A San Diego townhome owner posted in a San Diego-focused Reddit forum about how their homeowners association is looking to remove a large number of trees in their complex.
"One of the nicest features of our complex are the trees," they said.
The original poster explained that the well-established trees are not damaging sidewalks and do not pose a threat to the buildings, so they could not understand why anyone would want to remove them since they provide shade.
The homeowner reported that a new HOA board member is behind the proposition to remove all 30 trees that are between buildings — they later provided an update that the two-phase plan would actually remove 65 of the 100 trees in the complex.
Most commenters were outraged and offered support and lots of advice, including rallying homeowners in protest, checking local laws about trees and birds, reviewing the HOA governing documents, alerting local media, and getting the county or city involved. Some even speculated that there may be a conflict of interest since one of the arborists brought in to analyze the impact of the trees is also bidding on their removal.
If mature trees are disease-free and don't damage buildings, roads, or pathways, they offer many benefits to neighborhoods.
Trees act as natural air filters and absorb harmful pollution while releasing oxygen, which helps improve the air we breathe. They also provide shade, which can cool down neighborhoods. This can help reduce air-conditioning usage, which saves energy and money.
Trees also increase property values, making neighborhoods and complexes more attractive, and they help keep the ecosystem balanced as a shelter for birds and pollinators. Removing them can decrease property values, as several commenters on the Reddit post voiced concerns about.
Many homeowners struggle with HOAs, and there are ways to learn about and investigate bylaws, policies, and procedures to enact change. Guidance around these matters is essential because each situation is different and can be complicated.
The Redditors commenting on the tree removal post rallied with the OP and were quite upset.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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Yes 💯 "It's going to take some good old fashioned organizing if you want to save the trees," someone commented.
"All sorts of shady shenanigans going on," another pun-intending Redditor said.
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