The HOA patrols are back out in force, ready to protect your neighborhood from things like trucks parked in driveways, or trash cans left outside on trash day. These heroic homeowners associations are always ready to save the day by… doling out large fines designed to stress families out. They're doing things like helping the victims of house fires. Wait, scratch that: they actually had the nerve to fine a family who had a house fire because they thought the place looked unsightly. Wow, it's al…

This homeowner has found themself in an infuriating predicament. They're being bothered by an HOA . Not their HOA. Just an HOA that keeps sticking its nose in this homeowner's business! There are a lot of people who feel that HOA-run neighborhoods are a complete no-go for them. When buying a home, they won't even consider living in a neighborhood that's run by the organization. Homeowner's Associations have gained a reputation for being money-hungry busybodies. Maybe you're thinking that that's…

If you're crafty enough, you'd never let something like a boot on your car's tire stop you. You'll have to have a devil-may-care attitude, plus access to some pretty powerful tools. This person knows that all too well, as they shared in a story to the r/AmItheA****** subreddit. Putting a boot on someone's car is no laughing matter. Instead of writing a ticket or even snapping a photo of the license plate to report to officials, this HOA decided to stop this dude from driving ! Now he wouldn't b…

When you're looking to buy property you're classically given advice by your older relatives that you should go around the neighborhood knocking on doors and asking people who live there what they think of the area. While sound advice it comes from an era long past where community was a staple part of everyday life. Nowadays you can go years without ever meeting the people living across the street so you probably don't care what they think of the area and, besides, who is honestly going to tell…

Watch out, folks! The Park Karens have reemerged for the summer season. This park employee worked for a small HOA management company and was tasked with cleaning up the local park so that it meets community standards. During his latest shift, he was collecting trash and leaving it for morning trash pickup, a process he was accustomed to as it followed said community guidelines. Well, this Karen was on her morning walk when she noticed the pile of trash and immediately accused the park worker of…

One HOA member apparently had nothing better to do with her time than police her neighbors constantly. Having a bad neighbor can be a giant pain. Some of them play loud music 24/7. Others love to leave for long weekend trips while their dogs bark and howl for hours. Some people are just inconsiderate of the others around them, and will park on the sidewalk or put up bright floodlights that keep the neighbors awake. But this person wasn't doing anything wrong when their HOA neighbor confronted t…

Why pay nothing to do whatever you want with your property when you can pay $70 a month to be told what you can and cannot do with your property?

Some people refuse to buy any property that's on an HOA-owned territory for reasons just like this. A Florida condo owner is wondering what to do after their terrible HOA decided it would nearly double the monthly dues! It's tough out here for a lot of Americans. You can work multiple jobs and still be barely scraping by. This person, u/BearlyGerry, is doing just that: working a full-time gig plus a part-time job on the side just to make ends meet. But their HOA ( homeowners association ) has d…

Imagine being the kind of personality who genuinely wants to live in a strict HOA neighborhood. We come across a ton of HOA stories on the internet, and rarely do we hear about one that current residents of the neighborhood actually like. The Redditor who shared this story even referred to it a “non-HOA HOA" in the sense that they only really enforced rules that applied to common areas. Other than that, people could do whatever they wanted with their homes (and it sounds like they really did).…

When buying a home, you face enough hassle without the HOA making it harder for you. But that's what HOAs are known for — making you miserable. This young couple relocated for work and rented the wife's father's vacation condo while settling in. They absolutely adored the place, and to their surprise, her father offered to sell it significantly below market value. While they suspected this generosity might be fueled by his desire for continued summer visits, they seized the chance to become hom…

“Tell them to sod off," quipped one person who was thrilled at this homeowner's HOA workaround . When you picture your dream home, maybe you imagine a big lawn for your kids to run around in. Maybe you envision a wrap-around porch where you and your friends can sip lemonade in the summer. Perhaps you dream of a home where you can decorate it in any color or style: your imagination is the limit. Well, you can forget most of your housing dreams the moment you move into any neighborhood run by an…

When your house is the only home in your entire neighborhood that doesn't belong to the HOA, you're gonna have trouble. The way that HOAs operate, it's no wonder that this resident got into such a mess with them. Your grass is never green enough, your lawn needs to be mowed, that flower pot isn't the right shade of grey, your garbage cans need to be two inches to the right, you're not allowed to have security cameras, your car needs to be parked in a spot that isn't visible… etc. There's always…

HOAs rule with an iron fist, controlling even the tiniest of details. Home Owner's Associations (HOAs) are a thorn in the side of everyone who happens to plant themselves in HOA territory. Not every neighborhood has one, but the ones that do are able to spring huge fines on the residents. The group is known for fining people hundreds of dollars for parking in their own driveway, or keeping their boat outside where they can see it, or painting their house a slightly wrong shade of brown. Instead…

It's always the little things that will end up biting you in the…

Some homeowners have mixed feelings about overly friendly neighbors. It can be nice to have a quick chat, ask them to watch your house when you're out of town, or stop over to borrow a baking dish. But how do you feel about neighbors who constantly find their way into your house unannounced? That's what this new homeowner has been dealing with for the past four months. He's realized he's surrounded by overly friendly neighbors who have no issue walking into his backyard for a chat or going insi…

Advice is one of those funny things—you should always listen to it when someone is willing to give it. But in giving it, you need to remember that not a lot of people are going to appreciate it—whether or not they need to hear it… and whether or not they asked for it in the first place. Of course, the people who are most in need of advice but refuse to listen anyway are just people who are determined to learn things the hard way. Ensuring that you've done the proper paperwork and taking necessa…