Green practices conflict with homeowner association rules

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2010-05-12-green-conflict_N.htm

Early last year, Larry Lohrman, a homeowner in Salem, Ore., decided to try to cut his energy consumption by installing solar panels on his roof. He researched the panels, hired an installer and put a down payment on a 3,000-watt solar installation.
Lohrman's plans were interrupted abruptly by a letter from his homeowner's association at Creekside Estates denying permission for the installation because it would violate the private community's covenants.

It's a scene that's being played out across the country. As homeowners increasingly seek to turn to green practices such as using clotheslines instead of dryers or moving to wind or solar power, they are finding those plans in conflict with the rules of homeowners associations that encourage conformity in order to maintain property values.

"Homeowners associations are charged with protecting the aesthetic look and feel of the community," said Robert DeNichilo, an Orange County, Calif., attorney who specializes in homeowner association law. "As energy costs rise and solar is becoming more of a viable option, you're seeing more and more associations having to deal with it."

"Homeowners associations are charged with protecting the aesthetic look and feel of the community," said Robert DeNichilo, an Orange County, Calif., attorney who specializes in homeowner association law. "As energy costs rise and solar is becoming more of a viable option, you're seeing more and more associations having to deal with it."

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