MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Living in a neighborhood run by a homeowner association has its advantages, like maintaining uniformity with the exterior colors of the homes.
But after discovering some of their HOA's “approved” colors didn't even exist anymore, a Mooresville family found themselves asking, "Where's the money?"
The family picked a color they liked, only to be hit with a $1,000 fine. That's until neighbors stepped in.
Kenneth Threatt and his wife Tisha said most of the time they've enjoyed their house at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the Meadows at Reed Creek community. They've always taken pride in its upkeep.
"I'm a peaceful guy, you know, in this neighborhood, I've been — 18 years," Threatt said. "We never had no problems with no one around here."
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Things started stirring up last fall when the couple decided to refresh their home's exterior paint. Threatt admitted the house was almost completely painted before he learned he needed to fill out a request for architectural approval.
"So I went to the HOA representative, and she said to me, 'This color you have, it's not an approved color,"' Threatt recalled.
After requesting a hearing, in which the Threatts were denied permission to keep their darker shade of gray, Threatt said the board told them they'd have to change the color.
"We want to be in compliance with the HOA rules and regulations, so we were trying to work with them," Threatt said.
Threatt then took a drive around his neighborhood.
"I found out that there were other colors in the neighborhood that were not approved colors," he said.
Threatt said other neighbors had homes painted in colors that were not approved. Yet he was being told his family had to change theirs, or else.
"They charged us a $1,000 fine for not having the right color," he said.
Another neighbor, Mark Lepard, said he could empathize.
"My personal feeling was that not everyone on the board had complete empathy with a lot of the requests that were being made," Lepard said.
And it just so happened, last month, homeowners voted in new HOA board members, including Lepard.
"From what I've heard, personally, there was an overwhelming amount of people that did want to see a difference in the way that the rules are enforced on them," Lepard said.
Threatt is one of them.
"Thank God for Mark and the ones that came on, the new ones that came on," Threatt said.
"The new board has signed off on the paint colors that they chose, and so they don't have to paint their house," Lepard added. "They were assessed some fines and we've waived those, and so they're good to go."
It worked out for the Threatts, but he said the last several months have been stressful.
It also serves as a reminder if you live in a neighborhood run by an HOA: Read the guidelines when it comes to changing or adding to the appearance of your house. Homeowners usually have to fill out an application for an architectural review for major changes. It'll save time and aggravation knowing if you can proceed with any kind of construction or remodeling work.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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