As a homeowner was walking his dog through the neighborhood, he noticed something strange about the trees their homeowners association had planted earlier this year.
Around the base of almost every tree they saw tightly wrapped burlap. In some cases the burlap appeared to reach underground.
The homeowner, an experienced arborist, became concerned about the health of the trees and contacted his HOA.
“They didn’t seem to care,” wrote the homeowner, who shared his experience in a post to Reddit’s Arborist. “I told them this could have negative effects on the tree, such as: B. Belting, excessive moisture at the base of the trunk and the settlement of microorganisms. … Has anyone else seen this happen to companies?”
Unfortunately, when it comes to environmentally friendly home or garden conversions and lifestyles, many homeowners' associations actively restrict them, ban them or make compromises. Some HOAs reportedly even ban rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, lawns with native plants, vegetable gardens, and even composting.
With so many restrictions enforced by HOAs, it's always a good idea to understand how to handle these disputes when they arise and how to change established rules – especially if you or someone you know lives in an HOA.
Know how to obtain HOA rules and find state laws; Who you can contact if you have questions or complaints; And how to start conversations with landlords, HOA boards, and other community members who may also be affected will be very helpful in these cases.
In this particular case, users in the Reddit post acknowledged the homeowner's concerns about the condition of the trees and recommended they contact the HOA again.
“Yes, unfortunately a lot of landscapers do this who don’t know what they’re doing,” wrote one. “As a result, there is a high chance that these trees will die prematurely and the HOA will have wasted money paying for them and will also have to pay for their removal.”
🗣️ Should HOAs be able to force homeowners to change their yard?
🔘 Absolutely not 💯
🔘 Yes – it’s part of the deal 🤝
🔘 Only in extreme cases 🏚️
🔘 We should ban HOAs 🚫
🗳️ Click on your selections to see the results and express your opinion
“Clown show. Notify the HOA and hopefully someone else will be used next time,” another person commented.
But when the homeowner followed her advice, there was radio silence. Now they're thinking about taking matters into their own hands to save the trees.
“I told them to notify the arborist and have him check the plantings. No reaction! I just have to go to a nighttime burlap removal operation,” they said.
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