News

Society

Science

Health

Culture

Subscribe

HOA demands residents ‘not’ charge their cellphones, and 3 more outrageous rules and fines

“Sure, thanks HOA.”

By

Mark Wales

By  Mark Wales
Add to Google News
homeowner's association, HOA, rules, fines, residents, navigating an HOA, bad news
Photo credit: Image via Canva – Photos by Mlenny and Amie Roussel – Angry HOA and a confused neighbor.

If you are fortunate enough to have the resources to buy a home, congratulations! Unfortunately, finding a great home doesn’t necessarily correlate with having great neighbors, which means you might be dealing with a challenging homeowners association (HOA).

Sometimes the difficulties experienced with an HOA can be more than a simple problem. In actuality, it might be downright painfully ridiculous. Facing aggressive warnings, fines, and even legal action could be some of the more difficult realities facing a homeowner who doesn’t adhere to their HOA’s rules. The good news is that there’s a better way to deal with these types of HOAs. The bad news is that you might find yourself in the position that the following people did.

outrageous stories, great home, neighbors, problems, aggressive warnings, trouble-shooting, ridiculous rules
Homeowner Association Blocks Image via Canva – Photo by AndreyPopov

These are four of the most outrageous stories about homeowners dealing with difficult HOAs:

Do not charge your cellphones at home?

Hawaii, Honolulu, fire department, lithium-ion battery, cellphone, e-bike, fire, reddit, reddit thread
Low cellphone battery media2.giphy.com

In 2024, residents in Honolulu, Hawaii, suffered a devastating fire. The Honolulu Fire Department determined the cause of the fire was from lithium-ion battery e-bike charging equipment. In a logical, yet fearful reaction, the HOA demanded that residents no longer use lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, most cellphones run on lithium-ion batteries. Disgruntled homeowners shared the ridiculous rule on Reddit with a picture of the posting titled, “Stop charging your cellphone, apparently. Sure, thanks HOA.“ Yahoo! News reported on the story stating, “Rules restricting the charging of e-bikes would be less wildly disproportionate, though still inconvenient.”

Just because it’s not your car doesn’t mean we can’t fine you for it

parking violation, tickets, violations, fines, appeal, unloading groceries, cars, truck
Violation ticket placed on windshield Image via Canva – Photo by pixelshot

In a 2025 story shared by The U.S. Sun, a homeowner, Alberto Hernandez, was fined over $2,800 by his HOA for people parking in front of his garage. Hernandez said, “They were not my cars.” He continued, “So, I thought it was unfair that they sent me the ticket just because I am the property owner.” Another resident, Liliana Alvarez, couldn’t fit her truck into the garage and unloaded her groceries in front of her home. She received fines totaling over $1,800. She said, “They’re charging us ridiculous fines and they have no respect for privacy.” Residents are allowed to appeal through a Zoom call, but most have been unable to win their appeals.

A heatwave is not an excuse for offering neighbors cold water

desert, COVID, hot weather, water bottles, resident complaints, ice chest, garage, community
Water cooler in the desert. Image via Canva – Photo by Shannon Fagan

A 2025 article in the New York Post shared that an Arizona homeowner received multiple $100 fines for sharing free cold water bottles with neighbors. David Martin was providing water bottles to neighbors for five years during the hot days in the summer desert. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife thought it could bring camaraderie and good spirits to the community during a troubling time. The HOA began fining him and shared this statement: “The Association does not object to a resident providing water bottles within the community; however, the community’s rules do not allow a resident to advertise water bottle distribution from a portable ice chest, located next to their garage that is visible from neighboring property.” Martin failed an attempt to have board members removed over the disagreement and is determined to win a legal fight. Martin said, “It’s not just about water, it’s about the community as a whole.”

