A MAN was confronted by a senior HOA official while walking his dog, sparking a tense exchange that was caught on video and quickly went viral.
A TikTok user had an interesting experience recently when he went to visit his 70-year-old mother in a 55+ community in Florida. His mother had just inherited a house and he went to help her fix it up.
After a couple of weeks of staying there, Maddmavic (@Maddmavic), 47, was stopped by the HOA president and his wife while walking his dog.
The HOA president approached, asking how long Maddmavic had been in the area.
Maddmavic, seemingly caught off guard, responded, “A couple of weeks, probably. I don’t know, why?”
The conversation took an awkward turn when the president insisted that Maddmavic had to be registered if he stayed for more than two weeks.
During his visit, the community president explained that guests were allowed to stay for up to 60 days. However, only the property owner, in this case, Maddmavic’s mother, was officially registered to live there.
“You need to talk to her about that. I’m here for work.” Maddmavic confirmed.
Despite the Maddmavic’s assurance that he would not be staying much longer, the HOA president was insistent.
“If you’re going to be here longer, we need some information,” the president said, asking for an emergency contact in case of an incident.
The interaction took a tense turn when Maddmavic bristled at the request.
“Why do you need my personal emergency info?” he snapped.
The president said, just in case of an emergency.
The conversation continued as Maddmavic clarified he would likely leave before April.
The HOA president acknowledged this but still insisted on gathering information.
“It’s just a matter of park rules,” he said, before asking Maddmavic how old he was.
It was revealed that individuals under 55 could only stay in the community if they were accompanied by a resident who was 55 years old or older. Since Maddmavic was 47, he needed his mother’s presence to comply with the community rules.
As the conversation progressed, Maddmavic, feeling uncomfortable, became increasingly frustrated.
Maddmavic, in his TikTok comment, also mentioned that he felt threatened when the president suggested he needed to leave if he were staying longer.
The video amassed over 600k views, more than 7,400 likes, and over 400 comments.
“If I’m here more than two weeks, does that sound like a threat?” he wrote in the comment, asking if the president’s words implied he was being warned or intimidated.
What is an HOA?
One in five Americans live in an area with a Homeowners’ Association – or HOA. But what exactly is it that they do?
- An HOA is a homeowner’s association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean and cohesive place to live for its residents.
- Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, family homes, or townhouses within “a planned development” will often make up an HOA.
- They also act as a governing body for tenants, who run and fund the HOA through monthly fees.
- Their principal aims are to keep the community functioning and visually appealing and to maintain property values.
- They primarily focus on common areas of a neighborhood, such as roads, parks, and pools – but may also stipulate what residents can do with their properties, such as yards and driveways.
- Often these restrictions enforce uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring most houses look the same and all driveways are clear of weeds.
- An HOA rulebook of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations.
- Breaking these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law.
- HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restricting, or that the leadership has too much power.
- But others like that HOAs give communities the power of self-governance, and can ensure a degree of harmony between residents.
TIKTOK DEBATE
The viral video sparked a range of reactions in the comment section. Some users sympathized with the man, criticizing the HOA’s behavior.
“He’s acting like it’s a subdivision of mansions,” one commenter on TikTok said, referencing the HOA’s overbearing approach.
“HOA’s and old people with nothing to do. The worst,” one user wrote.
While another said, “Dude is acting like it’s a subdivision of mansions. It’s a trailer park.”
Others defended the HOA president, acknowledging the strictness of 55+ community rules.
“This is a decent HOA interrogation compared to what I’ve seen online,” one comment noted, adding that the president even reassured the man he wouldn’t need to visit the office if he left before April.
There were also frustrations expressed about HOA rules in general.
“HOAs are the worst thing to happen to America’s housing. They are everywhere now!!!!! And people buy into it, then complain,” one comment said.
Several users pointed out that the HOA was simply following the rules for a 55+ community.
“There are rules in HOA‘s and 55+ communities. Don’t hate on the old guy because he wants people to follow the rules. There are reasons that rules are in place at 55+ communities,” said one commenter.
Maddmavic didn’t immediately respond to the request for a comment by The U.S. Sun.
