A homeowner association (HOA) is an organization that governs a housing community, collects dues, and sets rules for its residents.
Depending on the neighborhood, it might: maintain common areas such as lobbies or street corners, remove snow from common roads and parking lots, look after local parks, and staff pools and gyms.
But some also test the very limits of your patience and sometimes even sanity, like issuing a warning because your garden gnome is two inches too tall or a fine because your mailbox is the wrong shade of beige.
