lanepaige+Follow the $1,200 fine for a wheelchair ramp A daughter wrote me about her mom’s townhouse. After a surgery, they installed a small wooden ramp over the front steps so she could get in and out safely. Two weeks later, the HOA issued a violation: “nonconforming exterior alteration.” They were told to remove it or pay $100 per day. When they asked for a temporary accommodation, the board replied that ramps must be “architecturally harmonious” and approved in advance, with drawings and a $300 application fee. They sent photos, doctor’s notes, and offered to paint the ramp to match the trim. The fines kept coming. Safety wasn’t the debate. Aesthetics was. #House #HOA 174209Share
lanepaige+Followcommunity standards or taste policing? A lot of “rules” are really aesthetics: paint swatches approved in 2004, a maximum planter height, a ban on visible solar panels. Boards say it preserves property values; homeowners say it freezes a neighborhood’s taste in time. I read submissions where families get punished for color, texture, or a seasonal decoration — and praised when they copy the board’s style. That’s not safety or maintenance. That’s taste enforcement with financial penalties attached. Whose taste gets to win, and why does losing cost money? #House #HOA 00Share
lanepaige+Followwhen dues feel like a second property tax Dues go up. Special assessments appear. Services don’t seem to improve at the same pace. Homeowners tell me they pay more every year for the same pool hours, the same landscaping, the same newsletter. Unlike taxes, there’s no independent auditor knocking, no public budget hearing at city hall. Miss a payment and the consequences can look the same: escalating fees, legal letters, even the threat of foreclosure. Call it a fee if you want. When there’s no opting out, it behaves like a tax. #House #HOA10Share
lanepaige+Followhoa power with no off switchI keep hearing versions of the same story: homeowners feel like they own the house, but not the rules that govern it. HOAs can fine, place liens, and drag people into court over “community standards.” None of that requires city council or a judge to approve first — it starts with a board meeting most residents don’t attend. If your board and management company decide to get aggressive, what’s your real escape hatch? Selling the house isn’t an “appeal,” it’s surrender. We call it community self-governance. It often functions like a mini government you can’t vote out. #House #HOA10Share
lanepaige+Followneighbors spying for the HOAOne of the biggest complaints I hear isn’t even the board itself. It’s the neighbors who act like spies. Homeowners describe people taking photos of their yards, measuring grass height, or timing when cars are parked. Every small “violation” gets reported. And the HOA is quick to act. Living in a neighborhood shouldn’t feel like living under surveillance. But for some, that’s exactly what it is. #House #HOA 10Share
lanepaige+Followchristmas lights turned into a warOne family put up holiday lights in early November. It wasn’t flashy — just some simple white strings on the roof. The HOA sent a violation notice: “Holiday decorations are not allowed until after Thanksgiving.” Meanwhile, another house had inflatable decorations out for weeks with no problem. The family felt singled out. They refused to take the lights down. By December, the HOA threatened legal action. All of this… over Christmas lights. #House #HOA 10Share
lanepaige+Followthe $250 fine for a trash canSomeone wrote in with a story about their HOA last month. They took their trash can out a little too early before pickup day. Nothing major — just a few hours. A neighbor reported them. The HOA mailed a $250 fine. The crazy part? Another neighbor down the street regularly leaves their bins out for days. No fines. No warnings. Selective enforcement or just bad luck? Either way, it left this homeowner furious. #House #HOA41Share
lanepaige+FollowHOA’s fines keep adding up — and no one knows where the money goes This story comes from the same neighborhood. Residents noticed that fines for “minor violations” are rising steadily. One family told me they’ve received three letters in the last two months: one for holiday lights, one for a door color, and one for garden decorations. Each fine is $50 to $100. They pay them because refusing risks escalation. What bothers everyone is not just the money. It’s the lack of transparency. No HOA meetings discuss how fines are spent. No reports show where the collected fees go. Residents feel like they’re funding someone else’s private preferences. The pool closures, the flower fines, the doubled fees — it all paints the same picture: Rules enforced for power, not fairness. #House #HOA11Share
lanepaige+Follow hoa fined a resident for planting flowers in their own yard A neighbor shared this story with me. They planted a small flower bed along the front walkway. Two weeks later, a letter arrived: “Unauthorized landscaping violates HOA rules. Please remove flowers within 10 days or face a $75 daily fine.” The flowers weren’t invasive, and they improved curb appeal. But the HOA insisted on strict adherence to the approved landscaping guide. The resident spent hours on the phone arguing. No waiver, no compromise. Just a looming fine. “It feels like creativity is punished,” they said. “And every little decision now comes with the threat of money.” #House #HOA00Share
lanepaige+Followhoa locked the pool for “private events” all summer A resident sent me a story about their HOA pool. It’s supposed to be open to all homeowners during the summer. But this year, almost every weekend was “booked” for private events. Sometimes it was for birthday parties, other times for “HOA board gatherings.” Regular residents would show up with their kids, only to find a “Pool Closed for Private Use” sign. No warning in the community newsletter. No alternative dates offered. One family counted — out of 12 summer weekends, only 3 were fully open to everyone. Yet, every homeowner still paid the same annual HOA fees. The same bill. Less access. “It’s not about the pool itself,” they told me. “It’s about feeling like the rules only apply to some people, while others get special treatment.” #House #HOA30Share
