What is HOA?

Home owners association. Theoretically they exist for homeowners to collectively make neighborhoods they live in a better place, but in practice they often devolve into orgs led by busybodies drunk on power who harass homeowners just trying to live their lives the way they want.

I envy you.

And to clarify, by "harass", we mean stupid shit like "your grass is 1 inch taller than the mandated limit, mow it today or we'll fine you $200", "your trash bins are visible from the street on a non-trash day, that'll be $50", or "your house is painted a different color than the entire rest of the neighborhood because we've determined the only color your house is allowed to be is a yellowed beige. Repaint your whole house in the next week otherwise we'll charge you $50 a day until you do."

Which is exactly why I will never live in an HOA-run community.

And you better pay those fines, because the HOA can and will take your house

Awww this is my Mom

Excuse my ignorance, what gives these associations power to do enforce their made up rules and collect “fines”?

Cops, taxes, and people's unwillingness to fight cops or taxes.

All rules are made up. HOA neighborhoods require people to sign a legal contract to follow HOA rules for them to be recognised as "home owners".

The legal definition of "ownership" is, as always, made up, and in this case it means the state will let the HOA violently force you out of the house if you don't obey them.

The deed of the house states you have to obey them, basically. It's pretty bullshit.

More precisely, HOAs operate in deed-restricted neighborhoods. When you buy a house in that neighborhood, you sign paperwork granting the HOA authority over your property and the right to enforce rules and fines usually up to and including seizure of the property. It’s literally written into the deed to your house that they get to tell you what to do.

Could not imagine a more relevant meme for this: https://www.flowershell.com/

Bu+ I+ !$ iNVaS!vE!!!!! The only weeds needed plucked is these imperial bastards

Binding contracts.

in addition to what everyone else has said, it is also the devil