A Florida mom was arrested for brown grass and a dirty mailbox

brown grass, mailbox, judge, arrested, comply, garage dents, community violations, jail
Mailbox. Image via Canva – Photo by smuay

After allegedly violating the guidelines for her local HOA, a Florida woman was arrested. A 2025 story in People spoke on the lawsuit filed by the HOA, which led to a judge giving Irena Green 30 days to fix the community violations: brown grass, dents in her garage, a dirty mailbox, and issues surrounding a cargo van. Green said, “I sold my van to comply. My mailbox was cleaned to comply. I bought seeds and watered my grass to comply.” After complying with the proposed issues, she was later arrested for missing her next court date. After her family presented the evidence that she had cleaned up her yard, she was released. In response to the whole preposterous experience, Green said, “It makes me feel horrible. I work hard to buy this home for me and my kids in a better neighborhood and environment, and to be taken to jail and to be treated like that for brown grass at my own home…that’s horrible.”

The basics for dealing with an HOA

It can be confusing and frustrating to deal with a difficult HOA. A 2025 article published in Better Homes & Gardens offered five must-know tips for dealing with your HOA.

  1. Pay your dues on time! This is how the HOA can repair and maintain common areas. Falling behind on your dues can make you an unfortunate target of retaliation.
  2. Review and follow the rules. It’s best to know the rules of a community before you buy a home. Violation of these rules can bring financial penalties and possible legal action.
  3. Handle neighbor problems through the HOA. Navigating problems with neighbors is one of the best reasons an HOA exists. A manicured walkway is nice. Dealing with a neighbor who is a rule breaker and a jerk is a whole other experience. Be clear about your issue and seek help from the HOA rather than doing things yourself, which can cause greater problems.
  4. Establish rapport right away. Be kind and receive kindness in return. Go to meetings, learn about changes, and get to know the members of your HOA. Having an established relationship will make for an easier time if a difficult conversation occurs in the future.
  5. Keep tabs on the HOA. If you’re following the rules, they need to as well. It’s fair to ask the HOA for receipts to view the budget and other checks and balances.
HOAs are designed to help the residents of a community. However, sometimes things can get downright weird. If you need help, seek an HOA attorney. Hopefully, you will never have to experience the pains these other homeowners went through.
Add to Google News

Tags

advertisement

More for You

  • Italian man claims to be ‘human cheetah’ with lightning-fast reflexes
    Photo credit: Canva – A man with fast reflexes.
    ,

    Italian man claims to be ‘human cheetah’ with lightning-fast reflexes

    “I blinked and I missed it”

    Mark Wales

    At first glance, this probably looks like a camera trick. Ken Lee, an Italian content creator, has built a massive online following by doing something that doesn’t quite feel real. Viewers refer to him as the “human cheetah” because it appears he has near-instant reflexes.

    Grabbing objects out of the air with uncanny precision, flicking clothespins and lighters, and throwing a blur of punches and kicks at impossible speeds, it is easy to call him unbelievable. Half the audience thinks his viral speed videos are fake. The other half is just as convinced they are watching something incredibly rare.

    @kenleefastestman

    KAIOKEN DELL’UNIVERSO!🐉😱 PER VOI DIVENTO LUCE!!!💥(Super Saiyan 11° livello!💫) #kenlee🐉 #kenshirorealstar💥 #kaioken #universe #animeman #live #supersaiyan #ultrainstinct #maivisto #manga #dragonball #fastest #saitama #brucelee #goku #funny #divertente #comic

    ♬ suono originale – Ken Lee👽⚡

    Hands so fast they blur time

    In the video above, a timer runs to confirm its authenticity. In what looks like half a second, he reaches out and snags the lighter from the table. To prove it is real, he does it twice.

    Having amassed millions of followers on his TikTok page, the identity behind the mysterious influencer remains largely unknown. Active since around 2022, with almost 100 million accumulated likes, Lee has cultivated a fandom around his self-proclaimed “Superhero per Hobby!”

