Imagine living in an HOA, and there’s a community swimming pool just for HOA members. If you were using the pool at night when it was technically closed, would you be upset if an HOA board member told you to leave the pool, or would you figure that’s only fair since rules are rules?

In this story, one HOA board member told some neighbors the pool was closed, and he feels bad about enforcing the rules. Now, he’s wondering if maybe the rules should only be enforced under certain circumstances.

I don’t think it would be fair to have different rules for different people, but was he wrong to enforce the rules at all?

Keep reading for all the details.

AITA for enforcing HOA pool hours

I sit on an HOA board. I joined mostly to keep my dues from increasing, but now I’m involved in several aspects of neighborhood upkeep.

We’ve recently had some issues with people using the pool after hours. Pool closes at 9 – early for my preference – but that’s the rule.

We’ve had some noise issues, people leaving trash etc, enough that it was being discussed at our recent meetings. We’ve also had a concern for the security of the cleaning staff who come after hours.

Some people are dues-paying members, but others are trespassing.

He feels bad for enforcing the rules.

I’ve started walking the neighborhood after 10 PM since we started having complaints, but tonight was the first time I ran into people (members) at the pool after hours, around 10:15.

They seemed pretty chill, but I still let them know the pool was closed and implied they should leave.

Am I a jerk? They weren’t specifically making a problem other than being there late, but I still feel like a jerk for asking them to leave.

They are indeed paying for the pool, like everyone else. Should I only enforce the rule for people being rowdy and look the other way for chill people?

I’m thinking of it like a hotel. The pool closes at a certain time. It’s partly for safety and partly due to noise. I don’t think some people should be able to use the pool at night but not others. Either they need to modify the pool hours or possibly lock the gate when it’s closed.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a homeowner who responded to an HOA violation letter by investigating the bylaws and having the whole board removed.

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about his situation.

This person thinks the rules should be enforced.

Another person thinks OP seemed polite and generous to give the neighbors extra time.

I’m sure they had to agree to the rules.

But this person would turn a blind eye unless there was an actual problem.

This was kind of a refreshing story because it’s the first time I’ve heard an HOA board member feel guilty about enforcing rules. Usually, it seems that HOA board members live for enforcing rules!

If the pool is closed, it should be closed to everyone. If they don’t enforce the rules, then more neighbors will probably start breaking the rules as well. Pretty soon it could be chaos and a loud pool party every night. If they want to keep trespassers out, they should lock a gate to the pool, especially at night when it’s closed.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a family who is resisting pressure from the HOA to remove their tree and lights.