One Virginia homeowner found themselves stuck waiting on their homeowner's association when they wanted to install an electric vehicle charger in their parking spot.
They posted about the situation in the r/evcharging Reddit forum. "Trying to set up an EV charger but HOA is giving me a headache over it and thinking about getting a lawyer so I can move forward," they said.
According to the homeowner, it's a small community of just 15 townhomes. While residents own the homes and parking is assigned, the parking spots belong to the HOA and are considered a common area.
"I reached out to the HOA to see if I could [get] a charger installed," they said. "Since this was new, they wanted me to explore options… After some research, looking at costs, etc., the only option that made sense was each homeowner do it on their own."
At first, it seemed the project would move ahead. "This was mostly agreed to at the next HOA meeting," the original poster said. "I worked with a contractor to get the specs of the install."
But later, it all fell apart. "Now one of the HOA leads is saying there may be an insurance requirement and we need to discuss the best solution now," they said. "I feel like this guy is jerking me around and dragging his feet to work with me. Should I just get a lawyer?"
It's understandable that the original poster would be impatient to move forward and switch to an EV. EVs save drivers money, especially when they can be charged at home, and finding other places to charge is much less convenient. EVs are also good for the environment, as they produce no pollution — unlike traditional cars — so placing obstacles preventing their use harms the planet.
However, the original poster had options besides lawyering up. One commenter recommended caution: "One perspective is the minute you have to resort to a lawyer, you've already lost. Time, money, goodwill."
"So I should wait 10 years when this guy finally wants to buy an EV of his own?" the original poster asked.
But the commenter only recommended a gentler approach. "Your attitude and approach can make a big difference. Try asking him what's important to him, and how your charger may benefit or hinder the community," they said.
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