A Nightmare Experience With A Santa Clarita Homeowner’s Association (HOA)

Homeowner’s Associations, better known as HOA’s are prevalent throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. While there are many benefits to an HOA, the potential exists for extreme challenges.

This is the story of one such challenge. KHTS was approached by Steve Goodman, who resides in the North Park Community in Valencia. KHTS shared Steve’s frustration with the HOA Board, since a similar dilemma could be faced by many of us.

Steve’s Story

Here’s Steve’s story.

I have been a follower of KHTS for at least 20 years. I wanted to share the following personal story currently affecting me and my family that may likely relate to countless others residing in one of the many HOA Communities located within Santa Clarita during this water shortage crisis. Here goes:

I am a senior and live in an HOA community in Valencia. As a result of the current drought, Statewide Water Crisis, my wife and I decided to redo our front yard landscaping. Our HOA community requires submission of an application to the management company for Architectural Committee Board Approval. We did initiate this process, which the decision response was delayed by the HOA Board.

I had the opportunity to utilize an excellent professional landscaper and did not want to wait for an unknown amount of time to obtain approval for my application and informed the HOA that I was going ahead with the work submitted so that I can comply with the 3 days per week water rationing requirement in Santa Clarita.

Steve Hears From HOA

I received an email only 3 days prior to the commencement of my landscaping work indicating that the guidelines require a 70 percent softscape (greenery) and 30 percent hardscape ratio. Our project was approximately the reverse. We had river rocks surrounding drought-tolerant plants after the removal of our front lawn. Each plant has a dedicated drip system to achieve water conservation. Moreover, it was designed in a workmanship-like manner to be aesthetically pleasing. The Board came back and insisted on the ratio of 70 percent plants and 30 percent rocks. I had my landscaper purchase additional groundcover plants that would spread and grow atop the rocks and visually yield that percentage of softscape to hardscape as it matures.

I presented a 4-page proposal report in-person to the HOA Board consisting of elected Board Member residents in the North Park Community. It was obvious that they had a grudge against me for proceeding ahead of their approval and said that my plans did not conform to the CC&R’s of the community. I said that the CC&R’s were originally written in about 1997 (25 years ago) and there was no Statewide Emergency Declaration of a water crisis requiring rationing of outdoor watering.

I indicated that the river rocks would serve as an insulator to maintain underground moisture levels to allow plants to thrive during intermittent watering requirements. The Board simply refused to read my report and listen to logical reasoning. They are now demanding that I revise my already completed project and remove rocks to the ratio of 30 percent hardscape and the remainder of 70 percent plants (softscape).

Thousand of Dollars In Modifications

This will cost me several thousand dollars to do so. Moreover, the community is openly tolerant of dead lawns and plants as long as they clean the yard. Also, they are tolerant of most artificial lawns which collect debris, fray and wrinkle along edges and seams, often look fake, and have excessive water run-off. I asked the Board to adapt their antiquated CC&R’s to reflect today’s climate change crisis. I indicated that property values will be adversely affected by dead lawns and plants verses upgrades to a contractor-installed xeriscape for water conservation.

Once again, they refused to listen to my plea to accept my xeriscape project. I told them that anyone with traditional lawns and plant greenery that follows the water rationing requirements will have dead or brown softscape. The President of the HOA arrogantly said that he follows the water rationing requirements and has a green lawn. Honestly, that is impossible given the summer triple-digit weather we’ve been experiencing in Santa Clarita. I told him that anyone with greenery in our community is likely not following the rationing rules. There are a lot of people that are bucking the system and watering beyond the allowable rationing requirements.

HOA Attorney Joins The Dispute

I am sharing a new photo of our (HOA overruled) Xeriscape. It shows the ground cover growing atop of the rocks and beginning to cover them for a clear view visually of primarily softscape. I predict that if left alone to mature, it’ll meet the 70 percent softscape to 30 percent hardscape ratio in a matter of a few short months. Unfortunately, the HOA Board doesn’t care about the visual appearance above rocks since they rejected it. They are now sending me an attorney letter threatening a lien or continuous monetary penalties or a lawsuit against us if we don’t have rocks literally removed to a maximum of 30 percent and add plants to fill in and yield 70 percent softscape and to be “harmonious” with the neighborhood as per the CC&R’s that were written in 1997 or 25 years ago, before the climate change drought water crisis conditions were in place.

The HOA attorney also sites that rocks cause extra heat by our house and transcending in the neighborhood. How ridiculous that statement is. My response was that a 3-car garage concrete driveway causes heat too and that North Park has lots of 3 car driveways. Also, that rocks actually create an insulated layer that retains ground water below for longer time frames to allow watering in-between the specified water rationing cycles. Also, it’s permeable because of the voids between the rocks allowing water to enter the ground verses non permeable artificial grass (which is allowable upon HOA Board review) and has runoff of water. “You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

HOA Board Okay With Dead Lawns

The Board is ok with dead lawns and plants if you keep it cleaned up. However, natural rocks are limited to 30 percent even with visible ground cover that will yield that 70 percent requirement.

I’m regrettably going to spend $5,000 more to remove rocks and add more softscape because I don’t want to go the legal route even though I may have a solid case based on the Statewide Declared Emergency.

We sadly lost our eldest son in 2020 and as such am just not up for the fight in court at this time. I do feel extremely violated by the HOA and would like to publicize through KHTS how stiff minded this group of people are. It felt like the Spanish Inquisition when I met in person with them and tried to appeal to them regarding the groundcover plants growing and spreading atop of the rocks for visual compliance with their guidelines. They simply wouldn’t listen to that logic and immediately said “no”. They had already made up their minds and resented that I broke protocol by doing the Xeriscape project prior to obtaining full HOA approval.

Dispute Remains Unresolved

I did submit a complete proposal to Ross Morgan, the association’s management company, well in advance of the commencement of work but did not want to wait an unknown amount of time for the Board to make their decision. So, I’m now regrettably resubmitting a brand-new proposal that literally removes a good percentage of our rocks, adds softscape and additional drip system for thousands of dollars more.

It’s sad to think that our Board, my neighbors would turn against me and actually turn against the reality of climate change. This crisis simply warrants a modification in the CC&R’s to allow new Xeriscape options for its residents while our water supply reservoirs are getting depleted and people have to do their part to ration their water usage.

Steve Seeks Revenge

By the way, I have ordered a 4 ft X 8 ft custom banner that I’ll be placing in front of my house with verbiage to emphasize the Xeriscape Rejection by the HOA Board that was based on 25-year-old outdated CC&R’s and guidelines that does not consider the drought crisis we’re in. I should receive this banner by 9/16/22 or before.

The HOA Board Responds

After sharing Steve’s complaint with the HOA Board, KHTS received the following response. “The Association exists to enforce the guidelines set forth in the governing documents. The homeowners that purchased a home in the HOA have that expectation. While following the state mandates, the Association must do their due diligence in maintaining the overall aesthetics of the community.”

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