It’s another day that ends in “y,” and another Redditor is taking to the r/homeowners subreddit to lay out their struggles with their HOA. The OP, revealing the complaint letter written to the HOA, is concerned that it sounds too snarky.
“Not snarky enough. I hate HOAs and will never buy a house with one,” is sitting at the top of the comments, bolstering a growing, general antipathy for HOAs, regardless of location.
On the surface, an HOA is seemingly a legitimate and well-intentioned organizational structure for large neighborhoods. Unfortunately, far too often, HOAs go after homeowners who are making simple changes, like growing natural or native gardens, or adding a few native plants to their yards.
Obviously, HOA members shouldn’t trash their yards, but there is a vast difference in planting native plants in a small flowerbed (as is the case here) and installing a petting zoo in the driveway.
Three years ago, 84% of brand-new, single-family homes were built beneath an HOA umbrella (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), many of which promoted manicured lawns, deprioritizing native lawns and xeriscaping ideas and projects.
In fact, the rules were so restrictive and so widespread that states began enacting laws to handcuff these HOAs and restore homeownership rights.
Maine and Minnesota are two of the most recent, following Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and Florida. It took battles like this one to facilitate changes in some states, and these changes are backed by several studies.
A 2023 Turkish study on xeriscaping shows that native plant landscapes reduce irrigation needs by 30 to 50%. This was matched and confirmed in a University of Colorado Denver study.
The benefits of native gardening and/or xeriscaping go beyond scientific studies and surveys, including affordability, less maintenance, less water usage, more aesthetically pleasing views, and better-tasting food for those who grow vegetables.
Pollinators flock to native plants, while pesticides and herbicides are less of an issue with plants native to their respective regions, having developed natural tolerances.
For those stuck in HOAs, responses to the OP’s Reddit post provide examples of what homeowners need to do in situations like these: “Get involved. If terrible people run the board, it’s usually easy to get elected.”
Another comment reiterated the importance of getting involved: “As long as good people are elected (and run yourself if the leadership starts going toxic), HOAs can be decent.”
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