Homeowner stunned after security camera captures neighbor committing destructive act: 'I am heartbroken'

A Redditor received support online after sharing how a neighbor destroyed their native plant garden, a brazen act the Redditor caught on camera. 

"Last year as I was recovering from a serious illness, I spent hours redoing our garden beds with beautiful native plants from a specialized nursery," the original poster wrote. "Today our neighbor came and cut everything down/tore out all of it. Every single native plant. I am so grieved." 

Redditors rushed to the comments to express their dismay and share their condolences. 

"I am so sorry this happened," said one commenter. "I can't imagine the frustration and hurt. Hopefully you can rebuild and protect your garden."

"Some people really hate wildflower gardens," a commenter chimed in. "It offends their sense of order."

Regardless of the neighbor's reasoning, the impact on OP was the same. 

"I am heartbroken," they said in the comments.

The Redditor's situation reflects a broader trend: homeowners being unable to make environmentally friendly, cost-saving modifications to their property without facing significant blowback from neighbors or homeowners associations.  

For example, one HOA told a homeowner that they needed to seek approval prior to purchasing an electric vehicle, despite the homeowner paying their own power bill and owning their home's wiring.

Another HOA demanded that a homeowner remove "dead plants" from their yard when the homeowner, in fact, had a xeriscaped yard with thriving native plants.  

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Thankfully, many states have enacted laws that limit an HOA's authority to prevent such modifications, which save money on water and energy bills while conserving resources. In California, for example, the Solar Rights Act prohibits HOAs from banning solar panels outright, allowing them to impose only "reasonable" restrictions.

With one-third of American housing existing within some form of community association, per the Foundation for Community Association Research, HOAs are unlikely to go anywhere any time soon. However, there are ways that you can change your HOA's bylaws to allow for resource-conserving, budget-friendly modifications.

As for dealing with an unruly neighbor who was willing to trespass and destroy OP's property, Redditors, as usual, had thoughts. 

"[It's] up to you, of course, but I would file a police report," said one Redditor. "[T]ry to get compensation for what they destroyed."

"Small claims court," suggested another. "You go down there, fill out a form with your complaint and $$ losses and you get justice. No lawyer needed." 

Neighbor opposition aside, planting a native garden or rewilding your yard is a great way to lower your water bill and landscaping costs while providing food and shelter for local wildlife, from pollinators to birds to small mammals. Creating a more natural yard can even benefit your family's mental health, too.  

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