Can you share some funny homeowner association stories?
In my neighborhood, the homeowner association tried to enforce a new rule about the color of front doors. They wanted all doors to be either white or a very muted blue. One family painted their door bright purple as a joke. When the homeowner association came to talk to them, they invited the association members in for tea and by the end of the visit, the members were laughing and decided to let the purple door stay as it had become a sort of neighborhood landmark.
Well, there was this incident where the homeowner association decided to have a 'Best Garden' competition. One of the neighbors, an old man, entered with his vegetable patch. He planted huge, misshapen gourds that looked like alien creatures. The homeowner association was so shocked at first but then they all just burst out laughing and he won the 'Most Original Garden' award.
Share some homeowner association horror stories.
There was a homeowner association that started a project to renovate the community pool. They levied a large fee on all homeowners to fund it. But then there were mismanagement issues, and the project took way longer than expected. Some homeowners who couldn't afford to pay the extra fees faced legal threats from the association.
Share some details of a homeowner association horror story.
One really bad experience was when a homeowner association decided to cut down a large, beautiful tree in a common area. They did it without proper notice to the homeowners. The tree was a landmark in the neighborhood and many people were attached to it. The homeowners were outraged. They tried to find out why it was done and discovered that the association had some shady deal with a landscaping company. It led to a big conflict between the homeowners and the association, with the homeowners feeling betrayed and angry about the loss of the tree.
What are the common problems in homeowner association horror stories?
Financial mismanagement is another big problem. For example, they might collect fees for a particular project but then waste the money on unnecessary things or misallocate the funds, leaving homeowners out of pocket.
What are some really hilarious homeowner association stories you've heard?
A funny homeowner association story I know is about a rule regarding pet waste disposal. The association was really strict about it. One day, a dog owner made a little 'poop fairy' out of some twigs and leaves and left it next to where his dog had done its business. He also left a note saying the 'poop fairy' was in charge of cleaning up now. The homeowner association had a good chuckle over it and used it as an example in their newsletter to lighten the mood about the rule.
Tell me a homeowner association horror story.
In a particular neighborhood, the homeowner association had a rule about the type of vehicles that could be parked in the driveway. A guy bought an old classic car that he was restoring. It wasn't in perfect shape yet and the association said it violated their 'presentable vehicle' rule. They made him park it several blocks away at a storage unit, which was not only inconvenient but also cost him extra money every month. The guy felt like his property rights were being violated as it was his driveway and he should be able to park his car there while working on it.
Share some homeowners association funny stories.
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.
Share some homeowner horror stories.
A homeowner once had a problem with a neighbor's tree. The tree was old and diseased, and it fell onto their house during a storm. The insurance process was a nightmare. The insurance company tried to claim it was the homeowner's fault for not maintaining the tree (even though it was the neighbor's). The homeowner had to fight a long legal battle to get the damages covered and also to get the neighbor to remove the rest of the tree.
Can you share a homeowner trolling with garden gnomes funny story?
Sure. There was a homeowner who had a collection of garden gnomes. One day, he decided to play a trick on his neighbors. He painted all his gnomes bright neon colors. His neighbors were so shocked when they saw the suddenly very colorful gnomes in the garden. They thought it was some kind of new art installation at first and were quite bewildered.
Share some new homeowner horror stories.
Well, I heard of a new homeowner who bought a house only to discover that the previous owner had some illegal electrical wiring. It was a fire hazard, and they had to spend thousands to re - wire the whole place. Also, there are those who find out that the roof is in much worse condition than it seemed during the inspection. Rain would pour in during storms. And some new homeowners had a problem with pests. They found out their new home was infested with rats.
Funny homeowners association stories
In my neighborhood's homeowners association, there was a rule about no vehicles parked on the lawn. Well, one day a neighbor's old, broken - down car was towed onto his lawn by mistake. The HOA was up in arms, but when they found out it was a towing error, they had to scramble to figure out how to get it off without breaking more rules. It was quite a sight seeing all the HOA members huddled around the car, scratching their heads.