A homeowner posted a copy of a letter issued by their homeowners association regarding the status of a private roadway and driveway repaving project in their neighborhood.
The property manager seemed to be bothered by a homeowner in the complex who reported their improper construction practices.
“It sounds like there would have been an issue later,” one commenter said.
Photo Credit: Reddit
In the letter, the property manager was specifically making excuses for a delay in project completion, blaming it on one homeowner who “tipped off the town” that the workers did not clean the sewers before and after the job.
“Had he not done this, we could have saved ourselves both time and money,” the message said. “But, unfortunately, once the town was on notice, we had no choice but to follow their guidelines.”
The original poster and many of the Redditors who commented thought that the tone of the letter was interesting, considering the HOA’s issue was having to follow city guidelines –– something they should have been doing anyway.
HOAs across the country have become notorious for making home improvements more difficult. They are designed to create guidelines and rules for neighborhoods for safety and to maintain a cohesive look in the neighborhood to raise property values, but the restrictions can get in the way of positive changes.
Often, homeowners attempting to make eco-friendly, money-saving updates are thwarted by false or unreasonably strict policies. This, unfortunately, can have a negative impact on homeowners and the environment.
Common issues include installing solar panels or planting natural lawns and native plants, which are beneficial practices for homeowners, the local ecology, and the planet as a whole.
Sometimes HOAs demand the sudden removal of trees that have been on a property for years, or an issue might stem from an HOA that neglects a portion of the community that they are responsible for maintaining, affecting multiple residents.
Some homeowners have had some success challenging their HOAs in order to make positive changes that can benefit their homes, communities, and wallets, especially when it comes to improvements that help the environment.
Redditors were appalled at the letter the OP shared.
“So the property manager is mad because they had to do the work properly?” one sarcastically inquired.
Another said, “Translation = we were being shady and got called out on it.”
One Redditor simply said, “This is the sign of a bad HOA.”
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