I recently came across some really weird HOA issues
and wanted to share them with you. Mostly just for fun, but also to
reiterate how important it is to know the HOA laws before closing on a
property.
1. Can't park your car in your own driveway.
In Odessa, Fla., a resident was fined by his board for parking his
pickup truck in his own driveway because it wouldn’t fit in his garage.
Not our problem, the HOA basically told him before slapping him with a
lawsuit. After a protracted legal battle, he has since won the right to
park his car, but only after two years and $200,000 in legal fees.
2. Don’t plant too many roses.
While foreclosure is an increasingly real threat to homeowners, few
expect to lose their house based on gardening infractions. But that’s
exactly what happened to a Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., resident who planted
too many roses on his property. After $70,000 in fees, he lost his
legal battle against the HOA and ultimately lost his home to the flower
debacle.
3. Indoor drying only.
As seen in a Colbert Report expose, a Bend, Oregon, resident was
shocked by her HOA’s rejection of her outdoor clothesline. Her natural
drying method was dubbed a hazard, and they began levying fines that
totaled nearly $1,000. She eventually took down the offending line, even
after the Right 2 Dry movement got behind her.
4. No mothers-in-laws allowed.
If you’re a married man in Iowa, the government grants you a special
privilege: you’re allowed to bar your mother-in-law from your home.
While certainly useful to men trying to ditch their spouse’s mom, this
law does not extend to women.
5. Only use sanctioned paint.
What appears to be an inoffensive pale blue house has caused a stir
recently in one Georgia neighborhood. Unaware of his HOA’s rules, a
homeowner painted his house before having the color officially approved
by his board. And with a $25 per day fee levied every day his house
bares the offending hue, he’s already racked up $6,800 in fines on top
of legal fees.
6. No service dog for the hearing impaired.
A Fort Collins, Colo., HOA fined a hearing-impaired resident for
keeping Pookee, her Pomeranian service dog. The HOA even threatened to
put a lien on the property. All this despite the fact that Fair Housing
Act requires condo and home owner associations to make reasonable
accommodations in their procedures and rules to allow a person with
disability to reside in a unit. This includes allowing service animals.
Have an issue related to service animal? Contact your local HUD office or local or state human rights agency.
7. Don't use 'inconsistent' shingles.
As if it wasn’t tragedy enough when a plane fell out of the sky
destroying a Sanford, Fla., man’s home, his HOA then challenged his
rebuilding efforts. It threatened litigation because the shingles and
elevation in his new house’s plans didn’t match his neighbors’.
Bending the rules
If you fight the law, you may lose. But there are ways to work with the
restrictions of a HOA and still get your way. The first line of defense
is to make sure you understand the HOA or condo association rules
before you purchase the property.
If, after you move in, you’d like your home’s appearance to differ from
that of your neighbors, you’ll need to submit a “variance” form of
request. This request can be accepted or rejected at the board’s will,
so it's good to alert them early in your planning process. One tip to
gain HOA support? Understand the challenges and perspective of HOAs,
follow the rules to a tee, and offer to help them gain community support
for their initiatives. Maybe even run for office. If you can’t beat
‘em, you might as well join ‘em.
What’s the strangest local government or HOA rule you’ve ever heard of?
