# Advice for getting a reduced HOA fine? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131 "2009-06-08T19:09:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131/41 "2009-06-29T21:00:02Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Not to reanimate the dead, but an update on this issue: > > I got this letter in the mail Saturday: > > Thanks all, for the advice. I think this bears out the saying, “it never hurts to ask!” Call me a cynic, but: _save that letter_. You never know if, two years from now, the HOA will look over their books, say, “HH never paid his fine!” and no one remembers giving you the “aw shucks it’s all good.” ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131/42 "2009-06-29T22:13:19Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Call me a cynic, but: _save that letter_. You never know if, two years from now, the HOA will look over their books, say, “HH never paid his fine!” and no one remembers giving you the “aw shucks it’s all good.” Oh yeah. I scan correspondence like this, just in case… also allows me to remember the “good folks” in the system. **garygnu** , that’s my suspicion about these fines. I recall that when my dad was in the Air Force, they had “Base Beautification.” If you did not maintain your yard, Base Beauty would come by and do it for you, with a bill for their trouble. That sort of fining (plus x amount for the administrative overhead) is legit in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131/43 "2009-06-29T22:17:09Z")
I realize I’m totally late to the party and that the issue has been resolved, but I think you should have exerted a little more energy on the point regarding the lack of specific dates and email communication. If the original letter said 5 to 10 days and you addressed it in 8 days, I think this qualifies as compliance. While it seems that your HOA has a “waive the first offense” policy it also sounds to me like you just wasted your one get out of jail free card. I might take a few moments to either make myself acquainted with the powers that be and point out that a better defined policy and firm dates be a future requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131/44 "2009-06-29T22:20:14Z")
I thought about that, but I’m fairly confident that I can stay in compliance with the policies… we’ve been here two years with no issues. I did think about at some point running for the representative position, and doing some stuff, like giving a gift basket to new families and holding an annual community cookout, but I’m way too busy at work… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131/45 "2009-06-29T23:03:15Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I thought about that, but I’m fairly confident that I can stay in compliance with the policies… we’ve been here two years with no issues. I did think about at some point running for the representative position, and doing some stuff, like giving a gift basket to new families and holding an annual community cookout, but I’m way too busy at work… It’s more the principle of the situation. HOAs are somewhat answerable to their members and 90% of the horror stories about HOAs stem from the fact that no one ever pays them any mind until they get punished for something capricious. The rub is that the HOA is usually operating under some presumed “agreed upon standard” however when none of the members express an opinion it’s a mystery as to where that standard comes from. I think as a member you are somewhat obligated to point out obvious flaws in their system like this in order to save everyone involved some future grief and to steer the HOA down the path (read: not capricious and vague) you as a homeowner expect. In other words, an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure. Your level of interaction with the HOA prior to this is probably indicative of everyone else, which means the HOA is probably going along doing something stupid under the presumption that it’s actually being encouraged by the silence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-getting-a-reduced-hoa-fine/499131.md?page=2)