‘Perceived unfairness’: Jealous HOA goes after non-HOA home for daring to have a good time during a blackout

For some, the allure of an HOA-managed community is the promise of uniform beauty and the assurance that your neighbor won’t turn their front yard into a replica of a junkyard, or heaven forbid, a makeshift launch pad for amateur fireworks displays.

While HOAs are designed to maintain property values and ensure a cohesive neighborhood aesthetic, they often come with a laundry list of rules and regulations that can leave residents feeling stifled and micromanaged. And what happens when you’re not even part of the HOA? Well, it’s basically a prison camp.

Just ask the poor sap whose story was recently shared on the TikTok channel @roofistv. In the video, the bewildered homeowner reads a letter pasted on his door like a scarlet letter of shame. The HOA, in all their infinite wisdom, had received “several complaints” regarding the homeowner’s use of a backup generator during a recent power outage that left the entire town in the dark. Apparently, the audacity of this homeowner to keep his lights on and watch the game while his neighbors sat in the dark was just too much for the delicate sensibilities of the HOA members.

The letter goes on to detail the “excessive noise” caused by the generator, which allegedly “aggravated the discomfort” of those without power. Let’s be real, if you’re already sitting in the dark, a little generator hum is probably the least of your worries. But no, the HOA couldn’t let this grievous offense slide. They had to make an example of the rebellious non-member who dared to be prepared for an emergency.

Trust me it gets better. The HOA also took issue with the “perceived unfairness” of the situation, as the homeowner was seen “watching the game on [his] TV and carrying on as normal” while the rest of the community suffered. How dare he not sit in solidarity with his powerless neighbors, staring at a blank TV screen in quiet contemplation of their shared misery? The nerve of some people actually using their resources to maintain a sense of normalcy during a crisis, oof!

TikTok users were quick to react to the absurdity of the situation. One commenter quipped, “sounds like they’re mad because you were prepared,” while another vowed to get “a bigger, louder generator” in response. Many pointed out the audacity of the HOA to even attempt to dictate the actions of the non-member, with one user suggesting the homeowner write back and “point out that if the HOA members stopped paying HOA dues, they could afford their own generators.” Savage, but not wrong.

The truth is that this situation highlights the often overreaching and petty nature of HOAs. While they may have started with good intentions, many have devolved into little more than glorified busybodies with too much time on their hands. And when they start targeting non-members for simply being prepared and resourceful during a crisis, it’s a clear sign that they’ve lost the plot entirely.

So to all the non-HOA homeowners out there facing the wrath of overzealous neighborhood watchdogs, take heart. You can always move to a neighborhood where the only rule is “mind your own damn business.”