    Do you believe it is real? Is this person the fastest human alive? Many followers cannot wait for the next video to be posted. Plenty of his fervent fans are Italian, so sifting through the remarks takes a bit of hunting. Here are some comments that sum up how much people enjoy the fun and the spectacle:

    “Ken lee the fastest and the best”

    “Most dangerous human”

    “Is this what the lighter sees before my homie steals it”

    “It was sped up during he grabbed the lighter, if u count up with the timer u would be off by like 0,5 seconds whenever he grabs the lighter.”

    “If the flash were human”

    “How is it possible to get such powers ?”

    “I blinked and I missed it”

    @kenleefastestman

    AIR OF THE DRAGON! 🐉😱 #kenlee🐉 #kenshirorealstar💥 #animeman #over100000 #ultrainstinct #over100000 #saitama #goku #brucelee #speedoflight⚡ #manga #cartoon #fastest #flash #velocita #sport #impossible #lighters #world #record #real #speed

    ♬ suono originale – Ken Lee👽⚡

    People love good entertainment

    The awe of peak performance attracts people to watch elite athletes, musicians, or even dancers. There is something that deeply satisfies all of us when a human appears to push a skill to its limit. Whether it is real or fake seems to matter less than the opportunity to chime in on some good entertainment.

    How far could any of us go by practicing and repeating a particular motion over and over until it is mastered? Beneath the flashy nickname and his viral speed videos, Lee’s content has a way of drawing people in. This is not a superpower. Just repetition. Focus. Obsession. And maybe some digital wizardry.

    @kenleefastestman

    KEN LEE💫THE NEW SUPERHERO! 👽⚡️🌎🐉#kenleespeed👽⚡ #fastestmanalive⚡️ #speedoflight #worldspeed🌎 #superhero

    ♬ audio originale – Ken Lee👽⚡

    Testing the science of speed

    If you wish to question the validity of Lee’s performances, maybe some basic science can help. Human reaction time is not just a reflex. A 2024 study found that the nervous system can fine-tune responses in real time. Practice can make movements appear almost automatic.

    It has been well established in research that the gap between seeing something and responding has a limit. A 2025 study concluded that the most elite extremes allow for reaction times of 100 milliseconds. At that speed, the human brain can barely process that something has happened.

    Science explains Lee is not necessarily moving as fast as we might perceive him to be. And therein lies all the fun of it. We cannot prove it is real, nor can we actually prove that it is fake.

    Maybe Lee is the “fastest man alive” or the so-called “human cheetah.” Or maybe he is just a remarkable entertainer. Either way, he has clearly tapped into something strange and fascinating: a blend of human ability and fantasy that people do not want to miss.

    To give context to Lee’s videos, watch this performance on Tú Sí Que Vales:

    Keep Reading →
  • Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes
    Photo credit: LisaStrachan/iStock via Getty Images – Fear not: There isn’t anything that needs saving.
    ,

    Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes

    Why “bad” English is nothing new.

    Good Partner

    Valerie M. Fridland

    Valerie M. Fridland

    As a linguistics professor, I’m often asked why English is decaying before our eyes, whether it’s “like” being used promiscuously, t’s being dropped deleteriously or “literally” being deployed nonliterally.

    While these common gripes point to eccentric speech patterns, they don’t point to grammatical annihilation. English has weathered far worse.

    Let’s start with something we can all agree on: Old English, spoken from approximately A.D. 450 to 1100, is pretty unintelligible to us today. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of reading “Beowulf” in high school knows how different English back then used to sound. Word endings did a lot more grammatical work, and verbs followed more complicated patterns. Remnants of those rules fuel lingering debates today, such as when to use “whom” over “who,” and whether the past tense of “sneak” is “snuck” or “sneaked.”

    The language went on to experience centuries of tumult: Viking invasions, which introduced Old Norse influence; Anglo-Norman French rule, which shifted the language of the elite to French; and 18th-Century grammarians, who dictated norms with their elocution and grammar guides.

    In that time, English has lost almost all of the more complex linguistic trappings it was born with to become the language we know and – at least, sometimes – love today. And as I explain in my new book, “Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents,” it was all thanks to the way that language naturally evolves to meet the social needs of its speakers.

