An HOA can be the bane of a homeowner's existence, especially when it makes requests that are contradictory or unreasonable, which isn't uncommon.
One Redditor posted about their frustration with a homeowners association request in r/HOA, questioning whether it was just.
They explained that the homes in their neighborhood use well water for sprinkler systems and that the water contains iron, which stains the sidewalks.
"Recently we received a notice that we need to clean our sidewalks to remove the rust as part of the 'expectation to keep our properties.' My understanding is that the sidewalks are the responsibility of the HOA and the driveways are the responsibility of the homeowner," they wrote. "Thoughts on if I should be concerned with the notice that seems like a violation overreach?"
HOA guidelines are often overly restrictive, and in some cases downright confusing. In this person's case, there isn't much they can do about the water staining the sidewalk, as they don't control the well. They also shared that the HOA had done work on the paths in the past, which made it seem as if sidewalks were under their domain.
In addition to unclear rules, HOAs can feature overly controlling or, on the flip side, completely neglectful behavior regarding homeowners' essential utilities and public spaces. Oversights, including a lack of clarity in documents and guidelines about who is responsible for which spaces, can result in higher utility bills and worsen residents' quality of life.
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The original poster pointed out that consistently power-washing the sidewalk or spraying chemicals to get rid of the rust would not only damage the concrete but also the surrounding grass and plants as well as threaten wildlife. It would also be an excessive use of water, while the use of chemicals could contaminate the well water, worsening the issue and putting homeowners at risk.
Despite all that, though, Redditors were torn on whether the violation was an overreach.
"The HOA may have the responsibility to keep them maintained, but it is not unreasonable to ask homeowners to clean them if they are stained from the owner's water," one person offered.
Another disagreed and said: "That sounds like a waste of time and water to clean sidewalks so often, and to hurt the environment and ground water in the process! Perhaps ask the HOA to invest in a filter system."
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