A woman who bought a house with a stubborn oil stain in the driveway is shocked when the homeowners association (HOA) sends her a bill for the infraction.
TikTok user @luciferlovesmexx posted a video detailing her conundrum on July 2. The video shows her scrubbing the oil slick on her driveway with a brush. It doesn’t appear that she’s making any progress in cleaning the stain.
“When you buy a house with an oil stain in the driveway not knowing the homeowner’s association was gonna immediately fine you for it and not even a power washer will get it up,” she writes in the on-screen text.
Viewers offer sympathy, advice
In the comments section, viewers vented frustration about owning a home with an HOA. Others offered advice on how @luciferlovesmexx can get around this problem.
“HOAs should be illegal,” wrote one person.
“Check if your state required they or the seller disclose this when you were in escrow,” suggested a second person. “You might not be the one on the hook. Just the easiest thing to try.”
Another helpful viewer offered a potential solution. “Brake cleaner,” they wrote. “Chlorinated if you can find it. And a lot of it.”
What is an HOA? And why can it fine you?
Whether you’re buying a home in a planned community or a condominium, one thing that’s important to note is that your purchase might come along with membership to an HOA. The purpose of an HOA is to collect fees that contribute to the maintenance of the community’s common spaces.
HOAs also commonly impose rules regarding the upkeep and decoration of your property. That can mean you can’t paint your house a certain color or put up a particular kind of fence. And you likely aren’t allowed to leave any visible messes on your property–including oil leaks.
This is actually a pretty common violation if internet complaints are a barometer. A quick search will reveal story after story about people outraged by getting fined over an oil leak on their property or even the road by their home.
One man even said the fight with his HOA over an “old” truck leaking oil in his driveway turned into an entirely different argument when he decided to buy an electric vehicle. Apparently, that annoyed the HOA, too.
How to get rid of an oil stain
All State recommends using cat litter to soak up oil from a fresh spill. If that doesn’t work completely, you can try pouring room-temperature soda onto the stain before using a scrub brush. You can also try baking soda, powdered laundry detergent, oven cleaner, WD-40, concrete cleaner or degreaser, and muriatic acid.
@luciferlovesmexx ♬ You Gotta Move – Mississippi Fred McDowell
Motor1 reached out to @luciferlovesmexx via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
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