    From dropping the ‘l’ to dropping the ‘g’

    The things we tend to label as “bad” or sloppy English – for instance, the “g” that gets lost from our -ing endings or the deletion of a “t” when we say a word like “innernet” – actually reflect speech habits that are centuries old.

    Take, for example, “often.” Originally spoken with the “t,” that pronunciation gradually became less favored around the 15th century, alongside that “l” in “talk” and the “k” in know. Meanwhile, the “s” now stuck on the back of verbs like “does” and “makes” began as a dialectal variant that only became popular in 16th-century London. It gradually replaced “th” whenever third persons were involved, as in “The lady doth protest too much.”

    While dropping the “l” in talk may have been initially frowned upon, today it would be strange if you pronounced the letter. And the shift makes sense: It smoothed out some linguistic awkwardness for the sake of efficiency.

    If people learned to look at language more like linguists, they might come around to seeing that there is more than one perspective on what good speech consists of.

    And yes, that absolutely is a sentence ending with a preposition – something many modern grammar guides discourage, even though the idea only took hold after 18th-century grammarian Robert Lowth intimated it was a less elegant choice based on the model of Latin.

    Though Lowth voiced no hard and fast rule against it, many a grammar maven later misconstrued his advice as an admonition. Just like that, a mere suggestion became grammatical law.

    The rise of the grammar sticklers

    Many of today’s ideas about what constitutes correct English are based on a singular – often mistaken – 19th-century view of the forces that govern our language.

    In the late 18th century, the English-speaking world began experiencing class restructuring and higher literacy rates. As greater class mobility became possible, accent differences became class markers that separated new money from old money.

    Emulation of upper-crust speech norms became popular among the nouveau riche. With literacy also on the rise, grammarians and elocutionists raced to dictate the terms of “proper” English on and off the page, which led to the rise of usage guides and dictionaries that were eager to sell a certain brand of speech.

    Another example of grammarian angst reconfiguring the view of an otherwise perfectly fine form is the droppin’ of the “g.” It became so tied to slovenly speech that it was branded with an apostrophe in the 19th century to make sure no one missed its lackadaisical and nonstandard nature.

    Up until the 19th century, however, no one seemed to care whether one pronounced it as “-in” or “-ing.”

    Evidence suggests that -ing wasn’t even heard as the correct form. Many elocution guides from the 18th century provide rhyming word pairs like “herring/heron,” “coughing/coffin” and “jerking/jerkin,” which suggest that “-in” may have been the preferred pronunciation of words ending with “-ing.” Even writer and satirist Jonathan Swift – a frequent lobbyist for “proper” English – rhymes “brewing” with “ruin” in his 1731 poem “Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D..”

    Embrace the change

    Language has always shifted and evolved. People often bristle at changes from what they’ve known to what is new. And maybe that’s because this process often begins with speakers that society usually looks less favorably on: the young, the female, the poor, the nonwhite.

    But it’s important to remember that being disliked and bad are not the same thing – that today’s speech pariahs are driven by the same linguistic and social needs as the Londoners who started going with “does” instead of “doth” or dropped the “t” in often.

    So if you think the speech that comes from your lips is the “correct” version, think again. Thou, like every other English speaker, art literally the product of centuries of linguistic reinvention.

    This article originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read it here.

    Keep Reading →
  • 10 boys and 10 girls were left alone in separate houses and the different results are just wild
    Photo credit: Ian Taylor Photographer – Two young children play in the grass.
    ,

    10 boys and 10 girls were left alone in separate houses and the different results are just wild

    The premise was simple but high stakes.

    Adam Albright Hanna

    GOOD Staff

    It sounds like the plot of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. However, in the mid-2000s, it was a very real and very controversial reality television experiment.

    Footage from the UK Channel 4 documentary Boys and Girls Alone is captivating audiences all over again. It offers a fascinating and chaotic look at what happens when you remove parents from the equation.

    The premise was simple but high stakes. Twenty children, aged 11 and 12, were split into two groups by gender. Ten boys and ten girls were placed in separate houses and told to live without adult supervision for five days.

