In October 2020, we were told the color on our door was out of compliance based on Section 8.17. We were told there is a ‘strict policy’ and the ‘bylaws clearly state’ all exterior colors must be approved.

The Board told us they would meet with us directly and provide an interior designer. After multiple attempts to contact the HOA President, it was obvious they were not going to meet with us. We attempted to contact the interior designer, we did not hear back for four weeks.

A month after our initial email about the violation, the board decided to change our violation to another section of the governing documents. This asked for any change to your lot be submitted via professionally prepared proposal. After asking the board multiple times for a example of a professionally prepared proposal, the Board said professionally prepared plans are irrelevant. Meanwhile, I submitted a different color in which they had 15 days to return an answer. The Board took 17 therefore our color should ‘be approved thereof.’ The Board pressed on.

I asked for a legal opinion in which I was told they had received. I was also told legal would be contacting me. This did not happen either. All I am asking is for the Board to ‘show me’ in the governing documents instead of telling me it states, ‘all exterior colors must be approved?’

What the governing documents do discuss is Lot Maintenance. This section allows homeowners to replace and paint their doors, shutters, or windows. Only improvements need approval. The word ‘door’ appears in one section of the governing documents, under Lot Maintenance.

On the stand, the President of the HOA testifies, “Covenants cannot be amended for twenty-five years.” Another Board member gets on the stand and testifies that he requested to paint the brick of his house in May 2018; this request was denied. In November 2019, three weeks before this board member became a board member, that same request was approved.

To wrap things up, in June 2021, the board post on social media and blasted an email to the subdivision claiming on 6/10/21, the pool was vandalized. In the email were two sets of 3 boys entering the pool area. The screen shots of my son and his friends were cropped to make the board’s narrative fit to justify their harassment.

Turns out, the true date my son and his friends went to the pool was 6/11/21; they also had 4 boys with them instead of three. They cropped out the time and the fourth boy.

HOA’s are good when they have good people running them; otherwise, most HOA’s serve one miserable purpose.