One homeowner in a dispute with their Virginia homeowners association turned to Reddit for advice about how to handle what seemed to them a clearly illegal decision.

According to the original poster, they had applied to install solar panels and been rejected on what seemed to them to be invalid grounds. 

"I'm trying to handle this in a civil manner without a demand letter or one with civil complaint," they said. "Has anyone else in VA ran into this and circumvented it successfully?"

The OP quoted Virginia law, which says an HOA in the state is only allowed to completely ban solar panels if "the recorded declaration for the association establishes such a prohibition."

According to the original poster, their HOA's declaration said, "No solar collector shall be allowed without written approval from the Association," which they didn't consider to be a prohibition.

They also included an example from elsewhere in their association's covenants, which did constitute a ban, where the rule simply said, "No carports allowed." The obvious contrast illustrated their point, suggesting that the language used regarding solar panels was not a prohibition.

It's easy to understand why the OP is so frustrated, since this decision and the delay in installing solar panels are costing them money. Installing solar is one of the best ways to lower your utility bills.

If you'd like a quick way to get solar installation estimates and directly compare quotes online, use EnergySage's free tools.

Several commenters tried to help, including by drafting a letter that the original poster could send to the HOA. 

EnergySage's free services provide incredible value to homeowners by helping them save an average of $10,000 on their solar purchase. You can easily access its tools today, including its helpful map that provides state-by-state analysis of the average cost of a home solar panel system, along with details on locally available incentives to reduce that cost. 

If you're interested in adding battery storage to your solar setup, it can be an effective way to protect your home from power outages, save even more money on energy, and reduce your dependence on the grid. EnergySage can help with that, too, by offering competitive installation estimates.

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