Homeowners associations are the subject of constant debate on social media, and one Reddit user's enraging experience makes it easy to see why they're so consistently controversial.

A text-only post was shared to the subreddit r/f***HOA, and it thoroughly covered one of the many downsides of living with a meddling HOA.

"HOA cut down my trees as a 'favor,'" its title stated, and the story got worse from there.

At the beginning of their post, the user explained that gardening, growing food, foraging, and "environmentally friendly" practices like seeding and nurturing native plants are "very important" to them, and they said they're not fans of an "overly manicured" yard.

They continued, explaining that their HOA was "loose" and informally managed, with "one guy" handling much of the association's maintenance and management. Although the situation was described as largely tolerable per the poster, the "one guy" in question had tested their boundaries more than once.

Over time, the user had been "at war with" some invasive greenery. They put together a plan to leverage unwanted trees on the other side of a fence on their private property, while slowly establishing "friendly" native trees.

Then, they heard a chainsaw outside.

"He sent the landscapers/handyman to cut down my tree. As a favor. Without asking. They destroyed all my cuttings. All of them were trampled, snapped, uprooted," the devastated poster recalled.

"Months of work. Work I can't start again until next spring when I can take cuttings again. I won't be able to grow mushrooms the way I was planning. A whole year is just gone," they lamented.

HOAs are notorious for interfering when it comes to alternatives to monoculture lawns and rewilding efforts, often firmly enforcing uniformity over sustainability. 

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One reason HOAs are so controversial is the mistaken belief that their rules are set in stone. However, it's possible to challenge your HOA — homeowners and residents have successfully pushed back against restrictions on eco-friendly upgrades, such as solar panels, native lawns, and yards.

Commenters were livid on the poster's behalf and advised the user to fight back.

"Get a lawyer, also talk to other HOA members, it seems your 'no real bylaws or anything' HOA has picked up a petty tyrant with too much time on his hands. You're likely not the only person having problems with him," one replied.

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