Homeowner Doesn’t Belong To HOA, But Is Getting Letters About Not Conforming To Their Rules

i don't care what the circumstance or the story is but if it involves any HOA, THEY are the A*holes! HOAs are BullSh!t

From what I have read about HOAs, it's a default NTA

"Their fence ends a few yards away but isn't completely closed." Sounds like HOA could apply some of their collected fees and close off their fence... make an obvious separation between their "property values" and his.

Serve them a restraining order. Have the zoning posted in a front window. Decorate and paint crazy. Enjoy your new home. I'm sure no one in that HOA gives a poo about you because you're outside of it. It's one mean dude being a c word. And make every holiday over the top. And fence in your property.

The response to "AITA for not listening to the HOA?" is always "no." Details don't matter.

NTA!!! Ain't in gated territory, ain't part of HOA jurisdiction. In fact, paint the house bright pink or something just to spite them for being busybodies, I'd say.

I'd get a cease and desist letter immediately. Document, document, document. Get surveillance cameras. Once that's done, research all your local town, county, and state ordinances. Then, exact your ultimate revenge by maliciously complying with all the city/county/state laws while openly flouting and mocking the HOA bylaws. Paint the house whatever color you want. Make the garden as big as permitted by law. Legally erect a greenhouse too. Go nuts with the decorations. Every single time they give you any grief, any lip, double down go bigger, louder, wilder, and boulder. Legally of course.

Is the HOA a common thing in the States? I've never heard of it except on the internet. No one will ever tell me what to do with my property - and unless they had garbage piled up and it was smelly/attracting rats etc, I'd never dream of telling someone what to do with their property.

Ask them to move out, since having a bunch of fraudulent Karens so close to you is lowering your property's value. (And it is.)

HOA's are a bane on society they all remind me of Stepford neighborhoods all the house look the same. No individuality. No unique style. Boring and pretentious.

Easy NTA. Follow the city's codes and feel free to ignore the pr*cks.

This HOA board is clearly stupid. As long as OP has evidence they are not within the HOA, I'd say make sure they sticks to any county etc rules that are enforceable, get legal advice, consider informing the local police if there is a chance the HOA could go to police and so the police have a record the HOA are harassing OP. If I was wanting to wind the HOA board up, I'd say get hold of a copy of the HOA rule book and see how many stupid HOA rules you can 'break'. And completely unrelated to the story about the HOA, I am loving the painted house in the first picture.

WTF is wrong with HOAs and their hatred of vegetable gardens? Lawns are boring, characterless, and a massive waste of water.

NTA. Just ignore them. THEY chose to build their proterties where they did, you were the first, fck them.

Yep flamingos, neon paint, some random car carcasses, plant some sunflowers and sue them for ongoing harassment. You have the right to enjoy peace and privacy in your own home. Have fun with those f*****s. Also you need to put plenty of chicken poo on that vegie garden.

Eff HOAs. If I wanted to pay someone to tell me what to do and make me feel bad about it, I’d still be catholic and tithe to the church.

Do you plan to live there for a long time? If so, bring those property values DOWN. Lower property value=lower property taxes!

Dear HOA President, No. Sincerely, OP

HOA has the same rights as most banks so I would definitely not ever look into staying in an area with one. They can seize your house and sell it. This is actually a common thing, unfortunately. Unrestricted land is the best to consider or you will end up with a constant headache. I genuinely hope this person does not consider joining, based of guilt for others home value. They purchased their home knowing good and well what yours looked like.

Tell that HOA to either produce proof of a title or deed to the property or go pound sand. NTA.

I'm betting Grandpa refused to sell is house when they moved in and incorporated (and very wisely). Now that he is gone, they are trying to get you to either join their little cult, or move so they can try and get your property that way.

Whoa baby! I would NOT belong to an HOA, even if someone gave me a house. They suck every bit of imagination, creativity, and personality out of a neighborhood and make it look like every other neighborhood. I would rather live next to a town dump (as long as it was just ugly and not toxic!!!) than have to abide by someone else's idea of how I should live. Ugh.

I thought America was the land of the free? But when I hear back it these HOA’s of theirs, it’s never a good thing. There’s always some wannabe despot who tries to railroad others, and this homeowner isn’t even associated with them, plus dear Grandpa’s house was there first, for Heaven’s sake! He should keep all their harassing letters though just in case he has to take some action, but it is sad he has to deal with their nonsense.

Very politely tell them to F- -K Off or you are going to sue them for harassment for several million dollars for the anxiety and unwarranted harassment that they are causing you .You don’t belong to their HOA and since you are not subject to their rules and dumb regulations tell them since your house was there first that maybe they should be the ones to conform to your standards and if they don’t like tell they should build at their expense a nice fence to block them from having to look at your house and make damn sure it is on their property

Shoot the republican fascist terrorist. That'll get through the others head's. Let people live free or die

I love some of these AITA posts. "Should I do what the mean man says when I don't have to? It will make my life harder and open me up to a lifetime of harassment and fines. But he really seems to want me to do this. Should I? AITA if I don't?" C'mon, man. Really?

INFO: Is OP a different race from the people in the HOA? If so, lawyer up and pursue it as a hate crime.

Rustic means beautiful. Please send photos so we can all see.

Not related to the post, but you know, usually I see these stories on bp first, and then other similar websites pick them up and use the same content, and you can tell because there's even the bp watermark. There's no watermarks here, so you can't tell as easily, but you can't tell me it's a coincidence that I saw this same story that's a year old on another site earlier this week. Even picking out (from what I can tell/remember, though I could be mistaken, it's been a bit) the same comments and replies on the post to talk about/point out.

The advice from rhinovodka was good I think. OP could perhaps (I’m not American) argue that since HE was there first it is them (HOA) that brings his rustic charm property value down…? HOA made a quite stupid start to get what they want! Why not go over and ask kindly and humble if OP can consider repaint if HOA pays for it to be done. I hate when “agitated elephants” lets loose in a porcelain boutique!

Oh! I love the advice on doubling down on tacky decor! For every message the HOA sends, I'd buy a pink flamingo and add it to the garden or the roof or the fence. Bring it! 😂

YOU SHOULD SHOW UP TO THEIR NEXT MEETING WITH A CHAINSAW AND THE FIRST SON OF A BIT CH THAT TRIES THIS SH IT-CUT THAT MOTHERFUC KER IN HALF! BUTTH OLE!!

That was top of my list when I was house shopping. I've read enough AITA to know HOAs are always TA.

Tell them to go F themselves they have zero justification or jurisdiction over your property.

I think the developer should have thought about the differences in home styles when they built the community. Depending on where the OP lives, as long as he's not violating any town zoning or ordinances, and keeps his property neat, I don't think there's anything the HOA can do. Where we live, we have lots of zoning laws. Many places won't allow mobile homes. But if there's a mobile home already there, "grandfathered in" before the new development is built, too bad. UNLESS, of course, the developer wants to buy out the mobile home property. In this case, the HOA could get together and attempt to buy OP out. For maybe double what it's worth.

gentrification sure does suck.

Frankly, reading the OP's replies to the comments they REALLY want to be part of the HOA. Everyone is saying the HOA has no power, and they are bending over backwards, wanting to put themselves under the HOA's thumb.