A frustrated Redditor is revealing the games that homeowners associations will play to prevent people from making reasonable changes to their dwellings.
In a post in Reddit's r/MmildlyInfuriating community, the homeowner wrote that they wanted to paint their house a new color, which the HOA initially said would be fine "as long as it wasn't too crazy."
The HOA specified that the house needed to be painted an earth tone. It shared an image of a color palette and told the homeowner, according to the post, that "we could use any of the colors in the red box."
The only problem? There was just one color inside the specified box.
The incident sheds light on the ways that HOAs across the U.S. have made it harder for people to make money-saving updates to their homes, from installing rooftop solar panels to planting native lawns.
Simply painting a house a different color can affect a building's heat retention. Because dark colors absorb light, people in cool climates can save money on heating by opting for cooler hues. Conversely, people in warm climates can keep indoor temperatures low by choosing warm, reflective tones.
The viral post, which garnered more than 38,000 net votes, struck a nerve among commenters, who shared their own tales of arguing with HOAs over house colors. Many suggested that the original poster learn the HOA's bylaws so they can prepare themselves to push back against the directive.
Others lamented the amount of control HOAs can exert over people's lives.
"I'm so glad my neighborhood voted to get rid of ours," one user wrote. "(And it wasn't even close, roughly 80% voted to dissolve it.)"
Another user rejoiced that they were "2 months free of the HOA nightmare we were in for 25 years.
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