Shutterstock

Sometimes, the only way to change a system you don’t like is by getting involved in the process, and that’s definitely true when it comes to an HOA.

Many people forget that HOA board members are elected. That means that if they don’t like how their neighbors are enforcing the rules, they can elect someone else or even try to get elected themselves.

In this story, some homeowners actually decide to run for HOA board. Keep reading to see what they do and how it all works out.

We beat our overreaching HOA board by doing the one thing they didn’t expect: getting out the vote

We live in a tiny, quiet, semi-rural neighborhood of only about 20 homes, each sitting on multiple acres.

This is not some dense subdivision with shared amenities, a clubhouse, or neighbors packed ten feet apart.

Most of us moved here because we wanted space, privacy, and to be left alone.

Why are HOA boards like this?

Unfortunately, the HOA board apparently decided that wasn’t enough excitement for them and started pushing more and more unnecessary rules and overreach.

So instead of just complaining, a few of us got organized.

We canvassed the neighborhood, knocked on doors, talked directly to our neighbors, explained what the board was doing, and made the case for why people needed to vote.

No Facebook drama, no anonymous letters, no screaming matches. We simply got out, spoke to people face to face, and made sure everyone understood what was at stake.

Good for them!

And it worked.

We got the votes, replaced the problem board members, and took control of the HOA.

The mandate is simple: maintain only what actually needs to be maintained, handle the basic legal and financial obligations, and otherwise leave people alone.

This is the way an HOA should be.

No personal kingdoms. No inventing problems to solve. No treating adults on multi-acre properties like children who need permission to live in their own homes.

We won, and now the HOA can go back to being boring, which is exactly what an HOA should be.

Now we can all get back to living our lives.

I love a success story, but it’s not every day you hear one about an HOA! Bravo!

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This is a good idea.

Here’s some more advice.

Another person thinks they didn’t do enough.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who stops helping his neighbors out with his snowplow after they complain about his farm.

This person did the same thing.

Instead of complaining about the HOA board, try to change it.

I think the problem is that most sane people who live in HOAs don’t want to deal with being on an HOA board. People who are power hungry seem to be attracted to the board seats, and that’s where a lot of the drama comes into play. If only more people who want to be left alone would run for the HOA board, HOAs may not be so bad.