Homeowner slams HOA's treatment of elderly neighbor who violated rules: 'He spent an hour ... crying about it'

HOAs have done a lot of questionable things, but coming after a nice, old man and his flowers is possibly a new low.

A Redditor shared the frustrating tale to the r/texas community of how their 76-year-old neighbor's treasured Texas bluebonnets were cut down. In their telling, the HOA arbitrarily decided to enter his property, citing "excessive weeds" as justification.

The flowers were admired and appreciated by the neighborhood. They were even being used for professional photos by some residents, per the OP. Meanwhile, the rest of his maintained lawn was left untouched, indicating that just the flowers offended the HOA.

The well-loved neighbor was deeply affected by the loss.

"He spent an hour in his truck literally crying about it as he loved those flowers / the neighbors coming and seeing them/him," they wrote.

The emotional response is even more understandable the more you learn. Per the OP, the man still works a regular shift for city water and lives alone without pets. It's clear that the flowers provided an outlet to bond with his neighbors and demonstrate value to the community by showcasing the Texas state flower.

The HOA's decision left many questioning how to protect such native plants. Changing the HOA bylaws could be a way forward, but it often requires winning over residents. The OP said it was a "popularity contest," and they'd tried and failed before.

Additionally, local environmental groups might offer support in protecting native plants against HOA moves like this. Of course, these incidents involving native plant lawns are far from isolated to Texas. 

The HOA's moves in this case were especially brazen, which led to an outpouring of ideas from the community on how best to proceed.

"Get a reporter to do a story on HOAs and their excessive power," a commenter suggested. "The board should be publicly shamed."

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.

Along those lines, a user suggested using social media to amplify the story. Another user advised bringing in the legal system.

"Whether it violates rules or not, your HOA cannot walk/ work on your home property without your permission," a Redditor asserted. "It gets attention when the DAs office shows up at the HOA president's house to hand them an injunction." 

There was some pushback on jurisdiction. Ultimately, the OP revealed their next move.

"I'm reaching out to a local newspaper to see if they're interested in the story," they concluded.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.