From Marketplace:
If you have trouble keeping your lawn green in the summer time, here's an incentive: a $200 dollar ticket. That's what some homeowners in one Denver development are facing for brown patches in their yards. Yes, in the same state that just experienced a rash of massive wildfires.
Interestingly, this is small government and a "voluntary" association that you can leave at any time by moving.
ReplyDeleteAh but you make it sound easy, when in fact leaving means selling your house. I am in a NYC Co-op, which has many of the features of a HOA, and it includes some real difficulties in that transaction; i.e., purchasers must be approved by the board. The presence of an HOA may deter some buyers and winnow your prospective buyers, especially ones who may be well qualified to purchase; e.g., investment (buy to rent out) or those looking for a summer home.
DeleteIn the OP's case what needs to happen is sanity be included in the HOA's rules. The purpose of HOA's is to set a floor on property values, hence the green lawn requirement. However, there needs to be provisions for water emergencies, which are not uncommon events in the west - CA had a 7 year drought in 1970's and another one that went from 1986-90.