Our HOA board made landscape changes which affected only our unit. We were not consulted. (Proposed 10/14/22 – performed 10/19/22) Previously, for the past 25 years, the area was a small grassy buffer zone just outside our living room and kitchen windows, connecting our two patios. The changes were proposed and performed while we were out of town, ignoring our written email concerns. You can imagine our shock upon our return.
Here are images of our condo view area before the landscape changes. All of the circled areas are our condo on the first floor of the building.
The images below show the landscape before and after these changes. Our condominium has 9 owners, we are a small community.
UPDATE 7/24/2024: We received a violation letter for trampling or moving plants in the yard shown below. We did not trample or move any plant in the yard. We did witness service people – gardeners, painters, exterminators, window washers, and cleaners for the dryer vents – walk over this area of the yard with their ladders and equipment. We even witnessed a board member stand in the middle of the plants with other service people. We sent a note to the board about building a path in this part the yard to help these service people. Our request was ignored. Comment below.
UPDATE 3/18/2025: Here are the latest photos of the impacted landscape areas:
16 responses to “Landscape Changes”
I live close to this condo near the Harbour Pub on Bainbridge Island. I cannot believe there are people that live on Bainbridge Island that would do this to neighbors in their own building while they are out of town with no discussion. Have these people ever attended a sermon on ‘Love thy Neighbor’? Or how about ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’? The people on this HOA board represent all that is wrong in the world today. Unbelievable!!
OMG! Looks like there are some heartless people making some thoughtless decisions. Thought Jr. High only happened once in a lifetime…
What an unfair and unloving treatment of neighbors, when they were out of town, and were not made aware of this until they returned.
Unbelievable!!!
What a terribly unfair thing to do, and then to do it while you were gone! 🤬 I’d be livid!!!
When I look at what was done by the HOA Board to the landscaping (before and after) only one word comes to mind.. hate. This is simply an act of hate. It is for these kinds of acts that tort laws have been enacted. And now as I reflect on this situation more the words, sad, small, petty, and power hungry come to mind reminding me simply of Vladimir Putin.
These actions go against the “promise” of the condominium to create harmony for every unit owner and to preserve the value of every unit. All that is happening at this couple’s expense is an abuse of power. It is outright theft by reducing the market value of the unit by the selfish actions that also violate the rights of this couple. Depriving the owners of the quality of life that this unit provided before is done in poor faith and betrays an underlying trust. All of this affects no other unit nor does it enhance the value of the other units while reducing the value of this unit.
An unfortunate example of what happens with sub-mediocre people who have any type of authority and have no sense of standards and respect for the common good. There is no ownership of responsibility to those that entrust them with that authority.
Your neighbors are very difficult people. They are not interested in living in harmony and peace. Waiting for you to be gone and unable to have any say in this matter is cowardly of them.
How upsetting-I’m so sorry this happened to you.
The HOA Board has acted in such a rude and aggressive manner. The trees will greatly impact the view from this condo as they grow, clearly this is not something that should have been allowed. The trees should be moved to an area where they will not impact the views of any of the owners. Also the small grassy area should be restored and the barberries should be removed. Planting barberries to stop the owners from exiting their deck is clearly a safety hazard, again so rude and cruel! Let’s hope for a new HOA board that can treat their neighbors with kindness and consideration!!! The current board needs to retract these actions and fix their errors. An apology is also in order!
The hoa board has managed to adversely affect the value of the owner’s unit, not to mention their use and enjoyment of their property and home. The hoa should restore the area to its prior condition and pay the owner’s their damages.
That is horrible. I want to say to your board ‘you made a mistake’. Simple as that. You made a mistake. And you had some chances to talk with Connie and Nat about their concerns. You need to search your hearts and look up what it means to love and be good neighbors.
This is absolutely terrible, an invasion of your space, and a violation of your property! So sorry that people feel they can take advantage of you and your property. I hope that there is restitution made by them or we all know what karma can do!!
All alterations of this sort are required to be approved by all condo members. To do this without consent of Connie and Nat while they were away was lawless, sneaky and vindictive. Jesus has something to say about this kind of attitude/behavior in Matthew 5:21-22. Connie and Nat have always sought to live peacefully and lovingly in community and should not be outcasted or blacklisted for no reason. Bullying and gaslighting are truly evil and those who engage in these activities should examine themselves and turn from these attitudes and actions and seek to love others in their community.
These acts you have done are SO very disrepectful, and quite honestly,hateful and vindictive, along with pushing outside the realm of what HOAs are meant to accomplish! You CHOSE to do these acts out of spite, without Connie and Nat’s consent, and do it in a sneaky manner, while they were away! This is truly unconscionable!
It is difficult to imagine what was in the minds of the board when they agreed to plant prickly bushes to impede the Ballou’s patio entrance and plonked a tree that will block the Ballou’s view. At the very least, they should have been consulted in person. Planting these obstructing plants while they were away suggests possible malicious intent if not careless disregard of the impact such plantings would have on their unit.
It is puzzling why an HOA board would not consult with the owners of the condo before making changes to the grounds outside the condo, and then would make the grounds look more unattractive. I have two words of advice for the HOA board members: Get help (this would be of the spiritual and/or psychological type of help).