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Some communities are run by a homeowners' association (HOA) that is responsible for managing property and common areas. Because of that, the HOA has rules for their residents, and one person voiced their frustration regarding them in a viral post on Reddit's "Am I the A**hole."
In their post, which has so far generated over 17,000 votes, Redditor ANsdinfd explained that their HOA set a 9:45 p.m. curfew for people younger than 18 years old. They wrote that the rule was set to curb minors from drinking and doing drugs in a park.
However, the Redditor said this curfew has done little to stop the issues that the HOA claim exist.
"The problem actually got worse after the curfew, but now wherever kids lose track of time, they end up having to spend the night at [a neighbor's house] in fear of getting in trouble with the HOA for breaking curfew," ANsdinfd wrote.
According to Bankrate, there are some common HOA rules that residents may violate, including rules pertaining to vehicles, trash, and design changes. Thus, the HOA can enforce the rules by initiating fines if someone is found in violation of them.
The Redditor explained that their 17-year-old son works at a movie theater and frequently comes home at about midnight. While ANsdinfd's son explained he often works late, thus violating the curfew, the members of the HOA allegedly told him that "it doesn't matter." The son received a warning, to which he responded by telling them "to go to hell" and that he didn't respect them.
"I got a letter with a fine," ANsdinfd wrote. "I responded back and told them I'm not paying. I got a visit from a HOA member and he told me I'd be getting fined as long as my son violated curfew. I told him to eat s**t and closed the door."
Although the Redditor wrote that they could have been more polite when speaking to members of the HOA, a majority of the more than 1,000 comments disagreed with the rule set by the group. Other users, however, wrote that they felt the Redditor's response did not help their case.
"Yes HOA is overstepping and likely does not have the ability to place a curfew, especially because that doesn't make exemptions for returning home from work," one comment read. "However that should be dealt with as a civilized adult."
Others weighed in with legal advice on how to proceed.
"Get a lawyer. They need to draft a letter to the HOA and get that fine dismissed," a Redditor wrote, who suggested that the association may be able to place a lien on the house. "Curfews always allow for employment travel so this would be no different but they need to be put in their place before you have to deal with the consequences."
In addition to that suggestion, another commenter told ANsdinfd that they should reach out to fellow neighbors who may be on their side to replace the HOA board at the next election.
"A lawyer is the short term fix, the long term fix is to replace the HOA board," they wrote.
Many said it was important to address the fines to avoid any potential future issues with the board.
Another commenter wrote that ANsdinfd should consider filing a harassment claim against members of the HOA after how their son was treated.
Some Redditors were surprised to read that the curfew did not make an exception for ANsdinfd's son's employment and wondered if it was legal.
"It's one thing for the HOA to say no hanging out in public areas after x time, but that he can't drive from work to home is insanity," a comment read.
Newsweek reached out to ANsdinfd for further comment.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more