I was working on my car in my garage – but my HOA president threatened to fine me $438 if I did it again

AN HOA resident found himself in trouble simply for working on his car in his own garage.

The resident explained that this caused issues regarding personal freedoms and HOA regulations that could result in heavy fines for violations.

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HOA threatened to fine Howard Blandy $438, who shared his story on X, formerly known as Twitter, under the username (@howaardblandy34_).

The user explained that he wanted to save money by fixing his car’s brakes himself in his driveway.

However, HOA confronted him and said it was against the rules to work on his car on his property.

The story came in response to another X user who tweeted: “All the idiots who say it’s cheaper to build your own PC have no idea how much money they could save by making their own brakes.”

NO MECHANICAL WORK

The user responded and said they tried this but were met with instant backlash from their HOA.

“In an attempt to save money I was changing the brakes on my old Jeep in my garage 2 years ago,” said the user he said in a tweet.

“And my HOA president said that if he caught me doing any other vehicle repairs in my garage again.

“That would mean he would be forced to fine me $438.00.

US Sun contacted the user for comment.

Barbara Holland, CPM, regional manager for FirstService Residential in Las Vegas previously revealed that not doing repairs on your car in your driveway is considered a “general rule” for HOAs.

“This entrance belongs to you as the owner and is an exclusive use area because I cannot park my car in your garage,” Holland counted HOA Leader.

“But I, as an association, can create regulations for these areas.

“For example, your car cannot be leaking oil, you cannot be working to repair your car in the garage, and any car parked there must be in working order.”

GOOD BATTLES

HOA residents being fined for what they do in their own garage is also not uncommon.

Erica and Brandon Carter of Raleigh, North Carolinewere fined $500 for parking on their property.

The problem was they had three cars and one would park in the gravel next to the garage so all the vehicles could easily exit.

However, some weeds were appearing in the gravel and the HOA considered this to be parking on grass, which carries a fine.

What is an HOA?

One in five Americans lives in an area with a Home Owners Association – or HOA. But what exactly do they do?

• An HOA is a homeowners association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean, cohesive place for its residents to live.
• Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, single-family homes or townhomes within “a planned development” will often constitute an HOA.
• They also serve as a regulatory body for the tenants, who manage and finance the HOA through monthly fees.
• Its main goals are to keep the community functional and visually appealing and maintain property values.
• They focus primarily on a neighborhood’s common areas, like roads, parks, and pools — but they can also stipulate what residents can do with their property, like yards and sidewalks.
• These restrictions often impose uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring that most houses look the same and that all sidewalks are free of weeds.
• An HOA Rule Book of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations.
• Violating these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law.
• HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restrictive, or that the leadership has too much power.
• But other HOAs like this give communities the power of self-government and can ensure a degree of harmony among residents.

“Some weeds grew in the gravel, so when they drove by, they took pictures and said we were parking in the grass,” Erica told the ABC affiliate. TVD in 2017.

The Carters tried to fight the violation in a year-long battle, but the HOA only reduced the fine to $200.

“I think $200 is a lot of money to park in my yard,” she said.