HOA covenants exist for a reason, but that all goes out the window when there’s a conflict of interest on the board.

One homeowner discovered that firsthand after her neighbors set up a portable basketball goal on a vacant, undeveloped lot directly in front of her own home, turning the street into an informal gathering spot for multiple families.

It got so bad that she couldn’t use her own porch or yard anymore without the noise and crowding taking over, and when she reported the setup as a violation, the HOA management company initially agreed with her.

That agreement lasted right up until a board member with a personal stake in the goal’s continued existence overturned the ruling entirely.

Now she’s stuck running a box fan just to drown out the noise, wondering if there’s any option left besides selling the house altogether.

Keep reading for the full story.

Biased HOA Board Member and Selective Enforcement

My neighbors at lot 1 have placed a portable basketball hoop on the street in front of lot 3. It is a vacant undeveloped lot still owned by the developer. I am lot 2.

The goal has now started to be used as an informal amenity with multiple families using it frequently.

This hasn’t exactly been a welcome development for this homeowner.

Unfortunately, the placement of the goal causes my family to bear the brunt of the disturbance. I cannot even use my front porch or yard.

I understand kiddos play in a residential place. My issue is with the placement of play equipment having people cluster near my home.

She tried to report it to the HOA, but it didn’t stick.

I originally reported it to the HOA management company, where I was told it was a violation.

To make a long story short, a biased board member overturned the violation because a child in her home uses the goal.

The HOA has a very different vision for the neighborhood than she does.

This board member and neighbors also want the cul de sac to double as a park. We have a community basketball court as well.

I have a letter from the owner of the goal stating the goal is placed there for their convenience. She also says they have limited space, but it is because of their design choices, not the land.

The written covenant says play equipment has to be minimum visual impact from adjacent lots.

Meanwhile, she’s starting to feel less and less comfortable in her own home.

I have to run a box fan with my TV volume loud to hear over the noise. Or I have to confine myself to the back corner of my home with the box fan running.

Other than selling my house, I do not know what to do.

This is a clear conflict of interest on the board member’s part.

What did Reddit have to say?

Maybe it’s time to show the HOA why a basketball hoop in their neighborhood is such a bad idea.

This commenter thinks it’s time to escalate this issue.

Maybe the hoop itself could conveniently disappear.

The letter admitting the goal was placed there for convenience, not necessity, should have been the end of this argument, yet somehow it wasn’t enough to stop a board member from putting their own personal gain before their duties.

When one homeowner can’t even use her front porch in peace, it’s a sign that something isn’t right in the neighborhood.

This homeowner has tried playing nice, but now it’s time to get serious.