People Share 40 Pics That Prove Just How Annoying HOAs Can Get

To gain some insight from the experts on HOAs, we reached out to the hosts of The HOA Show podcast. First, we wanted to know what inspired them to create their show. "Since its inception, this podcast has been an endeavor underwritten by Cline Agency Insurance Brokers," they told Bored Panda. "Education has always been of upmost importance for the Agency, and because we found ourselves being frequently asked the same questions by different clients, we wondered if there was a way for us to compile the information into one, easy to understand place, so that we could readily pass it along to Board Members and Community Managers. It quickly became apparent that podcasting would offer that perfect marriage of accessibility and reliability for sharing valuable information."

We also wanted to hear about some of the worst HOA stories they had ever heard. "Sadly, there are too many to list," the hosts shared. "In terms of severity, the stories are never sadder or more severe than when the actions or inactions of a Board of Directors lead to serious injury or the loss of life. We’d recommend that folks tune in to our spin-off podcast 'Love Thy Neighbor', essentially a True Crime Mini-Series on Community Associations. We have four episodes already out that detail some of the worst moments of a Community Association’s life. Warning, they can get pretty dark."

We also asked the hosts if they think HOAs are overall a negative or positive thing. "Community Associations have the opportunity to be one of the most positive experiences that people can be a part of," they told Bored Panda. "Human beings are communal by nature. We seek and crave strong communities. And when you have a group of wonderful people, all volunteering their time on behalf of the community, with the main intention of making their community stronger and better, then you have a winning recipe for a positive experience. But those volunteers must be putting the needs of the community above their own. We call this Fiduciary Duty." 

"When you have Board Members, Volunteers, or just members of a community that place their own needs above those of the community, that’s when you’re most likely to have a negative experience," the hosts explained. "When personal agendas and vendettas are the motivating factors behind people’s involvement and decisions, you’ll inevitably foster a feeling of hostility and resentment from those folks who are harmed or simply left out by the clearly selfish choices of those few individuals."

Lastly, the podcast hosts shared, "Over the course of producing this podcast, one of the things we’ve been so grateful for are all the guest experts who have participated in these podcast conversations. Without exception, all the experts who have donated their time are considered by the industry to be exceptionally qualified and experienced in their respective fields. Their guidance and expertise have undoubtedly helped thousands of communities."

If you'd like to hear more HOA stories, be sure to check out The HOA Show right here.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of HOAs, count your blessings. They are not inherently bad, but particularly in the United States, they have gained a reputation for implementing ridiculous regulations and charging their residents outlandish fees for simple things. There’s currently a drought happening, so your grass is dying? We don’t care, here’s a $50 fine because your lawn is unsightly. You painted your garage door light blue? That’s not an approved color. Here’s a $200 fine, and you have one month to repaint it before you are met with another fee. 

In theory, HOAs ensure that a neighborhood is neat and tidy and that residents have somewhere to go to voice their complaints, but in practice, they tend to cause more issues than they solve. It’s great to have an organization in place to decorate the neighborhood with lights during the holidays and host community parties at the neighborhood pool. But is it worth the enormous fees and having to comply with strict rules? Many homeowners would say, “Absolutely not.”  

The crazy thing about HOAs is that although many residents don’t even support their presence, they are still required to financially support them. Just how expensive HOA fees are depends greatly on the neighborhood, city and state a homeowner lives in. But at the state level, HOAs in New York and Hawaii charge the heftiest fees, averaging between $520-570 per month. And when it comes to the state that charges the lowest HOA fees, that would be Wyoming, with an average cost of $100 per month. 

It’s absurd to think that these homeowners are all essentially paying the cost of renting another apartment, or at least a bedroom in one, just to keep the people in charge of their neighborhood satisfied. In 2019, the average monthly HOA fee in the United States came out to $290, which was $40 more than the average monthly cost of utilities for Americans. But instead of paying for heating, water, gas and electricity, these residents were paying for someone to keep a close eye on them all and hand out fines every time a trash can was visible or an 'unsightly' car was parked on the street.