Georgia man at odds with HOA for doing ‘porch-type activity’ in the garage. It hasn’t stopped him

​A spoof account posted a video of a mock Homeowners Association meeting. But, as it turns out, the video isn't actually that far from reality.

In the satirical reel posted by The HOAi (@thehoa.i), a group of supposed HOA board members told a man that he can't engage in “porch-type” activity. That is, “folding chair, door open, watching cars go by.” The humorous meeting, however, actually describes real-world HOA policies that people in the United States are actively following.

The mock meeting

HOAi's post captured a group of Georgia HOA board members, supposedly telling a man named “Tom” that he can't watch cars drive by from a folding chair in his garage.

During the mock meeting, a member said, “Garages are for vehicles, tools, and storage. Relaxing, enjoying the evening belongs in the backyard.” The video then cut to another clip.

The next portion of the video revealed that “Tom” didn't listen. An unknown person recorded the man afterward, sitting in a folding chair with his garage door wide open.

The content creator said, “There he is. Three hours a day.”

What did viewers think?

While multiple viewers understood that the post was satirical, others took it—and its depiction of HOAs as a whole—seriously.

“Imagine paying $500k for a house and can't sit in your garage and drink a beer,” a commenter said.

Another viewer joked, “So if you grill outside, is that considered [kitchen-type] activity??? Asking for Tom.”

Then, a third viewer said, “Abolish all HOAs. It's money back in your pocket. I'm sure everyone is ok with some tall grass here and there if it puts several hundreds of dollars back in people's pockets. Complete [waste] of time.”

Can the HOA control what homeowners do in their garage?

While an HOA cannot unilaterally dictate what a homeowner does in their garage, it can set rules regarding “porch-type” activity. In fact, some HOAs stipulate that garage doors remain closed unless a car is exiting or entering the premises. Other HOAs have literal time limits that dictate how long a homeowner can have their garage door open.

Challenging an HOA's bylaws is extremely difficult. While they cannot create rules that circumvent federal, state, or local law, they can legally create and enforce bylaws that control specific aspects of a neighborhood. If a rule regarding a garage door is enforced by CC&Rs or adopted procedure, it's even more strenuous to challenge.

HOAs cannot make arbitrary decisions that aren't supported by previously established rules, override other laws that allow for certain tenant rights, or contradict fair housing, discrimination, or free speech laws. The area where a person can challenge an HOA, however, remains thin.

Buzz News reached out to HOAi via Instagram direct message for comment.