HOA Exercise Equipment Dispute

Shaan tells a story about getting harassed by his HOA over minor violations at his rental home.

"My HOA has been harassing me lately. I've been getting letters because we live in this neighborhood and there's some Karen that just hates me. She complains that I leave the trash bins out an extra day, that I work out on the street in the driveway (apparently no exercise equipment is allowed), and about our water delivery.

We get these 5-gallon water jugs delivered to our door, tucked behind a pillar - you can't even see it unless you walk halfway up our property. Someone keeps complaining to our landlord, who lives in another state, asking if I'm messing things up.

I had two choices: quietly resolve the issues by moving everything inside, or go to war. I chose war. I demanded names and to speak to somebody directly. I started taking photos of other houses and filing my own complaints - children's swings in front yards, garbage cans outside, people riding bicycles. I even started questioning if I was being targeted because I'm the only brown guy in the neighborhood.

My complaints are falling on deaf ears and I'm wasting time. That's why we need an HOA court - like Judge Judy but streamed on Netflix where petty people can present their cases. Because right now you can't win against HOAs - they're just this ambiguous force that controls you even though you pay your hard-earned money to live there."