Homeowner devastated as HOA thoughtlessly greenlights unthinkable property change: 'It is only going to get worse'

A group of San Diego residents has been fighting an uphill battle with its homeowners association to protect mature trees. Now, it's looking to r/treelaw for help figuring out the next steps.

"Our HOA cut down 30 trees over 6 business days," said the original poster. "They have plans to cut down 72 trees. Most of the ones already cut down were 47 years old, were well established, drought resistant trees. The HOA has no plans to remove the stumps, no plans to replace the trees, and no plans to mitigate the slope erosion as a result."

The OP explained that the group has met with lawyers but is not finding much recourse. Suing is an option, but that would take time. Even if things turned around in the group's favor, it would take decades for new trees to reach the same level of maturity. The OP even talked about how this will affect home sales.

"We lost property values. We lost our curb appeal. Our development looks like a bunch of ugly boxes from 1977 now. It is only going to get worse if we can't stop them from cutting the rest of the trees down," they said.

HOAs often prioritize aesthetics over ecosystem health. They have cut down mildly inconvenient trees, enforced the use of wasteful grass lawns, and waged war on wildflowers.

Mature trees do much more than just look pretty. They're a cornerstone of ecosystem support for local wildlife. The shade they provide saves on cooling costs in nearby homes and reduces urban heat island effects. Their deep root systems help prevent erosion and mitigate flood conditions. They also improve air quality and sequester carbon. All those benefits depend on trees reaching a mature age, however.

The top-voted comment suggested calling the news to report the mass removal of full-grown trees.

"Call your local papers, any local campus papers, news radio stations, and news channels," said one commenter. "The more neighbors within your HOA that do the same will make this a larger issue that will bring a level of pressure the HOA board is likely to not withstand."

"But for real call the local news!" agreed another Redditor. "We're a green state and trees help with erosion, blowing dust, carbon, etc. This move shows your HOA is not aligned with the goals of the state."

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.

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