HOA fines resident for planting "unapproved" flowers, resident uses his neighbor's broken Christmas lights to dispute it: 'I plant a few flowers and get hit with a $75 fine'

It's bizarre which rules authority figures decide to enforce and which ones they let slide. Perhaps no better institution exemplifies this frustrating hypocrisy than your local HOA.

This resident discovered one morning that he had been fined $75 for planting marigolds near his torch. This was someone who took far greater care with his garden than the average person in his neighborhood. He always cut the grass and mowed his lawn regularly, unlike far too many other folks in the area. 

However, today, the HOA board decided that he was the person who needed to be punished in order to set an example. Of course, there were far more worthy candidates for this distinguished honor. 

The author himself pointed out that his next-door neighbor still left his broken Christmas lights out for almost an entire year, which should have been a much bigger violation given how much of an eyesore it was to everyone else.

Clearly, however, someone on the HOA board had it out for this guy and made it personal. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from several members of this online community.