Living under an HOA can be exhausting since the committee is likely to enforce a number of rules that are either needlessly strict or prevent you from making beneficial changes to your home.
But when the area isn't run by one of these organizations and you still get reported for perceived infractions, it's difficult to know where to turn.
That's the experience of one Redditor, who took to the platform to detail their encounters with a nosy neighbor who continues to report them to the council, police, or other authorities for little to no reason.
On the r/neigborsfromhell subreddit, the frustrated homeowner detailed that they had been reported to animal control for "animal abuse" despite the fact that neither they nor their dog were home at the time.
They also shared that they had received city warnings for long grass and the presence of an antique car in the driveway that was awaiting repairs.
The former issue was particularly annoying, as the homeowner needed an area of long grass for a community scientist project for their degree. They described it as a "SMALL fenced area" that was "DEEP in my back yard."
They asked the Reddit community what they should do next, noting that they probably could not afford to install a privacy fence, and they were at their wit's end with the incessant complaints that could land them hefty fines.
"Personally I would talk to the city about this issue," one Redditor said. "It is time for this neighbor to stop wasting the city's time and money."
"Time to start returning fire," another suggested. "Go over the city citations and start calling in every minor infraction hell neighbor makes."
The complaints mirror some of those that homeowners in HOA communities seem to get regularly. Many have received warnings or fines for rewilded gardens that don't fit an area's regulations for monoculture lawns — despite the former being much better at dealing with flooding, great for biodiversity, and requiring much less water to keep looking healthy.
If this is something you're experiencing, there are ways to encourage an HOA to change bylaws for the benefit of all its residents. Whether it's growing native plant gardens or installing solar panels, a little preparation and patience can bring both environmental benefits and money-saving changes.
This resident might even wish they had an HOA, as such an organization may be less intrusive than their nosy neighbor.
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