One Redditor was forced to get inventive with their composting, which now has to be kept under the radar via a makeshift bucket system to comply with their local homeowners association's rules.
"HOA Doesn't Allow Composting," the user expressed in the post above the photo of their setup. "Luckily, my discreet bucket system works well."
Commenters in the r/composting subreddit reacted with mixed emotions, with some offering up solutions while others simply aired their grievances for HOAs.
"I'll never belong to an HOA," said one commenter.
"Definitely a dealbreaker," agreed another.
It's easy to see why — while home ownership is often seen as the pinnacle of independence and freedom to create your ideal residence, overly stringent HOAs can make this difficult. They often stand in the way of homeowners making eco-friendly, money-saving choices, choosing aesthetics above all else.
However you may feel about them, with nearly 30% of the United States population governed by one, they're quite hard to avoid, and this is far from the first time a homeowner has had to go to creative lengths to comply with (or secretly defy) the rules of their HOA.
One wiggled around their HOA's rules against rewilding their yard by finding a plant that aligns with their goals and the organization's aesthetics.
However, not every attempt ends in success. One homeowner received a court summons after a code violation for the mulch he placed in his front yard. While this is an extreme measure, it isn't unheard of.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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Yes 💯 By blocking actions like these, HOAs negatively impact homeowners and the environment. In the OP's specific case, composting provides free, nontoxic fertilizer for their yard while keeping food out of methane-producing landfills.
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Another Redditor jokingly commented, "The real solution here is to make a compost pile anyway and then compost the entire HOA." While that's pretty funny, the reality is there are tangible ways to combat HOA restrictions within your community.
For instance, a homeowner could search for state laws that may supersede the HOA. "[Composting is] an environmental benefit and saves waste processing space for the city. There are laws like this in Texas," another user commented regarding this solution.
While different from composting, another Redditor experienced a similar issue with his HOA pertaining to the installation of solar panels on his home. He successfully fought the organization by citing a law passed in his state — proof that this method can work in your favor.
That's not the only potential fix, either. There is plenty of guidance for those wishing to collaborate with their HOA to improve regulations and positively impact their neighborhoods. Sometimes, you have to solve the problem from the inside.
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