A group in Texas has banded together to fight its homeowners association, which has made a series of baffling, seemingly retaliatory decisions.
In the subreddit r/f***HOA, one of the homeowners shared how 72 households in the HOA decided to vote out the board.
Even though the percentage of votes was more than enough to remove the HOA from power, according to their bylaws, the Redditor said that "the HOA and property management refuse to acknowledge this vote."
Distressingly, the HOA then went on a spree that gave the community a makeunder.
"While we are waiting for a judgment, they have decided to remove all landscaping (10K worth of work) and destroy our basketball court … all while keeping these projects a secret," the OP wrote. "There was no vote or community involvement in these decisions."
They speculated that the HOA was either trying to "cover up some type of embezzlement by spending all this money" or "know they will be voted out and they want the new board to be bankrupt."
Other actions included installing intrusive cameras in the pool area and then shutting down the community space for "extensive repair" after residents issued complaints.
"It's obvious retribution for standing up against them [the HOA]," the OP said, noting that they "have even had to hire legal representation."
Millions of people in the United States are members of HOAs, and unfortunately, this Redditor's woes aren't out of the ordinary. Many homeowners or renters have gone to battle with their organizations over landscaping decisions, for example.
Rewilded yards not only save people time and money on lawn maintenance but also are a sanctuary for local wildlife and beneficial insects, such as butterflies and bees.
Many HOAs don't like native plants, however, because they don't conform to the idealized image of perfectly mowed grass lawns. In some cases, this has resulted in years of work being chopped down and threats of fines.
It's unclear which types of plants were destroyed by the HOA in the case laid out by the OP.
However, there seems to be no doubt that removing them has left both local wildlife and residents worse off — even raising the question of whether their absence will cause the formation of a heat island.
Commenters on Reddit were outraged by the OP's plight and encouraged them to keep advocating for their community.
"Just another example of why I will never live anywhere that is subject to a HOA," one person wrote.
"Call the attorney and ask the judge for an immediate injunction stopping all work from continuing," another person suggested.
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