I have never bought into the notion that Home Owner Associations are a necessity for any dwelling especially if it is free standing.  And I am not sure you can convince me that there is any value added even in a high rise situation.  Oh, I can hear the gasps out there!  Take a deep breath!  There certainly is no reason at all in a development where all the lots are measured in acres instead of inches, as they seem to be these days.  All right, I exaggerate, maybe not inches but certainly feet. Probably the worst aspect of the current residential association model is the governance.  It creates two classes of “neighbors” where some neighbors have authority over others.  This in turn ensures that there will always be some form of conflict that provides lots of opportunities to enrich the legal profession.  

Michael Pugh joins us On The Commons. Many years ago, Mike and his wife bought a large house on almost 6 acres of land in Virginia.  And yes, there is a mandatory membership HOA.  I suspect that is due to municipal mandates because there really is no rhyme or reason for imposing yet another layer of government on the residents.  In fact there is every reason in the world not to have one.  On the back 2 acres of the Pugh property that butts on to Tranquility Road, the developer put in a meadow.  A little bit of nature before man interfered with it.  For the last 27 years those 2 acres have been maintained as a meadow where the wildflowers grow and provide a refuge for the animals and insects and where the monarch butterflies are protected.  It is indeed a tranquil haven, and had been until the HOA reared its ugly head and demanded that the meadow, that is only visible from the Pugh’s property, be mowed down.  This battle, sadly, is headed to court.  The Pughs are determined to protect their property rights, their meadow and the beautiful monarch butterflies that return to their meadow every year.  And in case you are wondering, no, there is nothing in the governing documents prohibiting the meadow. It has always been there.  And with a little luck and some common sense, it always will be.

The local paper did a story on the Pughs and their meadow called Meadow Must Go Says HOA.  Doesn’t that say it all? There is also a video  of the meadow in all its glory that you will want to watch.