How HOAs Are Taking Over and Ruining American Neighborhoods

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Homeowners Associations (HOAs) are often marketed as protectors of neighborhood order and aesthetics, providing clean streets, well kept yards and vibrant communities. To many they are an opportunity to live in harmony unfettered by the chaos of mismatched paint jobs and unkept lawns. As they say the devil is in the details. HOAs may have perks, but they also have the power to be stifling in ways that are far from supportive.

More and more neighborhoods are being swept up by HOAs across America, and not everybody is happy about it. Sometimes, though, the system overreaches and residents feel less like homeowners and more like tenants in their own homes. HOAs are changing neighborhoods, and sometimes for the…worse.

Unreasonable Rules on Property Appearance

White Houses in estate — Photo credit: Eziz Charyyev/Pexels

Some HOAs have strict rules about what your home should look like, what color your front door should be, what type of flowers can be in your garden. Uniformity is nice, but these demands can sometimes be taken too far, forcing homeowners to live a paint-by-numbers life. These rules are all in the name of preserving an HOA’s vision of beauty, but they’ve crushed expressive individualism.

Skyrocketing HOA Fees

Woman Counting Money and Paying Bills with Sadness — Photo Credit: Karolina Kaboompics/Pexels

You can feel like paying HOA fees is some kind of monthly ransom. The start price that is so modest can grow into something you can’t manage. Residents often find themselves wondering where their money is going, considering these fees can rival a small mortgage payment.

Overstep Into Personal Privacy

Picture receiving an email that a surveillance drone saw you leave your trash can out too long. In some HOAs, they even monitor the security footage and police the residents’ activities. More HOA-governed neighborhoods are now using security systems that can track who is in the neighborhood. People can feel like they’re under a microscope in their own homes.

Control of Community Spaces in Rigid Way

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Many HOAs have an iron fist on communal amenities, from swimming pools to clubhouses. Would you like to throw a birthday party in the neighborhood park? You will need approval and a good fat deposit. Residents have shared stories of being denied access to these spaces for petty disagreements or alleged rule violations.

Aggressive Enforcement of Rules

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HOA boards can be hall monitors of adulthood. Their enforcement tactics have always been basically punitive: threatening to pull the trigger on legal action over all manner of minor infractions, to the point of issuing fines for lawn grass which grows an inch too tall.

Renters and Non-Owners Disputes

Renters are looked down upon by HOAs. Others slap on additional fees, or limit how many homes in the neighborhood can be rented out. While their reasoning might be to keep the property values up, these policies foster unnecessary tension and make renters feel unwelcome.

The Finances Are Not Made Transparent

"22 Common Gripes Homeowners Have with HOAs" — Image Credit: AndreyPopov/Deposit Photos

Have you tried finding out where an HOA’s money goes? It can feel like unraveling a mystery novel. Sometimes boards are opaque about financial decisions and residents are left in the dark about how their hard earned fees are spent. A lawsuit in Florida showed that one HOA had pilfered funds for years, tearing at the trust residents had for their HOA.

Unfair Voting Practices

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Elections to the boards of these HOAs often boil down to a popularity contest rather than a democratic process, as these boards are typically run by a small group of board members. Some boards control voting rules so that it is difficult for new voices or dissenting voices to be heard. The lack of fair representation can result in policies which better the few to the detriment of the many.

Battles That Drain Residents Legally

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When disputes get out of hand, HOAs are the first to hire an attorney. Meanwhile, residents may not be able to fight back. These battles can put families through the ringer emotionally and financially.

The “One-Size-Fits-All” Solution

Quite often, HOAs make blanket rules that do not take individual circumstances into consideration. Do you have some medical reason for needing a pet or taller fence? Too bad. However, this rigid approach can make the very place to relax become the source of constant stress.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.