Homeowner Threatened With Daily Fines If They Don’t Paint Their ‘Hideous’ Driveway A Better Color
These people are taking the housing guidelines to a whole new level.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are designed to maintain property aesthetics and to mandate order within a community that implements and funds the governing association. Homeowners who choose to live in HOA communities agree to, in some cases, very specific and strict rules regarding their properties.
The problem is that HOA rules can change, and in many cases, homeowners neglect to read and understand all the laws and bylaws they agree to. For one resident in the HOA-run retirement community The Villages in Florida, her choice of driveway color caused neighbors to file complaints with the local District, and now she's facing a litany of fines.
A resident of the retirement community The Villages, Florida, is feeling targeted after neighbors complained about the color of her ‘hideous’ teal driveway.
Cynthia Ellis, a resident of the Village of Pine Ridge, was subject to a hearing in front of Special Master Terry Neal at the District Office at Brownwood after a complaint they received on October 3rd about a driveway that was “not in accordance with the architectural review manual.”
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Several of Ellis’ neighbors complained about the driveways' bright teal colors that didn’t seem to match the rest of the homes on the street. Combs Court resident Belinda McNutt was interviewed by Villages-News for her comments on the whole ordeal, saying, “As far as I know, there is no driveway like this in The Villages.” She said that the driveway is known to the residents as "hideous" and continued by saying, “People stop and just shake their heads.”
The District is not letting the homeowner keep her driveway color.
The Villages HOA mandates that they "shall administer review for approvals or denials regarding owners seeking to make external structural alterations," which include home re-paintings. Any additional repairs or improvements must meet the District's guidelines.
The driveway in question, located in Community District 11, must follow the guidelines, which state that “only colors that are similar to the surrounding neighborhoods” are allowed and that “hot, electric, neon, or bright colors are not permitted.”
Ellis was meant to have a hearing in January, but due to personal reasons, the hearing was moved to February. On February 7, Ellis sought another reprieve by calling the Community Standards, hoping for an extension. However, the special master ordered Ellis to repaint the driveway a "harmonious color" within 45 days or face a fine of $150, followed by $50 for each day after the driveway was not re-painted.
HOAs always seem like the bad guys, but residents know about them before they buy their homes.
HOAs are notorious for their strict rules and guidelines that, in many cases, seem laughable to anyone living outside their enforcement. There have been instances where HOAs requested that homeowners repaint their homes because the shade was faded, and there was even an instance when a wheelchair ramp for a disabled child was deemed a code violation.
In many cases, we hear the worst-case scenario when it comes to HOAs, but that doesn't negate the fact that they have the power to enforce neighborhood laws, including forcing homeowners to make costly changes and repairs they may not be able to afford.
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Ellis is just one of many cases where HOA rules have come into question, but what's important to remember is that with everything consumer-facing, buying a home requires research. It's a buyer-beware scenario. Sure, HOAs seem like the bad guys, but people choose to buy homes in HOA-run communities. They actually pay annual fees to these associations for the very reasons they complain about.
Problems arise when homeowners fail to realize that their personal choices do not meet the standards set forth in the HOA agreements. In Ellis' case, if she wanted a teal driveway, she should have moved to a community where it didn't matter if she had one.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author with a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.