“I feel like this is all really exaggerated.”

Homeowners associations already have a negative reputation in many neighborhoods across the country, but a recent incident with an overzealous neighbor might just go down in the pantheon of HOA interactions.

A Reddit user posted a message claiming he was enjoying corn on the cob on his porch. When they discovered a loose grain in their hand, they threw it on the driveway in front of their house.

Unfortunately, they claim a neighbor saw the core film and was confronted by the poster. “Are you going to pick this up?” they asked, according to the OP. “What if everyone started throwing corn kernels everywhere?” the neighbor would have complained. “This neighborhood would be a disaster.”

After a brief discussion, it seemed like the conflict ended there, until the poster noted that they had received an email from the HOA reprimanding them for littering.

The OP noted, “I…feel like this is all way overblown.” »

While it seems like a harmless, albeit hilarious, encounter, HOAs across the country have become so strict that many of them prevent homeowners from making smart improvements to their homes, including installing solar panels or replacing thirsty lawns with native plant gardens.

Often overzealous enforcement of HOA rules can prevent homeowners from making environmentally beneficial updates — which also save money — to their homes.

In the comments on the post, some editors questioned the validity of the lone corn kernel story. However, whether it’s true or not, using food scraps as fertilizer for your garden is an environmentally friendly and beneficial practice. As one TikToker shared, eggshells can be made into homemade fertilizer.

Composting is a simple and useful way to deal with leftovers – in a controlled way that will keep food out of the ground and HOAs happy.

Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change yards?

Absolutely not

Yes, that’s part of the deal

Only in extreme circumstances

We should ban HOAs

Click on your choice to see the results and express your opinion

Some commentators, assuming that the poster told the true story, sided with the poster.

“Your neighbor’s reaction is over the top and it seems more like he’s looking for something to complain about than he actually cares about cleanliness,” one wrote.

“A squirrel or a bird will catch it in 12 seconds flat!” said another. “I would argue that you are simply adding compost to your garden.”

If you have an HOA you’d like to work with to amend the bylaws, check out our helpful guide.

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