Homeowner Writes A Check To HOA For Absurd Violations, Gets Revenge By Canceling It The Next Day

The 2008 financial crisis hit homeowners hard. Estimates show that around 7.3 million families lost their homes to foreclosures during the most crushing 18-month span of the Great Recession.

This person’s HOA was hit pretty hard too, it seems, since they began enacting some absurd violations and giving people fines for them. But one homeowner decided he wouldn’t have any of this nonsense. So, he declared war on the red spray-painted curbs and lists of fake violations.

Bored Panda got in touch with the Redditor who posted this story, u/68Cadillac, and he kindly agreed to tell us more about the story and his current stance on HOAs. Read our chat with him below!

When this couple bought a home in an HOA-regulated community, they had no idea what a nuisance it’d become once they decided to sell

Homeowners confront HOA representative over fake violations, standing outside their house with a clipboard.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

The HOA came with all kinds of violations to put more money into their pockets, but the homeowner was one step ahead

Text describing an HOA receiving a check, discussing a couple's new home in 2005, a quiet cul-de-sac, and friendly neighbors.

Text describing economic downturn, foreclosures, and homeownership issues in a subdivision.

Text about HOA struggling with funds due to junk cars and dying landscaping, affecting community upkeep.

Text describing HOA's actions restricting street parking with fire lane paint in a subdivision, causing homeowner issues.

Text highlights fake HOA fire lane violations questioned by homeowner.

Text discusses HOA's use of fake violations related to curb painting and signage.

Truck parked with tire on red curb, symbolizing HOA fake violations dispute.

Image credits: mikeygribbin / reddit (not the actual photo)

Text describing HOA scheme to create fake violations for funds by painting curbs red.

Text describing a homeowner's battle with HOA over painted curbs and fake violations.

Homeowner facing foreclosure notice due to fake HOA violations, seeking agency help for short-sale paperwork navigation.

Text discusses short-selling, home value discrepancies, and financial frustrations with a controversial statement.

HOA issues fake violations for funds during short-sale, targeting compliant homeowner.

Text about HOA fines over alleged violations, homeowner disputes documentation.

Text listing fake HOA violations to fundraise; homeowner disputes with evidence.

Text discussing trees looking dead in winter, addressing false HOA violations regarding tree replacement in off-season.

HOA communicates delayed responses, escalating costs, and potential foreclosure, creating homeowner frustration.

Escrow officer discusses HOA lien fees needed to close escrow, highlighting HOA fund strategies with potential fake violations.

Text conversation about HOA payment options and escrow process.

Hand writing a check, symbolizing HOA's financial disputes over alleged violations.

Image credits: EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo)

Text detailing a homeowner's conversation with an escrow officer and bank about a stop-payment on a check.

Text discussing HOA stopping attempts to contact after a violation dispute.

Image credits: 68Cadillac

The Redditor says he wasn’t worried about the HOA suing him; they simply wouldn’t have the evidence

Man in a suit at a desk, taking notes, with scales of justice; concept of HOA fake violations.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

When buying a house, many people weigh the pros and cons of owning a house that’s within an HOA. While those kinds of properties can be more valuable (by 4%, according to some sources), there are plenty of stories online that might quickly persuade prospective homeowners not to sign up to live in an HOA.

For u/68Cadillac, there was no other choice that to buy a house in an HOA-regulated community. “In the city we lived in, almost every development came with HOA’s rules,” the Redditor tells Bored Panda.

“Somehow, someone thought ‘less government’ would be less intrusive, so, [they] wrote laws that allowed an HOA to take over traditional roles of Code Enforcement.”

u/68Cadillac says he wasn’t worried his plan to cancel the check might backfire; the HOA simply wouldn’t have grounds for retaliation. “In court, the H.O.A. [would] have to reveal the reason for the money they said they were owed.”

“At discovery, they’d be unable to produce original violation notifications. And because they never existed, they sure couldn’t produce proof they’d mailed ’em,” the netizen says. “Sure, the H.O.A. could just ‘make up’ and backdate notifications of violations, but every violation came with a picture of the offence,” u/68Cadillac explains.

“New and ongoing violations need new or updated pictures every month. They’d have to photoshop a whole suite of ‘dead tree,’ ‘bush missing,’ ‘hose uncoiled’ shots from slightly different angles, and changing seasons.”

“They committed fraud [by] making up those fines. I, allegedly, committed fraud [by] stopping payment on those fraudulent fines,” the Redditor explains how he sees it.

The Redditor currently lives in an HOA-free neighborhood and enjoys the freedom of not having to get written permissions for landscaping

Aerial view of suburban neighborhood, topic relates to HOA and fake violations.

Image credits: ungvar / freepik (not the actual photo)

The consensus over whether HOAs do more harm than good hasn’t been reached amongst homeowners, it seems. Although the majority of Americans (both those who live in an HOA-regulated neighborhood (68%) and those who don’t (61%) say they’d prefer to live in a neighborhood without an HOA, those living under an HOA say they’re happy (58%) with how it’s governed.

“HOAs are great… until they’re not,” u/68Cadillac tells us his stance when we ask him what he thinks of the associations today. “It’s really about who’s on the board. It’s a dice roll.”

“[For] my last two homes, I asked the realtor to only show us homes in non-HOA communities,” the Redditor admits. “Sure, I have to deal with a neighbor’s less-than-pristine fence, a half-dozen junky cars, and someone who thinks pink is a good choice for exterior house color.”

“But, I also don’t need permission in writing to plant flowers, remove a bush, relocate a sapling, leave a hose uncoiled, or change the oil in my own car on my driveway. If something gets really bad I can just call Code Enforcement,” the Redditor adds.

And many Americans agree with him. When it comes to landscaping, fences, pet ownership, exterior paint colors, home renovations, and holiday decorations, the majority of homeowners believe that an HOA shouldn’t be able to have a say in it. They’d prefer if HOAs regulated noise levels, kept track of trash and recycling bins, and enforced parking.

“Suck it, HOA!” netizens thoroughly enjoyed another story of sticking it to an HOA

Reddit comment discussing HOA's alleged fake violation scheme and lack of evidence.

Text of a comment humorously criticizing the concept of trickle-down effects, gaining 415 points on an online platform.

Comment criticizing HOA for using fake violations for more funds.

Text comment expressing frustration with HOA neighborhoods.

Reddit comment criticizing HOAs, stating they should be made illegal.

Text describing HOA issues with a short sale during the pandemic.

Reddit comment discussing fake violations by HOA for funds, mentioning check fraud.

Online comment about escrow officer liability and certified funds practices.

Text comment criticizing HOA with humor and relief for not having adult responsibilities during 2008 crisis.

Text criticizing HOAs for issuing fake violations to homeowners.

Comment discussing HOA fake violations and payment compliance strategies.

Text exchange mocking HOA's fake violations tactics against homeowners.

Reddit comment discussing Clinton's impact on the housing market debacle.

Text discussing a homeowner's frustration with HOA's alleged fake violations.

Reddit comment criticizing HOA for issuing fake violations, warning about potential backlash.

Reddit comment warning about fraudulent checks and possible legal liabilities.

Text from social media post discussing the "trickle-down" effect.

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