CC&R enforcing

No.

What do your governing documents say?

My point was that your governing documents that you agreed to include the provisions you wish, now, to avoid?

Generally, just because a covenant (CC&Rs, declaration, restrictions) hasn't been enforced regularly for for a while doesn't mean it no longer exists. Something like this is probably somewhere in your convents. Your rules & regulations ar probably a different document.

Now, if against your convents or rules, you built fence that was taller than the limit and no one enforced the covenant or rule for, say five years, the Owner might be able to get away with the violation.

But if an Owner fails to maintain their yard according to the rules and has gotten away with the violation for quite some time, the Board can decide to start enforcing these rules.

Is it yard maintenance, Josh? Or something else? I think George is trying to say that when you bought, you signed saying you understand the rules, covenants, etc. But now it sounds to him like you don't want to abide by them.

I believe you can enforce them as long as they exist in the configuration they are. If a large group doesn't like the rules, then they can be changed by the majority. Let's say that what was "IN" 20 years ago is "OUT" now. I'd say it's time to get things updated and changed.

It doesn't always take an HOA to enforce the rules. Owner vs owner may do in some defunct HOA's if the CC&R's still exist.

I live in the city. Parked my truck under a tree for the last year next to my garage on the grass. Have 2 vehicles parked in the garage. (Not full of junk). Got home one day and had a note on my door. Seems the City has a restriction on parking on grass! Not sure why all of a sudden the code inspector came around in the 10 years. A neighbor did have his house for sale next door by a High profile Realtor. Now have to keep rotating vehicles to keep them in garage/driveway. Other neighbors do park on their grass but not in an eyesore kind of way.

Once a rule is in place, unless you and a group of like minded people go change it, it stands.

Yes. It's called 'abandonment of covenants.' See discussion on the net. For example: https://www.caidc.org/when-covenants-arent-enforced/

It's not a slam dunk defense. But it has worked in some instances. And rightly so, IMO.

Don't see anything wrong with parking on the grass next to a garage in a long establish parking space. There used to be gravel there but washed away. Neighborhood was built in the 60's. So there are spots established over long periods of time from frequent parking. Grass won't even grow there fully and mostly moss. There's not enough room to park even for visitors. Can't even park on the side of the road in front of my house. There's a deep ditch there. None of the neighbors cared if I parked there. Neighbor was from California and on a Temp assignment here. Think his uppity Realtor reported it in.

Josh,

It sounds like you are being held to the standards to which you agreed.

Melissa,

Your description of your neighborhood definitely sounds rural.

So find out what the minimum requirements are to complete your backyard to satisfy the contractual obligations that YOU agreed to. HOA boards will wipe out the assessed fines upon completion.