A frustrated homeowner fed up with how their HOA was wasting money and resources turned to Reddit for advice.

In r/JustNoHOA, the original poster explained that their HOA requires front lawns to be grass. The OP, however, lives in a desert climate in New Mexico. 

Their city also encourages people to xeriscape, which is the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. The city even offers incentives for people to do so. 

The homeowner did re-sod their lawn two years ago after removing a tree. Unfortunately, after new landscapers came in, their lawn is now covered in spurge weeds, an invasive species. Since then, their lawn has "struggled."

They have been making appeals to their HOA to amend the rules on landscaping, but the HOA "will not budge."

"Has anyone had any experience reporting their HOA to the city or another route where a higher power can have more authority to push back and make changes?" they asked, adding they are also considering joining the board themselves.

HOAs have earned a bad reputation over the years for their demanding policies. They often force homeowners into expensive projects like being stuck with thousands in plumbing repairs. 

They also tend to block sustainable projects like vegetable gardens, solar panels, and native plant lawns. If it weren't for these blocks, homeowners living in HOAs could save some serious money.

A native lawn is generally one that tends to be drought-resistant. It requires less water to maintain than a traditional grass lawn. They can save you money on your water bill and time on maintenance. 

Native lawns attract wildlife like pollinators, which are essential for thousands of plants' life cycles. They can also create food security and keep our supply chains safe.

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Redditors in the comments were supportive of the OP's complaints. 

"That's just backwards," one person wrote. "Cities out here literally pay ppl to xeriscape and your HOA still stuck in 1985 lol."

Several encouraged them to reach out to the city and check if their rules override the HOA's requirements, and hire a lawyer if necessary. 

Another person encouraged them to comb through the state's HOA laws, noting, "Many times the HOA board does not know them and there may be a way to force a change."

As frustrating as HOAs can be, they are not omnipotent. If you live in an HOA, you can challenge the organization by getting legal assistance and joining the board yourself. Rallying your fellow concerned neighbors to present a larger case can help as well.

The OP was on board with the idea of presenting their case and joining the board, mentioning, "The board says they want more younger people involved, so we'll see if they actually do when they have pushback."

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