Homeowner associations have a reputation for sometimes having the most arbitrary of rules, and many HOAs across the U.S. have used these rules to keep homeowners from eco-friendly and money-saving home updates.
Whether forbidding homeowners from installing native plant lawns or keeping them from updating their homes with solar panels, these rules cost homeowners money while negatively impacting the environment.
One Redditor's HOA had such a rule for solar panels in the neighborhood. They explained: "Our HOA here in Virginia claims that, because their rules predate the Virginia law protecting solar installation, they are legally allowed to continue denying all street facing solar installations. The kicker is that they have approved my southern-street-facing install on the front of the home, while denying others and even going so far as to have two others remove theirs."
The original poster continued by saying that they were trying to find a way to fix the situation. They even mentioned speaking with an HOA lawyer, who wouldn't touch the issue because they didn't know enough about solar energy.
Plenty of Reddit users chimed in with ideas. One person said: "I would hire a lawyer to write the HOA a letter."
Another pointed out: "A business contract can't permit you to break a law just because you wrote the contract before the law."
HOA rules on solar energy can be especially burdensome since going solar is one of the best ways to reduce heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere and save money at the same time. Because solar panels convert sunlight into energy, the source never runs out, and the use of dirty energy is avoided.
Though the upfront costs of installing solar panels can sometimes be pricey, homeowners will save in the long run. Homeowners can also use online resources to find the best deals, such as EnergySage's free tool that provides several estimates and compares quotes in one place.
As for this situation, one Redditor had an excellent suggestion for a possible fix, as they advised: "Talk to local reputable solar installers. They will know state law versus HOA because it's their business at stake, and they will have addressed this issue on several installations."
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