Another HOA Cautionary Tale

Told to me by a woman in the seat next to mine on a recent flight:

She and her husband lived in a somewhat large community in my state that included about ten homes backing up to a lake. These ten homes (including hers) had back yards sinking into the lake and needed retaining walls to preserve their property. The HOA required that for any homeowner to make this necessary improvement, all ten homes must commit to build the same wall (structure/look) and this had to be a wall that cost about $5000 for each home (at the homeowner's expense). Not everyone could afford this, and in the meantime their properties continued to deteriorate.

Eventually this family moved away. Afterwards, the HOA agreed to allow each home to build their own wall without waiting for the others, and also allowed a wall style that cost only $1500. Apparently, the restrictions were due to a contentious relationship between this woman and the HOA President.

That's all I know about it.

And your point is??????

I made it clear that I don't have any verification. What is your basis for inferring otherwise? Please quote what you see in my post that you don't like. You don't like stories? Then don't read them.

There are many things any Board can do that are technically legal but stupid, purely mean-spirited and improper. I believe such behavior is common in HOA's (although I believe it is far from ubiquitous).

The fact that a Board is elected does not make it proper to hold back improvements necessary to stabilize a property and uphold values, just because the President and a particular homeowner don't get along, or because the homeowners impacted are a small minority of the Membership.

That's the story. Is that what really happened? Of course we don't know. She's some woman I sat next to on an airplane. I don't remember her name, I don't even know which HOA this is supposed to be, and I have no incentive to find out if such a place exists in the township she mentioned. It's a story.