I've lived in a few HOAs in my lifetime.

Ive had my car towed multiple times when I was parked in my designated spot with my parking tag in my window. They didn't care, they just towed it and claimed they coudln't see the tag. Every time it cost me > $300.

I've had the HOA manager show up when I had friends over because it was technically over the allotted "2 guest maximum" for the area. I was just having a game night, it wasn't even an outdoor party.

I've had them literally show up with a measuring tape to check the distance from the curb one of my guests was parked and then come knock on the door to inform me that they were illegally parked and would be towed in the next hour if they didn't move.

yeah, all of that? That's a horror story. Basically every HOA I've ever interacted with or lived under has been nothing but a thinly veiled legally-backed racket to kick back money to towing and lawn care companies.

> over the allotted "2 guest maximum"

How is it even possible that something like that exists...

I honestly don't know. It was seriously extreme. Technically you were even supposed to call and alert the HOA manager if you were having any guests over, period, but that wasn't enforced. Like I've said elsewhere in this thread, selective enforcement was the name of the game.

You're entirely missing the point. Yes, having to re-paint your shutters is an annoyance in the scheme of things, but why should you _have_ to? It's your house; why should you _have_ to do what a committee demands?

And yes, you can say that he has to because he's signed the papers, but you'd still be missing the point.

> but you'd still be missing the point.

No, I don't think they are. The key thing is that you sign the papers and so does everyone else.

you may have singed the paper but the HOA can change the rules after the fact.

> Imagine getting bent out of shape about the color of your shutters

If you think that that is trivial, imagine how much more trivial and petty it is to get bent out of shape about the color of someone elses shutters.

He's not complaining about not being allowed pink shutters, he's complaining that his neighbours are far too petty because they're getting bent out of shape about the color of someone elses shutters.

Imagine getting bent out of shape about someone else getting bent out of shape over the color of shutters? Its pure spite.

Yeah, imagine!

I sure would. Where I live, you do you, I do me, they do them.

It is great!

Sometimes we have a chat. Berry vines out of control, or maybe someone needs something. Whatever. That gets done and people are pretty happy.

Want to pick the shutter and trim colors? Several people here would be happy to entertain that so long as the ones wanting to pick are paying.

Me? Nope. And the bonus is nobody will hear from me about the colors, unless it is complementary. Who doesn't like that sort of thing?

Crazy cat lady down the street has a whole garden growing in the easement in front of her house. Passersby will pick and eat some of it. Pretty sure that makes her happy.

I could go on, but the place is very human, at times vibrant and has soul.

Yeah, bent right out of shape. There is just not enough time and energy to deal with all the meta associated with the more strongly regulated neighborhoods.

I basically have every other possible thing to do before worrying about what the other people are doing and so forth. Mutual respect and consideration are lean, easy, human, and definitely the way I want to play it.

All that said, yeah! Some people seem to need all that meta mess. Great! We have places for them to get it, thankfully.

Imagine caring that your neighbors have pinker shutters or don't have curtains? Imagine caring enough to fine them until they either comply or have to move out?

you’d be surprised. these people exist and are a PITA

Yup. My parents live in an HOA that used to have a woman (who had no official capacity with the HOA other than living in it) drive around in her golf cart every day with a clipboard to note down any violations she spotted. One of her favorite rules to enforce was one that indicated how long you could have your garage door open for (something like 20 mins). Like another commenter's experience above, she too had a ruler she would use to measure various shrubs etc. in hopes of finding a violation.

not a fan of fighting back, but you need to fight back against these type of people. i would report suspicious activity both to the HOA board and the police. let’s see how they handle this.

Isn’t that exactly what HOAs do? Get bent out of shape and demand home owners paint their shutters the proper shade of beige or they will literally lose their house.

Yeah imagine that. Oh wait that is exactly what the HOA is getting bent out of shape over, and forcing their arbitrary rules on others with escalating fines.

> Imagine getting bent out of shape about the color of your shutters or having to put up curtains.

No need to imagine, as that seems to be exactly what their HOA does.