Homeowner fights back after HOA tries to block home upgrade: 'Fight for your right to the bitter end'

After submitting a plan to their HOA for their proposed home solar panel system, a homeowner was frustrated to see a rejection — for seemingly shallow reasons.

"Can I do something from my HOA in California if they refused to install panel on street facing roof?" they wrote in the subreddit r/solar.

The reasons for the rejection given by the homeowners association were that the panels had to be out of view of the street and three feet away from the adjacent unit.

Several people had faced similar issues — and they had plenty of advice to share.

"They can't do things that significantly screw your proposed set up," one commenter said, sharing the link to a bill from the state legislature. The bill states that in this context, "significantly" means: "an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) over the system cost as originally specified and proposed, or a decrease in system efficiency of an amount exceeding 10 percent as originally specified and proposed."

So, the commenter explained, if the removal of the street-facing panels would diminish the proposed energy output by more than 10%, this law should protect them.

Another person, who had worked in solar installation in Florida, had witnessed similar incidents, wherein homeowners would take the HOA to court over the rejection. "Our solar company would win every single case, but HOA's would persist in initially declining plans because it would encourage their residents to back out of the contract themselves instead of fighting it," they said.

Especially considering that solar panels are one of the most effective ways to slash a home's energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint at the same time, it's surprising that HOAs fight tooth and nail to prevent their adoption. 

But this, unfortunately, isn't an issue unique to solar panels. HOAs have been known to restrict and prohibit other money-saving, eco-friendly initiatives in the name of aesthetics. This commonly plays out when residents want to upgrade from monoculture grass lawns to native plant lawns, which are both cheaper to maintain and better for the environment than grass. It's why one commenter described joining an HOA community as "paying extra money to have less options."

But, especially with the knowledge of local laws, overturning stringent rules or fighting back and winning against an HOA is possible. One Texas homeowner shared how they had undergone similar struggles as well but ultimately won and installed their solar array. "Fight for your right to the bitter end," they encouraged.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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