HOA complains about disturbing black SUVs in neighborhood

What would you do if you noticed a few black SUVs parked at your neighbor’s house during a birthday party? You might be a little curious, but you would probably ignore them and move on with your life. After all, it’s really none of your business.

Yet a man received an email after throwing a birthday party attended by black SUV owners. Apparently the presence of their cars constituted an “incident” in which the HOA must have been involved.

Man received a “strange” email from his HOA after his friends parked their “disturbing” black SUVs in the neighborhood.

In his post on Reddit, the man shared a screenshot of the email the Homeowners Association (HOA) sent him after he threw a birthday party at his home. He said it was a “tame” party, with no loud music, and everyone “parked decently.”

However, according to the email, the three extinguished SUVs “surprised” and “unsettled” several neighbors. To simply be station in their driveway and neighborhood.

Moetheoneandonly | Reddit

“It is truly disturbing to see such vehicles appearing in our otherwise peaceful and family-friendly neighborhood, especially without prior notice,” the HOA vice president wrote in an email with the subject line “Regarding an event during your recent birthday party.”

“As you can imagine, the sight of them raised a lot of questions and caused quite a bit of anxiety,” they continued. “Honestly, the situation was alarming and we didn’t know how to react. »

What if you didn’t react at all? The man was taken aback by the email, explaining that the black SUV drivers were “regular” and “lovely” and that they were his friends. He found the HOA’s concern strange and unnecessary.

“Am I supposed to tell these people to rent a Prius next time? » he joked in his message.

The HOA ended its email by asking the couple to notify them in advance of any “unusual activity” to “ease the collective nerves” of their neighbors, who felt uneasy by the presence of the SUVs.

Reddit users found the HOA’s email comical but inappropriate.

As several Redditors identified, the neighbor’s concerns were baseless and did not warrant the HOA’s involvement — and certainly not a reprimand.

Many users joked about how the man could be messing with HOA in his response.

“Tell them that security protocols prohibit you from informing them before these friends visit,” one commenter wrote. “Then give them the phone number of the nearest Secret Service office and tell them to call if they have any questions.”

RossHelen | Shutterstock

“Pretend it’s a celebrity or politician,” another user commented, suggesting responding by asking the HOA “Didn’t you see the helicopter and the snipers too?”

Others, however, argued that the HOA’s message was intrusive and inappropriate because they had absolutely no reason to be concerned. They insisted that the man should not be required to notify HOA when entertaining guests – regardless of what car they drive – because it constitutes an invasion of privacy and a contradiction to their so-called “inclusive neighborhood”.

As Vox noted, developments with HOAs are notoriously not inclusive, and if you run into them, there’s not much you can do in terms of recourse, even within the legal system.

Florida broker Kristen D. Conti told Realtor.com, “Often, board members are in a power crisis and are using it to advance their own desires. I no longer invest in communities with HOAs because their rules are so over-the-top that it bothers renters.

The HOA quickly apologized, but the man reported them for their initial lack of respect.

The man’s post attracted so much attention — surpassing 9,000 comments and 45,000 upvotes — that it ultimately caught the attention of the HOA that sent the email. After reviewing commenters’ reactions, the HOA sent a follow-up email to the man apologizing for his “alarmist, demeaning and offensive” post.

They claimed that the Reddit community describing their email as inappropriate was “understandable” and they claimed that their community is dedicated to being “inclusive and welcoming.”

Although the HOA took responsibility for their actions, the man felt it was too little, too late and they only wanted to apologize because they were exposed and probably embarrassed.

The Redditor updated the post to share his unashamed response to the email. “It’s hard to believe you would be this cooperative and apologetic without the 6,000 Redditors who spoke out,” he wrote. “Let this serve as a clear message to you and all other HOA “leaders” to stop this nonsense.”

Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team based in Orlando, Florida. She covers topics related to lifestyle, human interest, adventure and spirituality.