What would you do if you noticed a few black SUVs parked at your neighbor's during a birthday party? Maybe you would be a bit curious, but you'd probably ignore them and carry on with your life. After all, it's truly none of your business.
Yet one man received an email after hosting a birthday party with some black-SUV owners in attendance. Apparently, the presence of their cars constituted an "incident" in which the HOA had to get involved.
The man received a 'weird' email from his HOA after his friends parked their 'unsettling' black SUVs in the neighborhood.
In his Reddit post, the man shared a screenshot of the email that the Homeowner's Association (HOA) sent him after hosting a birthday party at his house. He clarified that it was a "tame" party without any loud music, and everyone "parked in a decent manner."
Yet according to the email, the three blacked-out SUVs "startled" and "unsettled" several neighbors. For simply being parked in their driveway and neighborhood.
Moetheoneandonly | Reddit
"It's really concerning to see such vehicles showing up in our otherwise peaceful, family-oriented neighborhood, especially without any prior notice," the HOA vice president wrote in an email with the subject line "Concerning Event During Your Recent Birthday Party."
"As you can imagine, the sight of them raised a lot of questions and caused quite a bit of anxiety," they continued. "The whole situation was, quite honestly, alarming, and we had no idea how to react."
How about you don't react at all? The man was baffled by the email, explaining that the black SUV drivers were "regular" and "lovely" who were his friends. He found the HOA's concern strange and unnecessary.
"Am I supposed to tell those people to rent a Prius the next time around?" he joked in his post.
The HOA finished their email by requesting the couple inform them in advance about any "unusual activity" to "ease the collective nerves" of their neighbors, who felt uncomfortable by the presence of the SUVs.
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Reddit users found the HOA's email to be comical yet inappropriate.
As various Redditors identified, the neighbor's concerns were baseless and didn't warrant the HOA's involvement -- and certainly not a reprimand.
Many users joked about ways the man could mess with HOA in his response.
"Tell them that security protocols prohibit you from advising them prior to having these friends visit," one commenter wrote. "Then, give them the phone number of the nearest Secret Service office and tell them to call if they have any questions."
RossHelen | Shutterstock
"Make out like it was some big deal celebrity or politician," another user commented, suggesting they respond by asking the HOA "Did you not see the chopper and snipers too?"
Others, however, argued that the HOA's message was intrusive and out-of-line as they had absolutely no reason for concern. They insisted that the man shouldn't be obligated to inform HOA when he has guests over -- regardless of the cars they drive -- as that is an invasion of privacy and a contradiction to their supposed "inclusive neighborhood."
As Vox noted, developments with HOAs are notoriously not inclusive, and if you do have a run-in with them, there's not much you can do in terms of recourse, even within the legal system.
Florida broker Kristen D. Conti told Realtor.com, "Oftentimes, people on the boards are on a total power trip and use that to advance their own desires. I don't invest in communities with HOAs anymore because their rules are so over the top that it upsets the tenants."
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The HOA quickly apologized, but the man called them out for their initial lack of respect.
The man's post gained so much attention -- surpassing 9,000 comments and 45,000 upvotes -- that it eventually caught the attention of the HOA that sent the email. Upon reviewing the commenters' reactions, the HOA sent a follow-up email to the man apologizing for their "alarmist, demeaning, and offensive" message.
They claimed that the Reddit community describing their email as inappropriate was "understandable," and they affirmed that their community is dedicated to being "inclusive and welcoming."
Although the HOA took accountability for their actions, the man felt that it was too little too late and that they only cared to apologize because they were exposed and likely embarrassed.
The Redditor updated the post to share his unashamed response to the email. "It's hard to believe you'd be this cooperative and apologetic without the 6,000 Redditors who weighed in," he wrote. "Let this serve as a clear message to you and any other HOA 'leaders' to stop with the nonsense."
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