There was a case where a family wanted to put up a small, tasteful garden fence. The homeowners association said no because it didn't match the exact style they had in their guidelines. The family had to go through so much red tape and expense to try and get an exception, and in the end, they gave up on the fence.
One horror story I've heard is about a homeowner who painted their front door a color not on the 'approved' list. The homeowners association fined them a huge amount and threatened legal action. It was just a door color, not something that affected the neighborhood negatively in any real way.
Over - restrictive rules are common. Like dictating the exact type of plants you can have in your yard. It's ridiculous when you can't plant a flower you like just because it's not on their list.
Sure. In one instance, the homeowners association wouldn't allow a homeowner to install solar panels on their roof. They said it was against the 'architectural integrity' of the neighborhood, even though the homeowner was trying to be more environmentally friendly. This not only prevented the homeowner from saving on energy costs but also set a bad precedent for others who wanted to go green.
One of the worst poop horror stories I've heard was from a friend who was traveling. He had eaten some really bad street food and suddenly got an urgent need to go. But the public restroom he found was so dirty and smelly that he almost threw up while trying to use it. He said it was the most disgusting and difficult poop experience he ever had.
One of the worst hotel horror stories I've heard was about a friend who checked into a supposedly nice hotel. When he entered the room, there were cockroaches everywhere. He immediately went to the front desk to complain, but the staff was very unhelpful and just said they would send someone to spray later. He couldn't stay in that room and had to find another hotel at the last minute.
One of the worst mechanic horror stories I've heard was about a guy who took his car in for a simple oil change. When he got it back, there were strange noises coming from the engine. Turns out the mechanic had used the wrong type of oil filter, which caused a blockage. It cost him a fortune to fix the damage that could have been easily avoided with proper attention to detail.
One of the worst landlord horror stories I've heard was about a landlord who refused to fix a leaking roof. It rained constantly, and the tenant's belongings got soaked. The landlord just ignored the calls and messages about the problem.
One horror story is when the homeowners association imposed ridiculously strict rules on home exteriors. For example, a family was forced to repaint their house a specific color that they didn't like just because it didn't match the 'approved' palette. It cost them a lot of money and they had no say in the matter.
There was a time when the homeowners association was trying to enforce a new rule about where to park bicycles. One old man in the neighborhood got really confused and ended up parking his bike on his roof. He said he thought they meant 'off the ground' and that was the highest place he could think of. It became a running joke in the neighborhood for months.
Well, there was this case where a mother - in - law tried to control every aspect of her son and daughter - in - law's life. She would barge into their house unannounced, rearrange their furniture according to her taste, and even tried to tell them how to raise their children. It was a nightmare for the couple as they had no privacy and constantly felt undermined in their own family decisions.
One of the worst stories I've heard was when a guy accidentally short - circuited his new motherboard. He was in a hurry and didn't ground himself properly. He plugged in a cable wrong and there was a spark. The motherboard was fried instantly. All his components were new and expensive, and he had to start all over again.