping up across the country as there are numerous situations that expose how HOAs are controlling and infringing upon residents' resources and rights.
Many of these instances have shed light on unfortunate environmental consequences where key resources like water and electricity are wasted, and there are impacts on the natural ecosystem of a property.
In this situation, the OP's utilities were used without their consent or foreknowledge, and they might have faced higher utility bills that they are unsure of how to address.
In response to the original post, one commenter suggested to "Turn the electricity, and the water, off," as they believed addressing the issue head-on may result in a more fair result than negotiating a payback from the landlord after the work is completed and resources are already used.
Another similarly suggested to "report it to the HOA, and then cut off the power and water." By doing a quick review of this post's comments, you can see that many others have faced similar situations where their resources are getting used without their permission.
HOAs may seem like an impossible space to see positive change, but you can take positive action to fight for fair treatment.
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