Living under a homeowners association means that you sometimes have to contend with tricky politics, annoying hassles, and occasional fines. One homeowner asked for advice on how to handle a slightly sticky situation when their HOA denied their request for a submeter for their electric vehicle.
The HOA subreddit is a place for homeowners to get advice and commiserate about dealing with their local overseers. There are plenty of benefits to HOA dues, according to Investopedia, including trash pickup, snow removal, and potential community amenities.
However, they can make it hard to make eco-friendly choices. One homeowner learned this the hard way.
The Reddit post details the predicament after trying to take advantage of an incentive from their electric company. They explained they get a 50% discount by tracking the electricity used to charge their EV, but a submeter was required.
"The submeter sits right next to the main meter on the exterior of the house and requires an HOA approval. My HOA took 3 months to get back to me that this was denied. Never did I think it would be denied and went forward and already had it installed. … I'm not sure how to proceed," they said.
Now, the original poster is seeking advice on how to handle their dilemma — do they confess and face punishment, or do they keep their mouths shut and hope for the best?
HOAs can wield a heavy hand with punishments; folks have been fined for having flower beds that were the wrong size and for not keeping enough greenery during a drought. Many people who wanted to install solar panels have been denied or fined, and some have even taken legal recourse against their HOA.
Folks on Reddit had plenty of advice on how to handle this situation.
One incredibly helpful commenter wrote a lengthy paragraph with their suggestions: "Write the power company, with copies to your state legislators, on new laws protecting and helping all consumers to help save energy by the best means possible."
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yards?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes — it's part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme circumstances 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Just leave it up and don't worry about it," suggested another person. "Nobody who is doing a compliance check for code compliance is going to have any idea what a sub meter is."
Someone else felt that the HOA taking three months to respond could mean auto approval: "Check your paperwork, is there a time limit on approvals/disapprovals? I've seen statements where if something is not timely disapproved (like 30 days), it is approved."
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