Charlotte NC couple fined $7000 by homeowners association because their roof is too nice

[NotASurfer]

7. I agree with the HOA except:

Having seen the damage big hailstorms are capable of doing, sometimes it's more important to get the roof replaced expediently than it is to wait for the next meeting of the architectural review board.

The story's a little short on details about that part, but it does sound like at least one neighbor replaced their roof without consulting that review board, and they are not being fined; it shouldn't matter if that neighbor accidentally used an approvable combination of colors, they failed to follow HOA rules and should have had the same penalty. Otherwise it starts to look like the rules are being applied arbitrarily, and that starts to look like the HOA is abusing its authority by selective enforcement.

Again, the article is kind of short on detail; it's possible there's more to the story than a straightforward application of HOA rules. In an emergency situation I say waive the damn rule if it has no bearing on health & safety, and make the homeowners aware they'll have to correct it the next time the roof is replaced.