Governor Jerry Brown! In what orifice is your head hopelessly lodged?
California is in the middle of a horrible drought, even the drought of a lifetime. Farmers who generate most of the nation’s food are going broke. Governor Jerry has asked homeowners to quit using so much water on their lawns. In fact, he’s even declared a drought emergency.
A Republican State Senator has even proposed a law to force HOAs to quit fining residents over their brown lawns.
How impotent! And ignorant
Homeowners Associations are merrily fining, suing and foreclosing on homeowners who’ve followed the governor’s water rationing requests and have allowed their lawns to turn brown.
You see, Homeowner Associations are private non-profit corporations which are beyond the control of state and federal laws. After all, Americans have a Constitutional right to make contracts, even if those contracts are counter to decency and common sense.
Despite the efforts of the governor and other California legislators, Kentucky Bluegrass will continue to decorate the grounds of Homeowners Associations.
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/01/24/drought-or-not-brown-lawns-bring-hoa-fines/
(link to Democratic Underground story)
(link to CVT HOA story on drought emergency)
Not to be cynical here, but Florida passed a very comprehensive bill preventing HOA’s from prohibiting Florida-friendly landscaping in 2009. The basic premise was water conservation. However, we all know that HOA’s don’t always play by the rules, even State laws, and board members are quick to fine, take to mediation, and even sue homeowners for doing anything different than what the board members want. There have been many lawsuits against homeowners on this issue, and some are still ongoing. Some homeowners have “won”, but the HOA’s are appealing the decisions. One homeowner has submitted at least 5 architectural approval requests using Florida-friendly plants and has been denied each time.