Share some details of a homeowner association horror story.

There was a homeowner association that started a project to renovate the community pool. They levied a large fee on all homeowners to fund it. But then there were mismanagement issues, and the project took way longer than expected. Some homeowners who couldn't afford to pay the extra fees faced legal threats from the association.

In a particular neighborhood, the homeowner association had a rule about the type of vehicles that could be parked in the driveway. A guy bought an old classic car that he was restoring. It wasn't in perfect shape yet and the association said it violated their 'presentable vehicle' rule. They made him park it several blocks away at a storage unit, which was not only inconvenient but also cost him extra money every month. The guy felt like his property rights were being violated as it was his driveway and he should be able to park his car there while working on it.

Financial mismanagement is another big problem. For example, they might collect fees for a particular project but then waste the money on unnecessary things or misallocate the funds, leaving homeowners out of pocket.

Well, there was this incident where the homeowner association decided to have a 'Best Garden' competition. One of the neighbors, an old man, entered with his vegetable patch. He planted huge, misshapen gourds that looked like alien creatures. The homeowner association was so shocked at first but then they all just burst out laughing and he won the 'Most Original Garden' award.

A homeowner once had a problem with a neighbor's tree. The tree was old and diseased, and it fell onto their house during a storm. The insurance process was a nightmare. The insurance company tried to claim it was the homeowner's fault for not maintaining the tree (even though it was the neighbor's). The homeowner had to fight a long legal battle to get the damages covered and also to get the neighbor to remove the rest of the tree.

Well, I heard of a new homeowner who bought a house only to discover that the previous owner had some illegal electrical wiring. It was a fire hazard, and they had to spend thousands to re - wire the whole place. Also, there are those who find out that the roof is in much worse condition than it seemed during the inspection. Rain would pour in during storms. And some new homeowners had a problem with pests. They found out their new home was infested with rats.

One homeowner came home to find a group of teenagers had broken into their empty summer house. They had thrown a wild party there. There was broken furniture, graffiti on the walls, and a lot of alcohol bottles everywhere. The homeowner had to deal with the police to find the culprits and then spent a fortune on cleaning and repairs. It was a horrible experience to see their beloved property trashed by these uninvited guests.

A funny homeowner association story I know is about a rule regarding pet waste disposal. The association was really strict about it. One day, a dog owner made a little 'poop fairy' out of some twigs and leaves and left it next to where his dog had done its business. He also left a note saying the 'poop fairy' was in charge of cleaning up now. The homeowner association had a good chuckle over it and used it as an example in their newsletter to lighten the mood about the rule.

A homeowner had their house renovated. They hired a contractor who seemed reliable. But as the work progressed, they realized the contractor was cutting corners. He used sub - standard materials. A few months after the renovation was 'completed', the new plumbing started to leak, ruining the freshly painted walls and new flooring. The homeowner had to sue the contractor to get some compensation, which was a long and frustrating process.

In 'the homeowner horror story', often there are issues like pest infestations. Imagine coming home to find your kitchen full of cockroaches or mice. Then there's the nightmare of property value dropping due to external factors like a new landfill being built nearby. And don't forget about problems with the local authorities, like getting unfair property tax assessments.