By: Helsing Admin
A reader writes: There is some common area landscaping outside my home that I have been taking care of. Quite frankly I don’t like the job the landscaper is doing, I like gardening, and I think the job I am doing increases the value of my property. Last week, the association’s landscaper trimmed a couple of these vines down to a stub. I am really upset and I want it fixed. What can I do?
I can’t tell you what to do, that is too close to giving legal advice. However, taking your facts at face value – while your intentions were certainly honorable, you do not have the authority to maintain the common area landscaping, even if you do not like the job the association’s landscaper is doing – that is HOA landscaping maintenance responsibility. I am not surprised that the vines were trimmed way back because this is the time of year when many plant species need and get major pruning. My recommendation is to see if your association has a landscape committee, and if so volunteer to become a member of it. It is that committee that typically works with the landscaper and advises the Board of desired changes in both landscaping and landscaping vendors. If your association does not have such a committee volunteer to get one started for them. Boards of Directors can always use help.
While not specifically referred to in your question, the same situation can exist when the association has HOA landscaping maintenance responsibility on privately owned front yards. In this situation, the documents typically do not allow the homeowners to plant or maintain the front yards as it interferes with the landscaping contract with the association. So in these cases also if you are unhappy, it is better to get involved as a committee recognized by the Board of Directors to work on common rather than individual solutions.
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