A concerned homeowner took to Reddit to express concern after their homeowners association (HOA) mandated they flood their lawn with an enormous amount of water amid a severe drought.
"There's a severe drought, they don't care," the frustrated user wrote. "They basically want to maintain the green color is their bottom line and all they care about."
In the U.S. alone, nearly 8 billion gallons of water each day goes toward "residential outdoor" activities, mainly landscape irrigation, according to the EPA — that adds up to approximately 3 trillion gallons of water annually. This pattern is especially troubling considering the worsening drought conditions across the country.
Still, HOAs are known to deliver tough repercussions for not following their rules, including yard upkeep. Average fines for such violations can range anywhere from $25 for first-time offenses to $200-plus for repeated infractions.
Multiple Redditors voiced opposition to these practices in the comments.
"HOA's are the devils work," one user wrote.
"HOAs are the only union I'm okay with getting rid of," said another.
"95% of the tyranny in my life has come from HOAs," added a third. "See if they'll concede with planting native plants or something like that."
Native plants — i.e., the plants that naturally occur in a specific area without the help of humans — are an extremely effective way of curbing your water usage and saving money on lawn care.
Since these plants have spent thousands of years in one area, evolving with the region and adapting to its moisture level, soil, weather, and wildlife, they need far less water, pesticides, and general maintenance than, say, traditional turf, which can cost a fortune to upkeep, especially in drier areas.
It is a common misconception that eco-friendly lawns look less polished than neatly trimmed turf. Companies like Yardzen are able to work within your region's specific climate to create gorgeous and natural outdoor spaces that can save you money, time, effort, and frustration when it comes to yard maintenance.
One Redditor, who claims to be an HOA president, also suggested bringing it to the association for vote: "if enough of your neighbors agree with you, you absolutely should insist on voting on a rule change."
"When someone in my association either complains to me about an existing rule or complains about something they think there should be a rule about, I tell them to bring it up at the next meeting and we'll all vote on it," they added. "I don't get to single-handedly make the rules; my job is just to enforce the rules that the majority decides on, and to make sure the building doesn't crumble."
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