HOAs (Hot Air Authorities) In Prime Christmas Form

HOAs are generally not thought of fondly and for good reason. The leftists who generally make up these neighborhood Gestapo groups usually get wound up tighter than an eight-day clock over minor infractions.  

Throughout my lifetime, I have avoided any confrontations with them, but I have had friends who had some issues. In one case, my friend was threatened with a fine if he didn’t cut the grass in a vacant lot next to his house. One problem, he didn’t own the lot. That piece of information didn’t deter the HOA, and he continued to receive notices until he returned the favor by sending them a notice from his lawyer.

In another case, a friend was working on his house and was in and out of his garage every few minutes, cutting wood and retrieving tools. Then a car pulled up, and he was informed that his garage door could not remain open for more than 30 minutes at a time. When he explained what he was doing, he was told that the rules are the rules and that he had received complaints. So, to accommodate this self-righteous clown, he walked over, closed the door, and immediately reopened it. He then told him that he would close the door every 30 minutes to reset the clock and then immediately reopen it. This guy then said to him that by doing that, he was not following the spirit of the rule. To which my friend replied, “Oh well, rules are rules,” and walked away.

In autumn, many HOAs have a seasonal reason to get fired up, attacking Halloween displays because someone’s pumpkin is too big or they think their display is too scary. That said, the Christmas season really gets their panties in a bunch. Light displays are definitely a trigger for these dorks.

However, there are extreme cases, such as the nearly 9,000-square-foot Preston Hollow home in a Dallas suburb. This display is so large and intricate that the Dallas police spent $25,375 controlling traffic around the house last year. The department said it spent nearly $8,000 sending vehicles and helicopters to the scene alone.

District 13 councilmember Gay Donnell Willis said Dallas officers were sent to control traffic, parking, and people walking across lanes of traffic and on private property.

“While I appreciate homeowners lighting their homes to bring joy to others during the holidays, compromising public safety resources to this extent doesn’t reflect the spirit of the season.”

On-duty officers were assigned to supervise the area for eight days during the holiday season. According to the Dallas Police, 71 officers on those nights were unable to respond to service calls while assigned to this location.

Willis added: “I want to strike a balance between having cool Christmas lights but not creating chaos in a quiet neighborhood.”

Willis sounds like a reasonable guy dealing with a truly exceptional situation. Compare that attitude with what a family in San Antonio is putting up with. There, the HOA held a Griswold lights contest, then fined the family $2,500, claiming their display was too bright and caused a glare.

On the other end of the spectrum, a Maryland family placed a “modest” front-lit Nativity scene in their front yard for the Christmas season, but their HOA says they can’t keep it up because it’s too distracting.

NBC News reported:

“Members of the Salgado family, who reside in Germantown, Maryland, located about 26 miles from the U.S. capital, were informed by their homeowners’ association that they need to remove their holiday decorations or pay a fine of $650, the family told an NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C.

The fine will increase each day they don’t take down their decorations, which Pahan Salgado described as ‘very simple and very classic.’”

The homeowner says, “We’re not disturbing anyone; the lights are certainly within the boundaries of our land. It’s not going outside; it’s not touching anybody’s yard.”

Their lawyer agrees, arguing that the homeowner’s association is singling out the nativity scene.

On the flip side, the homeowners are not powerless against unfair HOA tyranny.  Jeremy Morris, a lawyer in Idaho, won more than $75,000 in damages after years of disputes with his HOA over Christmas lighting. Morris claims he will use his winnings to purchase even more Christmas decorations.

There are enough real problems in today’s world without the pettiness of local HOAs discriminating against Christmas displays, most of which are not hurting anyone or causing any problems. The left just doesn’t grasp the idea of peace on earth and goodwill toward men.