    The Setup

    While there were safety nets in place, the day-to-day living was entirely up to the kids. A camera crew was present but instructed not to intervene unless safety was at risk. The children could also ring a bell to speak to a nurse or psychiatrist.

    The houses were fully stocked with food, cleaning supplies, toys, and paints. Everything they needed to survive was there. They just had to figure out how to use it.

    The Boys: Instant Chaos

    In the boys’ house, the unraveling was almost immediate. The newfound freedom triggered a rapid descent into high-energy anarchy.

    They engaged in water pistol fights and threw cushions. In one memorable instance, a boy named Michael covered the carpet in sticky popcorn kernels just because he could.

    The destruction eventually escalated to the walls. The boys covered the house in writing, drawing, and paint. But the euphoria of freedom eventually crashed into the reality of consequences.

    “We never expected to be like this, but I’m really upset that we trashed it so badly,” one boy admitted in the footage. “We were trying to explore everything at once and got too carried away in ourselves.”

    Their attempts to clean up were frantic and largely ineffective. Nutrition also took a hit. Despite having completed a cooking course, the boys survived mostly on cereal, sugar, and the occasional frozen pizza. By the end of the week, the house was trashed, and the group had fractured into opposing factions.

    The Girls: Organized Society

    The girls’ house looked like a different planet.

    In stark contrast to the mayhem next door, the girls immediately established a functioning society. They organized a cooking roster, with a girl named Sherry preparing their first meal. They baked cakes. They put on a fashion show. They even drew up a scrupulous chores list to ensure the house stayed livable.

    While their stay wasn’t devoid of interpersonal drama, the experiment highlighted a fascinating divergence in socialization. Left to their own devices, the girls prioritized community and maintenance. The boys tested the absolute limits of their environment until it broke.

    The documentary was controversial when it aired, with critics questioning the ethics of placing children in unsupervised situations for entertainment. But what made it so enduring, and why footage keeps resurfacing years later, is what it reveals about how kids are socialized long before anyone puts them in a house together. The boys weren’t born anarchists and the girls weren’t born organizers. They arrived at those houses already shaped by years of being told, implicitly and explicitly, what boys do and what girls do. Whether that’s a nature story or a nurture story is the question the documentary keeps asking without quite answering, which is probably why people are still watching and arguing about it nearly two decades later.

    This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

    Keep Reading →

advertisement

Which route should you take? The familiar or the unknown?
Science

How does your brain decide between the road not taken or the same old route? Resolving conflicting memories is key to navigation

The ability to say ‘I know that I know nothing’ could be considered a sign of wisdom.
Health

Most people don’t know what they don’t know, but think they do – correcting your metaknowledge can make you a better teacher and learner

You don’t need to be stuck on a negative feeling.
Health

You can change your emotions – but it’s a 2‑step process that takes some effort

Support for students is one value that both Democrats and Republicans alike value in a teacher.
Society

What makes a good teacher? Ask a Republican and a Democrat, and they are likely to agree

therapy, depression, positive affect treatment, happiness, mental health, feel good
Well-being

A new therapy is helping people find joy again, and it’s flipping how we treat depression

Sign Up for the Daily Good!

Advertisement

Explore More Culture Stories

See All
TikTok, influencer, fastest man alive, con artist, speed, world record, reflexes
Internet

Italian man claims to be ‘human cheetah’ with lightning-fast reflexes

Mark Wales
Fear not: There isn’t anything that needs saving.
Culture

Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes

Good Partner
Boys and Girls Alone, child psychology, gender differences, social experiment, reality TV
Culture

10 boys and 10 girls were left alone in separate houses and the different results are just wild

Adam Albright Hanna & GOOD Staff
Steph Curry, girls in sports, gender equity, Under Armour, youth advocacy
Media

9-year-old girl asks Steph Curry why his shoes aren’t in girls’ sizes. The response was perfect.

GOOD Staff & Adam Albright-Hanna