Yet another homeowner has posted on Reddit about an ongoing battle with their homeowners association (HOA) over so-called "weeds."
Some HOAs will go to great lengths to keep a neighborhood looking uniform — including requiring residents to maintain manicured grass lawns. Unfortunately, grass is an incredibly thirsty plant that runs up the owner's water bill, requires regular mowing, and sprouts weeds frequently.
Not only that, but grass isn't great for the environment. It offers nothing to local wildlife, including pollinators like bees and butterflies, and the frequent use of weed-killer and fertilizer results in chemical runoff.
This Redditor said they solved some of those problems by adding clover to their lawn.
"I love my clovers and the bees that come with them, as well as excellent nitrogen for my soil," they said.
Unfortunately, the HOA didn't love the clover.
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"I maintain my half-clover, half-grass lawn religiously, and normally there isn't a problem, but just today I got a warning letter stating that I have 60 days to remove all the 'weeds' from my yard," the Redditor said.
There's no possibility that the HOA meant anything other than the clover, either. "I called and asked to clarify, and they said that the 'weeds' they were referring to were my clovers," claimed the Redditor. "He described my clover's flowers."
Following the HOA's mandate would be incredibly expensive. "Basically they want me to remove my yard and make it grass-only," the Redditor said.
On the other hand, ignoring the order would also become costly very quickly. "I really don't want to have to do it, but they warned me that in 60 days when the yard is re-checked by them, [if] the 'weeds' are still there, I get a $250 fine that doubles every 30 days after that until the issue is resolved."
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When the original poster asked for help fighting this decision, several commenters agreed that their choices depended on the HOA's rules.
"What do your HOA regulations state?" asked one user. "Therein lies your answer."
Even if the rules aren't on the original poster's side, there are still options to work with the HOA and make a change.
Still, many prefer to avoid the need from the beginning. "I can't imagine living in an HOA," said one blunt commenter.
Many others agreed. "No one should have the power to tell someone what they can or cannot do with their property," said one user.
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